Ekiliziastis 9

1 Ihe ndị a niile ka m tulere nke ọma nʼobi m, kpebie na ihe ndị ezi omume na ndị maara ihe na-eme dị nʼaka Chineke, ma ọ dịghị onye maara ihe na-echere ha maọbụ ịhụnanya maọbụ ịkpọ asị.

For all this I laid to my heart, even to make clear all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it be love or hatred, man knoweth it not; all is before them.

2 Ihe niile na-adakwasị mmadụ niile nʼotu ụzọ ahụ, ma onye ezi omume ma onye ajọ omume, ezi mmadụ na onye na-abụghị ezi mmadụ, onye dị ọcha na onye na-adịghị ọcha, onye na-achụ aja na onye na-adịghị achụ aja. Dịka ọ dịrị ezi mmadụ, otu a ka ọ dịrị onye mmehie; dịka ọ dịrị ndị na-aṅụ iyi, otu a kwa ka ọ dị nye ndị na-adịghị aṅụ.

All things come alike to all; there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner, and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

3 Nke a bụkwa ihe ọjọọ na-eme nʼokpuru anyanwụ. Otu ihe ndakwasị dịrị mmadụ niile. Ọzọkwa, obi ụmụ mmadụ jupụtara nʼihe ọjọọ na ịyị ara mgbe ha nọ na ndụ, emesịa ha alakwuru ndị nwụrụ anwụ.

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event unto all; yea also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

4 Naanị ndị dị ndụ nwere olileanya. Ọ ka mma ịbụ nkịta dị ndụ karịa ịbụ ọdụm nwụrụ anwụ.

For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 Nʼihi na ndị dị ndụ maara nke ọma na ha ga-anwụ, ma ndị nwụrụ anwụ amaghị ihe ọbụla; ha enwekwaghị ụgwọ ọrụ ọzọ, nʼihi na ha bụ ndị echefurula echefu.

For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

6 Ịhụnanya ha, na ịkpọ asị ha, na ekworo ha gabigara mgbe ha nwụrụ. Ha agaghị enwekwa oke nʼihe ọbụla na-eme nʼokpuru anyanwụ.

As well their love, as their hatred and their envy, is long ago perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

7 Ya mere, gaa nʼihu, jiri ọṅụ rie nri gị, jirikwa ọṅụ ṅụọ ihe ọṅụṅụ nʼihi na ọ bụ ugbu a ka Chineke nabatara ọrụ gị.

Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works.

8 Yiri akwa dị ọcha mgbe niile, tee mmanụ na-esi isi ụtọ nʼisi gị.

Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no oil.

9 Bie ndụ obi ụtọ, gị na nwunye gị ị hụrụ nʼanya, ụbọchị niile nke ndụ ihe efu gị nke Chineke nyere gị nʼokpuru anyanwụ, nʼihi na nke a bụ oke dịịrị gị na ndụ ndọgbu onwe gị nʼọrụ nʼokpuru anyanwụ.

Enjoy life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which He hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity; for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherein thou labourest under the sun.

10 Ihe ọbụla ị na-eme, were ike gị niile mee ya, nʼihi na ịrụ ọrụ maọbụ iche echiche, maọbụ ihe ọmụma, maọbụ amamihe adịghị nʼala ndị nwụrụ anwụ. Ebe ahụ kwa ka ị na-aga. (Sheol h7585)

Whatsoever thy hand attaineth to do by thy strength, that do; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (Sheol h7585)

11 Ahụrụ ihe ọzọ nʼokpuru anyanwụ, ọ bụghị ndị nwere ụkwụ ọsọ na-agbata ihe, ọ bụkwaghị onye sikarịrị ike na-emeri nʼagha; ọ bụghị ndị maara ihe ka nri dịrị, ọ bụghị ndị nwere nghọta ka akụnụba dịrị, ọzọkwa, ọ bụghị ndị nka ka amara na-adịrị; kama ọ bụ mgbe na ihe ndaba na-eme ka ihe ndị a dịrị.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

12 Nke ka nke, ọ dịghị mmadụ ọbụla maara mgbe oge ya ga-eru: Ọ dị ka nnụnụ nke mara nʼọnya, maọbụ azụ e jidere nʼụgbụ. Dịka ha, ụmụ mmadụ na-adaba nʼọnya nke ihe ọjọọ mgbe ha na-atụghị anya ya.

For man also knoweth not his time; as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

13 Ahụkwara m ihe ọzọ nʼokpuru anyanwụ, nke a bụ ụdị amamihe nke metụrụ m nʼobi nʼebe ọ dị ukwuu.

This also have I seen as wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:

14 Ọ dị obodo nke naanị mmadụ ole na ole bi nʼime ya, ma otu eze dị ike chịịrị ndị agha ya bịa ibuso obodo nta a agha. Ndị agha ya gbara obodo a gburugburu na-achọ ịkwatu mgbidi ya.

there was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it;

15 Ma ọ dị otu onye ogbenye bi nʼobodo nta ahụ, onye maara ihe, ọ zọpụtara obodo ahụ site nʼamamihe ya. Ma o nweghị onye chetara ihe banyere ya.

now there was found in it a man poor and wise, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

16 Nke a mere m ji sị, inwe amamihe bara uru karịa ịdị ike, ma ọ bụrụ na onye amamihe ahụ bụ onye ogbenye, a ga-eleda ya anya, a gaghị akpọkwa okwu ya ihe.

Then said I: 'Wisdom is better than strength; nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.'

17 Okwu nke onye maara ihe na-ekwu na nwayọọ ka a na-anụ, karịa iti mkpu nke onye na-achị achị nʼetiti ndị nzuzu.

The words of the wise spoken in quiet are more acceptable than the cry of a ruler among fools.

18 Amamihe ka ihe agha niile mma, ma otu onye mmehie na-ala ọtụtụ ezi ihe nʼiyi.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.