Kohelethu 6
1 Na rĩrĩ, nĩnyonete ũndũ ũngĩ mũũru gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa, naguo nĩũritũhagĩra andũ mũno:
There is another evil I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily upon mankind:
2 Naguo nĩ atĩ Ngai aheaga mũndũ ũtonga, na indo, o na gĩtĩĩo, agakoragwo na kĩndũ o kĩrĩa gĩothe ngoro yake ĩngĩĩrirĩria, no rĩrĩ, Ngai akaaga kũmũhotithia gũcikenera, no mũndũ ũngĩ mũgeni nĩwe ũcikenagĩra handũ hake. Ũndũ ũyũ nĩ wa tũhũ, na nĩ ũndũ mũũru na wa kĩeha.
God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires; but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a grievous affliction.
3 Mũndũ no agĩe ciana igana rĩmwe na atũũre mĩaka mĩingĩ; no rĩrĩ, o na angĩtũũra ihinda iraaya atĩa, angĩkorwo ndangĩkenera ũgaacĩru wake na aage gũthikwo wega-rĩ, nguuga atĩrĩ, mũndũ ũcio akĩrĩtwo nĩ kĩhuno.
A man may father a hundred children and live for many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he is unsatisfied with his prosperity and does not even receive a proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.
4 Kĩhuno kĩu gĩũkaga kĩrĩ tũhũ, na gĩgathiĩ nduma-inĩ, na rĩĩtwa rĩakĩo rĩkahumbĩrwo nĩ nduma o ro ĩyo.
For a stillborn child enters in futility and departs in darkness, and his name is shrouded in obscurity.
5 O na gũtuĩka gĩtionire riũa kana gĩkĩmenya ũndũ o na ũrĩkũ-rĩ, nĩkĩgĩaga na ũhurũko gũkĩra mũndũ ũcio:
The child, though neither seeing the sun nor knowing anything, has more rest than that man,
6 Ĩĩ, ti-itherũ o na angĩtũũra mĩaka ngiri ĩmwe maita meerĩ, na aage gũkenera ũgaacĩru wake. Githĩ othe matigĩthiiaga o handũ hamwe?
even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?
7 Mũndũ arutaga wĩra wothe na kĩyo nĩguo aiyũrie kanua gake, no gũtirĩ hĩndĩ ngoro yake ĩiganagia.
All a man’s labor is for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied.
8 Mũndũ mũũgĩ-rĩ, akĩrĩte mũndũ mũkĩĩgu na kĩ? Nake mũndũ mũthĩĩni ũrĩa ũmenyete gũikarania na andũ arĩa angĩ-rĩ, egunaga na kĩ?
What advantage, then, has the wise man over the fool? What gain comes to the poor man who knows how to conduct himself before others?
9 Nĩ kaba kĩrĩa maitho marona, gũkĩra kwangangio nĩ merirĩria. Ũndũ ũyũ o naguo nĩ wa tũhũ, o ta gũtengʼeria rũhuho.
Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
10 Kĩndũ gĩothe kĩanakorwo kuo kĩaheirwo rĩĩtwa, nake mũndũ nĩamenyekete ũrĩa atariĩ; gũtirĩ mũndũ ũngĩhota gũkararania na ũrĩa ũrĩ hinya kũmũkĩra.
Whatever exists was named long ago, and what happens to a man is foreknown; but he cannot contend with one stronger than he.
11 O ũrĩa ciugo iraingĩha, noguo ituĩkaga cia tũhũ, naguo ũndũ ũcio ũgunaga mũndũ na kĩ?
For the more words, the more futility—and how does that profit anyone?
12 Nĩ ũndũ-rĩ, nũũ ũngĩmenya maũndũ marĩa magĩrĩire mũndũ mũtũũrĩre-inĩ wake, matukũ mothe ma muoyo wake manini na ma tũhũ marĩa aniinaga magathira o ta kĩĩruru? Nũũ ũngĩmwĩra ũrĩa gũkaahaana gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa aarĩkia kwehera?
For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun?
