Ekiliziastis 3
1 Ihe ọbụla nwere oge; mgbe dịkwara ihe ọbụla a na-eme eme nʼeluigwe.
There is a right/correct time for everything, a time for everything that we do in this world.
2 Oge ịmụ nwa na oge ịnwụ anwụ, oge ịkụ ihe na oge ihopu,
There is a time to be born, and there is a time to die. There is a time to plant [seeds], and there is a time to harvest crops.
3 oge igbu egbu; na oge ịgwọ ọrịa, oge itikpọ na oge iwuzi ewuzi,
There is a time to kill [people], and there is a time to heal [people]. There is a time to tear things down, and there is a time to build things.
4 oge ịkwa akwa, na oge ịchị ọchị, oge iru ụjụ na oge ite egwu,
There is a time to cry, and there is a time to laugh. There is a time to mourn, and there is a time to dance [joyfully].
5 oge ikposa nkume na oge ịchịkọta nkume, oge ịbakụ na oge ịkwụsị ịbakụ,
There is a time to throw away stones [from a field], and there is a time to gather stones [to build walls/houses]. There is a time to embrace [people], and there is a time to not embrace [people].
6 oge ịchọ ihe, na oge ntufu, oge ịchịkọba, na oge ichifusi,
There is a time to search for things, and there is a time to stop searching for things. There is a time to keep/save things, and there is a time to throw things away.
7 oge ndọwasị, na oge ndụkọta, oge ịgba nkịtị, na oge ikwu okwu,
There is a time to tear [our old clothes], and there is a time to mend [clothes]. There is a time to say nothing, and there is a time when we should speak.
8 oge ịhụnanya na oge ịkpọ asị, oge ibu agha, na oge ime udo.
There is a time when we should love [things that people do], and there is a time when we should hate [things that people do]. There is a time for war, and there is a time for peace.
9 Gịnị bụ nnọọ ihe mmadụ na-enweta site na ndọgbu niile nke nʼọrụ niile ọ na-arụ?
(What do people gain from all the work that they do?/It seems that people gain very little from all the work that they do [RHQ]).
10 Ahụla m ibu arọ nke Chineke bokwasịrị ndị mmadụ e kere eke.
I have seen the work that God has given people to do.
11 O meela ka ihe niile maa mma nʼoge nke ya. O tinyekwala ebighị ebi nʼime obi ndị mmadụ; ma o nweghị ka mmadụ ghọta ọrụ Chineke site na mmalite ruo nʼọgwụgwụ.
God has appointed a time that is right/correct for everything to happen. He has [also] caused people to realize that there are things that will endure forever. But in spite of that, no one can completely understand everything that God has done, from the time that he starts doing things until he finishes them.
12 Nʼihi ya, ekpebiri m na ihe dịịrị mmadụ ịchọ bụ obi ụtọ na inwe aṅụrị na ndụ ya niile.
I know that the best [LIT] thing for us people to do is to rejoice and to do good things [all] during the time that we are alive.
13 Ihe ọzọ bụ ka mmadụ rie, ṅụọ, ma nwee afọ ojuju na ndọgbu niile ọ na-adọgbu onwe ya, nʼihi na ha bụ onyinye si nʼaka Chineke.
And I also know that everyone should eat and drink, and enjoy the work that they do. Those are things that God gives to us.
14 Amaara m na ihe niile Chineke mere na-adịgidekwa. O nweghị ihe apụrụ itinye na ya, o nweghịkwa ihe apụrụ iwepụkwa site na ya. Chineke na-eme nke a ka ndị mmadụ tụọ egwu ya.
I [also] know that what God does endures forever. No one can add to what God does, and no one can take away from the things that God does. God does those things in order that people would revere him.
15 Ihe ọbụla dị ugbu a, adịlarị na mgbe ochie, ihe ọbụla gaje ịdị dịlarị na mbụ. Chineke na-eme ka ihe niile mere na mgbe gara aga megharịakwa ọzọ.
Things that exist now have already existed previously, and things that will happen in the future have already happened previously; God causes the same things to happen many times.
16 Ọzọkwa, achọpụtara m otu ihe nʼokpuru anyanwụ, na ọnọdụ ezi ikpe naanị mmebi iwu jupụtara, nʼebe e kwesiri inwe ikpe ziri ezi ị ga-achọpụta na ihe ọjọọ dịkwa ya.
Furthermore, I saw that on this earth [MTY], even in the courts where we expect judges to make right decisions about what people had done, they did many wicked [DOU] things.
17 A gwara m onwe m, “Chineke ga-ekpe, ndị ezi omume na ndị ajọ omume ikpe, nʼihi na a ga-enwe oge maka ihe ọbụla a na-eme eme, oge dịkwa maka ikpe ọrụ niile nke mmadụ ikpe.”
[So] I said to myself [SYN], “God will judge [both] righteous [people] and wicked [people]; there is a time [for him to do that], because there is a time for him to do everything.”
18 Echere m nʼobi sị, “Ebe mmadụ nọ, Chineke na-anwale ya, ka mmadụ mata na ha dị ka anụmanụ.
And regarding humans, I [also] said to myself, “God is testing us, to show us that [in one way] people are no different than animals,
19 Nʼihi na ihe na-eche mmadụ na anụmanụ bụ otu. Ha abụọ na-eku ume, ha abụọ na-anwụkwa anwụ. Ọ dịghị ihe mmadụ ji karịa anụmanụ. Ihe niile bụ ihe efu.
because what happens to people happens to animals. Animals die, and people die. We all must breathe [to remain alive]. [With regard to that], people have no advantage over animals, so I have a difficult time understanding that.
20 Ha niile na-alaghachi nʼotu ebe; ọ bụ nʼaja ka ha si pụta, ebe ahụ kwa ka ha ga-alaghachi.
[People and animals] all die and are buried. We are all made of soil, and [when we die], our corpses become soil again.
21 Onye pụrụ iguzo gbaa akaebe na mmụọ mmadụ na-ala nʼelu ma nke anụmanụ na-ala nʼaja?”
No one knows [RHQ] for sure that when we die, our souls/spirits go up to heaven and the souls/spirits of animals go down to the place where the dead are.”
22 Nʼihi ya, ahụrụ m na ọ dịghị ihe ọzọ ụmụ mmadụ kwesiri ime karịakwa inwe ọṅụ nʼọrụ ha, nʼihi na nke ahụ bụ oke ha nʼebe a. Onye ga-eme ka ha bịaghachi hụ ihe ga-eme nʼazụ ha?
So I concluded that the best thing for [us] people to do is to be happy about the work that we do, because that is what God has given to us. I say that because no one of us [RHQ] knows what happens to us after we die.
