Ecclesiastes 4
1 I turnede me to othere thingis, and Y siy fals chalengis, that ben don vndur the sunne, and the teeris of innocentis, and no man coumfortour; and that thei forsakun of the help of alle men, moun not ayenstonde the violence of hem.
Nikatazama tena nikaona uonevu wote uliokuwa unafanyika chini ya jua: Nikaona machozi ya walioonewa, wala hawana wa kuwafariji; uwezo ulikuwa upande wa wale wanaowaonea, wala hawana wa kuwafariji.
2 And Y preiside more deed men than lyuynge men;
Nami nikasema kwamba wafu, waliokwisha kufa, wana furaha kuliko watu walio hai, ambao bado wanaishi.
3 and Y demyde hym, that was not borun yit, and siy not the yuels that ben don vndur the sunne, to be blisfulere than euer eithir.
Lakini aliye bora kuliko hao wawili ni yule ambaye hajazaliwa bado, ambaye hajaona ule uovu unaofanyika chini ya jua.
4 Eft Y bihelde alle the trauelis of men, and bisynesses; and Y perseyuede that tho ben opyn to the enuye of neiybore; and therfor in this is vanyte, and superflu bisynesse.
Tena nikaona kuwa kazi zote na mafanikio yote huchipuka kutokana na wivu wa mtu kwa jirani yake. Hili nalo ni ubatili, ni kukimbiza upepo.
5 A fool foldith togidere hise hondis, and etith hise fleischis,
Mpumbavu hukunja mikono yake na kujiangamiza mwenyewe.
6 and seith, Betere is an handful with reste, than euer either hondful with trauel and turment of soule.
Afadhali konzi moja pamoja na utulivu kuliko konzi mbili pamoja na taabu na kukimbiza upepo.
7 I bihelde and foond also another vanytee vndir the sunne;
Tena nikaona kitu kingine kilicho ubatili chini ya jua:
8 oon is, and he hath not a secounde; not a sone, not a brother; and netheles he ceesith not for to trauele, nether hise iyen ben fillid with richessis; nether he bithenkith, and seith, To whom trauele Y, and disseyue my soule in goodis? In this also is vanyte, and the worste turment.
Kulikuwepo mwanadamu aliye peke yake, hakuwa na mwana wala ndugu. Hapakuwa na mwisho wa kazi yake, hata hivyo macho yake hayakutosheka na utajiri wake. Aliuliza, “Ninajitaabisha hivi kwa ajili ya nani, nami kwa nini ninajinyima kufurahia?” Hili pia ni ubatili, ni shughuli yenye taabu!
9 Therfor it is betere, that tweyne be togidere than oon; for thei han profite of her felouschipe.
Wawili ni afadhali kuliko mmoja, kwa sababu wana malipo mazuri kwa kazi yao:
10 If oon fallith doun, he schal be vndurset of the tothere; wo to hym that is aloone, for whanne he fallith, he hath noon reisynge him.
Kama mmoja akianguka, mwenzake atamwinua. Lakini ni jambo la kuhuzunisha kwa mtu yule aangukaye naye hana wa kumwinua!
11 And if tweyne slepen, thei schulen be nurschid togidere; hou schal oon be maad hoot?
Pia, kama wawili wakilala pamoja watapashana joto. Lakini ni vipi mtu aweza kujipasha joto mwenyewe?
12 And if ony man hath maistri ayens oon, tweyne ayen stonden hym; a threfolde corde is brokun of hard.
Ingawa mtu mmoja aweza kushindwa, watu wawili wanaweza kumkabili adui na kumshinda. Kamba ya nyuzi tatu haikatiki kwa urahisi.
13 A pore man and wijs is betere than an eld kyng and fool, that kan not bifore se in to tyme to comynge.
Afadhali kijana maskini mwenye hekima kuliko mfalme mzee mpumbavu ambaye hajui tena kupokea maonyo.
14 For sum tyme a man goith out bothe fro prysoun and chaynes to a rewme; and anothir borun in to a rewme is wastid bi nedynesse.
Kijana huyo angeweza kutokea gerezani akapata ufalme, au angeweza kuwa amezaliwa katika umaskini kwenye huo ufalme.
15 I siy alle men lyuynge that goen vndur the sunne, with the secounde yong wexynge man, that schal rise for hym.
Nikaona kwamba wote walioishi na kutembea chini ya jua walimfuata kijana, aliyepokea ufalme.
16 The noumbre of puple, of alle that weren bifore hym, is greet with outen mesure, and thei that schulen come aftirward, schulen not be glad in hym; but also this is vanyte and turment of the spirit.
Hapakuwa na kikomo cha watu wote aliowatawala. Lakini wale waliokuja baadaye hawakufurahia kazi ya yule aliyepokea ufalme. Hili nalo pia ni ubatili, ni kukimbiza upepo.
