Mhubiri 3
1 Kuna wakati kwa ajili ya kila jambo, nayo majira kwa kila tendo chini ya mbingu:
To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 wakati wa kuzaliwa na wakati wa kufa, wakati wa kupanda na wakati wa kungʼoa yaliyopandwa,
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up [that which is] planted;
3 wakati wa kuua na wakati wa kuponya, wakati wa kubomoa, na wakati wa kujenga,
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 wakati wa kulia na wakati wa kucheka, wakati wa kuomboleza na wakati wa kucheza,
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 wakati wa kutawanya mawe na wakati wa kukusanya mawe, wakati wa kukumbatia na wakati wa kutokumbatia,
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 wakati wa kutafuta na wakati wa kupoteza, wakati wa kuweka na wakati wa kutupa,
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 wakati wa kurarua na wakati wa kushona, wakati wa kunyamaza na wakati wa kuzungumza,
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 wakati wa kupenda na wakati wa kuchukia, wakati wa vita na wakati wa amani.
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 Mfanyakazi anapata faida gani kutokana na taabu yake?
What profit hath he that worketh in that in which he laboreth?
10 Nimeona mzigo Mungu alioweka juu ya wanadamu.
I have seen the labor, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 Amefanya kila kitu kiwe kizuri kwa wakati wake. Pia ameiweka hiyo milele katika mioyo ya wanadamu, wala hawawezi kutambua kwa kina yale ambayo Mungu amefanya tangu mwanzo hadi mwisho.
He hath made every [thing] beautiful in its time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
12 Ninajua kwamba hakuna kitu bora kwa wanadamu kuliko kuwa na furaha na kutenda mema wakati wanapoishi.
I know that [there is] no good in them, but for [a man] to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 Tena ni karama ya Mungu kila mtu apate kula na kunywa na kujiburudisha kwa mema katika kazi yake yote.
And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it [is] the gift of God.
14 Ninajua kwamba kila kitu anachokifanya Mungu kitadumu milele, hakuna kinachoweza kuongezwa au kupunguzwa. Mungu hufanya hivyo ili watu wamche yeye.
I know that, whatever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth [it], that [men] should fear before him.
15 Chochote kilichopo kilishakuwepo, na kitakachokuwepo kimekwishakuwepo kabla; naye Mungu huyaita yale yaliyopita yarudi tena.
That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
16 Pia nikaona kitu kingine tena chini ya jua: Mahali pa kutolea hukumu, uovu ulikuwepo, mahali pa kupatia haki, uovu ulikuwepo.
And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, [that] wickedness [was] there; and the place of righteousness, [that] iniquity [was] there.
17 Nikafikiri moyoni mwangu, “Mungu atawaleta hukumuni wote wawili wenye haki na waovu, kwa maana kutakuwako na wakati kwa ajili ya kila jambo, wakati kwa ajili ya kila tendo.”
I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked: for [there is] a time there for every purpose and for every work.
18 Pia nikafikiri, “Kuhusu wanadamu, Mungu huwajaribu ili wajione kwamba wao ni kama wanyama.
I said in my heart concerning the state of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
19 Hatima ya mwanadamu ni kama ile ya wanyama; wote wana mwisho unaofanana: Jinsi anavyokufa mnyama, ndivyo anavyokufa mwanadamu. Wote wana pumzi inayofanana; mwanadamu hana cha zaidi kuliko mnyama. Kila kitu ni ubatili.
For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yes, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast: for all [is] vanity.
20 Wote huenda mahali panapofanana; wote hutoka mavumbini, mavumbini wote hurudi.
All go to one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
21 Ni nani ajuaye kama roho ya mtu huenda juu na roho ya mnyama hushuka chini ardhini?”
Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
22 Kwa hiyo nikaona kwamba hakuna kitu kilicho bora zaidi kwa mwanadamu kuliko kuifurahia kazi yake, kwa sababu hilo ndilo fungu lake. Kwa maana ni nani awezaye kumrudisha ili aje kuona kile kitakachotendeka baada yake?
Wherefore I perceive that [there is] nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that [is] his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
