Ecclesiastes 7
1 Orúkọ rere sàn ju ìpara olóòórùn dídùn lọ, ọjọ́ ikú sì dára ju ọjọ́ tí a bí ènìyàn lọ.
A good name is better than costly perfume, and the day of death is better than the day of birth.
2 Ó dára láti lọ sí ilé ọ̀fọ̀ ju ibi àsè, nítorí pé ikú jẹ́ àyànmọ́ gbogbo ènìyàn; kí alààyè ní èyí ní ọkàn.
It is better to go to a house of mourning than to a house of feasting, for mourning comes to all people at the end of life, so living people must take this to heart.
3 Ìbànújẹ́ dára ju ẹ̀rín lọ, ó le è mú kí ojú rẹ̀ dàrú, ṣùgbọ́n yóò jẹ́ kí àyà rẹ le.
Grief is better than laughter, for after sadness of face comes gladness of heart.
4 Ọkàn ọlọ́gbọ́n wà ní ilé ọ̀fọ̀, ṣùgbọ́n ọkàn òmùgọ̀ ní ilé àríyá.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of feasting.
5 Ó dára láti gba ìbáwí ọlọ́gbọ́n, ju fífetísílẹ̀ sí orin òmùgọ̀ lọ.
It is better to listen to the rebuke of the wise than to listen to the song of fools.
6 Gẹ́gẹ́ bí ẹ̀gún ti ń dún lábẹ́ ìkòkò ni ẹ̀rín òmùgọ̀. Asán sì ni eléyìí pẹ̀lú.
For like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so also is the laughter of fools. This, too, is vapor.
7 Ìrẹ́jẹ a máa sọ ọlọ́gbọ́n di òmùgọ̀, àbẹ̀tẹ́lẹ̀ sì máa ń ba ìwà jẹ́ ni.
Extortion certainly makes a wise man foolish, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Òpin ọ̀rọ̀ dára ju ìbẹ̀rẹ̀ rẹ̀ lọ, sùúrù sì dára ju ìgbéraga lọ.
Better is the end of a matter than the beginning; and the people patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit.
9 Má ṣe yára bínú ní ọkàn rẹ nítorí pé orí ẹsẹ̀ òmùgọ̀ ni ìbínú ń gbé.
Do not be quick to anger in your spirit, for anger resides in the hearts of fools.
10 Má ṣe sọ wí pé, “Kí ni ìdí tí àtijọ́ fi dára ju èyí?” Nítorí pé, kò mú ọgbọ́n wá láti béèrè irú ìbéèrè bẹ́ẹ̀.
Do not say, “Why were the days of old better than these?” For it is not because of wisdom that you ask this question.
11 Ọgbọ́n, gẹ́gẹ́ bí ogún ìní jẹ́ ohun tí ó dára ó sì ṣe àwọn tí ó rí oòrùn láǹfààní.
Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good. It benefits those who see the sun.
12 Ọgbọ́n jẹ́ ààbò gẹ́gẹ́ bí owó ti jẹ́ ààbò ṣùgbọ́n àǹfààní òye ni èyí pé ọgbọ́n a máa tọ́jú ẹ̀mí ẹni tí ó bá ní.
For wisdom provides protection as money can provide protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to whoever has it.
13 Wo ohun tí Ọlọ́run ti ṣe: “Ta ni ó le è to ohun tí ó ti ṣe ní wíwọ́?”
Consider the deeds of God: Who can straighten out anything he has made crooked?
14 Nígbà tí àkókò bá dára, jẹ́ kí inú rẹ dùn, ṣùgbọ́n nígbà tí àkókò kò bá dára, rò ó: Ọlọ́run tí ó dá èkínní náà ni ó dá èkejì. Nítorí náà, ènìyàn kò le è ṣàwárí ohun kankan nípa ọjọ́ iwájú rẹ̀.
When times are good, live happily in that good, but when times are bad, consider this: God has allowed both to exist side by side. For this reason, no one will find out anything that is coming after him.
15 Nínú ayé àìní ìtumọ̀ yìí ni mo ti rí gbogbo èyí ènìyàn olóòtítọ́, ọkùnrin olódodo ń parun nínú òtítọ́ rẹ̀ ìkà ènìyàn sì ń gbé ìgbé ayé pípẹ́ nínú ìkà rẹ̀.
I have seen many things in my meaningless days. There are righteous people who perish in spite of their righteousness, and there are wicked people who live a long life in spite of their evil.
16 Má ṣe jẹ́ olódodo jùlọ tàbí ọlọ́gbọ́n jùlọ kí ló dé tí o fi fẹ́ pa ara rẹ run?
Do not be self-righteous, wise in your own eyes. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Ìwọ ma ṣe búburú jùlọ kí ìwọ má sì ṣe aṣiwèrè, èéṣe tí ìwọ yóò fi kú kí ọjọ́ rẹ tó pé
Do not be too wicked or foolish. Why should you die before your time?
18 Ó dára láti mú ọ̀kan kí o má sì ṣe fi èkejì sílẹ̀. Ọkùnrin tí ó bẹ̀rù Ọlọ́run yóò bọ́ lọ́wọ́ gbogbo àrékérekè.
It is good that you should take hold of this wisdom, and that you should not let go of righteousness. For the person who fears God will meet all his obligations.
19 Ọgbọ́n máa ń mú kí ọlọ́gbọ́n ènìyàn ní agbára ju alákòóso mẹ́wàá lọ ní ìlú.
Wisdom is powerful in the wise man, more than ten rulers in a city.
20 Kò sí olódodo ènìyàn kan láyé tí ó ṣe ohun tí ó tọ́ tí kò dẹ́ṣẹ̀ rárá.
There is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
21 Má ṣe kíyèsi gbogbo ọ̀rọ̀ tí ènìyàn ń sọ bí bẹ́ẹ̀ kọ́, o le è gbọ́ pé ìránṣẹ́ rẹ ń ṣépè fún ọ.
Do not listen to every word that is spoken, because you might hear your servant curse you.
22 Tí o sì mọ̀ nínú ọkàn rẹ pé ọ̀pọ̀ ìgbà ni ìwọ fúnra rẹ̀ ti ṣépè fún àwọn ẹlòmíràn.
Similarly, you know yourself that in your own heart you have often cursed others.
23 Gbogbo èyí ni mo ti dánwò nípa ọgbọ́n, tí mo sì wí pé, “Mo pinnu láti jẹ́ ọlọ́gbọ́n”; ṣùgbọ́n eléyìí ti jù mí lọ.
All this have I proven by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was more than I could be.
24 Ohun tí ó wù kí ọgbọ́n le è jẹ́, ó ti lọ jìnnà, ó sì jinlẹ̀ ta ni ó le è ṣe àwárí rẹ̀?
Wisdom is far off and very deep. Who can find it?
25 Mo wá rò ó nínú ọkàn mi láti mọ̀, láti wá àti láti ṣàwárí ọgbọ́n àti ìdí ohun gbogbo, àti láti mọ ìwà àgọ́ búburú àti ti ìsínwín tàbí òmùgọ̀.
I turned my heart to learn and examine and seek wisdom and the explanations of reality, and to understand that evil is stupid and that folly is madness.
26 Mo rí ohun tí ó korò ju ikú lọ obìnrin tí ó jẹ́ ẹ̀bìtì, tí ọkàn rẹ̀ jẹ́ tàkúté tí ọwọ́ rẹ̀ sì jẹ́ ẹ̀wọ̀n, ọkùnrin tí ó bá tẹ́ Ọlọ́run lọ́rùn yóò le è yọ sílẹ̀ ṣùgbọ́n ẹni dẹ́ṣẹ̀ kò le è bọ́ nínú tàkúté rẹ̀.
I found that more bitter than death is any woman whose heart is full of snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be taken by her.
27 Oniwaasu wí pé, “Wò ó, eléyìí ni ohun tí mo ti ṣàwárí: “Mímú ohun kan pọ̀ mọ́ òmíràn láti ṣàwárí ìdí ohun gbogbo.
“Consider what I have discovered,” says the Teacher. “I have been adding one discovery to another in order to find an explanation of reality.
28 Nígbà tí mo sì ń wá a kiri ṣùgbọ́n tí n kò rí i mo rí ọkùnrin tí ó dúró dáradára kan láàrín ẹgbẹ̀rún, ṣùgbọ́n n kò rí obìnrin, kankan kí ó dúró láàrín gbogbo wọn.
This is what I am still looking for, but I have not found it. I did find one righteous man among a thousand, but a woman among all those I did not find.
29 Eléyìí nìkan ni mo tí ì rí: Ọlọ́run dá ìran ènìyàn dáradára, ṣùgbọ́n ènìyàn ti lọ láti ṣàwárí ohun púpọ̀.”
I have discovered only this: That God created humanity upright, but they have gone away looking for many difficulties.”
