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 considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred [by] all [that 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, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as [is] the good, so [is] the sinner; [and] he that sweareth, as [he] that feareth 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 among all [things] that are done under the sun, that [there is] one event unto 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!

For to him that is joined to 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 any thing, neither 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.

Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any [thing] 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 now accepteth thy works.

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

Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

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 lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that [is] thy portion in [this] life, and in thy labour which thou takest 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)

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for [there is] no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (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 favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth 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 knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so [are] the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

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

This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it [seemed] great unto 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 said I, 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 wise [men are] heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth 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 destroyeth much good.