Lallaba 7
1 Shittoo urgaaʼaa irra maqaa gaarii wayya; guyyaa dhalootaa irra guyyaa duʼaa wayya.
A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
2 Mana cidhaa dhaquu mannaa mana booʼichaa dhaquu wayya; galgalli nama hundaa duʼumaatii; namni lubbuun jiraatu waan kana garaatti haa qabatu.
It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart.
3 Fuulli gaddu waan garaa gammachiisuuf kolfa irra gadda wayya.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.
4 Qalbiin ogeessaa mana booʼichaa jira, qalbiin gowwaa garuu mana gammachuu jira.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
5 Sirba gowwootaa dhagaʼuu mannaa ifannaa ogeessaa dhaggeeffachuu wayya.
It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
6 Kolfi gowwaa akkuma qoraattii xuwwee jalaa xaaxaʼuu ti. Kunis faayidaa hin qabu.
For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.
7 Cunqursaan ogeessa gowwaa godha; mattaʼaanis sammuu nama xureessa.
Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Jalqaba waan tokkoo irra dhuma isaa wayya; of tuuluu irras obsa wayya.
The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.
9 Hafuura keetiin aaruuf hin ariifatin; aariin bobaa gowwootaa keessa jiraatii.
Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
10 Ati, “Barri durii maaliif bara kana caale?” hin jedhin; waan kana gaafachuun ogummaa miti.
Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this.
11 Ogummaan akkuma dhaalaa waan gaarii dha; warra aduu arganiifis buʼaa qaba.
Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.
12 Akkuma maallaqni daʼoo taʼe sana ogummaanis daʼoo dha; faayidaan beekumsaa garuu kana: innis ogummaan warra ishee qabaniif jireenya kennuu ishee ti.
For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.
13 Waan Waaqni hojjete mee ilaali: Waan inni jalʼise eenyutu qajeelchuu dandaʼa?
Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?
14 Yommuu yeroon gaarii taʼutti gammadi; yommuu yeroon hammaatu garuu itti yaadi: Waaqni isa tokko hojjete isa kaanis hojjeteera. Kanaafuu namni egeree isaa beekuu hin dandaʼu.
In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider this: God has made one of these along with the other, so that a man cannot discover anything that will come after him.
15 Ani jireenya koo kan faayidaa hin qabne kana keessatti waan kana lachuu argeera; kunis: Qajeelaan qajeelummaa isaatiin baduu isaatii fi hamaan immoo hammina isaatiin bara dheeraa jiraachuu isaa ti.
In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.
16 Ati akka malee qajeelaa hin taʼin; yookaan akka malee ogeessa hin taʼin; maaliif of galaafatta?
Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Ati akka malee hamaa hin taʼin; gowwaas hin taʼin; maaliif utuu yeroon kee hin gaʼin duuta?
Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
18 Utuu isa kaan gad hin dhiisin waan tokko qabaachuun gaarii dha. Namni Waaqa sodaatu waan hundaan ni milkaaʼa.
It is good to grasp the one and not let the other slip from your hand. For he who fears God will follow both warnings.
19 Ogummaan, bulchitoota magaalaa tokko keessa jiran kudhan caalaa nama ogeessa tokko humna qabeessa gooti.
Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
20 Namni qajeelaan waan qajeelaa malee cubbuu tokko illee hin hojjenne lafa irra hin jiru.
Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
21 Waan namni jedhu hunda hin dhaggeeffatin; yoo kana goote utuu hojjetaan kee si abaaruu dhageessaa;
Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.
22 ati mataan kee iyyuu yeroo baayʼee namoota kaan akka abaarte garaan kee beekaatii.
For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
23 Ani waan kana hunda ogummaadhaanan qoradhee, “Ani ogeessan taʼa” nan jedhe. Wanni kun garuu narraa fagoo ture.
All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.
24 Wanti jiru hundi fagoo dha; gad fagoo dha; eenyutu qoratee bira gaʼuu dandaʼa?
What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?
25 Kanaafuu ani gara ogummaa fi maalummaa wantootaa hubachuutti, sakattaʼuutti, qorachuutti akkasumas hammina gowwummaatii fi maraatummaa gowwummaa hubachuutti qalbii koo nan deebifadhe.
I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.
26 Ani waan duʼa caalaa hadhaaʼuu nan arge; kunis: dubartii kiyyoo taate, kan yaadni ishee kiyyoo, harki ishee immoo foncaa taʼee dha. Namni Waaqa gammachiisu ishee jalaa ni baʼa; cubbamaan garuu isheedhaan qabama.
And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared.
27 Lallabaan akkana jedha; “Kunoo wanni ani qoradhee bira gaʼe kanaa dha: “Mala isaa beekuuf waan tokko fuudhanii waan kaanitti dabaluu dha;
“Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.
28 ani ammas nan sakattaʼe; garuu hin arganne. Ani kuma keessaa dhiira qajeelaa tokko nan argadhe; hunduma isaanii keessaa garuu dubartii qajeeltuu tokko iyyuu hin arganne.
While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.
29 Kunoo ani waan kana qofa nan argadhe: Waaqni qajeeltota godhee ilmaan namaa uume; namoonni garuu mala baayʼee barbaacha deeman.”
Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made men upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
