Mhubiri 7
1 Afadhali sifa nzuri kuliko manukato safi, nayo siku ya kufa kuliko ya kuzaliwa.
[Having] a good reputation [MTY] is better than fine perfume, and the day that we die is better than the day that we are born.
2 Afadhali kwenda kwenye nyumba ya msiba kuliko kwenda kwenye nyumba ya karamu, kwa kuwa kifo ni hatima ya kila mwanadamu, imewapasa walio hai kuliweka hili mioyoni mwao.
It is better to go to a house where people are mourning [about someone who has died] than to go to a house where people are feasting, because everyone will die some day, and people who are alive should think seriously [IDM] about that.
3 Huzuni ni afadhali kuliko kicheko, kwa sababu uso wenye huzuni wafaa kwa moyo.
It is better to be sad than to be [always] laughing, because being sad can cause us to think more about how we should conduct our lives [IDM].
4 Moyo wa wenye hekima uko katika nyumba ya msiba, lakini moyo wa wapumbavu uko katika nyumba ya anasa.
Wise [people] who go to where others are mourning think about [the fact that some day they also will] die, but foolish people [PRS] [do not think about that]; they are always [MTY] laughing.
5 Afadhali kusikia karipio la mtu mwenye hekima, kuliko kusikiliza wimbo wa wapumbavu.
It is better to pay attention to [someone who is wise] you than to listen to the songs of a foolish person.
6 Kama ilivyo kuvunjika kwa miiba chini ya sufuria, ndivyo kilivyo kicheko cha wapumbavu. Hili nalo pia ni ubatili.
By [listening to] foolish people laughing we will not [learn any more than by listening to] the crackling of thorns [being burned] under a pot. Listening to fools is senseless.
7 Dhuluma humfanya mtu mwenye hekima kuwa mpumbavu, nayo rushwa huuharibu moyo.
When wise people say to others, “You must pay me a lot of money for me to protect you,” that causes those wise people to become foolish, and [accepting] bribes causes people to become unable to do what is fair/just.
8 Mwisho wa jambo ni bora kuliko mwanzo wake, uvumilivu ni bora kuliko kiburi.
Finishing something is better than starting something, and being patient is better than being proud.
9 Usiwe mwepesi kukasirika rohoni mwako, kwa kuwa hasira hukaa kifuani mwa wapumbavu.
Do not quickly (lose your temper/react to things angrily), because it is foolish people [SYN] who become very angry.
10 Usiseme, “Kwa nini siku za kale zilikuwa bora kuliko siku hizi?” Kwa maana si hekima kuuliza maswali kama hayo.
Do not say, “Things were a lot better [RHQ] previously,” because it is people who are not wise who say that.
11 Hekima, kama ulivyo urithi, ni kitu chema na huwafaidia wale walionalo jua.
Being wise is better than inheriting [valuable things]; being wise provides lasting benefits for every person on the earth [MTY].
12 Hekima ni ulinzi kama fedha ilivyo ulinzi, lakini faida ya maarifa ni hii: kwamba hekima huhifadhi maisha ya aliye nayo.
We are [sometimes] protected by being wise like we are [sometimes] protected by having a lot of money, but being wise is better [than having a lot of money], [because] being wise prevents us from [doing foolish things that would] cause us to die.
13 Tafakari kile Mungu alichokitenda: Nani awezaye kunyoosha kile ambacho yeye amekipinda?
Think [carefully about] what God has done. Certainly no one can [RHQ] cause to become straight the things that God has caused to be crooked.
14 Nyakati zikiwa nzuri, ufurahi, lakini nyakati zikiwa mbaya, tafakari: Mungu amefanya hiyo moja, naam, sanjari na hiyo nyingine. Kwa hiyo, mwanadamu hawezi kugundua kitu chochote kuhusu maisha yake ya baadaye.
When things are going well for you, be happy, and when things are not going well for you, remember that God is the one who causes good things to happen and who also causes disasters.
15 Katika maisha haya yangu ya ubatili nimeshaona haya mawili: mtu mwadilifu akiangamia katika uadilifu wake, naye mtu mwovu akiishi maisha marefu katika uovu wake.
During all the time that I have been alive I have seen a lot of [HYP] things that seem senseless. I have seen righteous people die [while they are still young], and I have seen wicked people remain alive for a very long time in [spite of] their continuing to be wicked.
16 Usiwe mwenye haki kupita kiasi, wala usiwe na hekima kupita kiasi: kwa nini kujiangamiza mwenyewe?
[So] do not think that you are very righteous and do not think that you are very wise, [because if you think those things], you will destroy yourself.
17 Usiwe mwovu kupita kiasi, wala usiwe mpumbavu: kwa nini kufa kabla ya wakati wako?
If you do what is evil or do what is foolish, you might die while you are still young.
18 Ni vyema kushika hilo moja na wala usiache hilo jingine likupite. Mtu amchaye Mungu ataepuka huko kupita kiasi.
Continue to avoid doing what is evil and doing what is foolish; avoid doing both of those things by continually revering God.
19 Hekima humfanya yeye aliye nayo kuwa na uwezo zaidi kuliko watawala kumi katika mji.
If you are wise, you will be more powerful/influential than the ten most powerful/influential men in your city.
20 Hakuna mtu mwenye haki duniani ambaye hufanya mambo ya haki na kamwe asitende dhambi.
There is no one in this world who [always] does what is right and who never sins.
21 Usitie maanani kila neno linalosemwa na watu, la sivyo, waweza kumsikia mtumishi wako akikulaani:
Do not pay attention [IDM] to everything that people say, because if you do that, you might hear your servant cursing you.
22 kwa kuwa unafahamu moyoni mwako kwamba wewe mwenyewe mara nyingi umewalaani wengine.
You know that you have also cursed other people.
23 Yote haya niliyajaribu kwa hekima, nikasema, “Nimeamua kuwa na hekima”: lakini hii ilikuwa nje ya uwezo wangu.
I said [to myself] that I would use my wisdom to study all the things [that I have written about], but I was not able to do it successfully.
24 Vyovyote hekima ilivyo, hekima iko mbali sana na imejificha, ni nani awezaye kuigundua?
Wisdom seems to be far from me; there is no one [RHQ] who can truly understand everything.
25 Nikageuza fikira zangu ili kuelewa, kuchunguza na kuitafuta hekima na kusudi la mambo, na ili kuelewa ujinga wa uovu, na wazimu wa upumbavu.
But I decided to investigate things and by my wisdom try to understand the reason for everything. I also wanted to understand why people act wickedly and why they act very foolishly.
26 Nimeona jambo lililo chungu kuliko mauti, mwanamke ambaye ni mtego, ambaye moyo wake ni wavu wa kutegea na mikono yake ni minyororo. Mtu ampendezaye Mungu atamkwepa, bali mwenye dhambi atanaswa naye.
[One thing I learned was that] (allowing a woman to seduce you/having sex with a woman to whom you are not married) is worse than dying. A woman who tries to seduce men is [as dangerous as] a trap [MET]. [If you allow her to put] her arms [around you, it will be as though she will be fastening you with] chains. Women like that will capture sinful men, but men who please God will escape from such women.
27 Mhubiri anasema, “Tazama, hili ndilo nililogundua: “Nimegundua kitu kimoja baada ya kingine nilipokuwa katika kusudi la mambo:
This is what I have learned: I tried to learn more and more about things to try to find out the reason for everything,
28 ningali natafiti lakini sipati: nilimpata mwanaume mmoja mnyofu miongoni mwa elfu, lakini hakuna mwanamke mmoja mnyofu miongoni mwao.
and I continued to try to learn more, but I could not find [all that I was searching for]. [But] one thing that I found out was that among 1,000 [people] I found one righteous man, but I did not find even one righteous woman.
29 Hili ndilo peke yake nililolipata: Mungu amemuumba mwanadamu mnyofu, lakini mwanadamu amebuni mambo mengi.”
[But] I did learn one thing: When God created people, they were righteous, but they have found many ways to do many evil things.
