Kohelethu 9
1 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩĩcũũrania ũhoro wa maũndũ macio mothe na ngĩona atĩ andũ arĩa athingu na arĩa oogĩ, o hamwe na mawĩra mao, marĩ moko-inĩ ma Ngai, no rĩrĩ, gũtirĩ mũndũ ũngĩmenya kana nĩ wendo, kana nĩ rũmena rũmwetereire.
For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God. No man understands, either love or hatred. All is before them.
2 Andũ othe marĩĩkagĩrĩria o ũndũ ũmwe: kĩrĩkĩrĩro kĩa andũ arĩa athingu na arĩa aaganu, kĩa andũ arĩa ega na arĩa ooru, kĩa andũ arĩa matethaahĩtie na arĩa methaahĩtie, na kĩa andũ arĩa marutaga magongona na arĩa matarutaga gĩothe no kĩmwe. O ta ũrĩa mũndũ mwega atariĩ, ũguo noguo mũndũ mwĩhia atariĩ; o ta ũrĩa arĩa mehĩtaga na mĩĩhĩtwa matariĩ, ũguo noguo arĩa metigagĩra kwĩhĩta na mĩĩhĩtwa matariĩ.
All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous man and to the wicked man, to the good man, and to the clean man, and to the unclean man, to him who sacrifices and to him who does not sacrifice, as is the good man, so is the sinner, and he who swears, as he who fears an oath.
3 Ũyũ nĩguo ũũru ũrĩa ũkoragwo maũndũ-inĩ mothe marĩa mekĩkaga gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa: Andũ othe marĩĩkagĩrĩria o ũndũ ũmwe. O na ningĩ ngoro cia andũ ciyũrĩte ũũru, na ũgũrũki ũkaagĩa ngoro-inĩ ciao rĩrĩa marĩ muoyo, na thuutha-inĩ magakua.
This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all. Yea also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
4 Mũndũ ũrĩa wothe ũrĩ gatagatĩ ka arĩa marĩ muoyo arĩ na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro; na rĩrĩ, nĩ kaba ngui ĩrĩ muoyo gũkĩra mũrũũthi mũkuũ!
Because to him who is joined with all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 Nĩ ũndũ andũ arĩa marĩ muoyo nĩmooĩ nĩmagakua, no arĩa makuĩte matirĩ ũndũ mooĩ; na matirĩ kĩheo kĩngĩ metereire, o na matiririkanagwo, nĩmariganĩire.
For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know not anything, nor have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Wendani wao, na rũmena rwao, o na ũiru wao nĩithirĩte biũ; na gũtirĩ hĩndĩ ĩngĩ magaacooka kũgĩa na handũ maũndũ-inĩ marĩa mothe mekagwo gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa.
As well their love, as their hatred and their envy, has perished long ago, nor have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.
7 Thiĩ, ũrĩe irio ciaku ũkenete, na ũnyue ndibei yaku ũcanjamũkĩte ngoro, nĩgũkorwo ihinda rĩĩrĩ nĩrĩo Ngai etĩkĩrĩte wĩra waku.
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God has already accepted thy works.
8 Wĩhumbage nguo cia rangi mwerũ hĩndĩ ciothe, na wĩhakage maguta mũtwe hĩndĩ yothe.
Let thy garments be always white, and let not thy head lack oil.
9 Tũũranagiai na gĩkeno na mũtumia ũcio waku wendeete, matukũ mothe ma muoyo ũyũ wa tũhũ marĩa Ngai akũheete gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa, o matukũ macio maku mothe ma tũhũ. Nĩ ũndũ rĩĩrĩ nĩrĩo igai rĩaku mũtũũrĩre-inĩ waku, o na gwĩtungumania-inĩ gwaku ũrĩ gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa.
Live joyfully with the wife whom thou love all the days of thy life of vanity, which he has given thee under the sun, all thy days of vanity. For that is thy portion in life, and in thy labor in which thou labor under the sun.
10 Ũndũ ũrĩa wothe ũngĩona wa gwĩka na guoko gwaku-rĩ, wĩke na hinya waku wothe, tondũ mbĩrĩra-inĩ kũrĩa ũrorete, gũtirĩ kũruta wĩra kana gwĩciiria, kana kũmenya maũndũ, o na kana ũũgĩ. (Sheol h7585)
Whatever thy hand finds to do, do with thy might, for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where thou go. (Sheol h7585)
11 Nĩnyonete ũndũ ũngĩ gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa: Atĩ andũ arĩa marĩ ihenya tio mahootanaga ihenya-inĩ, na arĩa marĩ hinya tio mahootanaga mbaara-inĩ, o na arĩa oogĩ tio moonaga irio, na arĩa mooĩ maũndũ mũno tio magĩaga na ũtonga, o na kana andũ arĩa oogĩ makaheo gĩtĩĩo; no rĩrĩ, ihinda na mweke nĩ cia andũ othe.
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill, but time and chance happens to them all.
12 O na ningĩ, gũtirĩ mũndũ ũngĩmenya rĩrĩa mũtino ũngĩmũkora: Tondũ o ta ũrĩa thamaki inyiitagwo na mũtego mũũru, o na ta ũrĩa nyoni inyiitagwo na gĩkerenge, ũguo noguo andũ manyiitagwo nĩ mahinda mooru marĩa mamakinyagĩrĩra materĩgĩrĩire.
For man also does not know his time. As the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time when it falls suddenly upon them.
13 Ningĩ ngĩona ũũgĩ gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa ũrĩa wamakirie mũno, watariĩ ũũ:
I have also seen wisdom under the sun this way, and it seemed great to me:
14 Hĩndĩ ĩmwe nĩ kwarĩ itũũra inini, na rĩarĩ na andũ o anini thĩinĩ warĩo. Na mũthamaki warĩ na hinya mũno akĩrĩũkĩrĩra, akĩrĩthiũrũrũkĩria, na agĩaka rũirigo rwa kũrĩrigiicĩria, arĩũkĩrĩre.
There was a little city, and few men within it. And there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.
15 Na rĩrĩ, itũũra-inĩ rĩu nĩ gwatũũraga mũndũ mũthĩĩni no aarĩ mũũgĩ, nake akĩhonokia itũũra rĩu na ũũgĩ wake. No rĩrĩ, gũtirĩ mũndũ wacookire kũririkana mũndũ ũcio mũthĩĩni.
Now there was found in it a poor wise man. And he by his wisdom delivered the city, yet no man remembered that same poor man.
16 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩkiuga atĩrĩ, “Ũũgĩ nĩ mwega gũkĩra hinya.” No ũũgĩ wa mũndũ mũthĩĩni nĩũmenagwo, na ciugo ciake itithikagĩrĩrio.
Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
17 Ciugo cia ũhooreri cia mũndũ ũrĩa mũũgĩ nĩciagĩrĩire ithikagĩrĩrio, gũkĩra rĩanĩrĩra rĩa mũndũ ũrĩa wathaga irimũ.
The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools.
18 Nĩ kaba ũũgĩ gũkĩra indo cia mbaara, no rĩrĩ, mũndũ mwĩhia ũmwe nĩathũkagia maũndũ maingĩ mega.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
