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 foot, when you step into the house of God, and draw near, so that you may listen. For obedience is much better than the sacrifices of the foolish, who do not know the evil that they are doing.
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.
You should not speak anything rashly, nor should your heart be hasty to present a word before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth. For this reason, let your words be few.
3 O ta ũrĩa mĩhangʼo mĩingĩ ĩtũmaga mũndũ aroote-rĩ, ũguo no taguo mũndũ mũkĩĩgu aingĩhagia mĩario.
Dreams follow many worries, and in many words foolishness will be found.
4 Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa wehĩta mwĩhĩtwa harĩ Ngai, ndũkanahũthĩrĩrie kũũhingia. Nĩ ũndũ we ndakenagio nĩ andũ akĩĩgu; hingagia mwĩhĩtwa waku.
If you have vowed anything to God, you should not delay to repay it. And whatever you have vowed, render it. But an unfaithful and foolish promise displeases him.
5 Nĩ kaba kwaga kwĩhĩta, gũkĩra kwĩhĩta na kwaga kũhingia mwĩhĩtwa.
And it is much better not to make a vow, than, after a vow, not to fulfill what was promised.
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?
You should not use your mouth so as to cause your flesh to sin. And you should not say, in the sight of an Angel, “There is no Providence.” For God, being angry at your words, may scatter all the works of your hands.
7 Irooto nyingĩ na ciugo nyingĩ nĩ cia tũhũ. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ikaraga wĩtigĩrĩte Ngai.
Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities and innumerable words. Yet truly, you must 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 false accusations against the indigent, and violent judgments, and subverted justice in the government, do not be surprised over this situation. For those in high places have others who are higher, and there are still others, more eminent, over these.
9 Uumithio wa bũrũri nĩ wa andũ othe; o na mũthamaki we mwene oonaga uumithio kuuma mĩgũnda-inĩ.
But finally, there is the King who rules over the entire earth, which is subject to him.
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.
A greedy man will not be satisfied by money. And whoever loves wealth will reap no fruit from it. Therefore, this, too, is emptiness.
11 O ũrĩa indo ikĩragĩrĩria kuongerereka, noguo arĩa macirĩĩaga mongererekaga. Mwene cio agunĩkaga nakĩ, tiga o gũciĩrorera na maitho?
Where there are many riches, there will also be many to consume these things. And how does it benefit the one who possesses, except that he discerns the wealth with his own 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.
Sleep is sweet to one who works, whether he consumes little or much. But the satiation of a wealthy man will not permit him to sleep.
13 Nĩnyonete ũndũ mũũru na wa kĩeha gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa: ũtonga ũrĩa mũndũ eigagĩra ũkaya kũmũthũkia we mwene,
There is even another most burdensome infirmity, which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept to the harm of the owner.
14 kana ũtonga ũrĩa ũthiraga na njĩra ya mũtino, atĩ angĩgaaciara kahĩĩ, gatirĩ kĩndũ kangĩgaya.
For they are lost in a most grievous affliction. He has produced a son, who will be in the utmost destitution.
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.
Just as he went forth naked from his mother’s womb, so shall he return, and he shall take nothing with him from his labors.
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?
It is an utterly miserable infirmity that, in the same manner as he has arrived, so shall he return. How then does it benefit him, since he has labored for the wind?
17 Matukũ-inĩ make mothe arĩĩagĩra nduma-inĩ, arĩ na gũtangĩka kũnene, na kũhinyĩrĩrĩka, o na marakara.
All the days of his life he consumes: in darkness, and with many worries, and in distress as well as sadness.
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.
And so, this has seemed good to me: that a person should eat and drink, and should enjoy the fruits of his labor, in which he has toiled under the sun, for the number of the days of his life that God has given him. For this is his portion.
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.
And this is a gift from God: that every man to whom God has given wealth and resources, and to whom he has granted the ability to consume these, may enjoy his portion, and may find joy in his labors.
20 Ti kaingĩ mũndũ ũcio ataranagia ũhoro wa matukũ ma muoyo wake, tondũ Ngai nĩamũikaragia arĩ na gĩkeno ngoro-inĩ.
And then he will not fully remember the days of his life, because God occupies his heart with delights.
