उपदेशक 7
1 महङ्गो अत्तरभन्दा असल नाउँ उत्तम हुन्छ, र जन्मको दिनभन्दा मृत्युको दिन राम्रो हुन्छ ।
A good name is better than precious perfume, and the day of one's death than the day of his 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; for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to heart.
3 हाँसोभन्दा अफसोस उत्तम हो, किनकि शोकित अनुहारपछि हृदयको प्रसन्नता आउँछ ।
Sorrow 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 is 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 a fool. This also is vanity.
7 करकापले निश्चय नै बुद्धिमान् मानिसलाई मूर्ख बनाउँछ, र घुसले हृदयलाई भ्रष्ट पार्छ ।
Surely the gain of oppression maketh a wise man foolish, and a gift corrupteth the understanding.
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 the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit.
9 आत्मामा क्रोधित हुन हतार नगर्, किनकि क्रोधले मूर्खहरूको हृदयमा बास गर्छ ।
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger 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, “What is the cause 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 estate? yea, it hath an advantage over it for 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, and money is a defence. But knowledge hath the advantage. For wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
13 परमेश्वरका कामहरूलाई विचार गर्: उहाँले बाङ्गो बनाउनुभएकोलाई कसले सिधा पार्न सक्छ?
Consider the work of God! Who can make straight that which 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 be joyful; but look for a day of adversity! for this also, as well as the other, hath God appointed, to the end that a man should not find out any thing which 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 my days of vanity. There are righteous men who perish in their righteousness, and there are wicked men who live long in their wickedness.
16 स्वधर्मी नबन्; तेरो आफ्नै दृष्टिमा बुद्धिमान् नबन् । तँ किन आफैलाई नष्ट गर्छस्?
Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself over-wise! 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 a fool! Why shouldst 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 this; yea, also, from that withdraw not thy hand. For he that feareth God shall escape all those things.
19 कुनै सहरमा भएको दस जना शासकभन्दा बुद्धिमान् मानिससित भएको बुद्धि शक्तिशाली हुन्छ ।
Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men who are in the city.
20 पृथ्वीमा भलाइ गर्ने र कहिल्यै पाप नगर्ने धर्मी मानिस छैन ।
Truly there is not a righteous man upon the earth who doeth good and sinneth not.
21 बोलिएको हरेक वचनलाई नसुन्, किनकि त्यसो गर्दा तैँले तेरो नोकरको श्रापलाई पनि सुन्लास् ।
Give no heed to all the words which are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee!
22 त्यसै गरी, तेरो हृदयमा तैँले प्रायः धेरैलाई सरापेको छस् भनी तँलाई थाहा छ ।
For many times thine own heart knoweth also that even thou thyself 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?
That which is far off and exceeding 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 ।
I applied my mind earnestly to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and intelligence, and to know wickedness and folly, yea, foolishness and 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 snares and nets, and her hands bands. He that 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 ।
Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher, putting one thing to another to find knowledge.
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 ।
That which my soul hath hitherto sought, and I have not found, is this: a man among a thousand I have found, but a woman among a thousand 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 ।”
Lo, this only have I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
