Omubuulizi 7
1 Obwatiikirivu bw’erinnya eddungi businga eby’akawoowo ebirungi; n’olunaku olw’okufa lusinga olwo olw’okuzaalirwako.
A good name is better than precious ointments, and a day of death is better than a day of birth.
2 Kirungi okulaga mu nnyumba ey’abakungubaga okusinga okulaga mu nnyumba ey’ebyassava. Kubanga buli omu wa kufa, ekyo kiteekwa okuba ku mutima gwa buli muntu.
It is better to go to a house of mourning, than to a house of feasting. For in the former, we are admonished about the end of all things, so that the living consider what may be in the future.
3 Okunakuwala kusinga okuseka, kubanga amaaso amanakuwavu gazzaamu omutima amaanyi.
Anger is better than laughter. For through the sadness of the countenance, the soul of one who offends may be corrected.
4 Omutima gw’omugezi guba wamu n’abo abali mu nnaku; naye ogw’omusirusiru guba mu kusanyuka.
The heart of the wise is a place of mourning, and the heart of the foolish is a place of rejoicing.
5 Kirungi okussaayo omwoyo ku kunenya kw’omuntu ow’amagezi okusinga okuwuliriza ennyimba z’abasirusiru.
It is better to be corrected by a wise man, than to be deceived by the false praise of the foolish.
6 Okuseka kw’abasirusiru kuli ng’okutulikatulika kw’amaggwa agali mu muliro gw’entamu; na kino nakyo butaliimu.
For, like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of the foolish. But this, too, is emptiness.
7 Kya mazima, okunyigirizibwa kufuula ow’amagezi okuba omusirusiru, n’enguzi efaafaaganya okutegeera.
A false accusation troubles the wise man and saps the strength of his heart.
8 Enkomerero y’ekintu esinga entandikwa yaakyo, n’omugumiikiriza asinga ow’amalala.
The end of a speech is better than the beginning. Patience is better than arrogance.
9 Tosunguwalanga mangu nga waliwo akusokaasoka, kubanga obusungu bubeera munda y’abasirusiru.
Do not be quickly moved to anger. For anger resides in the sinews of the foolish.
10 Teweebuuzanga nti, “Lwaki ennaku ziri ez’edda zisinga zino?” Kubanga si kya magezi okwebuuza ekibuuzo ng’ekyo.
You should not say: “What do you think is the reason that the former times were better than they are now?” For this type of question is foolish.
11 Amagezi kintu kirungi, okufaanana ng’eky’obugagga ky’obusika, era kigasa abo abakyalaba enjuba.
Wisdom with riches is more useful and more advantageous, for those who see the sun.
12 Amagezi kiwummulo, ng’ensimbi bwe ziri ekiwummulo, naye enkizo y’okumanya y’eno: amagezi gakuuma obulamu bw’oyo agalina.
For as wisdom protects, so also does money protect. But learning and wisdom have this much more: that they grant life to one who possesses them.
13 Lowooza ku Katonda ky’akoze: ani ayinza okugolola ekyo ekyakyama Katonda kye yakola?
Consider the works of God, that no one is able to correct whomever he has despised.
14 Ebiseera bwe biba ebirungi, sanyuka; naye bwe biba ebibi, kirowoozeeko; Katonda eyakola ekimu era ye yakola ne kinnaakyo. Noolwekyo omuntu tayinza kuzuula kirimubaako mu nnaku ze ez’omu maaso.
In good times, enjoy good things, but beware of an evil time. For just as God has established the one, so also the other, in order that man may not find any just complaint against him.
15 Mu bulamu bwange buno obutaliimu ndabye bino byombi: omutuukirivu azikiririra mu butuukirivu bwe, n’omukozi w’ebibi n’awangaalira mu bibi bye.
I also saw this, in the days of my vanity: a just man perishing in his justice, and an impious man living a long time in his malice.
16 Teweefuulanga mutuukirivu ayitiridde wadde okwefuula ow’amagezi ow’ekitalo; oleme okwezikiriza.
Do not try to be overly just, and do not try to be more wise than is necessary, lest you become stupid.
17 Tobanga mwonoonyi kakuzzi wadde okuba omusirusiru; oleme okufa ng’ekiseera kyo tekinnatuuka.
Do not act with great impiety, and do not choose to be foolish, lest you die before your time.
18 Ekyo kirungi okiyige, na kiri oleme kukibuusa maaso, kubanga oyo atya Katonda abyewala okubiyitiriza.
It is good for you to support a just man. Furthermore, you should not withdraw your hand from him, for whoever fears God, neglects nothing.
19 Ow’amagezi ne bw’aba omu mu kibuga, aba w’amaanyi okusinga abakulembeze ekkumi ab’omu kibuga ekyo.
Wisdom has strengthened the wise more than ten princes of a city.
20 Ddala ku nsi tekuli muntu mutuukirivu, atakola bibi.
But there is no just man on earth, who does good and does not sin.
21 Towulirizanga buli kigambo, bantu kye boogera, si kulwa ng’owulira omuweereza wo ng’akukolimira,
So then, do not attach your heart to every word that is spoken, lest perhaps you may hear your servant speaking ill of you.
22 kubanga naawe okimanyidde ddala mu mutima gwo, ng’emirundi mingi okolimidde abalala.
For your conscience knows that you, too, have repeatedly spoken evil of others.
23 Ebyo byonna nabyekenneenya n’amagezi ne ŋŋamba nti, “Mmaliridde okuba omugezi,” wabula kino kyandi wala.
I have tested everything in wisdom. I have said: “I will be wise.” And wisdom withdrew farther from me,
24 Amagezi ne bwe gaba ga kikula ki, gali wala nnyo era tegalojjeka, kale ani ayinza okugavumbula?
so much more than it was before. Wisdom is very profound, so who shall reveal her?
25 Bwe ntyo ne nkyusa omutima gwange nnoonye okutegeera, nekkanye, era nnoonyereze amagezi ndowooze ne ku bintu nga bwe biri, n’okutegeera obusirusiru bw’okukola ebibi: n’eddalu ery’obusirusiru.
I have examined all things in my soul, so that I may know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason, and so that I may recognize the impiety of the foolish, and the error of the imprudent.
26 Ekintu kye nalaba eky’obulabe ekisinga okufa, ye mukazi alina omutima ogusendasenda, era ogusikiriza, era emikono gye gisiba ng’enjegere. Oyo ayagala Katonda, y’awona omukazi oyo, kyokka ye omwonoonyi talema kugwa mu mutego gwe.
And I have discovered a woman more bitter than death: she who is like the snare of a hunter, and whose heart is like a net, and whose hands are like chains. Whoever pleases God shall flee from her. But whoever is a sinner shall be seized by her.
27 Omubuulizi agamba nti, “Laba, kino kyenvumbudde: “Okugatta ekintu ku kinnaakyo, okuzuula enkola y’ebintu,
Behold, Ecclesiastes said, I have discovered these things, one after another, in order that I might discover the explanation
28 bwe nnali nga nkyanoonyereza nabulako kye nzuula, okuggyako okulaba omusajja omwesimbu omu mu basajja lukumi, kyokka mu bakazi bonna ssaalabamu n’omu atuukiridde.
which my soul still seeks and has not found. One man among a thousand, I have found; a woman among them all, I have not found.
29 Wabula kino kyokka kye nalaba: Katonda yatonda omuntu nga mugolokofu, naye abantu ne beenoonyeza ebintu ebirala bingi.”
This alone have I discovered: that God made man righteous, and yet he has adulterated himself with innumerable questions. Who is so great as the wise? And who has understood the meaning of the word?
