Kohelethu 1
1 Ici nĩcio ciugo cia Mũrutani, mũrũ wa Daudi, ũrĩa warĩ mũthamaki kũu Jerusalemu:
THE WORDS OF the Koheleth, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 “Maũndũ mothe nĩ ma tũhũ! Ĩĩ nĩ ma tũhũ!” Ũguo nĩguo Mũrutani ekuuga. “Ti-itherũ nĩ ma tũhũ mũtheri! Maũndũ mothe nĩ ma tũhũ.”
Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
3 Mũndũ-rĩ, nĩ uumithio ũrĩkũ onaga harĩ wĩra ũrĩa wothe arutaga gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa?
What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?
4 Rũciaro rũmwe rwathira-rĩ, nĩ rũngĩ rũũkaga, no rĩrĩ, thĩ ĩtũũraga o ho nginya tene na tene.
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; and the earth abideth for ever.
5 Riũa rĩrathaga na rĩgathũa, ningĩ rĩgacooka na ihenya kũrĩa rĩrathagĩra.
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth.
6 Rũhuho rũhurutanaga rwerekeire mwena wa gũthini, na rũgacooka rũkeerekera mwena wa gathigathini; rũthiiaga o rũgĩthiũrũrũkaga rũtegũtigithĩria, o rũgĩcookaga njĩra-inĩ yaruo.
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its circuit, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
7 Njũũĩ ciothe ciĩitagĩrĩra iria-inĩ, no rĩrĩ, iria rĩtirĩ hĩndĩ rĩiyũraga. O kũu njũũĩ ciumaga, nokuo icookaga.
All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
8 Maũndũ mothe marehanagĩra mĩnoga ĩrĩa ĩtangĩgweteka. Riitho rĩtirĩ hĩndĩ rĩiganagia kuona, o na kana gũtũ gũkaigania kũigua.
All things toil to weariness; man cannot utter it, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 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.
That which hath been is that which shall be, and that which hath been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 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.
Is there a thing whereof it is said: 'See, this is new'? — it hath been already, in the ages which were before us.
11 Andũ arĩa maarĩ kuo tene matiririkanagwo, na o na arĩa matarĩ maraciarwo matikaaririkanwo nĩ arĩa magaaciarwo thuutha wao.
There is no remembrance of them of former times; neither shall there be any remembrance of them of latter times that are to come, among those that shall come after.
12 Niĩ Mũrutani-rĩ, ndaarĩ mũthamaki wathamakagĩra Isiraeli kũu Jerusalemu.
I Koheleth have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 Nĩnderutĩire na kĩyo kwĩruta, na gũtuĩria na ũũgĩ maũndũ mothe marĩa mekagwo gũkũ thĩ. Kaĩ Ngai nĩakuuithĩtie andũ mũrigo mũritũ-ĩ!
And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven; it is a sore task that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
14 Nĩndĩĩoneire maũndũ marĩa mothe mekagwo gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa; maũndũ mothe no ma tũhũ, na ũguo no ta gũtengʼeria rũhuho.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
15 Kĩndũ kĩrĩa kĩogomu gĩtingĩrũngĩka; nakĩo kĩrĩa gĩtarĩ ho gĩtingĩtarwo.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 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.”
I spoke with my own heart, saying: 'Lo, I have gotten great wisdom, more also than all that were before me over Jerusalem'; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
17 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.
And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly — I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
18 Nĩgũkorwo o ũrĩa ũũgĩ waingĩha, noguo ihooru rĩingĩhĩte; na ũrĩa ũmenyo waingĩha, noguo kĩeha kĩingĩhĩte.
For in much wisdom is much vexation; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
