Omubuulizi 9
1 Awo ne ndowooza ku ebyo, ne nzuula ng’omutuukirivu n’omugezi bye bakola biri mu mukono gwa Katonda; naye tewali muntu n’omu amanyi obanga kwagalibwa oba kukyayibwa bye bimulindiridde.
I had my mind consider all this. Wise and good people and everything they do are in God's hands. Love or hate—who knows what will happen to them?
2 Omutuukirivu n’omwonoonyi, omulungi n’omubi, omuyonjo n’omujama, abo abawaayo ssaddaaka n’abo abatagiwaayo bonna gye bagenda y’emu. Nga bwe kiri eri omuntu omulungi, era bwe kiri n’eri omwonoonyi; Nga bwe kiri eri abo abalayira, era bwe kiri n’eri abo abatya okulayira.
Yet we all share the same destiny—those who do right, those who do evil, the good, the religiously-observant and those that are not, those who sacrifice and those who don't. Those who do good are as those who sin, those who make vows to God are as those who don't.
3 Bonna ekibalindiridde kimu; kano ke kabi akabeera wansi w’enjuba. Ate emitima gy’abantu mu bulamu buno giraluse gijjudde ebibi, bayaayaanira buli kimu; n’oluvannyuma ne bakka emagombe eri bannaabwe.
This is just so wrong—that everyone here on earth should suffer the same fate! On top of that, people's minds are filled with evil. They spend their lives thinking about stupid things, and then they die.
4 Naye omuntu omulamu aba n’essuubi, wadde embwa ennamu esinga empologoma enfu!
But the living still have hope—a live dog is better than a dead lion!
5 Kubanga buli kiramu kimanya nga kya kufa, naye abafu tebaliiko kye bamanyi: tebakyagasa wadde okujjukirwa.
The living are conscious of the fact that they're going to die, but the dead have no consciousness of anything. They don't receive any further benefit; they're forgotten.
6 Okwagala kwabwe, n’obukyayi bwabwe, n’obuggya bwabwe nga bizikiridde; nga tebakyetaba mu ebyo byonna ebikolebwa wansi w’enjuba.
Their love, hate, and envy—it's all gone. They have no further part in anything that happens here on earth.
7 Genda olye emmere yo ng’osanyuka, onywe ne wayini wo nga weeyagala; kubanga Katonda asiimye ky’okola.
So go ahead and eat your food, and enjoy it. Drink your wine with a happy heart. That's what God intends that you should do.
8 Yambalanga engoye ennyonjo, era weesiigenga n’ebyakaloosa.
Always wear smart clothes and look good.
9 Ssanyukanga ne mukyala wo gw’oyagala ennaku zo zonna, mu bulamu buno obutaliimu, Katonda bw’akuwadde wansi w’enjuba, kubanga ekyo gwe mugabo gwo mu kutegana kwo kw’oteganamu wansi w’enjuba.
Enjoy life with the wife that you love—the one God gave you—during all the days of this brief life, all these passing days whose meaning is so hard to understand as you work here on earth.
10 Buli omukono gwo kye gugenda okukola, kikole n’amaanyi go gonna; kubanga teri mulimu wadde okulowooza, oba okutegeera wadde amagezi emagombe gy’olaga. (Sheol h7585)
Whatever you do, do it with all your strength, for when you go to the grave there's no more working or thinking, no more knowing or being wise. (Sheol h7585)
11 Ate nalaba nga wansi w’enjuba, ng’ow’embiro ennyingi si y’awangula mu mpaka, era ne kirimaanyi si y’awangula olutalo, ng’ate bakalimagezi bonna si be baatiikirira; wabula ng’omukisa gukwata bukwasi oyo aba aliwo mu kifo ekituufu ne mu kiseera ekituufu.
I thought about other things that happen here on earth. Races are not always won by the fastest runner. Battles are not always decided by the strongest warrior. Also, the wise do not always have food, intelligent people do not always make money, and those who are clever do not always win favor. Time and chance affect all of them.
12 Kubanga omuntu tamanya kinaamubaako. Ng’ekyenyanja bwe kikwatibwa mu muyonjo, oba ennyonyi nga bw’egwa ku mutego, n’abaana b’omuntu bwe batyo bwe beesanga mu biseera eby’akabi, ebibatuukako nga tebabyetegekedde.
You can't predict when your end will come. Just like fish caught in a net, or birds caught in a trap, so people are suddenly caught by death when they least expect it.
13 Era ekirala kye nalaba ekyampuniikiriza ennyo kye kino:
Here's another aspect of wisdom that impressed me about what happens here on earth.
14 waaliwo akabuga nga kalimu abantu batono ddala, kabaka ow’amaanyi n’ajja n’akazingiza n’akazimbako ekigo ekinene.
Once there was a small town with only a few inhabitants. A powerful king came and besieged the town, building great earth ramps against its walls.
15 Mu kabuga ako mwalimu omusajja omugezi, omwavu, ng’amanyi eky’okukola okuwonya akabuga ako, bw’atyo mu magezi ge ne kanunulwa. Naye nno ne wabulawo amujjukira.
In that town lived a man who was wise, but poor. He saved the town by his wisdom. But no one remembered to thank that poor man.
16 Awo ne ndaba nti newaakubadde ng’amagezi gasinga amaanyi, naye ow’amagezi bw’aba omwavu, anyoomebwa, ne ky’ayogera tekissibwako mwoyo.
As I've always said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Yet the wisdom of that poor man was dismissed—people didn't pay attention to what he said.
17 Naye ne bwe kiba kityo, ebigambo eby’ekimpowooze ebiva mu kamwa k’omugezi bissibwako omwoyo, okusinga okuleekaana kw’omufuzi w’abasirusiru.
It's better to listen to the calm words of a wise person than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
18 Amagezi gasinga ebyokulwanyisa mu lutalo, naye omwonoonyi omu azikiriza ebirungi bingi.
It's better to have wisdom than weapons of war; but a sinner can destroy a lot of good.
