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.

I have drawn all these things through my heart, so that I might carefully understand. There are just men as well as wise men, and their works are in the hand of God. And yet a man does not know so much as whether he is worthy of love or of hatred.

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.

But all things in the future remain uncertain, because all things happen equally to the just and to the impious, to the good and to the bad, to the pure and to the impure, to those who offer sacrifices and to those who despise sacrifices. As the good are, so also are sinners. As those who commit perjury are, so also are those who swear to the truth.

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 a very great burden among all things that are done under the sun: that the same things happen to everyone. And when the hearts of the sons of men are filled with malice and contempt in their lives, afterwards they shall be dragged down to hell. (questioned)

4 Mũndũ ũrĩa wothe ũrĩ gatagatĩ ka arĩa marĩ muoyo arĩ na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro; na rĩrĩ, nĩ kaba ngui ĩrĩ muoyo gũkĩra mũrũũthi mũkuũ!

There is no one who lives forever, or who even has confidence in this regard. 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 themselves will die, yet truly the dead know nothing anymore, nor do they have any recompense. 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.

Likewise, love and hatred and envy have all perished together, nor have they any place in this age and in the work which 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.

So then, go and eat your bread with rejoicing, and drink your wine with gladness. For your works are pleasing to God.

8 Wĩhumbage nguo cia rangi mwerũ hĩndĩ ciothe, na wĩhakage maguta mũtwe hĩndĩ yothe.

Let your garments be white at all times, and let not oil be absent from your head.

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.

Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your uncertain life which have been given to you under the sun, during all the time of your vanity. For this is your portion in life and in your labor, with which you 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 your hand is able to do, do it earnestly. For neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge will exist in death, toward which you are hurrying. (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 turned myself toward another thing, and I saw that under the sun, the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor wealth to the learned, nor grace to the skillful: but there is a time and an end for all these things.

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.

Man does not know his own end. But, just as fish are caught with a hook, and birds are captured with a snare, so are men seized in the evil time, when it will suddenly overwhelm them.

13 Ningĩ ngĩona ũũgĩ gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa ũrĩa wamakirie mũno, watariĩ ũũ:

This wisdom, likewise, I have seen under the sun, and I have examined it intensely.

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 small city, with a few men in it. There came against it a great king, who surrounded it, and built fortifications all around it, and the blockade was completed.

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.

And there was found within it, a poor and wise man, and he freed the city through his wisdom, and nothing was recorded afterward of that poor man.

16 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩkiuga atĩrĩ, “Ũũgĩ nĩ mwega gũkĩra hinya.” No ũũgĩ wa mũndũ mũthĩĩni nĩũmenagwo, na ciugo ciake itithikagĩrĩrio.

And so, I declared that wisdom is better than strength. But how is it, then, that the wisdom of the poor man is treated with contempt, and his words are not heeded?

17 Ciugo cia ũhooreri cia mũndũ ũrĩa mũũgĩ nĩciagĩrĩire ithikagĩrĩrio, gũkĩra rĩanĩrĩra rĩa mũndũ ũrĩa wathaga irimũ.

The words of the wise are heard in silence, more so than the outcry of a prince among the foolish.

18 Nĩ kaba ũũgĩ gũkĩra indo cia mbaara, no rĩrĩ, mũndũ mwĩhia ũmwe nĩathũkagia maũndũ maingĩ mega.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war. And whoever offends in one thing, shall lose many good things.