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.
Watch thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be near to hearken [to his will], more than to give the sacrifice of fools; for they consider not that they do evil [to themselves].
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.
Suffer not thy mouth to be rash, and let thy heart not be hasty to utter any word before God; for God is in the heavens, and thou art upon the earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3 O ta ũrĩa mĩhangʼo mĩingĩ ĩtũmaga mũndũ aroote-rĩ, ũguo no taguo mũndũ mũkĩĩgu aingĩhagia mĩario.
For a dream cometh through being much employed [with something], and the voice of a fool cometh with a multitude of words.
4 Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa wehĩta mwĩhĩtwa harĩ Ngai, ndũkanahũthĩrĩrie kũũhingia. Nĩ ũndũ we ndakenagio nĩ andũ akĩĩgu; hingagia mwĩhĩtwa waku.
When thou makest a vow unto God, do not delay to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in such fools: that which thou hast vowed must thou pay.
5 Nĩ kaba kwaga kwĩhĩta, gũkĩra kwĩhĩta na kwaga kũhingia mwĩhĩtwa.
It is better that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay.
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?
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy body to sin; and say thou not before the messenger, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry because of thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
7 Irooto nyingĩ na ciugo nyingĩ nĩ cia tũhũ. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ikaraga wĩtigĩrĩte Ngai.
For in the multitude of dreams and vanities there are also many words; but rather fear thou 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 thou see the oppression of the poor, and violence done to justice and righteousness in a province, do not feel astounded at the matter; for one that is high watcheth over the high; and over them, the highest Power.
9 Uumithio wa bũrũri nĩ wa andũ othe; o na mũthamaki we mwene oonaga uumithio kuuma mĩgũnda-inĩ.
But the advantage of a land in all things is, a king who is subject to the country.
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 that loveth money will never be satisfied with money; nor he that loveth abundance, with any increase. Also this is vanity.
11 O ũrĩa indo ikĩragĩrĩria kuongerereka, noguo arĩa macirĩĩaga mongererekaga. Mwene cio agunĩkaga nakĩ, tiga o gũciĩrorera na maitho?
When prosperity increaseth, those that consume it [likewise] increase: and what advantage is there to its owner, saving to see [it] 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.
Sweet is the sleep of the laboring man, whether he eat little or much; but the overabundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
13 Nĩnyonete ũndũ mũũru na wa kĩeha gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa: ũtonga ũrĩa mũndũ eigagĩra ũkaya kũmũthũkia we mwene,
There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, [namely, ] riches reserved for their owner to his own hurt.
14 kana ũtonga ũrĩa ũthiraga na njĩra ya mũtino, atĩ angĩgaaciara kahĩĩ, gatirĩ kĩndũ kangĩgaya.
And these riches are lost through an unfortunate event; and he begetteth a son, and hath not the least in his hand:
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 he came forth out of his mother's womb, naked will he return to go as he came; and not the least will he carry off for his toil, which he might take away with him.
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?
And also this is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so must he go: and what profit hath he that hath toiled for the wind?
17 Matukũ-inĩ make mothe arĩĩagĩra nduma-inĩ, arĩ na gũtangĩka kũnene, na kũhinyĩrĩrĩka, o na marakara.
All his days also had he to eat in darkness, and hath had much vexation and wrath with his sickness.
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.
Behold, what I have truly seen as a good thing, that it is fitting to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all one's toil that he taketh under the sun the number of the days of his life, which God hath 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.
Also every man to whom God hath given riches and property, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his toil— this is the gift of God.
20 Ti kaingĩ mũndũ ũcio ataranagia ũhoro wa matukũ ma muoyo wake, tondũ Ngai nĩamũikaragia arĩ na gĩkeno ngoro-inĩ.
Let him then remember, that the days of his life are not many, that God hath answered him with the joy of his heart.
