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.
So then I thought to myself, “Alright, let me examine pleasure and see how good that is.” But this too turned out to be something temporary that passes.
2 Ningĩ ngiuga atĩrĩ, “Mĩtheko o nayo nĩ ũrimũ. Naguo ũhoro wa gwĩkenia-rĩ, ngĩĩyũria nĩ wa bata ũrĩkũ?”
I conclude that laughing your way through life is stupid, and pleasure—what use is that?
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.
Then I used my mind to examine the attraction of wine to my body. My mind still guiding me with wisdom, I took it until I acted like a fool, so that I might see whether this was good for people to do during their time here.
4 Nĩndarutire mawĩra manene: Ngĩĩyakĩra nyũmba, na ngĩĩhaandĩra mĩgũnda ya mĩthabibũ.
Then I tried great construction projects. I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.
5 Nĩndathondekire mĩgũnda na kũndũ gwa kũhurũkwo, na ngĩhaanda mĩtĩ ya mĩthemba yothe ya matunda kuo.
I made for myself gardens and parks, planting them with all kinds of fruit trees.
6 Ngĩcooka ngĩhingĩrĩria tũria twa maaĩ twa kuunithagĩria maaĩ kũrĩa mĩtĩ ĩyo yakũragĩra.
I constructed for myself reservoirs to water all these 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 bought male and female slaves, and their children also belonged to me. I also owned many herds and flocks, more than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
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 collected for myself great quantities of silver and gold, paid to me as tribute by kings and provinces. I brought in for myself male and female singers, and enjoyed many concubines—all a man could want!
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.
I became great—greater than anyone in Jerusalem before me. All the while my wisdom stayed 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.
I didn't stop myself trying anything I wanted. Whatever I felt like enjoying, I did. I even enjoyed everything I had accomplished, a reward for all my work.
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 thought about what I had worked so hard to achieve, everything I'd done, it was so short-lived—as significant as someone trying to catch the wind. There really is no enduring benefit here on earth.
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?
So I started to think about wisdom—and madness and foolishness. For what can anyone who comes after the king do that hasn't already been done?
13 Hĩndĩ ĩyo ngĩkĩona atĩ ũũgĩ nĩ mwega gũkĩra ũkĩĩgu, o ta ũrĩa ũtheri ũrĩ mwega gũkĩra nduma.
I recognized that wisdom is better than foolishness just as light is better than 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 wise see where they're going, but fools walk in darkness. But I also realized that they all come to the same end.
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.”
Then I thought to myself, “If I'm going to end up the same as a fool, what's the point of being so wise?” So I thought to myself, “This is also hard to understand!”
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!
Nobody remembers the wise or the fool for very long—in the future everything will be forgotten. Whether wise or foolish, they both die.
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.
So I ended up feeling disgusted with life because everything that happens here on earth is so distressing. It's so incomprehensible, like trying to control the wind.
18 Ngĩgĩthũũra maũndũ mothe marĩa ndenogeetie namo gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa, tondũ no nginya ngaamatigĩra ũrĩa ũgooka thuutha wakwa.
I even ended up hating what I had achieved here on earth because I have to hand it over to whoever comes 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.
And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will rule over everything I accomplished through my wisdom here on earth. This is just so frustrating, so hard to understand!
20 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngoro yakwa ĩkĩambĩrĩria kũũrwo nĩ hinya nĩ ũndũ wa wĩra wakwa wothe wa mĩnoga ũrĩa ndaarutaga gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa.
I decided to give up, my mind in despair over the significance of all my life's achievements.
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 you can work wisely, knowledgably, and with skill—and who benefits? Someone who hasn't worked for it! This is both frustrating and totally unjust!
22 Mũndũ-rĩ, nĩ uumithio ũrĩkũ oonaga harĩ wĩra ũrĩa wothe arutaga, na mĩnoga, na gwĩtungumania kũrĩa anetungumania nakuo gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa?
What do you get here on earth for all your hard work and worry?
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.
Your working life is full of trouble and strife—even at night your thoughts keep you awake. This is tough to comprehend!
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,
So what's the best thing to do? Eat, drink, and enjoy your work, recognizing as I did that these things are given to us by God,
25 nĩ ũndũ-rĩ, nũũ ũngĩhota kũrĩa kana gũkena Ngai atarĩ ho?
for who can eat or enjoy life apart from him?
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.
To those who are good, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But to the sinner God gives the task of gathering and collecting wealth, only to hand it over to someone who pleases God. This also shows how fleeting life is, and hard to understand—like trying to understand how the wind blows.
