उपदेशक 7
1 महङ्गो अत्तरभन्दा असल नाउँ उत्तम हुन्छ, र जन्मको दिनभन्दा मृत्युको दिन राम्रो हुन्छ ।
A good name is better than precious oil, and the day of death, better 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; inasmuch as that is the end of all men: and let the living lay it to his heart.
3 हाँसोभन्दा अफसोस उत्तम हो, किनकि शोकित अनुहारपछि हृदयको प्रसन्नता आउँछ ।
Better is vexation than laughing; for through 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 is in the house of joy.
5 मूर्खहरूको गीत सुन्नुभन्दा बुद्धिमान्को हप्की सुन्नु उत्तम हो ।
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than that a man should 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. Also this is vanity.
7 करकापले निश्चय नै बुद्धिमान् मानिसलाई मूर्ख बनाउँछ, र घुसले हृदयलाई भ्रष्ट पार्छ ।
For [exercising] oppression maketh a wise man mad; and bribery corrupteth 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 the beginning thereof: better is the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit.
9 आत्मामा क्रोधित हुन हतार नगर्, किनकि क्रोधले मूर्खहरूको हृदयमा बास गर्छ ।
Be not rash in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in bosom of fools.
10 यसो नभन्, “यीभन्दा पाकाहरूका दिन किन उत्तम हुन्छ?” किनकि बुद्धिको कारण तैँले यो प्रश्न सोधेको होइन ।
Thou must not say, How was it that the former days were better than these? for it is not out of wisdom that thou askest concerning this.
11 पैतृक-सम्पत्तिजस्तै बुद्धि राम्रो कुरो हो । यसले सूर्य देख्नेहरूलाई लाभ दिन्छ ।
Wisdom is better than an inheritance, yea, preferable for those 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 under the shadow of wisdom [a man is equally well as] under the shadow of money; but the superior excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to him that possesseth it.
13 परमेश्वरका कामहरूलाई विचार गर्: उहाँले बाङ्गो बनाउनुभएकोलाई कसले सिधा पार्न सक्छ?
Consider [then] 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 ।
On the day of prosperity be happy, but on the day of adversity look on: also this hath God made in equal measure with the other, to the end that man should not find the least to censure 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 things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is many a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is many a wicked man that liveth long in his wickedness.—
16 स्वधर्मी नबन्; तेरो आफ्नै दृष्टिमा बुद्धिमान् नबन् । तँ किन आफैलाई नष्ट गर्छस्?
Be not righteous over much; neither show thyself over wise: why wouldst thou destroy thyself?
17 ज्यादै दुष्ट र मूर्ख नबन् । तेरो समय आउनुअगि नै तँ किन मर्छस्?
Be not wicked over much, and be no fool: why wouldst 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 shouldst take hold of that, and that also from this thou withdraw not thy hand; for he that feareth God will come forth out of them all.
19 कुनै सहरमा भएको दस जना शासकभन्दा बुद्धिमान् मानिससित भएको बुद्धि शक्तिशाली हुन्छ ।
Wisdom giveth more strength to the wise than ten rulers which were in the city.
20 पृथ्वीमा भलाइ गर्ने र कहिल्यै पाप नगर्ने धर्मी मानिस छैन ।
For no man is so righteous upon earth, that he should do always good, and never sin.—
21 बोलिएको हरेक वचनलाई नसुन्, किनकि त्यसो गर्दा तैँले तेरो नोकरको श्रापलाई पनि सुन्लास् ।
Also take no heed unto all the words that are spoken: lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee.
22 त्यसै गरी, तेरो हृदयमा तैँले प्रायः धेरैलाई सरापेको छस् भनी तँलाई थाहा छ ।
For oftentimes also doth thy own heart know that 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 proved 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?
Far is what formerly was so, and what was deep remaineth deep: who can 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 ।
Then I turned myself about together with my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and experience, and to know the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of 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 find as more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are bonds: he that is deemed good before God will escape from her; but the sinner will 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 ।
Behold, this have I found, saith Koheleth, [adding] one to the other, to find experience,
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 ।
What my soul constantly sought, but I found it not; one man among a thousand did I find; but a woman among all these did I not find.
29 मैले पत्ता लगाएको कुरो केवल यही होः परमेश्वरले मानव-जातिलाई सोझो सृष्टि गर्नुभयो, तर धेरै कठिनाइको खोजी गर्दै तिनीहरू तर्केर गएका छन् ।”
Lo, this only did I find, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought for many [sinful] devices.
