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 fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s 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 the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living should 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.
Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
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 mirth.
5 Ó dára láti gba ìbáwí ọlọ́gbọ́n, ju fífetísílẹ̀ sí orin òmùgọ̀ lọ.
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 Gẹ́gẹ́ bí ẹ̀gún ti ń dún lábẹ́ ìkòkò ni ẹ̀rín òmùgọ̀. Asán sì ni eléyìí pẹ̀lú.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7 Ìrẹ́jẹ a máa sọ ọlọ́gbọ́n di òmùgọ̀, àbẹ̀tẹ́lẹ̀ sì máa ń ba ìwà jẹ́ ni.
Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
8 Òpin ọ̀rọ̀ dára ju ìbẹ̀rẹ̀ rẹ̀ lọ, sùúrù sì dára ju ìgbéraga lọ.
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Má ṣe yára bínú ní ọkàn rẹ nítorí pé orí ẹsẹ̀ òmùgọ̀ ni ìbínú ń gbé.
Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom 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.
Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.
11 Ọgbọ́n, gẹ́gẹ́ bí ogún ìní jẹ́ ohun tí ó dára ó sì ṣe àwọn tí ó rí oòrùn láǹfààní.
Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for 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 is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13 Wo ohun tí Ọlọ́run ti ṣe: “Ta ni ó le è to ohun tí ó ti ṣe ní wíwọ́?”
Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight which 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.
In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything 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.
All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
16 Má ṣe jẹ́ olódodo jùlọ tàbí ọlọ́gbọ́n jùlọ kí ló dé tí o fi fẹ́ pa ara rẹ run?
Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. 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
Don’t be too wicked, neither be 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. Yes, also don’t withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all.
19 Ọgbọ́n máa ń mú kí ọlọ́gbọ́n ènìyàn ní agbára ju alákòóso mẹ́wàá lọ ní ìlú.
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
20 Kò sí olódodo ènìyàn kan láyé tí ó ṣe ohun tí ó tọ́ tí kò dẹ́ṣẹ̀ rárá.
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and doesn’t sin.
21 Má ṣe kíyèsi gbogbo ọ̀rọ̀ tí ènìyàn ń sọ bí bẹ́ẹ̀ kọ́, o le è gbọ́ pé ìránṣẹ́ rẹ ń ṣépè fún ọ.
Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you 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.
for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise 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 I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me.
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?
That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
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 around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness 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 find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared 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.
“Behold, I have found this,” says Kohelet, “to one another, to find an explanation
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.
which my soul still seeks, but I have not found. I have found one man amongst a thousand, but I have not found a woman amongst all those.
29 Eléyìí nìkan ni mo tí ì rí: Ọlọ́run dá ìran ènìyàn dáradára, ṣùgbọ́n ènìyàn ti lọ láti ṣàwárí ohun púpọ̀.”
Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”
