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.
Nga nunak yohk ke ma inge nukewa ke pacl na loeloes, ac nga liye lah God pa nununku mukuikui lun mwet lalmwetmet ac mwet suwoswos, finne nu ke lungse lalos ac srunga lalos. Wangin sie mwet etu lah mea oan meeto.
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.
Oana sie ma nukewa. Lumah sefanna ac tuku nu sin mwet suwoswos ac mwet sesuwos, nu sin mwet wo ac nu sin mwet koluk, nu sin mwet alu ac nu sin mwet tia alu, nu sin mwet orek kisa ac mwet tia orek kisa. Ma su sikyak nu sin sie mwet wo ac sikyak pacna nu sin sie mwet koluk. Sie mwet su orek wulela nu sin God el oapana mwet se ma tia orek wulela nu sin God.
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.
Saflaiyen moul lun mwet nukewa ac oana sie, ac ma se inge tiana suwohs. Ke lusenna moul lun mwet uh, nunak lalos sessesla ke nunak koluk ac wel, na elos misa.
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.
Tusruktu kutena mwet su moul inmasrlon ma moul uh, oasr finsrak yorolos. Soko kosro ngalngul ma moul, wo liki soko lion ma misa.
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.
Aok, mwet moul etu lah elos ac misa, a mwet misa wangin ma elos etu. Wangin mwe usru elos ac sifil eis. Mulkinyukla na pwaye elos.
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.
Lungse lalos, srunga lalos, kena lalos, nufonna welulos na misa. Ac fah tia sifilpa oasr ma kunalos ke kutena ma su sikyak fin faclu.
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.
Ouinge kom in kang mongo nom ac engan. Nim wain nimom ke inse pwar. God El nuna oaki in ouinge.
8 Wear nice [MTY] clothes and make your face look nice.
Pacl nukewa kom in naweyukla ac akmusrala in fal nu ke pacl in engan.
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.
Engankin moul lom yurin mutan kiom su kom lungse, ke lusenna moul lusrongten ma God El sot nu sum fin faclu. Engankin kais sie len lusrongten inge, mweyen pa na ingan ma kom ac eis ke orekma kemkatu nukewa lom.
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)
Kutena ma kom oru, oru ke kuiyom mweyen ac fah wangin mukuikui, wangin nunak, wangin etauk, wangin lalmwetmet in facl sin mwet misa, tuh pa ingan acn se kom ac som nu we uh. (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.
Oasr sie pac ma nga akilen ke moul lasr faclu: mwet mui uh tia eis kutangla pacl nukewa, ac mwet pulaik uh tia eis kutangla ke mweun pacl nukewa. Mwet lalmwetmet uh tia eis kasrpalos pacl nukewa, mwet usrnguk uh tia kasrup pacl nukewa, ac mwet ma fas ke orekma tia eis wal fulat pacl nukewa. Ma ongla ouiya uh sikyak nu sin mwet nukewa.
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.
Kom tia ku in etu lah pacl lom uh ac tuku ngac. Oana won ma sremla ke sruhf in kitin pacl na, ku oana ik ma sremla ke kwa, kut ac sremla pac ke sie pacl na koluk ma kut tiana etu kac.
13 Once I saw something that a wise man did that impressed me.
Oasr pac sie ma nga liye, sie mwe srikasrak na wo ke nunkeyen lalmwetmet uh sin mwet faclu.
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.
Oasr sie siti srisrik ma mwet na pu muta we. Na sie tokosra na ku tuku mweuni acn sac. El kuhlusya ac akoo in fokolak pot uh ac utyak.
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.
Oasr sie mukul wi muta in acn sac. El sukasrup, tuh el lalmwetmet, ac el ku na in molela siti sac. Tusruktu wanginna mwet lohang nu sel.
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.
Nga fahk pacl nukewa lah lalmwetmet uh wo liki ku, tusruktu wangin mwet nunku mu mwet sukasrup ku in lalmwetmet, pwanang elos tiana lohang nu ke ma mwet sukasrup uh fahk.
17 Speaking quietly what is [very] wise is [much] more sensible than a king shouting to foolish people.
Wo in porongo pusra fisrasr lun sie mwet lalmwetmet, liki pusren wowoyak lun sie mwet kol inmasrlon mwet lalfon.
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.
Yohk ma wo tuku ke lalmwetmet liki na kufwen mwe mweun, tusruk sie mwet koluk el ku in forteya ma wo puspis.
