Ekiliziastis 1
1 Okwu onye ozizi, nwa Devid, onye bụ eze na Jerusalem.
Here are the words of the Teacher, the king of Jerusalem, David's son.
2 Ihe efu, ihe niile bụ ihe efu ka onye ozizi na-ekwu. Ihe na-enweghị isi ka ihe niile bụ. Ihe niile bụ nnọọ ihe efu.
“Everything passes—it's so temporary! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.
3 Olee uru mmadụ na-enweta site na ndọgbu niile ọ na-adọgbu onwe ya nʼọrụ nʼokpuru anyanwụ?
What benefit do you get for slaving away in this life?
4 Otu ọgbọ laa, ọgbọ ọzọ abịa, ma ụwa na-adịgide ruo ebighị ebi.
People come, and people go, but the earth lasts forever!
5 Anyanwụ na-awa, na-adakwa, ma mee ngwangwa laghachi ebe o si awapụta.
The sun comes up, and the sun goes down, and then rushes to its place to rise again.
6 Ifufe na-efe gaa na ndịda; feekwa gburugburu gaa nʼugwu, ọ na-efegharị gburugburu ebe niile; na-efe na-enweghịkwa nsọtụ.
The wind blows south, and then turns to the north. Round and round it spins, finally coming full circle.
7 Mmiri dị nʼiyi niile na-asọbanye nʼoke osimiri ma oke osimiri ejughị eju. Emesịakwa, mmiri ndị a na-alọghachi nʼiyi ndị a, malitekwa ịsọkwa na-aga nʼosimiri.
Streams all flow into the sea, but the sea never becomes full. The streams return to the place from where they came.
8 Ihe niile nọ na-adọgbu onwe ha nʼọrụ; ọnụ apụghị ịkọ ụdị ike ọgwụgwụ dịnụ. Otu ọbụla anyị si lee anya, afọ adịghị eju anya anyị. Afọ adịghịkwa eju ntị anyị ịnụ ihe, na ige ntị.
Everything just keeps on going. You can't say all there is to say. You can't see all there is to see. You can't hear all there is to hear.
9 Ihe ọbụla nke dịrịla na mbụ ga-adịkwa ọzọ. Ihe ndị mmadụ mere nʼoge gara aga ka a ga-emekwa ọzọ. Ọ dịkwaghị ihe ọhụrụ ọbụla dị nʼokpuru anyanwụ.
Everything that was will continue to be; everything that has been done will be done again. Nothing new ever happens here.
10 Ọ dị ihe enwere ike ikwu sị, “Lee, ihe a bụ ihe ọhụrụ”? Ọ bụ ihe dịịrị nʼoge gara aga, nʼoge ndị garalarị tupu oge anyị.
There's nothing anyone can point to and say, “Look! Here's something new.” In fact it's been around for ages, long before our time.
11 Anaghị echeta ndị mgbe ochie, otu aka ahụ kwa, ọgbọ na-abịa abịa ndị ga-eso ha agakwaghị echeta ha.
The problem is we don't remember people from the past, and people in the future won't remember those who came before them.
12 Mụ onwe m bụ onye nkuzi, bụrịị eze Izrel nʼime Jerusalem.
I am the Teacher, and I was king over Israel, reigning from Jerusalem.
13 Ekpebiri m, were onwe m nye, iji amamihe nnyochapụta ihe m nwere ike ịmata banyere ihe niile a na-eme nʼime ụwa. Olee ụdị ibu arọ bụ nke a, nke Chineke bokwasịrị ụmụ mmadụ?
I decided to focus my mind to explore, using wisdom, everything that happens here on earth. This is a tough assignment that God has given people to keep them busy!
14 Enyochaala m ihe niile a na-eme nʼụwa chọpụta na ha enweghị isi. Ọ dị ka mmadụ ịchụgharị ifufe.
I examined everything people do here on earth, and discovered that it's all so temporary—trying to understand it is like trying to pin down the wind!
15 Ihe gbagọrọ agbagọ, apụghị ime ya ka ọ dizie. Ihe na-ezughị ezu, enweghị ike ịgụta ha ọnụ.
You can't straighten what is twisted, and you can't count what isn't there.
16 Echere m nʼime obi m sị, “Lee anya! Aghọọla m onye ukwu, bụrụ onye maara ihe karịa ndị eze niile chịrịla na Jerusalem. Enweela m amamihe nʼebe ọ dị ukwu, babigakwa ụba oke nʼihe ọmụma.”
I thought to myself, “I've become very wise, wiser than all the kings of Jerusalem before me. My mind has gained a great deal of wisdom and knowledge.”
17 Nʼihi ya, agbalịsiri m ike ịmụta ihe dị iche nʼetiti ihe ọmụma, na ịyị ara na nzuzu. Ma ihe m chọpụtara bụ na ọ baghị uru. Ọ dị ka itufu oge ịchọ ụzọ ijide ifufe.
So I decided to use my mind to learn everything about wisdom, and madness and foolishness as well. But I found out that this is as hard as trying to catch hold of the wind.
18 Nʼihi na mgbe amamihe na-aba ụba, mgbe ahụ ka iwe na ọnụma na-ejupụta, oke ihe ọmụma na-ewetakwa oke ihe mgbu.
For with great wisdom comes great frustration. The greater the knowledge, the greater the pain.
