Kohelethu 1
1 Ici nĩcio ciugo cia Mũrutani, mũrũ wa Daudi, ũrĩa warĩ mũthamaki kũu Jerusalemu:
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 “Maũndũ mothe nĩ ma tũhũ! Ĩĩ nĩ ma tũhũ!” Ũguo nĩguo Mũrutani ekuuga. “Ti-itherũ nĩ ma tũhũ mũtheri! Maũndũ mothe nĩ ma tũhũ.”
Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 Mũndũ-rĩ, nĩ uumithio ũrĩkũ onaga harĩ wĩra ũrĩa wothe arutaga gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa?
What profit has a man of all his labor which he takes under the sun?
4 Rũciaro rũmwe rwathira-rĩ, nĩ rũngĩ rũũkaga, no rĩrĩ, thĩ ĩtũũraga o ho nginya tene na tene.
One generation passes away, and another generation comes: but the earth stays for ever.
5 Riũa rĩrathaga na rĩgathũa, ningĩ rĩgacooka na ihenya kũrĩa rĩrathagĩra.
The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to his place where he arose.
6 Rũhuho rũhurutanaga rwerekeire mwena wa gũthini, na rũgacooka rũkeerekera mwena wa gathigathini; rũthiiaga o rũgĩthiũrũrũkaga rũtegũtigithĩria, o rũgĩcookaga njĩra-inĩ yaruo.
The wind goes toward the south, and turns about to the north; it whirls about continually, and the wind returns again according to his circuits.
7 Njũũĩ ciothe ciĩitagĩrĩra iria-inĩ, no rĩrĩ, iria rĩtirĩ hĩndĩ rĩiyũraga. O kũu njũũĩ ciumaga, nokuo icookaga.
All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; to the place from where the rivers come, thither they return again.
8 Maũndũ mothe marehanagĩra mĩnoga ĩrĩa ĩtangĩgweteka. Riitho rĩtirĩ hĩndĩ rĩiganagia kuona, o na kana gũtũ gũkaigania kũigua.
All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 Maũndũ marĩa maanakorwo kuo no mo macookaga gũkorwo kuo rĩngĩ, naguo ũndũ ũrĩa waneekwo noguo ũcookaga ũgeekwo rĩngĩ; gũtirĩ ũndũ ũtarĩ woneka gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa.
The thing that has been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Hihi nĩ harĩ ũndũ mũndũ angiuga atĩrĩ: “Ta rora! Ũyũ nĩ ũndũ ũtarĩ wonekana”? Ũndũ ũcio warĩ kuo hĩndĩ ndaaya hĩtũku; warĩ kuo tũtarĩ twaciarwo.
Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it has been already of old time, which was before us.
11 Andũ arĩa maarĩ kuo tene matiririkanagwo, na o na arĩa matarĩ maraciarwo matikaaririkanwo nĩ arĩa magaaciarwo thuutha wao.
There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
12 Niĩ Mũrutani-rĩ, ndaarĩ mũthamaki wathamakagĩra Isiraeli kũu Jerusalemu.
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 Nĩnderutĩire na kĩyo kwĩruta, na gũtuĩria na ũũgĩ maũndũ mothe marĩa mekagwo gũkũ thĩ. Kaĩ Ngai nĩakuuithĩtie andũ mũrigo mũritũ-ĩ!
And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail has God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
14 Nĩndĩĩoneire maũndũ marĩa mothe mekagwo gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa; maũndũ mothe no ma tũhũ, na ũguo no ta gũtengʼeria rũhuho.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
15 Kĩndũ kĩrĩa kĩogomu gĩtingĩrũngĩka; nakĩo kĩrĩa gĩtarĩ ho gĩtingĩtarwo.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 Na niĩ ngĩĩciiria, ngiuga na ngoro yakwa atĩrĩ, “Ndĩ mũkũrũ na ngagĩa na ũũgĩ mũingĩ gũkĩra andũ arĩa othe manaathana Jerusalemu mbere yakwa; nĩmenyete maũndũ maingĩ makoniĩ ũũgĩ na ũmenyo.”
I communed with my own heart, saying, See, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yes, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
17 Ningĩ nĩnderutire na ngoro yakwa kũmenya ũhoro wa ũũgĩ, o na kũmenya ũhoro wa ũgũrũki na wa ũrimũ, no ngĩmenya atĩ ũhoro ũcio, o naguo, no ta gũtengʼeria rũhuho.
And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
18 Nĩgũkorwo o ũrĩa ũũgĩ waingĩha, noguo ihooru rĩingĩhĩte; na ũrĩa ũmenyo waingĩha, noguo kĩeha kĩingĩhĩte.
For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow.
