Ecclesiastes 1
1 Pa inge kas lun sie Mwet Luti Lalmwetmet, wen natul David, su tuh tokosra in Jerusalem.
These are the words of the Teacher, the descendant of David and king in Jerusalem.
2 Mwet Luti Lalmwetmet el fahk lah ma nukewa ma lusrongten na lusrongten! Moul uh wangin sripama na lusrongten se.
The Teacher says this. “Like a vapor of mist, like a breeze in the wind, everything vanishes, leaving many questions.
3 Kom orekma ac kemkatu in moul lom nufon, na mea oasr ma kom konauk kac?
What profit does mankind gain from all the work that they labor at under the sun?
4 Sie fwil uh somla ac sie fwil sifil tuku, a faclu nuna ouiya ah na.
One generation goes, and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5 Faht ah srakna tak ac srakna tili, na sa na in folok nu ke acn se ma el ac sifil takak we.
The sun rises, and it goes down and hurries back to the place where it rises again.
6 Eng uh tuh eir me ac som nu epang, ac sifil tuk — raun na raun.
The wind blows south and circles around to the north, always going around along its pathway and coming back again.
7 Infacl nukewa sororla nu meoa, a meoa soenna sessesla. Kof uh folok nu yen infacl uh mutawauk we, ac sifilpa sororma.
All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea is never full. To the place where the rivers go, there they go again.
8 Saflaiyen ma nukewa pa totola — sie totola na yohk su wangin kas fal in aketeya. Mutasr tia muti ke ma kut liye, ac insresr tia muti ke ma kut lohng.
Everything becomes wearisome, and no one can explain it. The eye is not satisfied by what it sees, nor is the ear fulfilled by what it hears.
9 Ma sikyak meet ac sifilpa sikyak. Ma orekla tari ac sifilpa orek. Wangin ma sasu in faclu nufon.
Whatever has been is what will be, and whatever has been done is what will be done. There is nothing new under the sun.
10 Mwet uh fahk, “Liye, ma sasu se pa inge!” Tusruktu sutuu, sikyak tari meet, oemeet liki na kut isusla ah.
Is there anything about which it may be said, 'Look, this is new'? Whatever exists has already existed for a long time, during ages which came long before us.
11 Wangin mwet esam ma tuh sikyak in pacl meet ah, ac in pacl fahsru wangin mwet fah esam ma sikyak in len ingela.
No one seems to remember the things that happened in ancient times, and the things that happened much later and that will happen in the future will not likely be remembered either.”
12 Nga, Mwet Luti Lalmwetmet, su tuh muta Jerusalem ac tokosra fin acn Israel nufon.
I am the Teacher, and I have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 Nga nunkala ku sik mu nga ac tuni ac lutlut ke ma nukewa ma mwet uh oru fin faclu. God El ase orekma na toasr nu sesr mwet uh in oru.
I applied my mind to study and to search out by wisdom everything that is done under heaven. That search is a burdensome task that God has given to the children of mankind to be busy with.
14 Nga liye tari ma nukewa ma orek faclu, ac nga fahk nu sum, nufonna wangin sripaoana ukweyen eng uh.
I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun, and look, they all amount to vapor and chasing the wind.
15 Kom tia ku in aksuwosyela ma kihla; kom tia pac ku in oek ma wangin uh.
The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!
16 Nga fahk nu sik sifacna, “Nga sie mwet na fulat, ac nga arulana lalmwetmet liki kutena mwet su leumi Jerusalem meet likiyu. Nga etu na pwaye lah mea lalmwetmet ac etauk.”
I have spoken to my heart saying, “Look, I have acquired greater wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My mind has seen great wisdom and knowledge.”
17 Nga tuh sulela ku sik in etu ke kalmen etauk ac kalmen lalfon, oayapa ke lalmwetmet ac wel. Tusruktu nga konauk lah ma inge oana ukweyen eng uh.
So I applied my heart to know wisdom and also madness and folly. I came to understand that this also was an attempt to shepherd the wind.
18 Lalmwetmet lom fin yokelik, na fosrnga lom ac yokelik pac. Fin yokelik etauk lom, ac yokelik pulakinyen keok sum.
For in the abundance of wisdom there is much frustration, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
