Kohelethu 2
1 Ndeĩrire na ngoro yakwa atĩrĩ, “Atĩrĩrĩ, ũka rĩu, nĩngũkũgeria na ikeno nĩgeetha nyone nĩ ũndũ ũrĩkũ mwega.” No rĩrĩ, o naguo ũndũ ũcio warĩ o wa tũhũ.
I said in my heart: “I will go forth and overflow with delights, and I will enjoy good things.” And I saw that this, too, is emptiness.
2 Ningĩ ngiuga atĩrĩ, “Mĩtheko o nayo nĩ ũrimũ. Naguo ũhoro wa gwĩkenia-rĩ, ngĩĩyũria nĩ wa bata ũrĩkũ?”
Laughter, I considered an error. And to rejoicing, I said: “Why are you being deceived, to no purpose?”
3 Ndaageririe ũrĩa ingĩkenia mwĩrĩ wakwa na ndibei, o ndongoretio nĩ ngoro yakwa na ũũgĩ, ngĩhĩmbĩria ũkĩĩgu, ngĩenda kũmenya nĩ ũndũ ũrĩkũ andũ maagĩrĩirwo nĩ gwĩka gũkũ thĩ matukũ-inĩ o macio manini ma muoyo wao.
I decided in my heart to withdraw my flesh from wine, so that I might bring my mind to wisdom, and turn away from foolishness, until I see what is useful for the sons of men, and what they ought to do under the sun, during the number of the days of their life.
4 Nĩndarutire mawĩra manene: Ngĩĩyakĩra nyũmba, na ngĩĩhaandĩra mĩgũnda ya mĩthabibũ.
I magnified my works. I built houses for myself, and I planted vineyards.
5 Nĩndathondekire mĩgũnda na kũndũ gwa kũhurũkwo, na ngĩhaanda mĩtĩ ya mĩthemba yothe ya matunda kuo.
I made gardens and orchards. And I planted them with trees of every kind.
6 Ngĩcooka ngĩhingĩrĩria tũria twa maaĩ twa kuunithagĩria maaĩ kũrĩa mĩtĩ ĩyo yakũragĩra.
And I dug out fishponds of water, so that I might irrigate the forest of growing trees.
7 Ningĩ ngĩgũra ngombo cia arũme na cia andũ-a-nja, na nĩ ndaarĩ na ngombo ingĩ iria ciaciarĩirwo gwakwa mũciĩ. O na nĩ ndaarĩ na ndũũru nyingĩ cia mbũri na cia ngʼombe gũkĩra arĩa othe maarĩ Jerusalemu mbere yakwa.
I obtained men and women servants, and I had a great family, as well as herds of cattle and great flocks of sheep, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.
8 Nĩndacookanĩrĩirie betha na thahabu, na indo cia bata iria cia athamaki o na cia mabũrũri. Ningĩ ngĩgĩa na aini a arũme na a andũ-a-nja, o na thuriya nyingĩ mũno: maũndũ marĩa makenagia ngoro ya mũndũ.
I amassed for myself silver and gold, and the wealth of kings and governors. I chose men and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, bowls and pitchers for the purpose of pouring wine.
9 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩneneha na ngĩtonga mũno gũkĩra arĩa othe maarĩ Jerusalemu mbere yakwa. Thĩinĩ wa maũndũ macio mothe-rĩ, ũũgĩ wakwa ndaarĩ o naguo.
And I surpassed in opulence all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also persevered with me.
10 Naguo ũndũ o wothe ũrĩa maitho makwa meriragĩria ndierigagĩrĩria kũwĩka; o na ningĩ ngoro yakwa ndiamĩrigĩrĩirie gĩkeno o na kĩrĩkũ. Nĩgũkorwo ngoro yakwa nĩyakenagĩra mawĩra makwa mothe, naguo ũndũ ũcio nĩguo warĩ irĩhi rĩa wĩra wakwa wothe.
And all that my eyes desired, I did not refuse them. Neither did I prohibit my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and from amusing itself in the things that I had prepared. And I regarded this as my share, as if I were making use of my own labors.
11 No rĩrĩa ndaarorire mawĩra marĩa mothe ndaarutĩte na moko makwa, o na ũrĩa ndetungumanĩtie ngĩmaruta, ngĩona atĩ maũndũ mothe nĩ ma tũhũ, no ta gũtengʼeria rũhuho; gũtirĩ kĩndũ mũndũ angĩĩguna nakĩo gũkũ thĩ.
But when I turned myself toward all the works that my hands had made, and to the labors in which I had perspired to no purpose, I saw emptiness and affliction of the soul in all things, and that nothing is permanent under the sun.
12 Ningĩ ngĩcooka ngĩĩhũgũra nĩguo ndĩcũũranie ũhoro wa ũũgĩ, o na wa ũgũrũki, na wa ũkĩĩgu. Atĩrĩrĩ, nĩ atĩa ũngĩ mũthamaki ũrĩa ũcookagio ithenya rĩa ũrĩa ũngĩ angĩĩka ũteekĩtwo?
I continued on, so as to contemplate wisdom, as well as error and foolishness. “What is man,” I said, “that he would be able to follow his Maker, the King?”
13 Hĩndĩ ĩyo ngĩkĩona atĩ ũũgĩ nĩ mwega gũkĩra ũkĩĩgu, o ta ũrĩa ũtheri ũrĩ mwega gũkĩra nduma.
And I saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness, so much so that they differ as much as light from darkness.
14 Mũndũ ũrĩa mũũgĩ nĩonaga kũrĩa arathiĩ, no mũndũ mũkĩĩgu athiiagĩra nduma-inĩ; no ngĩcooka ngĩmenya atĩ o eerĩ makoragwo nĩ ũndũ o ro ũmwe.
The eyes of a wise man are in his head. A foolish man walks in darkness. Yet I learned that one would pass away like the other.
15 Hĩndĩ ĩyo ngĩkiuga na ngoro yakwa atĩrĩ, “Ũndũ ũrĩa ũkoraga mũndũ mũkĩĩgu o na niĩ no ũkaangora. Ũũgĩ wakwa-rĩ, ũkĩngʼunĩte na kĩ?” Ngĩkiuga atĩrĩ na ngoro yakwa, “Ũndũ ũyũ o naguo no wa tũhũ.”
And I said in my heart: “If the death of both the foolish and myself will be one, how does it benefit me, if I have given myself more thoroughly to the work of wisdom?” And as I was speaking within my own mind, I perceived that this, too, is emptiness.
16 Nĩgũkorwo mũndũ ũrĩa mũũgĩ, o ta mũndũ ũrĩa mũkĩĩgu, ndagatũũra aririkanagwo; nĩgũkorwo matukũ-inĩ marĩa magooka o eerĩ nĩmakariganĩra. Hĩ, mũndũ ũrĩa mũũgĩ akuuaga o ta mũndũ ũrĩa mũkĩĩgu!
For there will not be a remembrance in perpetuity of the wise, nor of the foolish. And the future times will cover everything together, with oblivion. The learned die in a manner similar to the unlearned.
17 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩthũũra gũtũũra muoyo, tondũ wĩra ũrĩa ũrutagwo gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa warĩ wa kũnjiguithia kĩeha. Wothe warĩ wa tũhũ, o ta gũtengʼeria rũhuho.
And, because of this, my life wearied me, since I saw that everything under the sun is evil, and everything is empty and an affliction of the spirit.
18 Ngĩgĩthũũra maũndũ mothe marĩa ndenogeetie namo gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa, tondũ no nginya ngaamatigĩra ũrĩa ũgooka thuutha wakwa.
Again, I detested all my efforts, by which I had earnestly labored under the sun, to be taken up by an heir after me,
19 Ningĩ nũũ ũũĩ kana ũcio ũgooka ithenya rĩakwa agaakorwo arĩ mũndũ mũũgĩ kana arĩ mũndũ mũkĩĩgu? No rĩrĩ, nĩwe ũkaarũgamĩrĩra wĩra ũrĩa ndaanetungumania naguo ngĩtũmagĩra ũũgĩ wakwa gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa. Ũndũ ũcio o naguo no wa tũhũ.
though I know not whether he will be wise or foolish. And yet he will have power over my labors, in which I have toiled and been anxious. And is there anything else so empty?
20 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngoro yakwa ĩkĩambĩrĩria kũũrwo nĩ hinya nĩ ũndũ wa wĩra wakwa wothe wa mĩnoga ũrĩa ndaarutaga gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa.
Therefore, I ceased, and my heart renounced further laboring under the sun.
21 Tondũ mũndũ no arute wĩra wake na ũũgĩ, na ũmenyo, na kũũhĩgĩra maũndũ, no rĩrĩ, no nginya acooke atige kĩrĩa gĩothe agĩĩta nakĩo kũrĩ mũndũ ũngĩ ũtakĩnogeire. Ũndũ ũyũ o naguo no wa tũhũ, na nĩ mũtino mũnene.
For when someone labors in wisdom, and doctrine, and prudence, he leaves behind what he has obtained to one who is idle. So this, too, is emptiness and a great burden.
22 Mũndũ-rĩ, nĩ uumithio ũrĩkũ oonaga harĩ wĩra ũrĩa wothe arutaga, na mĩnoga, na gwĩtungumania kũrĩa anetungumania nakuo gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa?
For how can a man benefit from all his labor and affliction of spirit, by which he has been tormented under the sun?
23 Nĩgũkorwo matukũ make mothe, wĩra wake nĩ wa ruo na kĩeha; o na ũtukũ, meciiria make matihurũkaga. Ũndũ ũcio o naguo no wa tũhũ.
All his days have been filled with sorrows and hardships; neither does he rest his mind, even in the night. And is this not emptiness?
24 Mũndũ-rĩ, ndarĩ ũndũ ũngĩ mwega angĩĩka ũkĩrĩte kũrĩa na kũnyua, na gũkenera wĩra wake. Ũndũ ũyũ o naguo ngĩona atĩ uumĩte guoko-inĩ kwa Ngai,
Is it not better to eat and drink, and to show his soul the good things of his labors? And this is from the hand of God.
25 nĩ ũndũ-rĩ, nũũ ũngĩhota kũrĩa kana gũkena Ngai atarĩ ho?
So who will feast and overflow with delights as much as I have?
26 Ngai aheaga mũndũ ũrĩa ũmũkenagia maũndũ ma ũũgĩ, na ũmenyo, na gĩkeno, no mũndũ ũrĩa mwĩhia akamũhe wĩra wa gũcookanĩrĩria na kwĩigĩra ũtonga, nĩguo acooke aũnenganĩre kũrĩ mũndũ ũrĩa ũmũkenagia. Ũndũ ũcio o naguo no wa tũhũ, o ta gũtengʼeria rũhuho.
God has given, to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and rejoicing. But to the sinner, he has given affliction and needless worrying, so as to add, and to gather, and to deliver, to him who has pleased God. But this, too, is emptiness and a hollow worrying of the mind.
