Mhubiri 5
1 Linda hatua zako uendapo katika nyumba ya Mungu. Karibia usikilize kuliko kutoa dhabihu ya wapumbavu, ambao hawajui kuwa wanafanya kosa.
When you enter God’s temple, you should be sure to listen carefully. Doing that is better than offering sacrifices to God [and then not obeying him], which is foolish.
2 Usiwe mwepesi kuzungumza, usiwe na haraka katika moyo wako kuzungumza lolote mbele za Mungu. Mungu yuko mbinguni nawe uko duniani, kwa hiyo maneno yako na yawe machache.
Think carefully before you speak [MTY] or before you promise God that you will do something [IDM]. [Do not forget that] God is in heaven [and he is all-powerful] and you are here on the earth, so think carefully before you [make any promises to God].
3 Kama vile ndoto huja wakati kuna shughuli nyingi, ndivyo yalivyo mazungumzo ya mpumbavu wakati kuna maneno mengi.
If you are continually thinking [and worrying] about things, you will have bad dreams about them and not rest [well]. And the more you talk, the more likely it will be that you will say things that are foolish.
4 Wakati unapomwekea Mungu nadhiri, usikawie kuitimiza. Yeye hafurahii wapumbavu; timiza nadhiri yako.
When you solemnly promise God that you will do something, do not be foolish by delaying in doing it, because God is not pleased with foolish people. Do [all] the things that you promise God that you will do.
5 Ni afadhali usiweke nadhiri kuliko kuiweka na usiitimize.
It is better to not promise [anything] than to promise to do something, and [then] not doing it.
6 Usiruhusu kinywa chako kukuingiza dhambini. Tena usijitetee mbele ya huyo mjumbe wa hekaluni, ukisema, “Niliweka nadhiri kwa makosa.” Kwa nini Mungu akasirike kwa ajili ya yale unayosema na kuiharibu kazi ya mikono yako?
Do not sin by promising to do something and then not doing it. And [when you promise God to do something and do not do it], do not say to God’s priest that it was a mistake for you to promise to do that. If you do that, God will certainly [RHQ] become very angry with you, and he will take from you everything that you [SYN] have worked to acquire.
7 Kuota ndoto kwingi na maneno mengi ni ubatili. Kwa hiyo simama katika kicho cha Mungu.
Promising to do something and not doing it is like [SIM] a dream that has no value; instead, revere God [by doing what you promised him that you would do].
8 Kama ukiona maskini wanaonewa katika nchi, hukumu na haki vikipotoshwa, usishangazwe na mambo hayo, kwa maana afisa mmoja anaangaliwa na aliye juu yake zaidi na juu ya hao wawili kuna wengine walio juu zaidi yao.
Do not be surprised if you see poor [people] being (oppressed/treated cruelly) [by powerful/influential people], or if you see judges making unjust decisions throughout the land. [That happens] because the people who do that are supervised [and cheated by] more important officials [DOU],
9 Mafanikio ya nchi ni kwa ajili ya wote, hata mfalme mwenyewe hufaidi kutoka mashambani.
and even the king forces the people to give him some of the crops that they harvest.
10 Yeyote apendaye fedha kamwe hatosheki na fedha; yeyote apendaye utajiri kamwe hatosheki na kipato chake. Hili nalo pia ni ubatili.
Everyone who tries to [get as much] money as they can will never think that they have enough. They will never be satisfied with the money that they have. That also is senseless.
11 Mali ikiongezeka, ndivyo walaji wanavyoongezeka. Hii nayo inamfaidia nini mwenye mali isipokuwa ni kushibisha macho yake?
The more money that we have, the more people want us to spend our money to buy things for them. So people who have a lot of money do not [RHQ] benefit from it; they see [MTY] it when they get it, but it soon (disappears/is completely spent).
12 Usingizi wa kibarua ni mtamu, awe amekula kidogo au kingi, lakini wingi wa mali humnyima tajiri usingizi.
Those who work hard sleep peacefully [at night], even if they do not have much food to eat. But rich [people] do not sleep well, because [they worry] about their money.
13 Nimeshaona uovu mzito chini ya jua: Utajiri uliolimbikizwa kwa kujinyima na kuleta madhara kwa mwenye mali,
I have seen [another] terrible thing that happens here on the earth [MTY]: People save [up all] their money and become rich, [but] they are not helped by saving a lot of money,
14 au utajiri uliopotea kwa bahati mbaya, hivyo kwamba wakati akiwa na mwana hakuna chochote kilichobaki kwa ajili yake.
[because] something happens that causes their money to be gone, and when they die, there is no money for their children to get/inherit.
15 Mtu hutoka tumboni mwa mama yake uchi, naye jinsi alivyokuja vivyo hivyo huondoka. Hachukui chochote kutokana na kazi yake ambacho anaweza kukibeba mkononi mwake.
When we are born, we do not bring anything with us, and when we die, we take nothing with us from all that we have earned by our working hard.
16 Hili nalo ni baya la kusikitisha: Kama vile mtu ajavyo, vivyo hivyo huondoka, naye anapata faida gani, maadamu hutaabika kwa ajili ya upepo?
That also seems senseless. People bring nothing [into the world when they are born], and they leave [this world] taking nothing with them. They have worked hard, but they receive no lasting benefit [MET].
17 Siku zake zote hula gizani, pamoja na fadhaa kubwa, mateso na hasira.
[Furthermore, rich people] are always miserable [MET] and sad, and depressed/discouraged and often sick and (resentful/thinking that what has happened to them is unfair).
18 Ndipo nikatambua kwamba ni vyema na sahihi kwa mtu kula na kunywa na kutosheka katika kazi yake ngumu chini ya jua katika siku chache za maisha yake Mungu alizompa, kwa maana hili ndilo fungu lake.
So, the best thing for people to do here on the earth during the few years that God allows them to be alive is to eat and drink and to enjoy their work, because those are the things that God has given to them.
19 Zaidi ya yote, Mungu anapompa mtu yeyote utajiri na milki, humwezesha kuvifurahia, kukubali fungu lake na kuwa na furaha katika kazi yake, hii ni karama ya Mungu.
If people are rich and have a lot of possessions, and are able to (enjoy/be happy with) the things that they have and to enjoy their work, those things are [also] gifts from God.
20 Mara chache mtu huzifikiri siku za maisha yake, kwa sababu Mungu humfanya ashikwe na furaha ya moyoni.
Those people do not worry much about [everything that has happened] during the time that they have been alive, because God enables them to be happy doing everything that they do.
