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.
Nokudaro ndakafunga pamusoro pezvose izvi uye ndikapedzisira nokuti vakarurama navakachenjera, nezvavanoita zviri mumaoko aMwari, asi hakuna munhu anoziva kuti rudo here kana ruvengo zvakamumirira.
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.
Vose vane mugumo wakafanana, akarurama neakaipa, akanaka nomutadzi, akachena neakasviba, avo vanobayira zvibayiro neavo vasingabayiri. Sezvazvakaita nomunhu akanaka, ndizvozvowo nomutadzi; sezvazvakaita neavo vanoita mhiko, ndizvozvowo neavo vanotya kuita mhiko.
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.
Ichi ndicho chinhu chakaipa pane zvose zvinoitika pasi pezuva: Vose vane mugumo mumwe chete. Pamusoro pezvo, mwoyo yavanhu izere nezvakaipa uye mumwoyo yavo mune upenzi panguva yokurarama kwavo, uye shure kwaizvozvo vanobatana navakafa.
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.
Ani naani ari pakati pavapenyu ane tariro; kunyange imbwa mhenyu iri nani kupfuura shumba yakafa!
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.
Nokuti vapenyu vanoziva kuti vachafa, asi vakafa havana chavanoziva; havachinazve mumwe mubayiro, uye nokurangarirwa kwavo kwakanganikwa.
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.
Rudo rwavo, ruvengo rwavo negodo zvakanguri zvapera kare; havachazovizve nechikamu, pane zvose zvinoitika pasi pezuva.
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.
Enda, undodya zvokudya zvako nomufaro, unwe waini nomwoyo wakafara, nokuti iye zvino Mwari ndipo paari kufadzwa namabasa ako.
8 Wear nice [MTY] clothes and make your face look nice.
Nguva dzose upfeke nguo chena, uye ugare wakazodza musoro wako namafuta.
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.
Fadzwa noupenyu hwako nomukadzi wako waunoda, mazuva ose oupenyu huno husina maturo Mwari hwaakakupa pasi pezuva, mazuva ose asina maturo. Nokuti uyu ndiwo mugove wako muupenyu uye mukushanda kwako nesimba pasi pezuva.
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)
Zvose zvinowanikwa noruoko rwako kuti ruzviite, zviite nesimba rako rose, nokuti muguva, mauri kuenda, hamuna kushanda kana kuronga, kana ruzivo kana uchenjeri. (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.
Ndakaona chimwe chinhuzve pasi pezuva: Anomhanyisa haasi iye anokunda uye ane simba haasi iye anokunda pakurwa, uye akachenjera haasi iye ane zvokudya, uye vane njere havasi ivo vane pfuma, uye vakadzidza havasi ivo vanodiwa navanhu; asi vose vanowirwa nenguva nezvinoitika.
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.
Pamusoro pezvo hakuna munhu anoziva nguva yake painosvika: Sehove dzinobatwa murutava rwakaipa, kana shiri dzinobatwa murugombe, saizvozvowo vanhu vanobatwa nenguva dzakaipa dzinovawira vasingatarisire.
13 Once I saw something that a wise man did that impressed me.
Ndakaonazve pasi pezuva muenzaniso uyu wouchenjeri wakandifadza zvikuru:
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.
Kwakanga kune guta duku, raiva navanhu vashoma mariri. Mumwe mambo ane simba akarimukira, akarikomba, akarivakira masvingo makuru okurirwisa.
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.
Zvino muguta umu maigara mumwe murume akanga ari murombo asi akachenjera, uye akaponesa guta iri nouchenjeri hwake. Asi hakuna munhu akarangarira murombo uya.
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.
Saka ndakati, “Uchenjeri hunopfuura simba.” Asi uchenjeri hwomurombo hunoshorwa uye mashoko ake haangateererwi.
17 Speaking quietly what is [very] wise is [much] more sensible than a king shouting to foolish people.
Mashoko manyoro omuchenjeri anoteererwa kupfuura kudanidzira kwomunhu anobata ushe pakati pamapenzi.
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.
Uchenjeri hunopfuura zvombo zvehondo, asi mutadzi mumwe anoparadza zvakanaka zvizhinji.
