Ecclesiastes 6
1 Mo ti rí ibi mìíràn lábẹ́ oòrùn.
Here was an evil, I had seen under the sun, —and it is, common, among men:
2 Ọlọ́run fún ọkùnrin kan ní ọrọ̀, ọlá àti ọlà kí ó má ba à ṣe aláìní ohunkóhun tí ọkàn rẹ̀ ń fẹ́. Ṣùgbọ́n, Ọlọ́run kò fún un ní àǹfààní láti gbádùn wọn, dípò èyí, àlejò ni ó ń gbádùn wọn. Asán ni èyí, ààrùn búburú gbá à ni.
A man to whom God giveth riches and gains and honour, so that nothing doth he lack for his soul—of all that he craveth, and yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but, a man unknown, eateth it, —this, was vanity, and, an incurable evil, it was.
3 Ọkùnrin kan le è ní ọgọ́rùn-ún ọmọ kí ó sì wà láààyè fún ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ọdún, síbẹ̀ kò sí bí ó ti le wà láààyè pẹ́ tó, bí kò bá le è gbádùn ohun ìní rẹ̀ kí ó sì gba ìsìnkú tí ó tọ́, mo sọ wí pé ọlẹ̀ ọmọ tí a sin sàn jù ú lọ.
Though a man should beget a hundred children, and live, many years, so that many should be the days of his years but, his own soul, should not be satisfied with the good, and he should not even have, a burial, I said, Better than he, is an untimely birth!
4 Ó wà láìní ìtumọ̀, ó lọ nínú òkùnkùn, nínú òkùnkùn sì ni orúkọ rẹ̀ fi ara pamọ́ sí.
For, in vain, it came in, and, in darkness, it departeth, —and, with darkness, its name, is covered:
5 Bí ó ti jẹ́ wí pé kò rí oòrùn tàbí mọ ohunkóhun, ó ní ọ̀pọ̀ ìsinmi ju ti ọkùnrin náà lọ.
even the sun, it never saw, nor aught did it know, —more quietness, hath this than the other.
6 Kódà, bí ó wà láààyè fún ẹgbẹ̀rún ọdún méjì yípo ṣùgbọ́n tí ó kùnà láti gbádùn ohun ìní rẹ̀. Kì í ṣe ibìkan ni gbogbo wọn ń lọ?
Even though one hath lived a thousand years twice told, yet, good, hath he not seen, —is it not, unto one place, that, all, are going?
7 Gbogbo wàhálà tí ènìyàn ń ṣe nítorí àtijẹ ni síbẹ̀ ikùn rẹ̀ kò yó rí.
All the toil of man, is for his mouth, —though, even the desire, is not satisfied!
8 Kí ni àǹfààní tí ọlọ́gbọ́n ènìyàn ní lórí aṣiwèrè? Kí ni èrè tálákà ènìyàn nípa mímọ bí yóò ṣe hùwà níwájú àwọn tókù?
For what profit hath the wise man, over the dullard? What can, the poor man, know—so as to walk before the living?
9 Ohun tí ojú rí sàn ju ìfẹnuwákiri lọ. Asán ni eléyìí pẹ̀lú ó dàbí ẹni ń gbìyànjú àti mú afẹ́fẹ́.
Better what the eyes behold, than the wandering of desire, —even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
10 Ohunkóhun tí ó bá ti wà ti ní orúkọ, ohun tí ènìyàn jẹ́ sì ti di mí mọ̀; kò sí ènìyàn tí ó le è ja ìjàkadì pẹ̀lú ẹni tí ó lágbára jù ú lọ.
Whatsoever one may be, long ago, was he called by his name, and it is known that it is—Son of Earth, —he cannot, therefore, contend with one stronger than he.
11 Ọ̀rọ̀ púpọ̀, kì í ní ìtumọ̀ èrè wo ni ènìyàn ń rí nínú rẹ̀?
Seeing there are things in abundance which make vanity abound, what profit hath man?
12 Àbí, ta ni ó mọ ohun tí ó dára fún ènìyàn ní ayé fún ọjọ́ ayé kúkúrú àti asán tí ó ń là kọjá gẹ́gẹ́ bí òjìji? Ta ni ó le è sọ fún mi, ohun tí yóò ṣẹlẹ̀ lábẹ́ oòrùn lẹ́yìn tí ó bá lọ tán? Kò sí!
For who knoweth what is good for a man throughout his life, for the number of the days of his life of vanity, seeing he will make them, like a shadow, —for who can tell a man, what shall be after him, under the sun?
