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.
[I will tell you about] those who are truly wise [RHQ] with the result that they can explain why everything happens. Being wise enables people to be happy [MTY] and enables them to smile.
2 Mo sọ wí pé, pa òfin ọba mọ́, nítorí pé, ìwọ ti ṣe ìbúra níwájú Ọlọ́run.
You solemnly promised God that you would obey what the king commands, so do that.
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 quickly disobey the king. And do not join those who want to rebel against him, because the king will do what he wants to do.
4 Níwọ́n ìgbà tí ọ̀rọ̀ ọba ni àṣẹ, ta ni ó le è sọ fún un wí pé, “Kí ni ìwọ ń ṣe?”
We need to obey what the king says more than we need to obey what anyone else says; no one can say to the king, “(Why are you doing that?/You should not be doing that.) [RHQ]”
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.
If you obey what the king commands, he will not harm you. [So] be wise, and know the correct/right time to do things and the right way to do them.
6 Ohun gbogbo ni ó ní àsìkò àti ọ̀nà tí ó tọ́ láti ṣe, ṣùgbọ́n, òsì ènìyàn pọ̀ sí orí ara rẹ̀.
Although people experience many troubles/difficulties, there is a right/correct time to do things, and there is a right/correct way [to do them].
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?
No one knows what will happen in the future, so there is no one [RHQ] who can tell us what is going to happen.
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.
We cannot control the wind, and we cannot control when we will die. Soldiers are not permitted to go home during a battle, and evil people will not be saved by [doing what is] evil.
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.
I thought about all those things, and I thought about all [HYP] the other things that happen on this earth. I saw that [sometimes] people cause those whom they control to suffer.
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.
I also saw that [sometimes] after evil [people] die, they are highly honored at their funerals by the people in the cities where they had done [evil] deeds. It seemed to be difficult to understand why that happens.
11 Nígbà tí a kò bá tètè ṣe ìdájọ́ fún ẹlẹ́ṣẹ̀ kíákíá, ọkàn àwọn ènìyàn a máa kún fún ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ìmọ̀ láti ṣe ibi.
If evil people are not immediately punished, it causes [other] people [SYN] to [also] want to do evil things.
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.
But even if sinful people commit 100 crimes, and [even if they] live for a long time, I know that things will go better for those who greatly respect and revere God.
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.
[I also know] that things will not go well go for those who are evil, because they do not revere God. Shadows [do not last a long time]. Similarly [SIM], evil people will not live a long time.
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.
Another thing that [sometimes] happens on this earth is that bad things happen to righteous people, and good things happen to evil people. It is difficult to understand why that happens.
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 decided that I would recommend that people be happy while they are alive, because the best thing that people can do here on this earth is to eat and drink and be happy. Enjoying doing those things will help people while they do their work, all the time that God has given to them to remain alive here on the earth.
16 Nígbà tí mo lo ọkàn mi láti mọ ọgbọ́n àti láti wo wàhálà ènìyàn ní ayé.
I thought about being wise and about people who work very hard, working day and night and not taking time to sleep.
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.
Then I thought about everything [HYP] that God has done, and I realized that no one can understand everything that happens here on this earth. Truly, people are not able to fully understand everything [that God understands], even if they try hard to do that. Even if wise people claim that they understand it all, they cannot.
