Mhubiri 9
1 Kwa kuwa nilifikiri haya yote katika akili zangu kufahamu kuhusu watu wenye haki na wenye hekima na matendo yao. Wote wako katika mikono ya Mungu. Hakuna anayefahamu kama upendo au chuki itakuja kwa mtu.
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 kila mmoja ana mwisho sawa. Mwisho sawa una subiria watu wenye haki na waovu, wema, walio safi na wasio safi, yeye atoaye dhabibu na yule asiye dhabihu. Kama vile watu wema watakufa wenye dhambi nao watakufa vivyo hivyo. kama vile yule anayeapa atakavyo kufa, vivyo hivyo mtu yule aogopaye kuweka kiapo naye atakufa.
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 Kuna mwisho mwovu kwa kila kitu kinachofanyika chini ya jua, na mwisho kwa kila mtu. Moyo wa mwanadamu umejaa uovu, na wazimu uko katika mioyo yao wakati wanaishi. Hivyo baada ya hilo wanaenda kwa wafu.
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 Kwa kuwa yeyote anayeungana na wote walio hai kuna tumaini, kama vile mbwa aliye hai ni bora kuliko simba aliye kufa.
But the living still have hope—a live dog is better than a dead lion!
5 Kwa kuwa watu walio hai, lakini walio kufa hawajui chochote. Hawana tena tuzo yeyote kwa sababu 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 na wivu vimekatiliwa mbali muda mwingi. Hawatapata sehemu katika kitu chochote kinachofanyika 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 zako, kula mkate wako kwa furaha, na kunywa mvinyo wako na moyo wa furaha, kwa kuwa Mungu huruhusu kusherehekea kazi njema.
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 Nguo zako ziwe nyeupe siku zote, na kichwa chako kipake mafuta.
Always wear smart clothes and look good.
9 Ishi kwa furaha na mwanamke umpendaye siku zako zote za maisha yako ya ubatili, siku ambazo Mungu amekupatia chini ya jua wakati wa siku zako za ubatili. Hiyo ni thawabu kwa ajili ya kazi yako 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 Chochote mkono wako unakifanya, kifanye kwa nguvu zako kwa sababu hakuna kazi, au ufafanuzi au ujuzi au hekima katika Sheol, unapoenda. (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 baadhi ya vitu vyakuvutia chini ya jua: Mashindano hayatokani na watu wenye mbio. Vita havitokani na watu imara. Mkate hautokani na watu wenye busara. Mali hazitokani na watu wenye ufahamu. Kibali hakitokani na watu wenye ujuzi. Badala yake muda na bahati huwaathiri wao 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 Kwa kuwa hakuna anaye fahamu wakati wake wa kufa, kama vile samaki wanaswavyo katika nyavu ya kifo, au kama vile ndege akamatwavyo katika mtego. Kama wanyama wanadamu wamefungwa katika nyakati mbaya ambazo ghafla huwaangukia.
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 nimeona hekima chini ya jua kwa namna ambayo kwangu ilionekana kubwa.
Here's another aspect of wisdom that impressed me about what happens here on earth.
14 Kulikuwa na mji mdogo na watu wachache ndani yake, na mfalme mkuu akaja kinyume na mji huo na akauzingira na akajenga mahandaki kwa ajili ya kuushambulia.
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 Na katika mji kulikuwa na masikini, mtu mwenye hekima, ambaye kwa hekima yake aliuokoa mji. Ila baadaye aliye mkumbuka yule masikini.
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 Hivyo, nikasema, “Hekima ni bora kuliko nguvu, lakini hekima ya mtu masikini hudharauliwa, na maneno yake hayasikilizwi.”
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 watu wenye hekima yaliongewa polepole yanasikiwa vizuri kuliko makelele ya mtawala yeyote miongoni mwa 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 anaweza kuharibu mazuri mengi.
It's better to have wisdom than weapons of war; but a sinner can destroy a lot of good.
