Mhubiri 12
1 Mkumbuke Muumba wako siku za ujana wako, kabla hazijaja siku za taabu, wala haijakaribia miaka utakaposema, “Mimi sifurahii hiyo”:
But remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youthful vigor, while the evil days are not yet come, nor those years draw nigh of which thou wilt say, I have no pleasure in them;
2 kabla jua na nuru, nao mwezi na nyota havijatiwa giza, kabla ya kurudi mawingu baada ya mvua;
While the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are not yet darkened, and the clouds return not again after the rain;
3 siku ile walinzi wa nyumba watakapotetemeka, nao watu wenye nguvu watakapojiinamisha, wakati wasagao watakapokoma kwa sababu ya uchache, nao wachunguliao madirishani kutiwa giza;
On the day when the watchmen of the house will tremble and the men of might will bend themselves, and the grinders stand idle, because they are become few, and those be darkened that look through the windows;
4 wakati milango ya kuingia barabarani itakapofungwa na sauti ya kusaga kufifia; wakati watu wataamshwa kwa sauti ya ndege, lakini nyimbo zao zote zikififia;
And when the two doors on the streets will be locked, while the sound of the mill becometh dull, and man riseth up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;
5 wakati watu watakapoogopa kilichoinuka juu na hatari zitakazokuwepo barabarani; wakati mlozi utakapochanua maua na panzi kujikokota nawe usiwe na shauku ya kitu chochote. Ndipo mwanadamu aiendea nyumba yake ya milele nao waombolezaji wakizunguka barabarani.
Also when men will be afraid of every elevation, and are terrified on every way, and the almond-tree will refuse [its blossom], and the locust will drag itself slowly along, and the desire will gainsay compliance; because man goeth to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets;
6 Mkumbuke Muumba wako: kabla haijakatika kamba ya fedha, au bakuli la dhahabu halijavunjika; kabla mtungi kuvunjika kwenye chemchemi, au gurudumu kuvunjika kisimani,
While the silver cord is not yet torn loose, and the golden bowl is not crushed, and the pitcher is not broken at the fountain, and the wheel is not crushed at the cistern;
7 nayo mavumbi kurudi ardhini yalikotoka, na roho kurudi kwa Mungu aliyeitoa.
When the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return unto God who gave it.—
8 Mhubiri asema, “Ubatili! Ubatili! Kila kitu ni ubatili!”
Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth: all is vanity.—
9 Mhubiri hakuwa tu na hekima, bali aliwagawia watu maarifa pia. Alitafakari na kutafiti na akaweka katika utaratibu mithali nyingi.
And in addition to this that Koheleth was wise, he continually also taught the people knowledge, and he probed, and searched out, and composed many proverbs.
10 Mhubiri alitafiti ili kupata maneno sahihi na kila alichoandika kilikuwa sawa na kweli.
Koheleth sought to find out acceptable words, and that which would be written down uprightly, even words of truth.
11 Maneno ya wenye hekima ni kama mchokoro, mithali zao zilizokusanywa pamoja ni kama misumari iliyogongomewa ikawa imara, yaliyotolewa na Mchungaji mmoja.
The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails fastened [are the words of] the men of the assemblies, which are given by one shepherd.
12 Tena zaidi ya hayo, mwanangu, kubali maonyo, hakuna mwisho wa kutunga vitabu vingi, nako kusoma sana huuchosha mwili.
But more than all these, my son, take warning for thyself: the making of many books would have no end; and much preaching is a weariness of the flesh.
13 Hii ndiyo jumla ya maneno; yote yamekwisha sikiwa: Mche Mungu, nawe uzishike amri zake, maana kwa jumla ndiyo impasayo mtu.
The end of the matter is, let us hear the whole: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole [duty of] man.
14 Kwa maana Mungu ataleta hukumuni kila kazi, pamoja na kila neno la siri, likiwa jema au baya.
For every deed will God bring into the judgment concerning every thing that hath been hidden, whether it be good, or whether it be bad.
