Ecclesiastes 7
1 [Having] a good reputation [MTY] is better than fine perfume, and the day that we die is better than the day that we are born.
Mbiri yabwino ndi yopambana mafuta onunkhira bwino, ndipo tsiku lomwalira ndi lopambana tsiku lobadwa.
2 It is better to go to a house where people are mourning [about someone who has died] than to go to a house where people are feasting, because everyone will die some day, and people who are alive should think seriously [IDM] about that.
Kuli bwino kupita ku nyumba yamaliro kusiyana ndi kupita ku nyumba yamadyerero: Pakuti imfa ndiye mathero a munthu aliyense; anthu amoyo azichisunga chimenechi mʼmitima mwawo.
3 It is better to be sad than to be [always] laughing, because being sad can cause us to think more about how we should conduct our lives [IDM].
Chisoni nʼchabwino kusiyana ndi kuseka, pakuti nkhope yakugwa ndi yabwino chifukwa imakonza mtima.
4 Wise [people] who go to where others are mourning think about [the fact that some day they also will] die, but foolish people [PRS] [do not think about that]; they are always [MTY] laughing.
Mtima wa munthu wanzeru nthawi zonse umalingalira za imfa, koma mitima ya zitsiru imalingalira za chisangalalo.
5 It is better to pay attention to [someone who is wise] you than to listen to the songs of a foolish person.
Kuli bwino kumva kudzudzula kwa munthu wanzeru kusiyana ndi kumvera mayamiko a zitsiru.
6 By [listening to] foolish people laughing we will not [learn any more than by listening to] the crackling of thorns [being burned] under a pot. Listening to fools is senseless.
Kuseka kwa zitsiru kuli ngati kuthetheka kwa moto kunsi kwa mʼphika, izinso ndi zopandapake.
7 When wise people say to others, “You must pay me a lot of money for me to protect you,” that causes those wise people to become foolish, and [accepting] bribes causes people to become unable to do what is fair/just.
Kuzunza ena kumasandutsa munthu wanzeru kukhala chitsiru, ndipo chiphuphu chimawononga mtima.
8 Finishing something is better than starting something, and being patient is better than being proud.
Mathero ake a chinthu ndi abwino kupambana chiyambi chake, ndipo kufatsa nʼkwabwino kupambana kudzikuza.
9 Do not quickly (lose your temper/react to things angrily), because it is foolish people [SYN] who become very angry.
Usamafulumire kukwiya mu mtima mwako, pakuti mkwiyo ndi bwenzi la zitsiru.
10 Do not say, “Things were a lot better [RHQ] previously,” because it is people who are not wise who say that.
Usamafunse kuti, “Nʼchifukwa chiyani masiku amakedzana anali abwino kupambana masiku ano?” pakuti si chinthu chanzeru kufunsa mafunso oterewa.
11 Being wise is better than inheriting [valuable things]; being wise provides lasting benefits for every person on the earth [MTY].
Nzeru ngati cholowa, ndi chinthu chabwino ndipo imapindulitsa wamoyo aliyense pansi pano.
12 We are [sometimes] protected by being wise like we are [sometimes] protected by having a lot of money, but being wise is better [than having a lot of money], [because] being wise prevents us from [doing foolish things that would] cause us to die.
Nzeru ndi chitetezo, monganso ndalama zili chitetezo, koma phindu la chidziwitso ndi ili: kuti nzeru zimasunga moyo wa munthu amene ali nazo nzeruzo.
13 Think [carefully about] what God has done. Certainly no one can [RHQ] cause to become straight the things that God has caused to be crooked.
Taganizirani zimene Mulungu wazichita: ndani angathe kuwongola chinthu chimene Iye anachipanga chokhota?
14 When things are going well for you, be happy, and when things are not going well for you, remember that God is the one who causes good things to happen and who also causes disasters.
Pamene zinthu zili bwino, sangalala; koma pamene zinthu sizili bwino, ganizira bwino: Mulungu ndiye anapanga nthawi yabwinoyo, ndiponso nthawi imene si yabwinoyo. Choncho munthu sangathe kuzindikira chilichonse cha mʼtsogolo mwake.
15 During all the time that I have been alive I have seen a lot of [HYP] things that seem senseless. I have seen righteous people die [while they are still young], and I have seen wicked people remain alive for a very long time in [spite of] their continuing to be wicked.
Pa moyo wanga wopanda phinduwu ndaona zinthu ziwiri izi: munthu wolungama akuwonongeka mʼchilungamo chake, ndipo munthu woyipa akukhala moyo wautali mʼzoyipa zake.
16 [So] do not think that you are very righteous and do not think that you are very wise, [because if you think those things], you will destroy yourself.
Usakhale wolungama kwambiri kapena wanzeru kwambiri, udziwonongerenji wekha?
17 If you do what is evil or do what is foolish, you might die while you are still young.
Usakhale woyipa kwambiri, ndipo usakhale chitsiru, uferenji nthawi yako isanakwane?
18 Continue to avoid doing what is evil and doing what is foolish; avoid doing both of those things by continually revering God.
Nʼkwabwino kuti utsate njira imodzi, ndipo usataye njira inayo. Munthu amene amaopa Mulungu adzapewa zinthu ziwiri zonsezi.
19 If you are wise, you will be more powerful/influential than the ten most powerful/influential men in your city.
Nzeru zimapereka mphamvu zambiri kwa munthu wanzeru kupambana olamulira khumi a mu mzinda.
20 There is no one in this world who [always] does what is right and who never sins.
Palibe munthu wolungama pa dziko lapansi amene amachita zabwino zokhazokha ndipo sachimwa.
21 Do not pay attention [IDM] to everything that people say, because if you do that, you might hear your servant cursing you.
Usamamvetsere mawu onse amene anthu amayankhula, mwina udzamva wantchito wako akukutukwana,
22 You know that you have also cursed other people.
pakuti iwe ukudziwa mu mtima mwako kuti nthawi zambiri iwenso unatukwanapo ena.
23 I said [to myself] that I would use my wisdom to study all the things [that I have written about], but I was not able to do it successfully.
Zonsezi ndinaziyesa ndi nzeru zanga ndipo ndinati, “Ine ndatsimikiza mu mtima mwanga kuti ndikhale wanzeru,” koma nzeruyo inanditalikira.
24 Wisdom seems to be far from me; there is no one [RHQ] who can truly understand everything.
Nzeru zimene zilipo, zili kutali ndipo ndi zozama kwambiri, ndani angathe kuzidziwa?
25 But I decided to investigate things and by my wisdom try to understand the reason for everything. I also wanted to understand why people act wickedly and why they act very foolishly.
Kotero ndinayikapo mtima wanga kuti ndidziwe, ndifufuze ndi kumafunafuna nzeru ndi mmene zinthu zimakhalira ndipo ndinafunanso kudziwa kuyipa kwa uchitsiru ndiponso kupusa kwake kwa misala.
26 [One thing I learned was that] (allowing a woman to seduce you/having sex with a woman to whom you are not married) is worse than dying. A woman who tries to seduce men is [as dangerous as] a trap [MET]. [If you allow her to put] her arms [around you, it will be as though she will be fastening you with] chains. Women like that will capture sinful men, but men who please God will escape from such women.
Ndinapeza kanthu kowawa kupambana imfa, mkazi amene ali ngati khoka, amene mtima wake uli ngati khwekhwe, ndipo manja ake ali ngati maunyolo. Munthu amene amakondweretsa Mulungu adzathawa mkaziyo, koma mkaziyo adzakola munthu wochimwa.
27 This is what I have learned: I tried to learn more and more about things to try to find out the reason for everything,
Mlaliki akunena kuti, “Taonani, chimene ndinachipeza ndi ichi: “Kuwonjezera chinthu china pa china kuti ndidziwe mmene zinthu zimachitikira,
28 and I continued to try to learn more, but I could not find [all that I was searching for]. [But] one thing that I found out was that among 1,000 [people] I found one righteous man, but I did not find even one righteous woman.
pamene ine ndinali kufufuzabe koma osapeza kanthu, ndinapeza munthu mmodzi wolungama pakati pa anthu 1,000, koma pakati pawo panalibepo mkazi mmodzi wolungama.
29 [But] I did learn one thing: When God created people, they were righteous, but they have found many ways to do many evil things.
Chokhacho chimene ndinachipeza ndi ichi: Mulungu analenga munthu, anamupatsa mtima wolungama, koma anthu anatsatira njira zawozawo zambirimbiri.”
