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 fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s 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 the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.
3 Okunakuwala kusinga okuseka, kubanga amaaso amanakuwavu gazzaamu omutima amaanyi.
Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
4 Omutima gw’omugezi guba wamu n’abo abali mu nnaku; naye ogw’omusirusiru guba mu kusanyuka.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 Kirungi okussaayo omwoyo ku kunenya kw’omuntu ow’amagezi okusinga okuwuliriza ennyimba z’abasirusiru.
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 Okuseka kw’abasirusiru kuli ng’okutulikatulika kw’amaggwa agali mu muliro gw’entamu; na kino nakyo butaliimu.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7 Kya mazima, okunyigirizibwa kufuula ow’amagezi okuba omusirusiru, n’enguzi efaafaaganya okutegeera.
Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
8 Enkomerero y’ekintu esinga entandikwa yaakyo, n’omugumiikiriza asinga ow’amalala.
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Tosunguwalanga mangu nga waliwo akusokaasoka, kubanga obusungu bubeera munda y’abasirusiru.
Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
10 Teweebuuzanga nti, “Lwaki ennaku ziri ez’edda zisinga zino?” Kubanga si kya magezi okwebuuza ekibuuzo ng’ekyo.
Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.
11 Amagezi kintu kirungi, okufaanana ng’eky’obugagga ky’obusika, era kigasa abo abakyalaba enjuba.
Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent 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 wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13 Lowooza ku Katonda ky’akoze: ani ayinza okugolola ekyo ekyakyama Katonda kye yakola?
Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight which he has made crooked?
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 the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.
15 Mu bulamu bwange buno obutaliimu ndabye bino byombi: omutuukirivu azikiririra mu butuukirivu bwe, n’omukozi w’ebibi n’awangaalira mu bibi bye.
All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
16 Teweefuulanga mutuukirivu ayitiridde wadde okwefuula ow’amagezi ow’ekitalo; oleme okwezikiriza.
Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Tobanga mwonoonyi kakuzzi wadde okuba omusirusiru; oleme okufa ng’ekiseera kyo tekinnatuuka.
Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?
18 Ekyo kirungi okiyige, na kiri oleme kukibuusa maaso, kubanga oyo atya Katonda abyewala okubiyitiriza.
It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also don’t withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all.
19 Ow’amagezi ne bw’aba omu mu kibuga, aba w’amaanyi okusinga abakulembeze ekkumi ab’omu kibuga ekyo.
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
20 Ddala ku nsi tekuli muntu mutuukirivu, atakola bibi.
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and doesn’t sin.
21 Towulirizanga buli kigambo, bantu kye boogera, si kulwa ng’owulira omuweereza wo ng’akukolimira,
Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
22 kubanga naawe okimanyidde ddala mu mutima gwo, ng’emirundi mingi okolimidde abalala.
for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
23 Ebyo byonna nabyekenneenya n’amagezi ne ŋŋamba nti, “Mmaliridde okuba omugezi,” wabula kino kyandi wala.
All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me.
24 Amagezi ne bwe gaba ga kikula ki, gali wala nnyo era tegalojjeka, kale ani ayinza okugavumbula?
That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
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 turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.
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.
I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.
27 Omubuulizi agamba nti, “Laba, kino kyenvumbudde: “Okugatta ekintu ku kinnaakyo, okuzuula enkola y’ebintu,
“Behold, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “to one another, to find an 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, but I have not found. I have found one man amongst a thousand, but I have not found a woman amongst all those.
29 Wabula kino kyokka kye nalaba: Katonda yatonda omuntu nga mugolokofu, naye abantu ne beenoonyeza ebintu ebirala bingi.”
Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”
