Muparidzi 7
1 Zita rakanaka rinopfuura mafuta anonhuhwira zvakanaka kwazvo, uye zuva rokufa rinopfuura zuva rokuzvarwa.
A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth.
2 Zviri nani kuenda kuimba yokuchema pano kuenda kuimba yamabiko, nokuti rufu ndiwo mugumo womunhu wose; vapenyu ngavazviise izvi pamwoyo.
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 Kusuwa kunopfuura kuseka, nokuti chiso chinopunyaira chakanakira mwoyo.
Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
4 Mwoyo womuchenjeri uri mumba yokuchema, asi mwoyo yamapenzi iri kuimba yamafaro.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 Zviri nani kuteerera kutsiura kwomunhu akachenjera, pano kuteerera rwiyo rwamapenzi.
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 Sokuputika kweminzwa pasi pehari, ndizvo zvakaita kuseka kwamapenzi. Naizvozviwo hazvina maturo.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7 Udzvinyiriri hunoshandura muchenjeri achiva benzi, uye fufuro inosvibisa mwoyo.
Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
8 Magumo echinhu anopfuura mavambo acho, uye mwoyo murefu unopfuura kuzvikudza.
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Usakurumidza kutsamwa pamweya wako nokuti kutsamwa kunogara muchipfuva chamapenzi.
Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
10 Usati, “Sei mazuva akare ari nani kupfuura azvino?” Nokuti hazvina kuchenjera kubvunza mibvunzo yakadaro.
Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.
11 Uchenjeri chinhu chakanaka senhaka, uye hunobatsira avo vanoona zuva.
Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.
12 Uchenjeri hunodzivirira sokudzivirira kunoita mari, asi kunakisa kworuzivo ndokuku: kuti uchenjeri hunochengetedza upenyu hwomunhu anahwo.
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 Cherechedza zvakaitwa naMwari: Ndiani angatwasanudza zvaakagonyanisa?
Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight which he has made crooked?
14 Kana zvinhu zvakanaka, fara; asi kana nguva dzakaipa, rangarira kuti: Mwari ndiye akaita izvozvo zvose zviri zviviri. Naizvozvo, munhu haagoni kuziva chinhu pamusoro peramangwana rake.
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 Muupenyu hwangu husina maturo ndakaona zvose izvi: akarurama achiparara mukururama kwake, nowakaipa achirarama nguva refu mukuipa kwake.
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 Usava munhu akanyanyisa kururama, kana munhu akanyanyisa kuchenjera, uchazviparadzireiko?
Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Usava munhu akanyanyisa kuipa, uye usava benzi. Ungada kufa nguva yako isati yakwana?
Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?
18 Zvakanaka kubatisisa chimwe chinhu, uye usingaregedzi chimwe chacho chichienda. Munhu anotya Mwari acharega kuita zvinopfurikidza mwero.
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 Uchenjeri hunoita kuti mumwe munhu akachenjera ave nesimba guru kupfuura vatariri gumi vari muguta.
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
20 Hapana munhu akarurama panyika, anoita zvakanaka uye asingatadzi.
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and doesn’t sin.
21 Usava nehanya namashoko ose anotaurwa navanhu, zvichida ungangonzwa muranda wako achikutuka,
Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
22 nokuti unoziva mumwoyo mako kuti nguva zhinji iwe pachako wakambotuka vamwe.
for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
23 Zvose izvi ndakazviedza nouchenjeri ndikati, “Ndakazvipira kuva munhu akachenjera,” asi izvi zvaiva kure neni.
All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me.
24 Chii zvacho chingava uchenjeri, chiri kure kwazvo uye chakadzama, ndiani angachiwana?
That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
25 Saka ndakashandura pfungwa dzangu ndikatanga kutsvaka kunzwisisa, kuti ndiongorore uye nditsvakisise uchenjeri nourongwa hwezvinhu, uye kuti ndinzwisise upenzi hwokuipa nomupengo hwoupenzi.
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 Ndakawana chinhu chinovava kupfuura rufu, mukadzi anova musungo, mwoyo wake uri hunza uye maoko ake ari ngetani. Munhu anofadza Mwari achapunyuka kwaari, asi mutadzi achabatwa naye.
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 Muparidzi anoti, “Tarira, izvi ndizvo zvandakawana: “Ndichisanganisa chimwe nechimwe kuti ndiwane marongerwo ezvinhu,
“Behold, I have found this,” says Kohelet, “to one another, to find an explanation
28 pandakanga ndichiri kutsvaka asi ndisina chandinowana, ndakawana murume mumwe chete akarurama pakati pechiuru, asi handina kuwana mukadzi mumwe chete akarurama pakati pavo vose.
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 Chinhu ichi chete ndicho chandakawana chokuti: Mwari akaita vanhu vakarurama, asi vanhu vakaenda kundotsvaka mano mazhinji.”
Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”
