Kohelethu 6
1 Na rĩrĩ, nĩnyonete ũndũ ũngĩ mũũru gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa, naguo nĩũritũhagĩra andũ mũno:
I have observed another evil here on earth, and it has a great impact on humanity.
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 wealth, possessions, and honor to someone. They have everything they want. But God doesn't let them enjoy what they have. Instead somebody else does! This is hard to fathom, and is truly evil.
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 could have one hundred children, and grow old, but it wouldn't matter how long his life was if he couldn't enjoy it and at the end receive a decent burial. I would say that a stillborn child would be better off than him.
4 Kĩhuno kĩu gĩũkaga kĩrĩ tũhũ, na gĩgathiĩ nduma-inĩ, na rĩĩtwa rĩakĩo rĩkahumbĩrwo nĩ nduma o ro ĩyo.
The way a stillborn child comes into the world and then leaves is painfully hard to understand—arriving and departing in darkness—and who he would have been is never known.
5 O na gũtuĩka gĩtionire riũa kana gĩkĩmenya ũndũ o na ũrĩkũ-rĩ, nĩkĩgĩaga na ũhurũko gũkĩra mũndũ ũcio:
He never saw the light of day or knew what it was like to live. Yet the child finds rest, and not this 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 this man were to live a thousand years twice over he still wouldn't be happy. Don't we all end up in the same place—the grave?
7 Mũndũ arutaga wĩra wothe na kĩyo nĩguo aiyũrie kanua gake, no gũtirĩ hĩndĩ ngoro yake ĩiganagia.
Everyone works so they can live, but they're 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?
So then, what real advantage do wise people have over those who are fools? And do poor people really gain anything in knowing how to behave in front of others?
9 Nĩ kaba kĩrĩa maitho marona, gũkĩra kwangangio nĩ merirĩria. Ũndũ ũyũ o naguo nĩ wa tũhũ, o ta gũtengʼeria rũhuho.
Be happy with what you have instead of running after what you don't! But this is also hard to do, like running after the wind.
10 Kĩndũ gĩothe kĩanakorwo kuo kĩaheirwo rĩĩtwa, nake mũndũ nĩamenyekete ũrĩa atariĩ; gũtirĩ mũndũ ũngĩhota gũkararania na ũrĩa ũrĩ hinya kũmũkĩra.
Everything that exists has already been described. Everyone knows what people are like, and that you can't win an argument with a superior.
11 O ũrĩa ciugo iraingĩha, noguo ituĩkaga cia tũhũ, naguo ũndũ ũcio ũgunaga mũndũ na kĩ?
For the more words you use, the harder it is to make sense. So what's the point?
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?
Who knows what's best for us and our lives? During our short lives that pass like shadows we have many unanswered questions. And who can tell us what will happen when we're gone?
