< Ecclesiastes 9 >

1 For I thought about all this in my mind to understand about the righteous and wise people and their deeds. They are all in God's hands. No one knows whether love or hate will come to someone.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩĩcũũrania ũhoro wa maũndũ macio mothe na ngĩona atĩ andũ arĩa athingu na arĩa oogĩ, o hamwe na mawĩra mao, marĩ moko-inĩ ma Ngai, no rĩrĩ, gũtirĩ mũndũ ũngĩmenya kana nĩ wendo, kana nĩ rũmena rũmwetereire.
2 Everyone has the same fate. The same fate awaits righteous people and wicked, the good, the clean and the unclean, and the one who sacrifices and the one who does not sacrifice. As good people will die, so also will the sinner. As the one who swears will die, so also will the man who fears to make an oath.
Andũ othe marĩĩkagĩrĩria o ũndũ ũmwe: kĩrĩkĩrĩro kĩa andũ arĩa athingu na arĩa aaganu, kĩa andũ arĩa ega na arĩa ooru, kĩa andũ arĩa matethaahĩtie na arĩa methaahĩtie, na kĩa andũ arĩa marutaga magongona na arĩa matarutaga gĩothe no kĩmwe. O ta ũrĩa mũndũ mwega atariĩ, ũguo noguo mũndũ mwĩhia atariĩ; o ta ũrĩa arĩa mehĩtaga na mĩĩhĩtwa matariĩ, ũguo noguo arĩa metigagĩra kwĩhĩta na mĩĩhĩtwa matariĩ.
3 There is an evil fate for everything that is done under the sun, the same event happens to them all. The hearts of human beings are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live. So after that they go to the dead.
Ũyũ nĩguo ũũru ũrĩa ũkoragwo maũndũ-inĩ mothe marĩa mekĩkaga gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa: Andũ othe marĩĩkagĩrĩria o ũndũ ũmwe. O na ningĩ ngoro cia andũ ciyũrĩte ũũru, na ũgũrũki ũkaagĩa ngoro-inĩ ciao rĩrĩa marĩ muoyo, na thuutha-inĩ magakua.
4 For anyone who is united to all the living, there is hope, just as a living dog is better than a dead lion.
Mũndũ ũrĩa wothe ũrĩ gatagatĩ ka arĩa marĩ muoyo arĩ na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro; na rĩrĩ, nĩ kaba ngui ĩrĩ muoyo gũkĩra mũrũũthi mũkuũ!
5 For living people know they will die, but the dead do not know anything. They no longer have any reward because their memory is forgotten.
Nĩ ũndũ andũ arĩa marĩ muoyo nĩmooĩ nĩmagakua, no arĩa makuĩte matirĩ ũndũ mooĩ; na matirĩ kĩheo kĩngĩ metereire, o na matiririkanagwo, nĩmariganĩire.
6 Their love, hatred, and envy have vanished long ago. They will never have a place again in anything done under the sun.
Wendani wao, na rũmena rwao, o na ũiru wao nĩithirĩte biũ; na gũtirĩ hĩndĩ ĩngĩ magaacooka kũgĩa na handũ maũndũ-inĩ marĩa mothe mekagwo gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa.
7 Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of celebrating good works.
Thiĩ, ũrĩe irio ciaku ũkenete, na ũnyue ndibei yaku ũcanjamũkĩte ngoro, nĩgũkorwo ihinda rĩĩrĩ nĩrĩo Ngai etĩkĩrĩte wĩra waku.
8 Let your clothes be always white and your head anointed with oil.
Wĩhumbage nguo cia rangi mwerũ hĩndĩ ciothe, na wĩhakage maguta mũtwe hĩndĩ yothe.
9 Live happily with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of uselessness, the days that God has given you under the sun during your days of uselessness. That is your reward in life for your work under the sun.
Tũũranagiai na gĩkeno na mũtumia ũcio waku wendeete, matukũ mothe ma muoyo ũyũ wa tũhũ marĩa Ngai akũheete gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa, o matukũ macio maku mothe ma tũhũ. Nĩ ũndũ rĩĩrĩ nĩrĩo igai rĩaku mũtũũrĩre-inĩ waku, o na gwĩtungumania-inĩ gwaku ũrĩ gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa.
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, work at it with your strength, because there is no work or explanation or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, where you are going. (Sheol h7585)
Ũndũ ũrĩa wothe ũngĩona wa gwĩka na guoko gwaku-rĩ, wĩke na hinya waku wothe, tondũ mbĩrĩra-inĩ kũrĩa ũrorete, gũtirĩ kũruta wĩra kana gwĩciiria, kana kũmenya maũndũ, o na kana ũũgĩ. (Sheol h7585)
11 I have seen some interesting things under the sun: The race does not belong to swift people. The battle does not belong to strong people. Bread does not belong to wise people. Riches do not belong to people of understanding. Favor does not belong to people of knowledge. Instead, time and chance affect them all.
Nĩnyonete ũndũ ũngĩ gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa: Atĩ andũ arĩa marĩ ihenya tio mahootanaga ihenya-inĩ, na arĩa marĩ hinya tio mahootanaga mbaara-inĩ, o na arĩa oogĩ tio moonaga irio, na arĩa mooĩ maũndũ mũno tio magĩaga na ũtonga, o na kana andũ arĩa oogĩ makaheo gĩtĩĩo; no rĩrĩ, ihinda na mweke nĩ cia andũ othe.
12 Surely, no one knows when his time will come. As fish are caught in a deadly net, or birds are caught in a snare, the children of human beings are ensnared by evil times that suddenly fall upon them.
O na ningĩ, gũtirĩ mũndũ ũngĩmenya rĩrĩa mũtino ũngĩmũkora: Tondũ o ta ũrĩa thamaki inyiitagwo na mũtego mũũru, o na ta ũrĩa nyoni inyiitagwo na gĩkerenge, ũguo noguo andũ manyiitagwo nĩ mahinda mooru marĩa mamakinyagĩrĩra materĩgĩrĩire.
13 I have also seen wisdom under the sun in a way that seemed great to me.
Ningĩ ngĩona ũũgĩ gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa ũrĩa wamakirie mũno, watariĩ ũũ:
14 There was a small city with only a few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it and built great siege ramps against it.
Hĩndĩ ĩmwe nĩ kwarĩ itũũra inini, na rĩarĩ na andũ o anini thĩinĩ warĩo. Na mũthamaki warĩ na hinya mũno akĩrĩũkĩrĩra, akĩrĩthiũrũrũkĩria, na agĩaka rũirigo rwa kũrĩrigiicĩria, arĩũkĩrĩre.
15 Now in the city was found a poor, wise man, who by his wisdom saved the city. Yet later, no one remembered that same poor man.
Na rĩrĩ, itũũra-inĩ rĩu nĩ gwatũũraga mũndũ mũthĩĩni no aarĩ mũũgĩ, nake akĩhonokia itũũra rĩu na ũũgĩ wake. No rĩrĩ, gũtirĩ mũndũ wacookire kũririkana mũndũ ũcio mũthĩĩni.
16 So I concluded, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.”
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩkiuga atĩrĩ, “Ũũgĩ nĩ mwega gũkĩra hinya.” No ũũgĩ wa mũndũ mũthĩĩni nĩũmenagwo, na ciugo ciake itithikagĩrĩrio.
17 The words of wise people spoken quietly are heard better than the shouts of any ruler among fools.
Ciugo cia ũhooreri cia mũndũ ũrĩa mũũgĩ nĩciagĩrĩire ithikagĩrĩrio, gũkĩra rĩanĩrĩra rĩa mũndũ ũrĩa wathaga irimũ.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can ruin much good.
Nĩ kaba ũũgĩ gũkĩra indo cia mbaara, no rĩrĩ, mũndũ mwĩhia ũmwe nĩathũkagia maũndũ maingĩ mega.

< Ecclesiastes 9 >