उपदेशक 7

1 महङ्गो अत्तरभन्दा असल नाउँ उत्तम हुन्छ, र जन्मको दिनभन्दा मृत्युको दिन राम्रो हुन्छ ।

A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

2 भोजको घरमा जानुभन्दा शोकको घरमा जानु उत्तम हुन्छ, किनकि जीवनको अन्त्यमा सबै मानिसका शोक आउँछ । जीवित मानिसहरूले यसलाई मनमा राख्‍नैपर्छ ।

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.

3 हाँसोभन्दा अफसोस उत्तम हो, किनकि शोकित अनुहारपछि हृदयको प्रसन्‍नता आउँछ ।

Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

4 बुद्धिमान्‌को हृदय शोकको घरमा हुन्छ, तर मूर्खहरूको हृदय भोजको घरमा हुन्छ ।

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.

5 मूर्खहरूको गीत सुन्‍नुभन्दा बुद्धिमान्‌को हप्की सुन्‍नु उत्तम हो ।

It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.

6 किनभने मूर्खहरूको हाँसो भाँडामुनि पड्कने काँढाको आगोझैँ हुन्छ । यो पनि बाफ हो ।

For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.

7 करकापले निश्‍चय नै बुद्धिमान् मानिसलाई मूर्ख बनाउँछ, र घुसले हृदयलाई भ्रष्‍ट पार्छ ।

Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.

8 कुनै पनि कुरो सुरुभन्दा अन्त्य राम्रो हो, र हृदयमा घमण्ड हुनुभन्दा हृदयमा धैर्यवान् हुनु उत्तम हुन्छ ।

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.

9 आत्मामा क्रोधित हुन हतार नगर्, किनकि क्रोधले मूर्खहरूको हृदयमा बास गर्छ ।

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.

10 यसो नभन्, “यीभन्दा पाकाहरूका दिन किन उत्तम हुन्छ?” किनकि बुद्धिको कारण तैँले यो प्रश्‍न सोधेको होइन ।

Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

11 पैतृक-सम्पत्तिजस्तै बुद्धि राम्रो कुरो हो । यसले सूर्य देख्‍नेहरूलाई लाभ दिन्छ ।

Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.

12 किनकि रुपियाँ-पैसाले सुरक्षा दिएजस्तै बुद्धिले पनि सुरक्षा दिन्छ, तर ज्ञानको फाइदा यही हो, कि बुद्धि भएको मानिसलाई यसले जीवन दिन्छ ।

For wisdom is a defence [as] money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, [that] wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.

13 परमेश्‍वरका कामहरूलाई विचार गर्: उहाँले बाङ्गो बनाउनुभएकोलाई कसले सिधा पार्न सक्छ?

Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?

14 समय राम्रो हुँदा त्यस राम्रो समयमा खुसी भएर बस्, तर समय नराम्रो हुँदा यो कुरा विचार गर्: परमेश्‍वरले दुवैलाई आमनेसामने रहने अनुमति दिनुभएको छ । यही कारणले गर्दा मानिसको पछि के हुँदै छ भनी कसैले पत्ता लगाउने छैन ।

In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing [of what shall be] after him.

15 मेरा बेकम्मा दिनहरूमा मैले धेरै कुराहरू देखेको छु । धर्मात्माहरूको धार्मिकताको बाबजुत पनि तिनीहरू नष्‍ट हुन्छ, र दुष्‍टहरूको दुष्‍टताको बाबजुत पनि तिनीहरू धेरै वर्षसम्म बाँच्छन् ।

All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous [man] that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his days] by his wickedness.

16 स्वधर्मी नबन्; तेरो आफ्नै दृष्‍टिमा बुद्धिमान् नबन् । तँ किन आफैलाई नष्‍ट गर्छस्?

Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

17 ज्यादै दुष्‍ट र मूर्ख नबन् । तेरो समय आउनुअगि नै तँ किन मर्छस्?

Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

18 यो बुद्धिलाई पक्रेर राख्‍नु र धार्मिकतालाई जान नदिनु तेरो लागि राम्रो हुन्छ । किनकि परमेश्‍वरको भय मान्‍ने मानिसले त्यसका सबै कर्तव्य पुरा गर्ने छ ।

It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.

19 कुनै सहरमा भएको दस जना शासकभन्दा बुद्धिमान् मानिससित भएको बुद्धि शक्तिशाली हुन्छ ।

Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.

20 पृथ्वीमा भलाइ गर्ने र कहिल्यै पाप नगर्ने धर्मी मानिस छैन ।

Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.

21 बोलिएको हरेक वचनलाई नसुन्, किनकि त्यसो गर्दा तैँले तेरो नोकरको श्रापलाई पनि सुन्लास् ।

Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.

22 त्यसै गरी, तेरो हृदयमा तैँले प्रायः धेरैलाई सरापेको छस् भनी तँलाई थाहा छ ।

For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

23 मैले बुद्धिले यी सबै प्रमाणित गरेको छु । मैले भनेँ, “म बुद्धिमान् बन्‍ने छु,” तर यो मैले सक्‍नेभन्दा परको कुरो थियो ।

All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

24 बुद्धि धेरै टाढा र निकै गहिरो छ । कसले यसलाई पाउन सक्छ र?

Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?

25 बुद्धि र वास्तविकताको विषयमा सिक्‍न, जाँच गर्न र खोज्न अनि खराबी बेवकुफ हो र मूर्खताचाहिँ पागलपन हो भनी बुझ्न मैले मेरो मन लगाएँ ।

I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;

26 पासो र जालहरूले भरिएकी कुनै पनि स्‍त्रीको मृत्यभन्दा त्योचाहिँ बढी तितो भएको मैले पाएँ । परमेश्‍वरलाई खुसी पार्ने जो कोही त्यस स्‍त्रीबाट भाग्‍ने छ, तर पापीलाई भने त्यसले लिएर जान्छे ।

and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.

27 “मैले जे पत्ता लगाएको छु, त्यसलाई विचार गर्,” उपदेशक भन्छन् । “वास्तविकताको व्याख्या पत्ता लगाउन मैले एकपछि अर्को खोज थप्दै आएको छु ।

See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;

28 मैले अझै पनि यसको खोजी गर्दै छु, तर मैले यसलाई भेट्टाएको छैनँ । मैले एक हजार पुरुषका बिचमा एउटा धर्मी मानिस भेट्टाएँ, तर स्‍त्रीहरूका बिचमा एउटै पनि भेट्टाइनँ ।

which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.

29 मैले पत्ता लगाएको कुरो केवल यही होः परमेश्‍वरले मानव-जातिलाई सोझो सृष्‍टि गर्नुभयो, तर धेरै कठिनाइको खोजी गर्दै तिनीहरू तर्केर गएका छन् ।”

Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.