Ecclesiastes 8
1 Ta ni ó dàbí ọlọ́gbọ́n ènìyàn? Ta ni ó mọ ìtumọ̀ ohun gbogbo? Ọgbọ́n a máa mú ojú ènìyàn dán ó sì máa ń pààrọ̀ ìrínisí rẹ̀.
Who is like the wise man? Who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed.
2 Mo sọ wí pé, pa òfin ọba mọ́, nítorí pé, ìwọ ti ṣe ìbúra níwájú Ọlọ́run.
Keep the king’s command, I say, because of your oath before God.
3 Má ṣe jẹ́ kí ojú kán ọ láti kúrò ní iwájú ọba, má ṣe dúró nínú ohun búburú, nítorí yóò ṣe ohunkóhun tí ó bá tẹ́ ẹ lọ́rùn.
Do not hasten to leave his presence, and do not persist in a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases.
4 Níwọ́n ìgbà tí ọ̀rọ̀ ọba ni àṣẹ, ta ni ó le è sọ fún un wí pé, “Kí ni ìwọ ń ṣe?”
For the king’s word is supreme, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
5 Ẹnikẹ́ni tí ó bá pa àṣẹ rẹ̀ mọ́, kò ní wá sí ìpalára kankan, àyà ọlọ́gbọ́n ènìyàn yóò sì mọ àsìkò tí ó tọ́ àti ọ̀nà tí yóò gbà ṣe é.
Whoever keeps his command will come to no harm, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.
6 Ohun gbogbo ni ó ní àsìkò àti ọ̀nà tí ó tọ́ láti ṣe, ṣùgbọ́n, òsì ènìyàn pọ̀ sí orí ara rẹ̀.
For there is a right time and procedure to every purpose, though a man’s misery weighs heavily upon him.
7 Níwọ́n ìgbà tí kò sí ẹni tí ó mọ ọjọ́-ọ̀lá, ta ni ó le è sọ fún un ohun tí ó ń bọ̀?
Since no one knows what will happen, who can tell him what is to come?
8 Kò sí ẹni tí ó lágbára lórí afẹ́fẹ́ láti gbà á dúró, nítorí náà, kò sí ẹni tí ó ní agbára lórí ọjọ́ ikú rẹ̀. Bí ó ti jẹ́ wí pé kò sí ẹni tí a dá sílẹ̀ nígbà ogun, bẹ́ẹ̀ náà ni ìkà kò ní fi àwọn tí ó ń ṣe é sílẹ̀; bí ó ti jẹ́ wí pé kò sí ẹni tí a dá sílẹ̀ nígbà ogun, bẹ́ẹ̀ náà ni ìwà búburú kò le gba àwọn tí ó ń ṣe é sílẹ̀.
As no man has power over the wind to contain it, so no one has authority over his day of death. As no one can be discharged in wartime, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.
9 Gbogbo nǹkan wọ̀nyí ni mo ti rí, tí mo sì ń múlò ní ọkàn mi sí gbogbo iṣẹ́ tí a ti ṣe lábẹ́ oòrùn. Ìgbà kan wà tí ẹnìkan ń ṣe olórí àwọn tókù fún ìpalára rẹ̀.
All this I have seen, applying my mind to every deed that is done under the sun; there is a time when one man lords it over another to his own detriment.
10 Nígbà náà ni mo tún rí ìsìnkú ènìyàn búburú—àwọn tí wọ́n máa ń wá tí wọ́n sì ń lọ láti ibi mímọ́ kí wọn sì gba ìyìn ní ìlú tàbí tí wọ́n ti ṣe èyí. Eléyìí pẹ̀lú kò ní ìtumọ̀.
Then too, I saw the burial of the wicked who used to go in and out of the holy place, and they were praised in the city where they had done so. This too is futile.
11 Nígbà tí a kò bá tètè ṣe ìdájọ́ fún ẹlẹ́ṣẹ̀ kíákíá, ọkàn àwọn ènìyàn a máa kún fún ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ìmọ̀ láti ṣe ibi.
When the sentence for a crime is not speedily executed, the hearts of men become fully set on doing evil.
12 Bí ènìyàn búburú tó dẹ́ṣẹ̀ nígbà ọgọ́rùn-ún tilẹ̀ wà láààyè fún ìgbà pípẹ́, mo mọ̀ wí pé yóò dára fún ẹni tí ó bẹ̀rù Ọlọ́run, tí ó bẹ̀rù níwájú rẹ̀.
Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and still lives long, yet I also know that it will go well with those who fear God, who are reverent in His presence.
13 Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni kì yóò dára fún ènìyàn búburú, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni kì yóò fa ọjọ́ rẹ̀ gún tí ó dà bí òjìji, nítorí tí kò bẹ̀rù níwájú Ọlọ́run.
Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.
14 Ohun mìíràn tún wà tí kò ní ìtumọ̀, tí ó ń ṣẹlẹ̀ láyé olódodo tí ó ń gba ohun tí ó tọ́ sí òṣìkà àti ènìyàn búburú tí ó ń gba ohun tí ó tọ́ sí olódodo. Mo sọ wí pé eléyìí gan an kò ní ìtumọ̀.
There is a futility that is done on the earth: There are righteous men who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked men who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile.
15 Nítorí náà mo kan sáárá sí ìgbádùn ayé, nítorí pé kò sí ohun tí ó dára fún ènìyàn ní abẹ́ oòrùn ju pé kí ó jẹ, kí ó mu, kí inú rẹ̀ sì dùn lọ. Nígbà náà ni ìdùnnú yóò bá a rìn nínú iṣẹ́ ẹ rẹ̀, ní gbogbo ọjọ́ ayé ti Ọlọ́run tí fi fún un lábẹ́ oòrùn.
So I commended the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be merry. For this joy will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun.
16 Nígbà tí mo lo ọkàn mi láti mọ ọgbọ́n àti láti wo wàhálà ènìyàn ní ayé.
When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the task that one performs on the earth—though his eyes do not see sleep in the day or even in the night—
17 Nígbà náà ni mo rí gbogbo ohun tí Ọlọ́run tí ṣe, kò sí ẹnìkan tí ó le è mòye ohun tí ó ń lọ lábẹ́ oòrùn. Láìbìkítà gbogbo ìyànjú rẹ̀ láti wá rí jáde, ènìyàn kò le è mọ ìtumọ̀ rẹ̀, kódà bí ọlọ́gbọ́n ènìyàn rò wí pé òun mọ̀ ọ́n, kò le è ní òye rẹ̀ ní pàtó.
I saw every work of God, and that a man is unable to comprehend the work that is done under the sun. Despite his efforts to search it out, he cannot find its meaning; even if the wise man claims to know, he is unable to comprehend.
