Ekiliziastis 7
1 Ezi aha ka mma karịa mmanụ isi ụtọ. Ụbọchị mmadụ nwụrụ ka ụbọchị a mụrụ ya mma.
A good name is better than precious ointments, and a day of death is better than a day of birth.
2 Ọ kaara gị mma ije nʼebe a na-eru ụjụ karịa ebe a na-eri na-aṅụ. Nʼihi na ọnwụ dịịrị mmadụ ọbụla; ndị dị ndụ kwesiri iburu nke a nʼobi.
It is better to go to a house of mourning, than to a house of feasting. For in the former, we are admonished about the end of all things, so that the living consider what may be in the future.
3 Iru ụjụ ka ịchị ọchị mma, ihu gbarụrụ agbarụ na-enyere obi aka
Anger is better than laughter. For through the sadness of the countenance, the soul of one who offends may be corrected.
4 Onye maara ihe na-eche echiche banyere ọnwụ, ma onye nzuzu na-eche naanị banyere ikpori ndụ.
The heart of the wise is a place of mourning, and the heart of the foolish is a place of rejoicing.
5 Ọ ka mma ige ntị nye mba onye maara ihe karịa ịṅa ntị nʼabụ ndị na-enweghị uche na-abụ.
It is better to be corrected by a wise man, than to be deceived by the false praise of the foolish.
6 Ọchị onye nzuzu dị ka mkpọtụ nke ogwu na-ere ọkụ na-eme nʼokpuru ite. Ihe a bụkwa ihe efu.
For, like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of the foolish. But this, too, is emptiness.
7 Iji anya ike nara mmadụ ihe na-eme ka onye mara ihe ghọọ onye nzuzu, iri ngarị na-emerụ obi mmadụ.
A false accusation troubles the wise man and saps the strength of his heart.
8 Ọgwụgwụ ihe ọbụla dị mma karịa mmalite ya! Ogologo ntachiobi dị mma karịa mpako!
The end of a speech is better than the beginning. Patience is better than arrogance.
9 Abụla onye na-ewe iwe ọsịịsọ, nʼihi na iwe bụ oke ndị nzuzu.
Do not be quickly moved to anger. For anger resides in the sinews of the foolish.
10 Asịla, “Gịnị mere ụbọchị gara aga ji dị mma karịa ụbọchị ndị a?” Nʼihi na ọ bụghị amamihe ị jụ ajụjụ dị otu a.
You should not say: “What do you think is the reason that the former times were better than they are now?” For this type of question is foolish.
11 Amamihe dịka ihe nketa, bụ ihe dị mma. Ọ na-abara uru nye ndị na-ahụ anyanwụ anya.
Wisdom with riches is more useful and more advantageous, for those who see the sun.
12 Amamihe bụ ndo dịka ego si bụrụkwa ndo, ma ụzọ ihe ọmụma ji dị mma karịa bụ nke a: Amamihe na-echebe ndụ ndị nwere ya.
For as wisdom protects, so also does money protect. But learning and wisdom have this much more: that they grant life to one who possesses them.
13 Chee echiche banyere ihe Chineke na-eme. Mmadụ ọ pụrụ ime ka ọ dịzie adịzie, bụ ihe Chineke mere ka ọ gbagọọ agbagọ?
Consider the works of God, that no one is able to correct whomever he has despised.
14 Mgbe ihe na-agara gị nke ọma, ṅụrịa ọṅụ, nʼihi ọ dịrị gị mma, ma mgbe mmekpa ahụ batara, mata nke ọma na Chineke onye na-enye ọnọdụ ọma makwa ihe banyere ọnọdụ ọjọọ. Ya mere, o nweghị onye ọbụla nwere ike ịchọpụta ọdịnihu ya.
In good times, enjoy good things, but beware of an evil time. For just as God has established the one, so also the other, in order that man may not find any just complaint against him.
15 Ndụ m nʼụwa a bụ ihe efu, ahụla m ihe abụọ ndị a; onye ezi omume na-anwụ nʼezi omume ya, ma onye na-emebi iwu na-ebi ogologo ndụ na mmebi iwu ya.
I also saw this, in the days of my vanity: a just man perishing in his justice, and an impious man living a long time in his malice.
16 Nʼihi ya, abụbigala onye ezi omume oke, emekwala onwe gị onye mabigara ihe oke. Gịnị mere i ji achọ igbu onwe gị?
Do not try to be overly just, and do not try to be more wise than is necessary, lest you become stupid.
17 Abụbigala onye na-emefe ajọ omume oke, abụkwala onye nzuzu! Gịnị ka ị ga-eji nwụọ mgbe oge gị na-erubeghị?
Do not act with great impiety, and do not choose to be foolish, lest you die before your time.
18 Ọ dị mma ijide otu na-esepụghị aka na nke ọzọ, onye na-atụ egwu Chineke ga-enweta uru nʼime ha abụọ.
It is good for you to support a just man. Furthermore, you should not withdraw your hand from him, for whoever fears God, neglects nothing.
19 Amamihe na-eme ka otu onye dị ike karịa mmadụ iri na-achị otu obodo.
Wisdom has strengthened the wise more than ten princes of a city.
20 Gbaa ụwa niile gburugburu, ọ dịghị otu onye bụ onye ezi omume, ọ dịghị onye na-eme ihe ziri ezi nke na-adịghị eme mmehie mgbe ọbụla.
But there is no just man on earth, who does good and does not sin.
21 Egela ntị nʼihe niile ndị mmadụ na-ekwu, ị pụrụ ịnụ nkọcha nke ohu gị na-akọcha gị.
So then, do not attach your heart to every word that is spoken, lest perhaps you may hear your servant speaking ill of you.
22 Gị onwe gị maara na ọtụtụ oge, ị na-akọchakwa ndị ọzọ.
For your conscience knows that you, too, have repeatedly spoken evil of others.
23 Agbalịsiela m ike inwe nghọta. Ekwuru m sị, “Aga m abụ onye amamihe,” ma nke a karịrị m.
I have tested everything in wisdom. I have said: “I will be wise.” And wisdom withdrew farther from me,
24 Amamihe adịghị mfe inweta, ọ dị omimi nke ukwuu; ọ bụ onye pụrụ ịchọpụta ya?
so much more than it was before. Wisdom is very profound, so who shall reveal her?
25 A tụgharịrị uche m ka m ghọta, iledo na ịchọpụta amamihe na atụmatụ otu ihe niile si dị na ịghọtakwa nzuzu nke dị na ajọ omume na ịyị ara nke dị na enweghị uche.
I have examined all things in my soul, so that I may know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason, and so that I may recognize the impiety of the foolish, and the error of the imprudent.
26 Achọpụtara m na ọ dị ihe dị ilu karịa ọnwụ, ihe ahụ bụ nwanyị. Obi ya dị ka ụgbụ. Otu a kwa, aka o ji ejikụ gị dị ka ụdọ igwe. Onye ahụ na-eme ihe na-atọ Chineke ụtọ na-esi nʼaka ya gbapụ, ma ndị mmehie ka ọ na-enwude nʼọnya ya.
And I have discovered a woman more bitter than death: she who is like the snare of a hunter, and whose heart is like a net, and whose hands are like chains. Whoever pleases God shall flee from her. But whoever is a sinner shall be seized by her.
27 “Lee, Ihe a ka m chọpụtara,” ka onye nkuzi kwuru: “Site nʼịtụkwasị otu ihe nʼelu ibe ya ka m matara isi ihe niile.
Behold, Ecclesiastes said, I have discovered these things, one after another, in order that I might discover the explanation
28 Mgbe m ka na-achọ ma achọtaghị m, nʼetiti puku mmadụ ndị ikom, achọtara m otu onye aka ya dị ọcha, ma ọ dịghị otu nwanyị m chọtara nʼetiti ha.
which my soul still seeks and has not found. One man among a thousand, I have found; a woman among them all, I have not found.
29 Achọpụtara m naanị nke a, Chineke mere ndị mmadụ ka ha bụrụ ndị ụzọ ha ziri ezi, ma ha atụgharịala chọrọ ọtụtụ ihe nchepụta gawa.”
This alone have I discovered: that God made man righteous, and yet he has adulterated himself with innumerable questions. Who is so great as the wise? And who has understood the meaning of the word?
