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? and who knoweth [as well] the explanation of a thing? a man's wisdom enlighteneth his face, and the boldness of his face will be lessened.
2 Asị m, debe iwu eze, nʼihi iyi ị ṅụrụ nʼihu Chineke.
I [counsel thee], Keep the king's command, and that which regardeth the oath [to him taken] by God.
3 Emela ngwangwa isi nʼihu eze pụọ. Akwagidela ihe ọjọọ nʼihi na ọ ga-eme ihe masịrị ya.
Be not hasty to go out of his presence; engage not in an evil thing; for whatsoever pleaseth him, can he do;
4 Nʼihi na okwu eze nwere ike ọ dịghị onye pụrụ ịjụ ya, Gịnị ka ị na-eme?
Because the word of a king is powerful; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?—
5 Onye na-edebe iwu eze agaghị adaba na nsogbu. Onye maara ihe na-ama mgbe kwesiri na ụzọ kwesiri ime ihe.
Whoso keepeth the commandment will experience no evil thing: and a wise man's heart knoweth both time and the just consequence.
6 Ihe niile nwere oge kwesiri ya, ụzọ e si eme ha dịkwa, ọ bụ ezie na nsogbu mmadụ dị ukwuu nʼahụ ya.
Because for every pursuit there is a time and a just consequence; for the evil of man [resteth] heavily upon him.
7 Ebe ọ bụ na o nweghị onye mara ihe na-aga ime, onye pụrụ ịgwa ibe ya ihe gaje ime?
For he knoweth not that which will be; for who can tell him how 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 hath control over the spirit to detain the spirit; and there is no control over the day of death; and there is no representation in that war; and wickedness will not deliver those that practise it.
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 directed my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time when one man ruleth over another to his own injury.
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.
Then also did I see the wicked buried, who had gone to their rest; but those who had acted correctly had to go away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city. Also this is vanity.
11 Nʼihi na e nyeghị ntaramahụhụ mmehie mgbe o kwesiri, obi ndị mmadụ na-ejupụta nʼatụmatụ ime mmehie.
Because the punishment against evil deeds is not executed speedily, therefore is the heart of the sons of men filled up in them to do 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.
But let a sinner do evil a hundred times, and [God] withhold long his punishment from him; still do I truly know for certain that it will be well with those that fear God, because they are afraid of 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.
And that it will not be well with the wicked, and that he will not endure many days, like the shadow; because he is not afraid of 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 vanity which is done upon the earth, that there are righteous men, unto whom it happeneth in accordance with the deeds of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, to whom it happeneth in accordance with the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.
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.
Therefore do I praise joyfulness, that there is nothing better for man under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful; for this will adhere to him in his toil, during the days of his life which God hath given 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 applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the employment that is done upon the earth, how even neither by day nor by night sleep is seen in the eyes of some men:
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 did I see [in] the whole work of God, that a man is not able to find out the work that is done under the sun; inasmuch as though a man were to toil to seek for it, he would yet not find it; and even if the wise were to think to know it, he would yet not be able to find it.
