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 fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s 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 the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.
3 Iru ụjụ ka ịchị ọchị mma, ihu gbarụrụ agbarụ na-enyere obi aka
Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
4 Onye maara ihe na-eche echiche banyere ọnwụ, ma onye nzuzu na-eche naanị banyere ikpori ndụ.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
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 hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 Ọchị onye nzuzu dị ka mkpọtụ nke ogwu na-ere ọkụ na-eme nʼokpuru ite. Ihe a bụkwa ihe efu.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7 Iji anya ike nara mmadụ ihe na-eme ka onye mara ihe ghọọ onye nzuzu, iri ngarị na-emerụ obi mmadụ.
Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
8 Ọgwụgwụ ihe ọbụla dị mma karịa mmalite ya! Ogologo ntachiobi dị mma karịa mpako!
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Abụla onye na-ewe iwe ọsịịsọ, nʼihi na iwe bụ oke ndị nzuzu.
Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
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.
Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.
11 Amamihe dịka ihe nketa, bụ ihe dị mma. Ọ na-abara uru nye ndị na-ahụ anyanwụ anya.
Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent 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 wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
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 work of God, for who can make that straight which he has made crooked?
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 the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after 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.
All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
16 Nʼihi ya, abụbigala onye ezi omume oke, emekwala onwe gị onye mabigara ihe oke. Gịnị mere i ji achọ igbu onwe gị?
Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Abụbigala onye na-emefe ajọ omume oke, abụkwala onye nzuzu! Gịnị ka ị ga-eji nwụọ mgbe oge gị na-erubeghị?
Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should 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 that you should take hold of this. Yes, also don’t withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all.
19 Amamihe na-eme ka otu onye dị ike karịa mmadụ iri na-achị otu obodo.
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in 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.
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and doesn’t sin.
21 Egela ntị nʼihe niile ndị mmadụ na-ekwu, ị pụrụ ịnụ nkọcha nke ohu gị na-akọcha gị.
Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
22 Gị onwe gị maara na ọtụtụ oge, ị na-akọchakwa ndị ọzọ.
for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
23 Agbalịsiela m ike inwe nghọta. Ekwuru m sị, “Aga m abụ onye amamihe,” ma nke a karịrị m.
All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me.
24 Amamihe adịghị mfe inweta, ọ dị omimi nke ukwuu; ọ bụ onye pụrụ ịchọpụta ya?
That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
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 turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.
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.
I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared 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, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “to one another, to find an 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, but I have not found. I have found one man amongst a thousand, but I have not found a woman amongst all those.
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.”
Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”
