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.
Hoy izaho anakampo: Aoka mba hizahako toetra amin’ ny hafaliana ianao, ka dia mifalia amin’ ny fahitana ny fahafinaretana; kanjo, indro, zava-poana koa izany.
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.”
Hoy izaho, miantso ny fihomehezana: Fahadalana, ary ny fifaliana hoe: Mahefa inona?
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.
Nisaina tato am-poko hamalifaly ny nofoko tamin’ ny divay aho (ny foko anefa mbola hitondra azy amin’ ny fahendrena ihany) ary hitana ny fahadalana, mandra-pahitako izay tsara ho an’ ny zanak’ olombelona ka tokony hataony atỳ ambanin’ ny lanitra amin’ ny andro vitsy iainany.
4 I did great things: I [caused] houses to be built for myself and vineyards to be planted.
Nanao asa lehibe ho ahy aho, nanao trano, nanao tanim-boaloboka,
5 I [told my workers] to make gardens and parks. [Then] I [told them to] fill the gardens with many kinds of fruit trees.
nanao tanimboly sy saha aho ka namboly hazo fihinam-boa samy hafa karazana tao;
6 I [told them to] build reservoirs to store water to irrigate the fruit trees.
nanao kamory aho handemana ny ala be zana-kazo;
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.
nahazo ankizilahy sy ankizivavy aho sady nanana ompikely; ary nanana fananana be aho, dia omby sy ondry aman’ osy mihoatra noho izay rehetra talohako teto Jerosalema.
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].
Nihary volafotsy sy volamena koa aho ary fanaka tsara fananan’ ny mpanjaka sy izay avy amin’ ny tany samy hafa; ary nahazo mpihiralahy sy mpihiravavy aho mbamin’ izay mahafinaritra ny zanak’ olombelona, dia vady sy vaditsindrano betsaka.
9 So, I became greater than anyone else who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and I was [very] wise.
Dia efa nisandratra mihoatra noho izay rehetra talohako teto Jerosalema aho; ary ny fahendreko anefa dia mbola tato amiko ihany.
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.
Ary na inona na inona nirin’ ny masoko dia tsy nisy narovako taminy; tsy nisakana ny foko tamin’ izay mety ho fifaliana aho; fa nahazo hafaliana avy tamin’ ny fisasarako rehetra ny foko; ary izany no anjarako avy tamin’ ny fisasarako rehetra.
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.
Kanefa nitodika aho nandinika ny asa rehetra nataon’ ny tanako sy ny fisasarana izay nisasarako, ka, indreo, zava-poana sy misambo-drivotra foana izany rehetra izany, fa tsy nisy nahasoa tatỳ ambanin’ ny masoandro.
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.”
Ary nitodika aho hijery ny fahendrena sy ny fahaverezan-tsaina ary ny fahadalana; fa inona no hataon’ ny olona izay handimby ny mpanjaka? Izay efa natao hatramin’ ny ela ihany.
13 And I thought, “Surely it is better to be wise than to be foolish, like light is better than darkness,
Dia hitako fa ny fahendrena dia tsara’ noho ny fahadalana, toy ny fahatsaran ny mazava noho ny maizina.
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.
Ny mason’ ny hendry dia eo an-dohany; fa ny adala kosa mandeha amin’ ny maizina; nefa hitako fa mitovy ihany ny manjo azy roa tonta.
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.
Dia hoy izaho anakampo: Mitovy amin’ ny manjo ny adala ihany ny manjo ahy, koa nahoana ary no nanan-tombom-pahendrena aho? Dia hoy izaho anakampo: zava-poana koa izany.
16 Wise people and foolish people all die. And after we die, we will all eventually be forgotten [DOU].”
Fa samy tsy misy fahatsiarovana mandrakizay na ny hendry na ny adala; fa amin’ ny andro ho avy dia samy ho hadino ela izy. Indrisy! samy ho faty na ny adala na ny hendry.
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.
Dia efa halako ny aina, satria nataoko ho ratsy ny asa atao atỳ ambanin’ ny masoandro; fa zava-poana sy misambo-drivotra foana izy rehetra.
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.
Eny, efa halako ny fisasarako rehetra izay nisasarako tatỳ ambanin’ ny masoandro, fa havelako ho an’ ny olona izay handimby ahy izany,
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.
ary iza no mahalala na ho hendry na ho adala izy? Nefa izy no ho tompon’ izay rehetra nisasarako sy nataoko tamin’ ny fahendreko tatỳ ambanin’ ny masoandro. Zava-poana koa izany.
20 I thought about all the hard work that I had done. [It seemed useless], and I became depressed/discouraged.
Dia nitodika aho hampamoy ny foko amin’ ny fahakiviana ny amin’ ny fisasarana rehetra izay nisasarako tatỳ ambanin’ ny masoandro.
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.
Fa misy olona izay misasatra amin’ ny fahendrena sy ny fahalalana ary ny fahaizana, nefa ny olona izay tsy nisasatra tamin’ izany akory no tsy maintsy hamelany azy ho lovany. Zava-poana sy faharatsiana lehibe koa izany.
22 So, it seems that people do not [RHQ] get much for all the hard work that they do and for worrying.
Fa inona no azon’ ny olona amin’ ny fisasarany rehetra sy amin’ ny fikatsahan’ ny fony, izay nisasarany tatỳ ambanin’ ny masoandro?
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.
Fa ny androny rehetra dia fanaintainana avokoa, ary ny fisasarany dia fahasorisorena; eny, na dia amin’ ny alina aza dia tsy manam-pitsaharana ny fony. Zava-poana koa izany.
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.
Tsy misy mahasoa ny olona mihoatra noho ny mihinana sy misotro ary ny mampahafinaritra ny tenany amin’ ny fisasarany. Izany koa aza dia efa hitako fa avy amin’ ny tànan’ Andriamanitra
25 There is absolutely no one [RHQ] who is able to enjoy those things if God does not give those things to him.
(fa iza no mahalany, ary iza no mahazo manaram-po mihoatra noho izaho?).
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.
Fa ny olona izay ankasitrahan’ Andriamanitra dia omeny fahendrena sy fahalalana ary fifaliana; fa ny mpanota kosa ampiasainy hanangona sy hamory, mba hisy homeny izay ankasitrahan’ Andriamanitra. Zava-poana sy misambo-drivotra foana koa izany.
