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.
I had my mind consider all this. Wise and good people and everything they do are in God's hands. Love or hate—who knows what will happen to 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.
Yet we all share the same destiny—those who do right, those who do evil, the good, the religiously-observant and those that are not, those who sacrifice and those who don't. Those who do good are as those who sin, those who make vows to God are as those who don't.
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 just so wrong—that everyone here on earth should suffer the same fate! On top of that, people's minds are filled with evil. They spend their lives thinking about stupid things, and then they die.
4 Yeyote aliye miongoni mwa walio hai analo tumaini, hata mbwa hai ni bora kuliko simba aliyekufa!
But the living still have hope—a live 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.
The living are conscious of the fact that they're going to die, but the dead have no consciousness of anything. They don't receive any further benefit; they're 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, hate, and envy—it's all gone. They have no further part in anything that happens here on earth.
7 Nenda, kula chakula chako kwa furaha, unywe divai yako kwa moyo wa shangwe, kwa maana sasa Mungu anakubali unachofanya.
So go ahead and eat your food, and enjoy it. Drink your wine with a happy heart. That's what God intends that you should do.
8 Daima uvae nguo nyeupe na daima upake kichwa chako mafuta.
Always wear smart clothes and look good.
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 that you love—the one God gave you—during all the days of this brief life, all these passing days whose meaning is so hard to understand as you work here on earth.
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 you do, do it with all your strength, for when you go to the grave there's no more working or thinking, no more knowing or being wise. (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 thought about other things that happen here on earth. Races are not always won by the fastest runner. Battles are not always decided by the strongest warrior. Also, the wise do not always have food, intelligent people do not always make money, and those who are clever do not always win favor. Time and chance affect all of them.
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.
You can't predict when your end will come. Just like fish caught in a net, or birds caught in a trap, so people are suddenly caught by death when they least expect it.
13 Pia niliona chini ya jua mfano huu wa hekima ambao ulinivutia sana:
Here's another aspect of wisdom that impressed me about what happens here on earth.
14 Palikuwa na mji mdogo uliokuwa na watu wachache ndani yake. Mfalme mwenye nguvu akainuka dhidi yake, akauzunguka akaweka jeshi kubwa dhidi yake.
Once there was a small town with only a few inhabitants. A powerful king came and besieged the town, building great earth ramps against its walls.
15 Katika mji huo kulikuwepo mtu mmoja maskini lakini mwenye hekima, naye akauokoa ule mji kwa hekima yake. Lakini hakuna aliyemkumbuka yule maskini.
In that town lived a man who was wise, but poor. He saved the town by his wisdom. But no one remembered to thank that poor man.
16 Kwa hiyo, nikasema, “Hekima ni bora kuliko nguvu.” Lakini hekima ya maskini imedharauliwa, wala hakuna anayesikiliza maneno yake.
As I've always said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Yet the wisdom of that poor man was dismissed—people didn't pay attention to what he said.
17 Maneno ya utulivu ya mwenye hekima husikiwa kuliko makelele ya mtawala wa wapumbavu.
It's better to listen to the calm words of a wise person than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
18 Hekima ni bora kuliko silaha za vita, lakini mwenye dhambi mmoja huharibu mema mengi.
It's better to have wisdom than weapons of war; but a sinner can destroy a lot of good.
