Ekiliziastis 8
1 Onye dị ka onye amamihe? Onye maara nkọwa ihe? Amamihe na-enyekwa ihu ya ihe, na-emekwa ka mgbarụ nke ihu ya gbanwee.
Who is like the wise man? and to whom is the sense of anything clear? A man's wisdom makes his face shining, and his hard face will be changed.
2 Asị m, debe iwu eze, nʼihi iyi ị ṅụrụ nʼihu Chineke.
I say to you, Keep the king's law, from respect for the oath of God.
3 Emela ngwangwa isi nʼihu eze pụọ. Akwagidela ihe ọjọọ nʼihi na ọ ga-eme ihe masịrị ya.
Be not quick to go from before him. Be not fixed in an evil design, because he does whatever is pleasing to him.
4 Nʼihi na okwu eze nwere ike ọ dịghị onye pụrụ ịjụ ya, Gịnị ka ị na-eme?
The word of a king has authority; and who may say to him, What is this you are doing?
5 Onye na-edebe iwu eze agaghị adaba na nsogbu. Onye maara ihe na-ama mgbe kwesiri na ụzọ kwesiri ime ihe.
Whoever keeps the law will come to no evil: and a wise man's heart has knowledge of time and of decision.
6 Ihe niile nwere oge kwesiri ya, ụzọ e si eme ha dịkwa, ọ bụ ezie na nsogbu mmadụ dị ukwuu nʼahụ ya.
For every purpose there is a time and a decision, because the sorrow of man is great in him.
7 Ebe ọ bụ na o nweghị onye mara ihe na-aga ime, onye pụrụ ịgwa ibe ya ihe gaje ime?
No one is certain what is to be, and who is able to say to him when it will be?
8 Ọ dịghị onye nwere ike igbochi mmụọ mmadụ mgbe ọ chọrọ. Ọ dịghị onye nwere ike igbochi ụbọchị ọnwụ ya. Dịka o si sie ike izighachi mmadụ azụ nʼoge agha, otu a ka o si sie ike ajọ omume ịtọghapụ ndị na-eme ihe ọjọọ.
No man has authority over the wind, to keep the wind; or is ruler over the day of his death. In war no man's time is free, and evil will not keep the sinner safe.
9 Ihe ndị a niile ka m hụrụ, mgbe m na-atụgharị uche banyere ihe niile a na-eme nʼokpuru anyanwụ. Mgbe ụfọdụ, mmadụ na-emegide ibe ya si otu a wetara onwe ya nsogbu.
All this have I seen, and have given my heart to all the work which is done under the sun: there is a time when man has power over man for his destruction.
10 Ọzọkwa, ahụrụ m ebe e liri ndị ajọ omume, ndị na-abata na apụkwa site nʼebe dị nsọ, a na-etokwa ha nʼobodo ebe ha mere ihe ndị a. Nke a bụkwa nnọọ ihe na-enweghị isi; ihe efu.
And then I saw evil men put to rest, taken even from the holy place; and they went about and were praised in the town because of what they had done. This again is to no purpose.
11 Nʼihi na e nyeghị ntaramahụhụ mmehie mgbe o kwesiri, obi ndị mmadụ na-ejupụta nʼatụmatụ ime mmehie.
Because punishment for an evil work comes not quickly, the minds of the sons of men are fully given to doing evil.
12 Onye ajọ omume nwere ike mee narị mmehie bikwaa ogologo ndụ, ma amara m na ọ ga-adịrị ndị na-atụ egwu Chineke mma karịa, bụ ndị na-atụ egwu nʼihu Chineke.
Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and his life is long, I am certain that it will be well for those who go in fear of God and are in fear before him.
13 Nʼihi na ndị ajọ omume adịghị atụ egwu Chineke, ọ gaghị adịrị ha na mma, ụbọchị ndụ ha agaghị agbatịkwa ogologo dịka onyinyo.
But it will not be well for the evil-doer; he will not make his days long like a shade, because he has no fear before God.
14 Ọ dị ihe ọzọ na-enweghị isi nʼụwa: ndị ezi omume na-anata ntaramahụhụ dịrị ndị na-emebi iwu. Ndị na-emebi iwu na-anata ụgwọ ọrụ ruru ndị ezi omume. Nʼezie, ihe ndị a niile bụ ihe efu, ha enweghị isi.
There is a thing which is to no purpose done on the earth: that there are good men to whom is given the same punishment as those who are evil, and there are evil men who get the reward of the good. I say that this again is to no purpose.
15 Ya mere, ana m ekwupụta, na ikpori ezi ndụ dị mma, nʼihi na ọ dịghị ihe ka mma nye mmadụ nʼokpuru anyanwụ, karịa iri, na ịṅụ, na inwe obi ụtọ. Mgbe ahụ ọ ga-enwe obi ụtọ nʼọrụ ọ na-arụ nʼụbọchị niile nke Chineke nyere ya nʼokpuru anyanwụ.
So I gave praise to joy, because there is nothing better for a man to do under the sun than to take meat and drink and be happy; for that will be with him in his work all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.
16 Mgbe m wepụtara obi m ịchọ amamihe na ịghọta ọrụ mmadụ nʼokpuru anyanwụ nke mere na ọ naghị ehi ụra ehihie na abalị,
When I gave my mind to the knowledge of wisdom and to seeing the business which is done on the earth (and there are those whose eyes see not sleep by day or by night),
17 mgbe ahụ ka m chọpụtara ihe Chineke mere. O nweghị onye pụrụ ịghọta ihe na-aga nʼokpuru anyanwụ. Otu ọbụla mmadụ siri gbalịa o nweghị ike ịchọpụta ihe ọ pụtara. Onye maara ihe pụrụ ị sị na a amatala ya, ma nʼezie ọ maghị ya.
Then I saw all the work of God, and that man may not get knowledge of the work which is done under the sun; because, if a man gives hard work to the search he will not get knowledge, and even if the wise man seems to be coming to the end of his search, still he will be without knowledge.
