Kohelethu 5
1 Atĩrĩrĩ, ceemaga ũgĩtoonya nyũmba ya Ngai. Gũkuhĩrĩria na kũigua ndeto ciake nĩ kwega gũkĩra igongona rĩrĩa rĩrutagwo nĩ andũ arĩa akĩĩgu, tondũ matimenyaga nĩ ũũru mareeka.
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
2 Tiga kũhiũha kwaria ũtambĩte gwĩciiria, ndũgetĩkĩrie ngoro yaku ĩhiũhe kwaria ũndũ mbere ya Ngai. Ngai arĩ igũrũ, nawe ũrĩ gũkũ thĩ, nĩ ũndũ ũcio nyiihagia ciugo ciaku.
Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few.
3 O ta ũrĩa mĩhangʼo mĩingĩ ĩtũmaga mũndũ aroote-rĩ, ũguo no taguo mũndũ mũkĩĩgu aingĩhagia mĩario.
As a dream comes through many cares, so the speech of a fool comes with many words.
4 Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa wehĩta mwĩhĩtwa harĩ Ngai, ndũkanahũthĩrĩrie kũũhingia. Nĩ ũndũ we ndakenagio nĩ andũ akĩĩgu; hingagia mwĩhĩtwa waku.
When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.
5 Nĩ kaba kwaga kwĩhĩta, gũkĩra kwĩhĩta na kwaga kũhingia mwĩhĩtwa.
It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.
6 Ndũkareke kanua gaku gatũme wĩhie. Ndũkanoigĩre mbere ya mũtũmwo wa hekarũ atĩrĩ, “Mwĩhĩtwa wakwa ndehĩtire na mahĩtia.” Nĩ kĩĩ kĩngĩtũma ũrakarie Ngai na uuge waku, nake athũkie wĩra wa moko maku?
Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not tell the messenger that your vow was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?
7 Irooto nyingĩ na ciugo nyingĩ nĩ cia tũhũ. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ikaraga wĩtigĩrĩte Ngai.
For as many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, fear God.
8 Ũngĩkoona mũthĩĩni akĩhinyĩrĩrio, na akaagithio ciira wa ma na kĩhooto bũrũri-inĩ, ndũkanamakio nĩ maũndũ macio; nĩgũkorwo mũnene ũmwe aroragwo nĩ mũnene ũngĩ, na igũrũ wa acio eerĩ nĩ harĩ angĩ anene kũmakĩra.
If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be astonished at the matter; for one official is watched by a superior, and others higher still are over them.
9 Uumithio wa bũrũri nĩ wa andũ othe; o na mũthamaki we mwene oonaga uumithio kuuma mĩgũnda-inĩ.
The produce of the earth is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
10 Mũndũ ũrĩa wothe wendeete mbeeca ndarĩ hĩndĩ aciiganagia; nake ũrĩa wothe wendeete ũtonga ndaiganagwo nĩ kĩrĩa oonaga. Ũndũ ũyũ o naguo no wa tũhũ.
He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile.
11 O ũrĩa indo ikĩragĩrĩria kuongerereka, noguo arĩa macirĩĩaga mongererekaga. Mwene cio agunĩkaga nakĩ, tiga o gũciĩrorera na maitho?
When good things increase, so do those who consume them; what then is the profit to the owner, except to behold them with his eyes?
12 Toro wa mũndũ ũrĩa ũrutaga wĩra nĩ mwega, o na angĩrĩa irio nini kana nyingĩ, no ũingĩ wa indo cia gĩtonga ndũrekaga kĩone toro.
The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich man permits him no sleep.
13 Nĩnyonete ũndũ mũũru na wa kĩeha gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa: ũtonga ũrĩa mũndũ eigagĩra ũkaya kũmũthũkia we mwene,
There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner,
14 kana ũtonga ũrĩa ũthiraga na njĩra ya mũtino, atĩ angĩgaaciara kahĩĩ, gatirĩ kĩndũ kangĩgaya.
or wealth lost in a failed venture, so when that man has a son there is nothing to pass on.
15 Mũndũ oimaga nda ya nyina arĩ njaga, na o ũguo okaga, noguo athiiaga. Ndarĩ kĩndũ o nakĩ kiumanĩte na wĩra wake agaakuua na moko make.
As a man came from his mother’s womb, so he will depart again, naked as he arrived. He takes nothing for his labor to carry in his hands.
16 Ũndũ ũyũ o naguo nĩ mũũru, na wa kĩeha: Atĩ o ũrĩa mũndũ okaga, noguo athiiaga, nake-rĩ, nĩ ũndũ ũrĩkũ egunaga naguo, kuona atĩ enogagĩria o rũhuho?
This too is a grievous evil: Exactly as a man is born, so he will depart. What does he gain as he toils for the wind?
17 Matukũ-inĩ make mothe arĩĩagĩra nduma-inĩ, arĩ na gũtangĩka kũnene, na kũhinyĩrĩrĩka, o na marakara.
Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness, with much sorrow, sickness, and anger.
18 Ngĩcooka ngĩmenya atĩ nĩ wega na nĩ kwagĩrĩire mũndũ arĩĩage na anyuuage, na akenagĩre gwĩtungumania gwake arĩ gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa matukũ-inĩ manini ma gũtũũra muoyo marĩa aheetwo nĩ Ngai, tondũ rĩu nĩrĩo igai rĩake.
Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of life that God has given him—for this is his lot.
19 Na ningĩ-rĩ, mũndũ o wothe angĩheo ũtonga na indo nĩ Ngai, na amũhotithie gũcikenera, nake aamũkĩre igai rĩake na akenio nĩ wĩra wake-rĩ, kĩu nĩ kĩheo aheetwo nĩ Ngai.
Furthermore, God has given riches and wealth to every man, and He has enabled him to enjoy them, to accept his lot, and to rejoice in his labor. This is a gift from God.
20 Ti kaingĩ mũndũ ũcio ataranagia ũhoro wa matukũ ma muoyo wake, tondũ Ngai nĩamũikaragia arĩ na gĩkeno ngoro-inĩ.
For a man seldom considers the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.
