Muparidzi 1
1 Mashoko oMuparidzi, mwanakomana waDhavhidhi, mambo muJerusarema:
Here are the words of the Teacher, the king of Jerusalem, David's son.
2 Zvanzi noMuparidzi, “Hazvina maturo! Hazvina maturo! Hazvina maturo chose! Zvose hazvina maturo.”
“Everything passes—it's so temporary! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.
3 Munhu achawaneiko kubva pakushanda kwake kwose kwaanoita nesimba pasi pezuva?
What benefit do you get for slaving away in this life?
4 Zvizvarwa zvinouya uye zvizvarwa zvinoenda, asi nyika inogara nokusingaperi.
People come, and people go, but the earth lasts forever!
5 Zuva rinobuda uye zuva rinovira, uye rinokurumidza kudzokerazve kwarinobudira.
The sun comes up, and the sun goes down, and then rushes to its place to rise again.
6 Mhepo inovhuvhuta ichienda zasi, yozodzokera kumusoro; inotenderera nokutenderera ichingodzokerazve pagwara rayo.
The wind blows south, and then turns to the north. Round and round it spins, finally coming full circle.
7 Nzizi dzose dzinodira mugungwa, kunyange zvakadaro gungwa harizari. Kunzvimbo kwadzinobva nzizi, ikoko ndiko kwadzinodzokerazve.
Streams all flow into the sea, but the sea never becomes full. The streams return to the place from where they came.
8 Zvinhu zvose zvinonetesa, zvisina ani angazvitaura. Ziso hariguti kuona, uye nzeve haizari nokunzwa.
Everything just keeps on going. You can't say all there is to say. You can't see all there is to see. You can't hear all there is to hear.
9 Chakanga chiripo, chichazovapozve, chakamboitwa chichaitwazve; hapana chitsva pasi pezuva.
Everything that was will continue to be; everything that has been done will be done again. Nothing new ever happens here.
10 Chiripo here chinhu chinganzi nomunhu, “Tarira! Chinhu ichi chitsva?” Chakanga chichingovapo, kare kare; chakanga chiripo isu tisati tavapo.
There's nothing anyone can point to and say, “Look! Here's something new.” In fact it's been around for ages, long before our time.
11 Vanhu vakare havacharangarirwi; uye kunyange vanovatevera, havachazorangarirwi nevanozotevera.
The problem is we don't remember people from the past, and people in the future won't remember those who came before them.
12 Ini muparidzi ndakanga ndiri mambo weIsraeri muJerusarema.
I am the Teacher, and I was king over Israel, reigning from Jerusalem.
13 Ndakazvipira kunzvera nokutsvaka nouchenjeri zvose zvinoitwa pasi pedenga. Ibasa rinotambudza rakapiwa vanakomana vavanhu naMwari kuti vazvitambudze naro.
I decided to focus my mind to explore, using wisdom, everything that happens here on earth. This is a tough assignment that God has given people to keep them busy!
14 Ndakaona zvinhu zvose zvinoitwa pasi pezuva; zvose hazvo hazvina maturo, kudzingana nemhepo bedzi.
I examined everything people do here on earth, and discovered that it's all so temporary—trying to understand it is like trying to pin down the wind!
15 Chakakombamiswa hachingatwasanudzwi; chinoshayikwa hachingaverengwi.
You can't straighten what is twisted, and you can't count what isn't there.
16 Ndakafunga mumwoyo mangu ndikati, “Tarira, ndazviwanira uchenjeri hwakawanda kupfuura vose vakanditangira kutonga muJerusarema; ndava nouchenjeri uye noruzivo rwakawanda.”
I thought to myself, “I've become very wise, wiser than all the kings of Jerusalem before me. My mind has gained a great deal of wisdom and knowledge.”
17 Ipapo ndakazvipira kutsvaka kunzwisisa uchenjeri uyezve noupengo noupenzi, asi ndakadzidzawo zvakare kuti, naizvozviwo kudzingana nemhepo.
So I decided to use my mind to learn everything about wisdom, and madness and foolishness as well. But I found out that this is as hard as trying to catch hold of the wind.
18 Nokuti muuchenjeri huzhinji mune kusuwa kuzhinji; kuwanda kwezivo, kuwandawo kwokuchema.
For with great wisdom comes great frustration. The greater the knowledge, the greater the pain.
