Ekiliziastis 12
1 Ya mere, cheta Onye kere gị mgbe ị ka bụ okorobịa, tupu ụbọchị ọjọọ ndị ahụ abịa, na mgbe afọ aka abịarubeghị mgbe ị ga-asị, “Ha anaghị atọkwa m ụtọ.”
While you are still young, keep thinking about [God], who created you. Do that before [you are old] and you experience many troubles, during the years when you say “I no [longer] enjoy being alive.”
2 Tupu anyanwụ na ìhè, ọnwa na kpakpando ga-agba ọchịchịrị, na nlọghachi igwe ojii mgbe mmiri zosiri.
[When you become old], the light from the sun and moon and stars will [seem] dim [to you], and [it will seem that the rain] clouds [always] return [quickly] after it rains.
3 Mgbe ndị na-echebe ụlọ ga-ama jijiji, mgbe ndị dimkpa nwoke ga-ehulata, mgbe ndị na-akwọ ihe kwụsịrị maka ha dị ole na ole, mgbe ndị na-elepụ anya site nʼoghere ga-ebido ịgba ọchịchịrị,
Then your [arms that you use to protect] [MET] your bodies will shake/tremble, and your [legs that support] [MET] your bodies will become weak. Many of your [teeth that you use to] grind/chew [your food] will fall out, and your [eyes that you use to] look out of windows will not see clearly.
4 mgbe e mechiri ọnụ ụzọ nke pụrụ nʼokporoụzọ, mgbe olu ịkwọ nri ga-adị ala, mgbe ụda olu abụ ụmụ nnụnụ ga-akpọte ndị mmadụ, ma abụ ha niile na-ala ala,
Your [ears] [MET] will not hear the noise in the streets, and you will not be able to hear clearly the sound of people grinding grain with millstones. You will be awakened in the morning by hearing the birds singing/chirping, [but] you will not be able to hear well the songs that (the birds/people) sing.
5 mgbe ndị mmadụ ga-atụ egwu ebe dị elu; na ihe egwu nke okporoụzọ, mgbe osisi alụmọnd ga-ama ifuru mgbe ụkpana ga na-adọkpụ onwe ya nʼụzọ, agụụ ihe ọbụla ga-akwụsịkwa. Mgbe ahụ, ndị mmadụ ga-ala ụlọ ebighị ebi ya, ndị na-akwa akwa ga na-agagharị nʼokporoụzọ niile.
You will be afraid to be in high places and afraid of dangers on the roads that you walk on. [Your hair] will become [white like] [MET] the flowers of almond trees. [When you try to walk], you will drag yourself along like [MET] grasshoppers, and you will no longer desire [to have sex]. Then you will [die and] go to your eternal home, and people who will mourn for you will be in the streets.
6 E, cheta ya, tupu e gbubie ụdọ ọlaọcha ahụ, tupu e tiwaa ọkwa ọlaedo, tupu ite adawaa nʼisi iyi, tupu e tijie ụkwụ igwe olulu mmiri.
[Think much about God now, because] soon our lives will end, [like] [MET] silver chains or golden bowls that break easily, or like pitchers/jugs that are broken at the water fountain, or like broken pulleys at a well.
7 Mgbe ahụ, anụ ahụ anyị ga-alaghachi nʼaja ebe o si pụta; mmụọ anyị ga-alaghachikwuru Chineke onye nyere ya.
Then our corpses will [decay and] become dirt again, and our spirits will return to God, the one who gave us our spirits.
8 “Ihe efu! Ihe efu!” ka onye ozizi kwuru. “Ihe niile bụ ihe efu!”
[So] I say [again] that it is difficult to understand why everything happens; everything is mysterious.
9 Ọ bụghị naanị nʼonye ozizi ahụ bụ onye maara ihe, o jegharịrị na-ezi ndị mmadụ ihe ọ maara. Ọ tụgharịrị uche chọpụta ọtụtụ ilu, detuokwa ha nʼusoro.
I was considered to be a very wise man, and I taught the people many things. I assembled/collected and wrote down many proverbs, and I carefully thought about and studied them.
10 Onye ozizi chọpụtara okwu ndị dabanyere nʼusoro, ihe o depụtara bụ ihe ziri ezi na eziokwu.
I searched for the right words, and what I have written is reliable and true.
11 Okwu ọnụ nke onye maara ihe dị ka ndụdụ e ji achụ ehi. Nchịkọta okwu amamihe ndị a dị ka ǹtu a kumiri nke ọma, nke onye na-azụ atụrụ nyere.
The things that [I and other] wise people say [teach people what they should do]; they are like [SIM] (goads/sharp sticks that people use to strike animals to direct where they should go). They are like [SIM] nails that stick out of pieces of wood. They are given to us by [God, who is like] [MET] our shepherd.
12 Ma nwa m nwoke lezie anya, atụkwasịla ihe ọzọ nʼelu ihe ndị a. Akwụkwọ a na-ede ede enweghị ọgwụgwụ, ọtụtụ mmụta na-agwụ ike.
[So], my son, pay careful attention to what I have written, and choose carefully what you read that others have written, [because] writing proverbs/books is endless, and [trying to] study them all will cause you to become exhausted.
13 Ugbu a anụla ihe ndị a niile, ma nụrụ ihe bụ nkwubi okwu: Tụọ egwu Chineke, debekwa iwu ya niile, nʼihi na nke a bụ ọrụ niile dịrị mmadụ.
[Now] you have heard all [that I have told you], and here is the conclusion: Revere God, and obey his commandments, because those commandments summarize everything that people should do.
14 Nʼihi na Chineke ga-ekpe ọrụ ọbụla ikpe, ya na ihe nzuzo anyị niile, ma ha dị mma ma ha dị njọ.
And do not forget that God will judge everything that we do, good things and bad things, [even] things that we do secretly.
