Ekiliziastis 2
1 Echere m nʼime obi m sị, Ugbu a, aga m eji ihe na-enye obi aṅụrị nwaa gị site otu a chọpụta ihe dị mma, ma nke a bụkwa ihe efu.
Said, I, in my heart, Come now! I will prove thee with gladness, and look thou on blessedness, —but lo! even that, was vanity.
2 “Ọchị,” ka m sịrị na “ọ bụ ihe nzuzu. Ikpori ndụ, uru gịnị ka ọ bara?”
Of laughter, I said, Madness! and, of mirth, What can it do?
3 Echere m nʼobi ụtọ m ga-esite nʼịṅụ mmanya. Agbasokwara m ụzọ ibi ndụ nzuzu ma obi m nọ nnọọ na-edu m site nʼamamihe. Olileanya m bụ na m ga-esi otu a chọta ụzọ kachasị mma ndị mmadụ nwere ike iji bie mkpụmkpụ ndụ ha nʼụwa.
I sought out with my heart, to cherish with wine, my flesh, —but, my heart, was to guide with wisdom, even in laying hold of folly, until I should see which was blessedness for the sons of men, as to that which they could do, under the heavens, during the number of the days of their life.
4 Arụpụtara m ọtụtụ ihe dị iche iche, ewuru m ụlọ nye onwe m ma nweekwa ubi vaịnị.
I enlarged my works, —I built me houses, I planted me vineyards;
5 Ewuru m ubi a gbara ogige ebe izuike, ma kụọkwa osisi na-amị mkpụrụ dị iche iche nʼime ha,
I made me gardens, and parks, —I planted in them trees of every kind of fruit;
6 wuore onwe m ọdọ mmiri ebe a ga-esi na-agba ubi m niile mmiri.
I made me pools of water, —to irrigate therefrom the thick-set saplings growing up into trees:
7 Agbatara m ndị ohu nwoke na nwanyị, nweekwa ndị ohu ọzọ a mụrụ nʼụlọ m. Enwekwara m ọtụtụ igwe ehi na anụ ụlọ karịa eze niile ndị bu m ụzọ chịa na Jerusalem.
I acquired, men-servants and women-servants, and, the children of the household, were mine, —also possessions, herds and flocks in abundance, were mine, beyond all who had been before me in Jerusalem;
8 Achịkọtara m ọlaọcha na ọlaedo nye onwe m, na akụnụba nke ọtụtụ ndị eze na-achị ala ha na-atụtara m. E nwetakwara m nye onwe m ndị ikom na ndị inyom ndị na-abụ abụ. Enwekwara ndị iko nwanyị nʼebe ọ bara ụba. Ihe ụtọ niile ndị na-amasị obi nwa mmadụ.
I heaped me up, both silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings, and provinces, —I provided me singing-men and singing-women, and the delights of the sons of men, a wife and wives.
9 E, aghọrọ m onye dị ukwuu karịa eze niile ndị burula m ụzọ chịa na Jerusalem. Ma nʼime ihe ndị a niile, anya doro m, ihe niile ka m ji amamihe tulee.
So I became great, and increased, more than any one who had been before me in Jerusalem, —moreover, my wisdom, remained with me;
10 Ihe ọbụla m chọrọ, ka m na-ewere; egbochighị m onwe m aṅụrị ọbụla. Obi m ṅụrịrị ọṅụ site nʼọrụ niile, nke a bụkwa oke m ketara na ndọgbu niile m dọgburu onwe m.
and, nothing that mine eyes asked, withheld I from them, —I did not keep back my heart from any gladness, for, my heart, obtained gladness out of all my toil, and so, this, was my portion, out of all my toil.
11 Mgbe m tulere ihe banyere ihe ndị a niile m tinyetụrụ aka, otu m si dọgbuo onwe m nʼọrụ banyere ha, mkpebi m bụ na ha niile bụ ihe efu, dịka ịchọ ijide ifufe. Nʼezie, ihe niile bụ ihe efu, ha abakwaghị uru.
When, I, looked upon all my works, which my hands had made, and on my toil, whereon I had toilsomely wrought, then lo! all, was vanity, and feeding on wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 Atụgharịrị m bido ịmụ ihe banyere amamihe, na ịyị ara na nzuzu. Olee ihe ọzọ nke onye ga-anọchi anya eze ga-eme, karịa ihe ndị ahụ e merela na mbụ?
Thus turned, I, to look at wisdom, and madness and folly, —for what can the man [do more] who cometh after the king? [save] that which, already, men have done.
13 Achọpụtara m na amamihe dị mma karịa nzuzu, dịka ìhè si dị mma karịa ọchịchịrị.
Then saw, I, that wisdom doth excel folly, —as far as light excelleth darkness.
14 Nʼihi na onye maara ihe na-ahụ ụzọ ma isi kpuru onye nzuzu. Ma achọpụtakwara m na otu ihe ndaba na-adabara onye amamihe na onye nzuzu.
As for the wise man, his eyes, are in his head, whereas, the dullard, in darkness, doth walk, —but, I myself, knew that, one destiny, happeneth to them, all.
15 Agwara m onwe m okwu sị, “Dịka onye nzuzu ga-anwụ, otu ahụ kwa ka m ga-anwụ. Gịnị bụ uru amamihe m niile bara?” Ekwuru m nʼobi m sị, “Ihe a bụkwa ihe efu.
Then said, I, in my heart, As it happeneth to the dullard, even to me, will it happen, but wherefore, then, became, I, wise to excess? Therefore spake I, in my heart, Even this, is vanity.
16 Nʼihi na onye maara ihe na onye nzuzu bụ ndị a na-agaghị echeta ihe banyere ogologo oge dị nʼihu. Nʼụbọchị ndị na-abịa nʼihu, a gaghị echeta ha. Onye amamihe na onye nzuzu aghaghị ịnwụ.”
For there is no remembrance of a wise man, more than of a dullard, unto times age-abiding, —seeing that, already, in the days to come, all hath been forgotten, how then cometh it that the wise man dieth equally with the dullard?
17 Ya mere, akpọrọ m ịdị ndụ asị, nʼihi na ọrụ a na-arụ nʼokpuru anyanwụ wutere m. Ihe efu ka ọ bụ; ọ dị ka ịchụgharị ifufe.
Therefore I hated life, for, a vexation unto me, was the work which was done under the sun, —for, all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
18 Ihe niile m gbalịrị ịrụpụta ka m kpọrọ asị, nʼihi na amaara m na emesịa, aga m ahapụrụ ha onye ọzọ na-abịa nʼazụ m.
Therefore hated, I, all my toil, wherein I was toiling, under the sun, —in that I should leave it for the man who should come after me;
19 Onye maara ma ọ ga-abụ onye maara ihe ma ọ ga-abụkwanụ onye nzuzu? Ma ihe niile m ji amamihe ǹka m na ike m rụpụta nʼokpuru anyanwụ ga-abụ nke ya! Ihe a bụ ihe efu.
and who could know whether a, wise man, he would be or a foolish, and yet he would lord it over all my toil, wherein I had toiled and wherein I had acted wisely, under the sun, —even this, was vanity.
20 Ya mere, o wutere m nʼobi na m dọgburu onwe m nʼọrụ nʼokpuru anyanwụ.
Then resolved I, to give my heart over to despair, —concerning all the toil, wherein I had toiled, under the sun.
21 Nʼihi na mmadụ nwere ike jiri amamihe, na ihe ọmụma na ǹka dọgbuo onwe ya nʼọrụ, emesịa, ha ahapụrụ onye na-enweghị mgbe ọ rụrụ ọrụ ọbụla ihe ndị ahụ niile. Nke a bụkwa ihe efu, na oke ihe ndakwasị.
For here is a man, whose toil hath been with wisdom and with knowledge and with skill, —yet, to a man who hath not toiled therein, shall he leave it as his portion, even this, was vanity and a great vexation.
22 Gịnị bụ uru mmadụ na-enweta na ndọgbu niile ọ na-adọgbu onwe ya nʼọrụ nʼokpuru anyanwụ?
For what hath the man for all his toil, and for the striving of his heart, —wherein, he himself, toiled under the sun?
23 Nʼihi nʼụbọchị ha niile jupụtara naanị nʼihe mgbu na iru ụjụ, ọ bụladị nʼabalị, obi ha anaghị ezu ike. Ihe ndị a bụkwa ihe efu.
For, all his days, are pains, and, vexatious, is his employment, even in the night, his heart lieth not down, —even this, was, vanity.
24 Nʼihi ya, ekpebiri m na ọ dịghị ihe ọzọ ga-abara mmadụ uru karịakwa naanị ịnọdụ ala rie nri, ṅụọkwa ihe ma chọta ojuju afọ nʼọrụ ya. Achọpụtakwara m na ọ bụladị nke a si nʼaka Chineke.
There was nothing more blessed for Man [than] that he should eat and drink, and see his desireth for blessedness in his toil, —even this, saw, I myself, that, from the hand of God, it was.
25 Ọ dịghị onye pụrụ iri maọbụ ṅụọ ma o siteghị na Chineke?
For who could eat and who could enjoy, so well as I?
26 Nʼihi na ndị na-eme ihe na-atọ ya ụtọ, ka Chineke na-enye amamihe na ihe ọmụma, na ọṅụ; ma ọ na-enye onye mmehie ọrụ ịkpakọta na ịchịkọba akụnụba nke ọ ga-enyefe nʼaka onye ahụ ihe ya dị Chineke mma. Nke a bụkwa ihe efu; ịchụso ifufe.
For, to a man who is good before him, hath he given wisdom and knowledge and gladness, —whereas, to the sinner, he hath given employment, to gather and heap up, to give to one who is good before God, even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
