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 thought about all those things, and I concluded that God controls [what happens to] everyone, even those who are wise and those who are righteous. No one knows whether [others] will love them or whether they will hate 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.
[But we know that some time in the future] we will all die; it does not matter whether we act righteously or wickedly, whether we are good or whether we are bad, whether we are acceptable for [worshiping God] or whether [we have done things to cause us to be] unacceptable; it does not matter if we offer sacrifices [to God] or if we do not; it does not matter if we do what we have promised God that we will do or if we do not; [we all die]. The same thing will happen to good people and to sinful people, to those who solemnly promise [to do things for God] and to those who are afraid to make such promises.
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.
It seems wrong that the same thing happens to everyone on this earth: Everyone dies [EUP]. Furthermore, people’s inner beings are full of evil. People do foolish things while they are alive, and then they die and join those who are already dead.
4 Naye omuntu omulamu aba n’essuubi, wadde embwa ennamu esinga empologoma enfu!
While we are alive, we confidently expect [that good things will happen to us]. [We despise] dogs, but it is better to be a dog that is alive than to be a [majestic] lion that is dead.
5 Kubanga buli kiramu kimanya nga kya kufa, naye abafu tebaliiko kye bamanyi: tebakyagasa wadde okujjukirwa.
We who are alive know that [some day] we will die, but dead people do not know anything. Dead people do not receive any more rewards, and people soon forget them.
6 Okwagala kwabwe, n’obukyayi bwabwe, n’obuggya bwabwe nga bizikiridde; nga tebakyetaba mu ebyo byonna ebikolebwa wansi w’enjuba.
[While they were alive], they loved [some people], they hated [some people], they envied [some people], but that all ends when they die. They will never again be a part of anything that happens here on the earth.
7 Genda olye emmere yo ng’osanyuka, onywe ne wayini wo nga weeyagala; kubanga Katonda asiimye ky’okola.
[So I say], be joyful [DOU] while you eat your food and drink your wine, because that is what God wants you to do.
8 Yambalanga engoye ennyonjo, era weesiigenga n’ebyakaloosa.
Wear nice [MTY] clothes and make your face look nice.
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 living with your wife whom you love, all during the time that God has given to you to be alive here on this earth. And even though it is difficult to understand why many things happen, enjoy doing the work that you do here on this 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 are able to do, do it with all your energy, because [some time you will die], and in the place of the dead where you are going, no one works or plans to do anything or knows anything or is 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 have seen something else here on the earth: The person who runs fastest does not [always] win the race, the strongest soldiers do not [always] win the battle, the wisest people do not [always] have food, the smartest people do not [always] become rich, and people who have studied a lot are not [always] (honored/treated very specially) by others; we cannot [always] control what things will happen to us and where they will happen.
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.
No one knows when he will die [EUP]; fish are cruelly caught in a net, and birds are caught in snares/traps; similarly [SIM], people experience disasters at times when they do not expect them to happen.
13 Era ekirala kye nalaba ekyampuniikiriza ennyo kye kino:
Once I saw something that a wise man did that impressed me.
14 waaliwo akabuga nga kalimu abantu batono ddala, kabaka ow’amaanyi n’ajja n’akazingiza n’akazimbako ekigo ekinene.
There was a small town, where only a few people lived. The army of a great king came to that town and surrounded it. They built dirt ramps up against the walls in order to climb up and attack the town.
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 there was a man who was poor but very wise. Because of doing what that man [suggested], the town was saved; but people [soon] forgot about him.
16 Awo ne ndaba nti newaakubadde ng’amagezi gasinga amaanyi, naye ow’amagezi bw’aba omwavu, anyoomebwa, ne ky’ayogera tekissibwako mwoyo.
So I realized that although being wise is better than being strong, if you are poor, no one will appreciate what you do, and people will soon forget what you said.
17 Naye ne bwe kiba kityo, ebigambo eby’ekimpowooze ebiva mu kamwa k’omugezi bissibwako omwoyo, okusinga okuleekaana kw’omufuzi w’abasirusiru.
Speaking quietly what is [very] wise is [much] more sensible than a king shouting to foolish people.
18 Amagezi gasinga ebyokulwanyisa mu lutalo, naye omwonoonyi omu azikiriza ebirungi bingi.
Being wise is more useful than [a lot of] weapons; but if you do one foolish thing, [it is possible that] because of doing that, you will ruin all the good things that you have done.
