Ecclesiastes 3
1 To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Kwa kuwa kila kitu na wakati wake, na majira kwa kila kusudi chini ya mbingu.
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up [that which is] planted;
Kuna wakati wa kuzaliwa na wakati wa kufa, wakati wa kupanda na wakati wa kung'oa yaliyopandwa,
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
wakati wa kuua na wakati wa kuponya, wakati wa kubomo na wakati wa kujenga.
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Kuna wakati wa kulia na wakati wa kucheka, wakati wa kuomboleza na wakati kucheza,
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
wakati wa kutupa mawe na wakati wa kukusanya mawe, wakati wa kukumbatia watu wengine wakati wa kutokumbatia.
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
Kuna wakati wa kutafuta vitu na wakati wa kutotafuta, wakati wa kutunza vitu na wakati wa kuvitupa,
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
wakati kuchana mavazi na wakati wa kuyashona, wakati wa kunyamaza na wakati wa kuzungumza.
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Kuna wakati wa kupenda na wakati wa kuchukia, wakati wa vita na wakati wa amani.
9 What profit hath he that worketh in that in which he laboreth?
Ni faida gani mfanyakazi aipatayo katika kazi yake?
10 I have seen the labor, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
Nimeona kazi ambayo Mungu amewapa wanadamu kuitimiza.
11 He hath made every [thing] beautiful in its time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
Mungu amefanya kila kitu kufaa kwa wakati wake. Pia ameweka umilele ndani ya mioyo yao. Lakini mwanadamu hawezi kuelewa matendo ambayo Mungu ameyafanya, tangu mwanzo wao hadi mwisho.
12 I know that [there is] no good in them, but for [a man] to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
Ninajua kuwa hakuna kilicho bora kwa mtu yeyote kuliko kufurahi na kutenda mema maadamu anaishi-
13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it [is] the gift of God.
na kwamba kila mmoja anapaswa ale na kunywa na anapaswa kuelewa jinsi ya kufurahia mazuri ambayo yanatoka katika kazi zake zote. Hii ni zawadi kutoka kwa Mungu.
14 I know that, whatever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth [it], that [men] should fear before him.
Ninajua kwamba chochote afanyacho Mungu kinadumu milele. Hakuna kinaweza kuongezwa au kuondolea, kwa sababu Mungu ndiye aliyekifanya, ili kwamba watu wamsogelee kwa heshima.
15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
Chochote kilichopo kimekwisha kuwepo; chochote kitakachokuwepo kimekwisha kuwepo. Mungu huwafanya wanadamu kutafuka vitu vilivyjificha.
16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, [that] wickedness [was] there; and the place of righteousness, [that] iniquity [was] there.
Na nimeona kwamba chini ya jua ubaya upo mahali palipopaswa kuwa na haki, na sehemu ya haki mara nyingi ina ubaya.
17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked: for [there is] a time there for every purpose and for every work.
Nikasema moyoni mwangu, “Mungu atahukumu mwenye haki na mbaya kwa wakati muafaka kwa kila jambo na kila tendo.
18 I said in my heart concerning the state of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
Nikasema moyoni mwangu, “Mungu huwajaribu wanadamu kuwaonyesha kwamba wao ni kama wanyama.”
19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yes, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast: for all [is] vanity.
Kwa kuwa mwisho watoto wa wanadamu na mwisho wa wanyama ni sawa. Kifo cha mmoja ni sawa na kifo cha mwingine. Wote wana pumzi sawa. Hakuna faida kwa mwanadamu zaidi ya wanyama. Kwa kuwa hakuna kila kitu isipokuwa pumzi?
20 All go to one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
Kila kitu kinaenda sehemu moja. Kila kitu kinatoka mavumbini, na kila kitu kinarudi katika mavumbini.
21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
Ni nani ajuaye kama roho ya mwanadamu inaenda juu na roho ya wanyama inaenda chini ya nchi?
22 Wherefore I perceive that [there is] nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that [is] his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
kwa hiyo tena nikatambua kwamba hakuna lililo jema kwa yeyote zaidi ya kufurahia kazi yake, kwa kuwa hilo ndilo jukumu lake. Ni nani awezaye kumleta tena kuona kinachotokea baada yake?
