Ecclesiastes 4
1 I thought some more about all the suffering that people are caused to experience on the earth [MTY]. I saw the tears of people who were (oppressed/treated cruelly) and who had no one to comfort/encourage them. Those who oppressed them had power, and there was absolutely no one who was able to comfort those who were being oppressed.
Ani ammas ilaalee cunqursaa aduudhaa gaditti adeemsifamaa jiru hunda nan arge: Ani imimmaan cunqurfamtootaa nan arge; nama isaan jajjabeessu tokko illees hin qaban; humni gama cunqursitoota isaanii ture; isaan nama isaan jajjabeessu tokko illee hin qaban.
2 [So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.
Anis akka warri duʼan, kanneen kanaan dura duʼan, jiraattota amma lubbuudhaan jiraatan caalan nan labse.
3 And those who have not been born yet are more fortunate than those who are still alive and those who have died, [because] those who have not been born have not seen all the evil things that are done on the earth.
Garuu namni hamma ammaatti hin dhalatin kan hammina aduudhaa gaditti hojjetamu hin argin, lachan isaanii irra wayya.
4 I also thought about all the hard work that people do and the skills that they have. And I thought about how they compete with each other because they are envious of others, [and I concluded that] this also is something that is not accomplishing anything useful, [like] chasing the wind.
Anis akka dadhabbiin hojii hundii fi milkaaʼuun hundi hinaaffaa namni ollaa isaa wajjin qabu irraa burqu nan arga. Kunis bubbee ariʼuu dha; faayidaas hin qabu.
5 Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
Gowwaan harka isaa maratee taaʼa; foonuma ofii isaas nyaata.
6 [So I say], “It is better to be content with not having much money, than to work very hard and try to get a lot of money, which is [as useless as] chasing the wind.”
Dadhabbii fi bubbee ariʼuudhaan konyee lama argachuu irra nagaan konyee tokko argachuu wayya.
7 I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
Ani amma illee waan faayidaa hin qabne tokko aduudhaa gaditti nan arge:
8 There are men who live alone; they do not have a wife or children or any brothers living with them; every day they work [very hard], without stopping, to get a lot of money, but they are never satisfied with the things that they have. They never ask [themselves], “Why am I working very hard to earn more money? Why am I not doing things that would cause me to be happy?” What they do also seems senseless.
Nama kophaa isaa jiraatu tokkotu jira; innis ilma yookaan obboleessa hin qabu ture. Yeroo hunda hojiitti dadhaba; taʼus iji isaa qabeenya isaa ilaalee quufe hin jedhu. Innis, “Ani eenyuuf jedheen dadhaba? Maaliifan gammachuus of laga?” jedhee gaafate. Kunis faayidaa hin qabu; hojii buʼaa hin qabnee dha!
9 Having someone [work] with you is better than being by yourself [all the time]. If you have a friend, he can help you to do your work.
Isaan sababii hojii isaaniitiif gatii gaarii waan argataniif nama tokko irra nama lama wayya:
10 If you fall down, he can help you get up again. But if you fall down when you are alone, it will be difficult for you, because there will be no one to help you stand up.
Yoo inni tokko kufe, inni kaan ol isa qaba. Garuu namni kufee kan ol isa kaasu hin qabne garaa nama nyaata!
11 Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
Yoo namoonni lama wajjin ciisan itti hoʼa; nama tokko garuu akkamitti kophaa isaa itti hoʼuu dandaʼa?
12 Someone who is alone can easily be attacked and defeated by another person, but two people can help each other and (resist/defend themselves against) someone who attacks them. [Three people can defend themselves even more easily], [like] a rope that is made from three cords is harder to break [than a rope made from two cords].
Namni tokko moʼatamuu dandaʼa; namoonni lama garuu of irraa deebisuu dandaʼu. Funyoon foʼaa sadiin foʼame dafee hin citu.
13 A young man who is poor but wise is a better person than a foolish old king who refuses to pay attention when people try to give him good advice.
Mootii dulloomaa fi gowwaa siʼachi gorsa hin fudhanne irra, dargaggeessa hiyyeessa ogeessa wayya.
14 It is possible for a young man like that to succeed and some day become king, even if his parents were poor or even if he was in prison some of the time.
Inni yoo hiyyumaan mootummaa sana keessatti dhalate iyyuu mana hidhaatii baʼee mootii taʼuu dandaʼaatii.
15 But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
Ani akka namni aduudhaa gad jiraate hundi dargaggeessa mootii dhaalu sana duukaa buʼe nan arge.
16 Large crowds of people crowd around him. But after a few years, they will reject him, [too]. So it is all senseless, [like] chasing after the wind.
Baayʼinni nama fuula isaanii dura jiruu hamma hin qabu ture. Warri duubaan dhufan garuu dargaggeessa dhaalu sanatti hin gammanne. Kun hundis bubbee ariʼuu dha; faayidaas hin qabu.
