Ecclesiastes 2
1 [Then] I said to myself, “Okay, I will try to do everything that I enjoy. I will find out whether doing what I enjoy can truly enable me to be happy.” But I found out that doing that was also useless/senseless.
Echere m nʼime obi m sị, Ugbu a, aga m eji ihe na-enye obi aṅụrị nwaa gị site otu a chọpụta ihe dị mma, ma nke a bụkwa ihe efu.
2 [So] I said [to myself], “It is foolish to laugh [all the time], and continually doing what I enjoy does not seem to bring any lasting benefit.”
“Ọchị,” ka m sịrị na “ọ bụ ihe nzuzu. Ikpori ndụ, uru gịnị ka ọ bara?”
3 [So], after thinking a lot about it, I decided to (cheer myself/cause myself to be happy) by drinking [a lot of] wine. [So] while I was still trying to be wise, I decided to do things that [many] people do to be happy during the short time that they are alive on the earth.
Echere m nʼobi ụtọ m ga-esite nʼịṅụ mmanya. Agbasokwara m ụzọ ibi ndụ nzuzu ma obi m nọ nnọọ na-edu m site nʼamamihe. Olileanya m bụ na m ga-esi otu a chọta ụzọ kachasị mma ndị mmadụ nwere ike iji bie mkpụmkpụ ndụ ha nʼụwa.
4 I did great things: I [caused] houses to be built for myself and vineyards to be planted.
Arụpụtara m ọtụtụ ihe dị iche iche, ewuru m ụlọ nye onwe m ma nweekwa ubi vaịnị.
5 I [told my workers] to make gardens and parks. [Then] I [told them to] fill the gardens with many kinds of fruit trees.
Ewuru m ubi a gbara ogige ebe izuike, ma kụọkwa osisi na-amị mkpụrụ dị iche iche nʼime ha,
6 I [told them to] build reservoirs to store water to irrigate the fruit trees.
wuore onwe m ọdọ mmiri ebe a ga-esi na-agba ubi m niile mmiri.
7 I bought male and female slaves, and babies [who later became my slaves] were born in my palace. I also owned more livestock than any of the previous kings in Jerusalem had owned.
Agbatara m ndị ohu nwoke na nwanyị, nweekwa ndị ohu ọzọ a mụrụ nʼụlọ m. Enwekwara m ọtụtụ igwe ehi na anụ ụlọ karịa eze niile ndị bu m ụzọ chịa na Jerusalem.
8 I also accumulated large amounts of silver and gold [that were paid to me] from the treasures of kings and rulers of provinces. [I hired] men and women to sing for me, and I had many (concubines/slave wives) who gave me [much] pleasure [EUP].
Achịkọtara m ọlaọcha na ọlaedo nye onwe m, na akụnụba nke ọtụtụ ndị eze na-achị ala ha na-atụtara m. E nwetakwara m nye onwe m ndị ikom na ndị inyom ndị na-abụ abụ. Enwekwara ndị iko nwanyị nʼebe ọ bara ụba. Ihe ụtọ niile ndị na-amasị obi nwa mmadụ.
9 So, I became greater than anyone else who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and I was [very] wise.
E, aghọrọ m onye dị ukwuu karịa eze niile ndị burula m ụzọ chịa na Jerusalem. Ma nʼime ihe ndị a niile, anya doro m, ihe niile ka m ji amamihe tulee.
10 I got everything [LIT] that I [SYN] saw and wanted. I did everything [LIT] that I thought would enable me to be happy. All those things that I [SYN] enjoyed were [like] a reward for all my hard work.
Ihe ọbụla m chọrọ, ka m na-ewere; egbochighị m onwe m aṅụrị ọbụla. Obi m ṅụrịrị ọṅụ site nʼọrụ niile, nke a bụkwa oke m ketara na ndọgbu niile m dọgburu onwe m.
11 [But] then I thought about all the hard work that I [SYN] had done [to get all those things], and none of it seems to bring any lasting benefit [DOU]. It was all [like] chasing the wind.
Mgbe m tulere ihe banyere ihe ndị a niile m tinyetụrụ aka, otu m si dọgbuo onwe m nʼọrụ banyere ha, mkpebi m bụ na ha niile bụ ihe efu, dịka ịchọ ijide ifufe. Nʼezie, ihe niile bụ ihe efu, ha abakwaghị uru.
12 Then I started to think about being wise, and [also about] being foolish [DOU]. [I said to myself, “I certainly do not think that] [RHQ] the next king will be able to do anything better than I can.”
Atụgharịrị m bido ịmụ ihe banyere amamihe, na ịyị ara na nzuzu. Olee ihe ọzọ nke onye ga-anọchi anya eze ga-eme, karịa ihe ndị ahụ e merela na mbụ?
13 And I thought, “Surely it is better to be wise than to be foolish, like light is better than darkness,
Achọpụtara m na amamihe dị mma karịa nzuzu, dịka ìhè si dị mma karịa ọchịchịrị.
14 [because] wise people [walk in the daylight and] [IDM] can see where they are going, but foolish people walk in the darkness [and cannot see where they are going].” But I [also] realized that both wise people and foolish people eventually die.
Nʼihi na onye maara ihe na-ahụ ụzọ ma isi kpuru onye nzuzu. Ma achọpụtakwara m na otu ihe ndaba na-adabara onye amamihe na onye nzuzu.
15 So I said to myself, “I am very wise, but I will [die at the end of my life], like foolish people do. So (how has it benefited me to be very wise?/it certainly has not benefited me to be very wise [RHQ]). I do not understand why [people consider that] it is valuable to be wise.
Agwara m onwe m okwu sị, “Dịka onye nzuzu ga-anwụ, otu ahụ kwa ka m ga-anwụ. Gịnị bụ uru amamihe m niile bara?” Ekwuru m nʼobi m sị, “Ihe a bụkwa ihe efu.
16 Wise people and foolish people all die. And after we die, we will all eventually be forgotten [DOU].”
Nʼihi na onye maara ihe na onye nzuzu bụ ndị a na-agaghị echeta ihe banyere ogologo oge dị nʼihu. Nʼụbọchị ndị na-abịa nʼihu, a gaghị echeta ha. Onye amamihe na onye nzuzu aghaghị ịnwụ.”
17 So I hated being alive, because everything that we do here on the earth [MTY] distresses me. It all seems to be useless [like] chasing the wind.
Ya mere, akpọrọ m ịdị ndụ asị, nʼihi na ọrụ a na-arụ nʼokpuru anyanwụ wutere m. Ihe efu ka ọ bụ; ọ dị ka ịchụgharị ifufe.
18 I [also began to] hate all the hard work that I had done, because [when I die], everything [that I have acquired] will belong to the next king.
Ihe niile m gbalịrị ịrụpụta ka m kpọrọ asị, nʼihi na amaara m na emesịa, aga m ahapụrụ ha onye ọzọ na-abịa nʼazụ m.
19 And (who/no one) knows [RHQ] whether he will be wise or whether he will be foolish. But even if he is foolish, he will acquire all the things that I worked very hard and wisely to get.
Onye maara ma ọ ga-abụ onye maara ihe ma ọ ga-abụkwanụ onye nzuzu? Ma ihe niile m ji amamihe ǹka m na ike m rụpụta nʼokpuru anyanwụ ga-abụ nke ya! Ihe a bụ ihe efu.
20 I thought about all the hard work that I had done. [It seemed useless], and I became depressed/discouraged.
Ya mere, o wutere m nʼobi na m dọgburu onwe m nʼọrụ nʼokpuru anyanwụ.
21 Some people work wisely and skillfully, using the things that they have learned. But [when they die], they leave everything, and someone who has not worked hard acquires those things. And that also [seemed to] be senseless and caused me to be discouraged.
Nʼihi na mmadụ nwere ike jiri amamihe, na ihe ọmụma na ǹka dọgbuo onwe ya nʼọrụ, emesịa, ha ahapụrụ onye na-enweghị mgbe ọ rụrụ ọrụ ọbụla ihe ndị ahụ niile. Nke a bụkwa ihe efu, na oke ihe ndakwasị.
22 So, it seems that people do not [RHQ] get much for all the hard work that they do and for worrying.
Gịnị bụ uru mmadụ na-enweta na ndọgbu niile ọ na-adọgbu onwe ya nʼọrụ nʼokpuru anyanwụ?
23 Every day the work that they do causes them to experience pain and to be worried. And during the night, their minds are not able to rest. That also is very frustrating.
Nʼihi nʼụbọchị ha niile jupụtara naanị nʼihe mgbu na iru ụjụ, ọ bụladị nʼabalị, obi ha anaghị ezu ike. Ihe ndị a bụkwa ihe efu.
24 [So I decided that] the best thing that we can do is to enjoy what we eat and drink, and [also] enjoy our work. And I realized that those things are what God intends for us.
Nʼihi ya, ekpebiri m na ọ dịghị ihe ọzọ ga-abara mmadụ uru karịakwa naanị ịnọdụ ala rie nri, ṅụọkwa ihe ma chọta ojuju afọ nʼọrụ ya. Achọpụtakwara m na ọ bụladị nke a si nʼaka Chineke.
25 There is absolutely no one [RHQ] who is able to enjoy those things if God does not give those things to him.
Ọ dịghị onye pụrụ iri maọbụ ṅụọ ma o siteghị na Chineke?
26 God enables those who please him to be wise, to know [many things], and to enjoy [many things]. But if sinful people work hard and become rich, God [can] take their money away from them and give it to those who please him. But that also is something that is difficult for me to understand. [Their working hard seems] useless, [like] chasing the wind.
Nʼihi na ndị na-eme ihe na-atọ ya ụtọ, ka Chineke na-enye amamihe na ihe ọmụma, na ọṅụ; ma ọ na-enye onye mmehie ọrụ ịkpakọta na ịchịkọba akụnụba nke ọ ga-enyefe nʼaka onye ahụ ihe ya dị Chineke mma. Nke a bụkwa ihe efu; ịchụso ifufe.
