< Kohelethu 3 >

1 Atĩrĩrĩ, o ũndũ nĩ ũrĩ ihinda rĩaguo, na o ũndũ o wothe wĩkagwo gũkũ thĩ nĩ ũrĩ mahinda maguo:
For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
2 kũrĩ hĩndĩ ya gũciarwo na hĩndĩ ya gũkua, hĩndĩ ya kũhaanda na hĩndĩ ya kũmunya kĩrĩa kĩhaande,
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 hĩndĩ ya kũũraga na hĩndĩ ya kũhonia, hĩndĩ ya gũtharia na hĩndĩ ya gwaka,
a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 hĩndĩ ya kũrĩra na hĩndĩ ya gũtheka, hĩndĩ ya gũcakaya na hĩndĩ ya kũina,
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 hĩndĩ ya kũhurunja mahiga na hĩndĩ ya kũmacookanĩrĩria, hĩndĩ ya kũhĩmbĩria na hĩndĩ ya kwaga kũhĩmbĩria,
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 hĩndĩ ya gũcaria na hĩndĩ ya kũũrĩrwo nĩ indo, hĩndĩ ya kũiga, na hĩndĩ ya gũte,
a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 hĩndĩ ya gũtembũra na hĩndĩ ya gũtuma, hĩndĩ ya gũkira na hĩndĩ ya kwaria,
a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 hĩndĩ ya kwenda na hĩndĩ ya gũthũũra, hĩndĩ ya mbaara na hĩndĩ ya thayũ.
a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
9 Mũruti wa wĩra-rĩ, nĩ uumithio ũrĩkũ oonaga harĩ gwĩtungumania gwake?
What profit has he who works in that in which he labors?
10 Nĩnyonete mathĩĩna marĩa Ngai aheete andũ nĩguo mathĩĩnĩkage nĩ mo.
I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
11 Ngai oombire kĩndũ o gĩothe kĩrĩ gĩthaka hĩndĩ yakĩo. Ningĩ nĩekĩrĩte ũhoro wa tene na tene ngoro-inĩ cia andũ; no andũ matingĩhota kũmenya wĩra ũrĩa Ngai arutĩte kuuma kĩambĩrĩria nginya kĩrĩkĩrĩro.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.
12 Nĩnjũũĩ atĩ gũtirĩ ũndũ ũngĩ mwega andũ mangĩĩka ũkĩrĩte gũkena na gwĩka maũndũ mega rĩrĩa rĩothe megũtũũra muoyo.
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.
13 O na ningĩ ngamenya atĩ mũndũ o wothe angĩrĩa na anyue, na akenere gwĩtungumania gwake, kĩu nĩ kĩheo kuuma kũrĩ Ngai.
Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.
14 Nĩnjũũĩ atĩ ũndũ ũrĩa wothe Ngai ekaga nĩ wagũtũũra nginya tene; ndũngĩongerereka kana ũnyihanyiihe. Ngai awĩkaga nĩgeetha andũ mamwĩtigagĩre.
I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him.
15 Ũrĩa gũtariĩ rĩu noguo gwatariĩ tene, na ũrĩa gũgaatuĩka thuutha-inĩ noguo gwatariĩ mbere ĩyo; nake Ngai acaragia atĩ ũndũ ũrĩa wahĩtũkire ũcooke o ro ho.
That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago. God seeks again that which is passed away.
16 O na ningĩ ngĩona ũndũ ũngĩ gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa: Handũ harĩa haatuuagĩrwo ciira-rĩ, waganu warĩ ho, na ho handũ harĩa ha kĩhooto-rĩ, waganu warĩ ho.
Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.
17 Ngĩĩra atĩrĩ na ngoro yakwa, “Ngai nĩwe ũgaaciirithia andũ arĩa athingu na arĩa aaganu, tondũ nĩgũgakorwo ihinda rĩa o ũndũ o wothe wĩkagwo gũkũ thĩ, o na ihinda rĩa wĩra o wothe.”
I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”
18 Ningĩ ngĩĩciiria atĩrĩ, “Ha ũhoro wa andũ-rĩ, Ngai amageragia nĩgeetha mone atĩ mahaana o ta nyamũ.
I said in my heart, “As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals.
19 Maũndũ marĩa makoraga mũndũ no mo makoraga nyamũ; mũndũ na nyamũ makoragwo nĩ ũndũ o ro ũmwe: O ta ũrĩa mũndũ akuuaga, noguo nyamũ ĩkuaga. Mĩhũmũ ya mũndũ na nyamũ no ĩmwe; mũndũ ndarĩ handũ akĩrĩte nyamũ. Ũndũ o wothe nĩ wa tũhũ.
For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals, for all is vanity.
20 Mũndũ na nyamũ mathiiaga o kũndũ kũmwe; othe moimĩte tĩĩri-inĩ, na othe macookaga o tĩĩri-inĩ.
All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.
21 Nũũ ũũĩ kana hihi roho wa mũndũ wambataga na igũrũ, naguo roho wa nyamũ ũgaikũrũka na thĩ?”
Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?”
22 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩona atĩ hatirĩ ũndũ mwega harĩ mũndũ ũkĩrĩte gũkenera wĩra wake, tondũ rĩu nĩrĩo igai rĩake. Nĩ ũndũ-rĩ, nũũ ũngĩmũcookia rĩngĩ nĩguo one ũrĩa gũgeekĩka thuutha wake?
Therefore I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what will be after him?

< Kohelethu 3 >