Ecclesiastes 9
1 I thought about all those things, and I concluded that God controls [what happens to] everyone, even those who are wise and those who are righteous. No one knows whether [others] will love them or whether they will hate them.
Ihe ndị a niile ka m tulere nke ọma nʼobi m, kpebie na ihe ndị ezi omume na ndị maara ihe na-eme dị nʼaka Chineke, ma ọ dịghị onye maara ihe na-echere ha maọbụ ịhụnanya maọbụ ịkpọ asị.
2 [But we know that some time in the future] we will all die; it does not matter whether we act righteously or wickedly, whether we are good or whether we are bad, whether we are acceptable for [worshiping God] or whether [we have done things to cause us to be] unacceptable; it does not matter if we offer sacrifices [to God] or if we do not; it does not matter if we do what we have promised God that we will do or if we do not; [we all die]. The same thing will happen to good people and to sinful people, to those who solemnly promise [to do things for God] and to those who are afraid to make such promises.
Ihe niile na-adakwasị mmadụ niile nʼotu ụzọ ahụ, ma onye ezi omume ma onye ajọ omume, ezi mmadụ na onye na-abụghị ezi mmadụ, onye dị ọcha na onye na-adịghị ọcha, onye na-achụ aja na onye na-adịghị achụ aja. Dịka ọ dịrị ezi mmadụ, otu a ka ọ dịrị onye mmehie; dịka ọ dịrị ndị na-aṅụ iyi, otu a kwa ka ọ dị nye ndị na-adịghị aṅụ.
3 It seems wrong that the same thing happens to everyone on this earth: Everyone dies [EUP]. Furthermore, people’s inner beings are full of evil. People do foolish things while they are alive, and then they die and join those who are already dead.
Nke a bụkwa ihe ọjọọ na-eme nʼokpuru anyanwụ. Otu ihe ndakwasị dịrị mmadụ niile. Ọzọkwa, obi ụmụ mmadụ jupụtara nʼihe ọjọọ na ịyị ara mgbe ha nọ na ndụ, emesịa ha alakwuru ndị nwụrụ anwụ.
4 While we are alive, we confidently expect [that good things will happen to us]. [We despise] dogs, but it is better to be a dog that is alive than to be a [majestic] lion that is dead.
Naanị ndị dị ndụ nwere olileanya. Ọ ka mma ịbụ nkịta dị ndụ karịa ịbụ ọdụm nwụrụ anwụ.
5 We who are alive know that [some day] we will die, but dead people do not know anything. Dead people do not receive any more rewards, and people soon forget them.
Nʼihi na ndị dị ndụ maara nke ọma na ha ga-anwụ, ma ndị nwụrụ anwụ amaghị ihe ọbụla; ha enwekwaghị ụgwọ ọrụ ọzọ, nʼihi na ha bụ ndị echefurula echefu.
6 [While they were alive], they loved [some people], they hated [some people], they envied [some people], but that all ends when they die. They will never again be a part of anything that happens here on the earth.
Ịhụnanya ha, na ịkpọ asị ha, na ekworo ha gabigara mgbe ha nwụrụ. Ha agaghị enwekwa oke nʼihe ọbụla na-eme nʼokpuru anyanwụ.
7 [So I say], be joyful [DOU] while you eat your food and drink your wine, because that is what God wants you to do.
Ya mere, gaa nʼihu, jiri ọṅụ rie nri gị, jirikwa ọṅụ ṅụọ ihe ọṅụṅụ nʼihi na ọ bụ ugbu a ka Chineke nabatara ọrụ gị.
8 Wear nice [MTY] clothes and make your face look nice.
Yiri akwa dị ọcha mgbe niile, tee mmanụ na-esi isi ụtọ nʼisi gị.
9 Enjoy living with your wife whom you love, all during the time that God has given to you to be alive here on this earth. And even though it is difficult to understand why many things happen, enjoy doing the work that you do here on this earth.
Bie ndụ obi ụtọ, gị na nwunye gị ị hụrụ nʼanya, ụbọchị niile nke ndụ ihe efu gị nke Chineke nyere gị nʼokpuru anyanwụ, nʼihi na nke a bụ oke dịịrị gị na ndụ ndọgbu onwe gị nʼọrụ nʼokpuru anyanwụ.
10 Whatever you are able to do, do it with all your energy, because [some time you will die], and in the place of the dead where you are going, no one works or plans to do anything or knows anything or is wise. (Sheol h7585)
Ihe ọbụla ị na-eme, were ike gị niile mee ya, nʼihi na ịrụ ọrụ maọbụ iche echiche, maọbụ ihe ọmụma, maọbụ amamihe adịghị nʼala ndị nwụrụ anwụ. Ebe ahụ kwa ka ị na-aga. (Sheol h7585)
11 I have seen something else here on the earth: The person who runs fastest does not [always] win the race, the strongest soldiers do not [always] win the battle, the wisest people do not [always] have food, the smartest people do not [always] become rich, and people who have studied a lot are not [always] (honored/treated very specially) by others; we cannot [always] control what things will happen to us and where they will happen.
Ahụrụ ihe ọzọ nʼokpuru anyanwụ, ọ bụghị ndị nwere ụkwụ ọsọ na-agbata ihe, ọ bụkwaghị onye sikarịrị ike na-emeri nʼagha; ọ bụghị ndị maara ihe ka nri dịrị, ọ bụghị ndị nwere nghọta ka akụnụba dịrị, ọzọkwa, ọ bụghị ndị nka ka amara na-adịrị; kama ọ bụ mgbe na ihe ndaba na-eme ka ihe ndị a dịrị.
12 No one knows when he will die [EUP]; fish are cruelly caught in a net, and birds are caught in snares/traps; similarly [SIM], people experience disasters at times when they do not expect them to happen.
Nke ka nke, ọ dịghị mmadụ ọbụla maara mgbe oge ya ga-eru: Ọ dị ka nnụnụ nke mara nʼọnya, maọbụ azụ e jidere nʼụgbụ. Dịka ha, ụmụ mmadụ na-adaba nʼọnya nke ihe ọjọọ mgbe ha na-atụghị anya ya.
13 Once I saw something that a wise man did that impressed me.
Ahụkwara m ihe ọzọ nʼokpuru anyanwụ, nke a bụ ụdị amamihe nke metụrụ m nʼobi nʼebe ọ dị ukwuu.
14 There was a small town, where only a few people lived. The army of a great king came to that town and surrounded it. They built dirt ramps up against the walls in order to climb up and attack the town.
Ọ dị obodo nke naanị mmadụ ole na ole bi nʼime ya, ma otu eze dị ike chịịrị ndị agha ya bịa ibuso obodo nta a agha. Ndị agha ya gbara obodo a gburugburu na-achọ ịkwatu mgbidi ya.
15 In that town there was a man who was poor but very wise. Because of doing what that man [suggested], the town was saved; but people [soon] forgot about him.
Ma ọ dị otu onye ogbenye bi nʼobodo nta ahụ, onye maara ihe, ọ zọpụtara obodo ahụ site nʼamamihe ya. Ma o nweghị onye chetara ihe banyere ya.
16 So I realized that although being wise is better than being strong, if you are poor, no one will appreciate what you do, and people will soon forget what you said.
Nke a mere m ji sị, inwe amamihe bara uru karịa ịdị ike, ma ọ bụrụ na onye amamihe ahụ bụ onye ogbenye, a ga-eleda ya anya, a gaghị akpọkwa okwu ya ihe.
17 Speaking quietly what is [very] wise is [much] more sensible than a king shouting to foolish people.
Okwu nke onye maara ihe na-ekwu na nwayọọ ka a na-anụ, karịa iti mkpu nke onye na-achị achị nʼetiti ndị nzuzu.
18 Being wise is more useful than [a lot of] weapons; but if you do one foolish thing, [it is possible that] because of doing that, you will ruin all the good things that you have done.
Amamihe ka ihe agha niile mma, ma otu onye mmehie na-ala ọtụtụ ezi ihe nʼiyi.
