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 explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; 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, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears 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 to all. Yes 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 who is joined with 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 will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory 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.

Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither do they any longer have a portion forever in anything 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 your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.

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

Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack 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.

Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor 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)

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going. (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 favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen 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 doesn’t know his time. As the fish 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 falls suddenly on them.

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

I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to 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 a great king came against it, 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 a poor wise man was found in it, 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 I said, “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 heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules 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 destroys much good.