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, “Pray, come, I try you with mirth, and look on gladness”; and behold, even it [is] vanity.
2 Ningĩ ngiuga atĩrĩ, “Mĩtheko o nayo nĩ ũrimũ. Naguo ũhoro wa gwĩkenia-rĩ, ngĩĩyũria nĩ wa bata ũrĩkũ?”
Of laughter I said, “Foolish!” And of mirth, “What [is] this it is doing?”
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 have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly until I see where this [is]—the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.
4 Nĩndarutire mawĩra manene: Ngĩĩyakĩra nyũmba, na ngĩĩhaandĩra mĩgũnda ya mĩthabibũ.
I made great my works, I built for myself houses, I planted for myself vineyards.
5 Nĩndathondekire mĩgũnda na kũndũ gwa kũhurũkwo, na ngĩhaanda mĩtĩ ya mĩthemba yothe ya matunda kuo.
I made for myself gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit.
6 Ngĩcooka ngĩhingĩrĩria tũria twa maaĩ twa kuunithagĩria maaĩ kũrĩa mĩtĩ ĩyo yakũragĩra.
I made for myself pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth 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 acquired menservants, and maidservants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance—herd and flock—above all who had been 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 also gathered for myself silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for myself men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man—a wife and wives.
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 became great, and increased above everyone who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood 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 asked I did not keep back from them; I did not withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this has been my portion, from all my labor,
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.
and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labor that I have labored to do, and behold, the whole [is] vanity and distress of spirit, and there is no advantage 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?
And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what [is] the man who comes after the king? That which [is] already—they have done it!
13 Hĩndĩ ĩyo ngĩkĩona atĩ ũũgĩ nĩ mwega gũkĩra ũkĩĩgu, o ta ũrĩa ũtheri ũrĩ mwega gũkĩra nduma.
And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the 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—his eyes [are] in his head, and the fool is walking in darkness, and I also knew that one event happens with them all;
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, “As it happens with the fool, it happens also with me, and why am I then more wise?” And I spoke in my heart, that also this [is] vanity:
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!
That there is no remembrance to the wise—with the fool—for all time, for that which [is] already, [in] the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dies the wise? With the fool!
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 I have hated life, for sad to me [is] the work that has been done under the sun, for the whole [is] vanity and distress of spirit.
18 Ngĩgĩthũũra maũndũ mothe marĩa ndenogeetie namo gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa, tondũ no nginya ngaamatigĩra ũrĩa ũgooka thuutha wakwa.
And I have hated all my labor that I labor at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is 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 is wise or foolish? Yet he rules over all my labor that I have labored at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! This [is] also vanity.
20 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngoro yakwa ĩkĩambĩrĩria kũũrwo nĩ hinya nĩ ũndũ wa wĩra wakwa wothe wa mĩnoga ũrĩa ndaarutaga gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa.
And I turned around to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor that I labored at 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 there is a man whose labor [is] in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who has not labored therein he gives it—his portion! Even this [is] vanity and a great evil.
22 Mũndũ-rĩ, nĩ uumithio ũrĩkũ oonaga harĩ wĩra ũrĩa wothe arutaga, na mĩnoga, na gwĩtungumania kũrĩa anetungumania nakuo gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa?
For what has been to a man by all his labor, and by the thought of his heart that he labored at 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.
For all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart has not lain down; this [is] also vanity.
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,
There is nothing good in a man who eats, and has drunk, and has shown his soul good in his labor. This also I have seen that it [is] from the hand of God.
25 nĩ ũndũ-rĩ, nũũ ũngĩhota kũrĩa kana gũkena Ngai atarĩ ho?
For who eats and who hurries out more than I?
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.
For to a man who [is] good before Him, He has given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He has given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this [is] vanity and distress of spirit.
