Lallaba 7
1 Shittoo urgaaʼaa irra maqaa gaarii wayya; guyyaa dhalootaa irra guyyaa duʼaa wayya.
A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s 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 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 should take this to heart.
3 Fuulli gaddu waan garaa gammachiisuuf kolfa irra gadda wayya.
Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
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 mirth.
5 Sirba gowwootaa dhagaʼuu mannaa ifannaa ogeessaa dhaggeeffachuu wayya.
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 Kolfi gowwaa akkuma qoraattii xuwwee jalaa xaaxaʼuu ti. Kunis faayidaa hin qabu.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7 Cunqursaan ogeessa gowwaa godha; mattaʼaanis sammuu nama xureessa.
Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
8 Jalqaba waan tokkoo irra dhuma isaa wayya; of tuuluu irras obsa wayya.
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Hafuura keetiin aaruuf hin ariifatin; aariin bobaa gowwootaa keessa jiraatii.
Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
10 Ati, “Barri durii maaliif bara kana caale?” hin jedhin; waan kana gaafachuun ogummaa miti.
Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.
11 Ogummaan akkuma dhaalaa waan gaarii dha; warra aduu arganiifis buʼaa qaba.
Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for 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 is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13 Waan Waaqni hojjete mee ilaali: Waan inni jalʼise eenyutu qajeelchuu dandaʼa?
Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight which he has made crooked?
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, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything 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.
All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
16 Ati akka malee qajeelaa hin taʼin; yookaan akka malee ogeessa hin taʼin; maaliif of galaafatta?
Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Ati akka malee hamaa hin taʼin; gowwaas hin taʼin; maaliif utuu yeroon kee hin gaʼin duuta?
Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. 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 that you should take hold of this. Yes, also don’t withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all.
19 Ogummaan, bulchitoota magaalaa tokko keessa jiran kudhan caalaa nama ogeessa tokko humna qabeessa gooti.
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
20 Namni qajeelaan waan qajeelaa malee cubbuu tokko illee hin hojjenne lafa irra hin jiru.
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and doesn’t sin.
21 Waan namni jedhu hunda hin dhaggeeffatin; yoo kana goote utuu hojjetaan kee si abaaruu dhageessaa;
Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
22 ati mataan kee iyyuu yeroo baayʼee namoota kaan akka abaarte garaan kee beekaatii.
for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
23 Ani waan kana hunda ogummaadhaanan qoradhee, “Ani ogeessan taʼa” nan jedhe. Wanni kun garuu narraa fagoo ture.
All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me.
24 Wanti jiru hundi fagoo dha; gad fagoo dha; eenyutu qoratee bira gaʼuu dandaʼa?
That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
25 Kanaafuu ani gara ogummaa fi maalummaa wantootaa hubachuutti, sakattaʼuutti, qorachuutti akkasumas hammina gowwummaatii fi maraatummaa gowwummaa hubachuutti qalbii koo nan deebifadhe.
I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is 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.
I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.
27 Lallabaan akkana jedha; “Kunoo wanni ani qoradhee bira gaʼe kanaa dha: “Mala isaa beekuuf waan tokko fuudhanii waan kaanitti dabaluu dha;
“Behold, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “to one 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.
which my soul still seeks, but I have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all those.
29 Kunoo ani waan kana qofa nan argadhe: Waaqni qajeeltota godhee ilmaan namaa uume; namoonni garuu mala baayʼee barbaacha deeman.”
Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”
