< Ecclesiastes 1 >

1 These are the words of the Teacher, the descendant of David and king in Jerusalem.
Ici nĩcio ciugo cia Mũrutani, mũrũ wa Daudi, ũrĩa warĩ mũthamaki kũu Jerusalemu:
2 The Teacher says this. “Like a vapor of mist, like a breeze in the wind, everything vanishes, leaving many questions.
“Maũndũ mothe nĩ ma tũhũ! Ĩĩ nĩ ma tũhũ!” Ũguo nĩguo Mũrutani ekuuga. “Ti-itherũ nĩ ma tũhũ mũtheri! Maũndũ mothe nĩ ma tũhũ.”
3 What profit does mankind gain from all the work that they labor at under the sun?
Mũndũ-rĩ, nĩ uumithio ũrĩkũ onaga harĩ wĩra ũrĩa wothe arutaga gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa?
4 One generation goes, and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
Rũciaro rũmwe rwathira-rĩ, nĩ rũngĩ rũũkaga, no rĩrĩ, thĩ ĩtũũraga o ho nginya tene na tene.
5 The sun rises, and it goes down and hurries back to the place where it rises again.
Riũa rĩrathaga na rĩgathũa, ningĩ rĩgacooka na ihenya kũrĩa rĩrathagĩra.
6 The wind blows south and circles around to the north, always going around along its pathway and coming back again.
Rũhuho rũhurutanaga rwerekeire mwena wa gũthini, na rũgacooka rũkeerekera mwena wa gathigathini; rũthiiaga o rũgĩthiũrũrũkaga rũtegũtigithĩria, o rũgĩcookaga njĩra-inĩ yaruo.
7 All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea is never full. To the place where the rivers go, there they go again.
Njũũĩ ciothe ciĩitagĩrĩra iria-inĩ, no rĩrĩ, iria rĩtirĩ hĩndĩ rĩiyũraga. O kũu njũũĩ ciumaga, nokuo icookaga.
8 Everything becomes wearisome, and no one can explain it. The eye is not satisfied by what it sees, nor is the ear fulfilled by what it hears.
Maũndũ mothe marehanagĩra mĩnoga ĩrĩa ĩtangĩgweteka. Riitho rĩtirĩ hĩndĩ rĩiganagia kuona, o na kana gũtũ gũkaigania kũigua.
9 Whatever has been is what will be, and whatever has been done is what will be done. There is nothing new under the sun.
Maũndũ marĩa maanakorwo kuo no mo macookaga gũkorwo kuo rĩngĩ, naguo ũndũ ũrĩa waneekwo noguo ũcookaga ũgeekwo rĩngĩ; gũtirĩ ũndũ ũtarĩ woneka gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa.
10 Is there anything about which it may be said, 'Look, this is new'? Whatever exists has already existed for a long time, during ages which came long before us.
Hihi nĩ harĩ ũndũ mũndũ angiuga atĩrĩ: “Ta rora! Ũyũ nĩ ũndũ ũtarĩ wonekana”? Ũndũ ũcio warĩ kuo hĩndĩ ndaaya hĩtũku; warĩ kuo tũtarĩ twaciarwo.
11 No one seems to remember the things that happened in ancient times, and the things that happened much later and that will happen in the future will not likely be remembered either.”
Andũ arĩa maarĩ kuo tene matiririkanagwo, na o na arĩa matarĩ maraciarwo matikaaririkanwo nĩ arĩa magaaciarwo thuutha wao.
12 I am the Teacher, and I have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Niĩ Mũrutani-rĩ, ndaarĩ mũthamaki wathamakagĩra Isiraeli kũu Jerusalemu.
13 I applied my mind to study and to search out by wisdom everything that is done under heaven. That search is a burdensome task that God has given to the children of mankind to be busy with.
Nĩnderutĩire na kĩyo kwĩruta, na gũtuĩria na ũũgĩ maũndũ mothe marĩa mekagwo gũkũ thĩ. Kaĩ Ngai nĩakuuithĩtie andũ mũrigo mũritũ-ĩ!
14 I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun, and look, they all amount to vapor and chasing the wind.
Nĩndĩĩoneire maũndũ marĩa mothe mekagwo gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa; maũndũ mothe no ma tũhũ, na ũguo no ta gũtengʼeria rũhuho.
15 The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!
Kĩndũ kĩrĩa kĩogomu gĩtingĩrũngĩka; nakĩo kĩrĩa gĩtarĩ ho gĩtingĩtarwo.
16 I have spoken to my heart saying, “Look, I have acquired greater wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My mind has seen great wisdom and knowledge.”
Na niĩ ngĩĩciiria, ngiuga na ngoro yakwa atĩrĩ, “Ndĩ mũkũrũ na ngagĩa na ũũgĩ mũingĩ gũkĩra andũ arĩa othe manaathana Jerusalemu mbere yakwa; nĩmenyete maũndũ maingĩ makoniĩ ũũgĩ na ũmenyo.”
17 So I applied my heart to know wisdom and also madness and folly. I came to understand that this also was an attempt to shepherd the wind.
Ningĩ nĩnderutire na ngoro yakwa kũmenya ũhoro wa ũũgĩ, o na kũmenya ũhoro wa ũgũrũki na wa ũrimũ, no ngĩmenya atĩ ũhoro ũcio, o naguo, no ta gũtengʼeria rũhuho.
18 For in the abundance of wisdom there is much frustration, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
Nĩgũkorwo o ũrĩa ũũgĩ waingĩha, noguo ihooru rĩingĩhĩte; na ũrĩa ũmenyo waingĩha, noguo kĩeha kĩingĩhĩte.

< Ecclesiastes 1 >