Mhubiri 9
1 Kwa hiyo niliyatafakari yote haya nikafikia uamuzi kwamba waadilifu na wenye hekima na yale wanayoyafanya yako mikononi mwa Mungu, lakini hakuna mtu ajuaye kama anangojewa na upendo au chuki.
For all this I laid to my heart and [indeed] to investigate all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; man knoweth neither love nor hatred: all is before them.
2 Wote wanayo hatima inayofanana, mwadilifu na mwovu, mwema na mbaya, aliye safi na aliye najisi, wale wanaotoa dhabihu na wale wasiotoa. Kama ilivyo kwa mtu mwema, ndivyo ilivyo kwa mtu mwenye dhambi; kama ilivyo kwa wale wanaoapa, ndivyo ilivyo kwa wale wasioapa.
All things [come] alike to all: one event to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
3 Huu ni ubaya ulio katika kila kitu kinachotendeka chini ya jua: Mwisho unaofanana huwapata wote. Zaidi ya hayo, mioyo ya watu, imejaa ubaya na kuna wazimu mioyoni mwao wangali hai, hatimaye huungana na waliokufa.
This is an evil among all that is done under the sun, that one thing befalleth all: yea, also the heart of the children of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live; and after that, [they have to go] to the dead.
4 Yeyote aliye miongoni mwa walio hai analo tumaini, hata mbwa hai ni bora kuliko simba aliyekufa!
For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 Kwa maana walio hai wanajua kwamba watakufa, lakini wafu hawajui chochote, hawana tuzo zaidi, hata kumbukumbu yao imesahaulika.
For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Upendo wao, chuki yao na wivu wao vimetoweka tangu kitambo, kamwe hawatakuwa tena na sehemu katika lolote linalotendeka chini ya jua.
Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy is already perished; neither have they any more for ever a portion in all that is done under the sun.
7 Nenda, kula chakula chako kwa furaha, unywe divai yako kwa moyo wa shangwe, kwa maana sasa Mungu anakubali unachofanya.
Go, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works.
8 Daima uvae nguo nyeupe na daima upake kichwa chako mafuta.
Let thy garments be always white, and let not thy head lack oil.
9 Furahia maisha na mke wako, umpendaye, siku zote za maisha ya ubatili uliyopewa na Mungu chini ya jua, siku zote za ubatili. Kwa maana hili ndilo fungu lako katika maisha na katika kazi yako ya taabu chini ya jua.
Enjoy life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity; for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherein thou art labouring under the sun.
10 Lolote mkono wako upatalo kufanya, fanya kwa nguvu zako zote, kwa kuwa huko kuzimu, unakokwenda, hakuna kufanya kazi wala mipango wala maarifa wala hekima. (Sheol h7585)
Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest. (Sheol h7585)
11 Nimeona kitu kingine tena chini ya jua: Si wenye mbio washindao mashindano au wenye nguvu washindao vita, wala si wenye hekima wapatao chakula au wenye akili nyingi wapatao mali, wala wenye elimu wapatao upendeleo, lakini fursa huwapata wote.
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to the intelligent, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
12 Zaidi ya hayo, hakuna mwanadamu ajuaye wakati saa yake itakapokuja: Kama vile samaki wavuliwavyo katika wavu mkatili, au ndege wanaswavyo kwenye mtego, vivyo hivyo wanadamu hunaswa na nyakati mbaya zinazowaangukia bila kutazamia.
For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are taken with the snare, like them are the children of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
13 Pia niliona chini ya jua mfano huu wa hekima ambao ulinivutia sana:
This also have I seen as wisdom under the sun, and it was great unto me.
14 Palikuwa na mji mdogo uliokuwa na watu wachache ndani yake. Mfalme mwenye nguvu akainuka dhidi yake, akauzunguka akaweka jeshi kubwa dhidi yake.
There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and encompassed it, and built great bulwarks against it:
15 Katika mji huo kulikuwepo mtu mmoja maskini lakini mwenye hekima, naye akauokoa ule mji kwa hekima yake. Lakini hakuna aliyemkumbuka yule maskini.
and there was found in it a poor wise man, who by his wisdom delivered the city; but no man remembered that poor man.
16 Kwa hiyo, nikasema, “Hekima ni bora kuliko nguvu.” Lakini hekima ya maskini imedharauliwa, wala hakuna anayesikiliza maneno yake.
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength; but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
17 Maneno ya utulivu ya mwenye hekima husikiwa kuliko makelele ya mtawala wa wapumbavu.
The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
18 Hekima ni bora kuliko silaha za vita, lakini mwenye dhambi mmoja huharibu mema mengi.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.
