Kohelethu 11
1 Ikia irio ciaku igũrũ rĩa maaĩ, nĩ ũndũ thuutha wa matukũ maingĩ nĩũgaaciona rĩngĩ.
Give generously to others [some of] the money [MET] that you have; if you do that, later you will get back an equal amount.
2 He andũ mũgwanja rwĩga, ĩĩ, o na ũhe andũ anana, nĩgũkorwo wee ndũngĩmenya mũtino ũrĩa ũngĩũka bũrũri-inĩ.
Share some of what you have with (seven or eight/several) [others], because you do not know when you will experience a disaster, [and if you give some of what you have to others], [when you experience that disaster, they will kindly help you].
3 Matu mangĩiyũra mbura, mamiuragia gũkũ thĩ. Mũtĩ ũngĩgũa na mwena wa gũthini, kana mwena wa gathigathini, o harĩa ũgũũaga, hau no ho ũikaraga.
[It is always true that] when clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth. [Similarly], wherever a tree falls on the ground, that is where it will remain.
4 Mũndũ ũrĩa wothe ũcũthagĩrĩria rũhuho, ndahaandaga; nake ũrĩa ũroraga matu, ndagethaga.
If farmers see in what direction the wind is blowing, they will know whether it is wise at that time to plant things or not. [It is also true that] if farmers look at the clouds [and see that they are blowing from the west, which means that it will probably rain, ] they will not [try to] harvest their crops on that day.
5 Tondũ ndũũĩ njĩra ĩrĩa rũhuho rũgeraga, o na kana ũrĩa mwana athondekagwo nda-inĩ ya nyina, ũguo noguo ũtangĩmenya wĩra wa Ngai, o we Mũũmbi wa indo ciothe.
We do not know where the wind comes from or where it goes, and we do not know how bodies are formed in women’s wombs. Similarly [SIM], God is the one who made everything, and we cannot [fully] understand what God does.
6 Haanda mbeũ ciaku rũciinĩ, na hwaĩ-inĩ-rĩ, ndũkahurũkie moko maku, nĩgũkorwo ndũũĩ iria ikaagĩra, kana nĩ ici, kana nĩ icio ingĩ, kana hihi ikaagĩra o cierĩ.
[Start] planting your seeds in the morning, and do not stop planting them until the evening, because you do not know which ones will grow better, the ones you plant in the morning or the ones you plant later in the day, or whether both will grow well.
7 Ũtheri nĩ mwega, namo maitho nĩmakenagĩra kuona riũa.
It is very delightful to be alive and see [MTY] the sun [rise every morning].
8 Na rĩrĩ, mũndũ o na angĩgĩtũũra muoyo mĩaka mĩingĩ atĩa-rĩ, nĩamĩkenagĩre yothe. No nĩaririkanage matukũ ma nduma, tondũ magaakorwo marĩ maingĩ. Maũndũ mothe magooka nĩ ma tũhũ.
[Even] if people live for many years, they should enjoy all of them. But they should not forget that [some day they will die] and then they will never be able to see any light again, and we do not know what will happen to us after we die.
9 Atĩrĩrĩ, wee mwanake ũyũ, kenagĩra ũnini waku, na ũreke ngoro yaku ĩgũkenagie matukũ-inĩ ma wĩthĩ waku. Thiiaga na mĩthiĩre ĩrĩa wĩyendeire na ngoro yaku, o na ĩrĩa yonagwo ĩrĩ mĩega nĩ maitho maku, no ũmenye atĩrĩ, harĩ maũndũ macio mothe, Ngai nĩagagũciirithia.
You young people, be happy while you are still young. Enjoy [IDM] doing the things that you want to do. But do not forget that [some day] God will judge you concerning all the things that you do.
10 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, eheria gwĩtanga ngoro-inĩ yaku, na weherie mathĩĩna mwĩrĩ-inĩ waku, tondũ wĩthĩ waku na hinya wa mwĩrĩ no cia tũhũ.
[So when you are young] [MTY], do not worry about anything, and do not pay attention to the pains that you have in your body, because we will not remain young and strong forever.
