Ecclesiastes 9
1 Nígbà náà ni mo wá ronú lórí gbogbo èyí, tí mo sì parí rẹ̀ pé, olóòtọ́ àti ọlọ́gbọ́n àti ohun tí wọ́n ń ṣe wà ní ọwọ́ Ọlọ́run, ṣùgbọ́n kò sí ènìyàn tí ó mọ̀ bóyá ìfẹ́ tàbí ìríra ni ó ń dúró de òun.
I thought about all those things, and I concluded that God controls [what happens to] everyone, even those who are wise and those who are righteous. No one knows whether [others] will love them or whether they will hate them.
2 Àyànmọ́ kan náà ni gbogbo wọn yàn—olóòtọ́ àti ènìyàn búburú, rere àti ibi, mímọ́ àti àìmọ́, àwọn tí ó ń rú ẹbọ àti àwọn tí kò rú ẹbọ. Bí ó ti rí pẹ̀lú ènìyàn rere bẹ́ẹ̀ náà ni ó rí pẹ̀lú ẹni tó dẹ́ṣẹ̀ bí ó ti rí pẹ̀lú àwọn tí ó ń ṣe ìbúra bẹ́ẹ̀ náà ni ó rí pẹ̀lú àwọn tí ó ń bẹ̀rù láti ṣe ìbúra.
[But we know that some time in the future] we will all die; it does not matter whether we act righteously or wickedly, whether we are good or whether we are bad, whether we are acceptable for [worshiping God] or whether [we have done things to cause us to be] unacceptable; it does not matter if we offer sacrifices [to God] or if we do not; it does not matter if we do what we have promised God that we will do or if we do not; [we all die]. The same thing will happen to good people and to sinful people, to those who solemnly promise [to do things for God] and to those who are afraid to make such promises.
3 Ohun búburú ni èyí jẹ́ nínú gbogbo ohun tí ó ń ṣẹlẹ̀ lábẹ́ oòrùn. Ìpín kan ṣoṣo ni ó ń dúró de gbogbo wọn, ọkàn ènìyàn pẹ̀lú kún fún ibi, ìsínwín sì wà ní ọkàn wọn nígbà tí wọ́n wà láààyè àti nígbà tí wọ́n bá darapọ̀ mọ́ òkú.
It seems wrong that the same thing happens to everyone on this earth: Everyone dies [EUP]. Furthermore, people’s inner beings are full of evil. People do foolish things while they are alive, and then they die and join those who are already dead.
4 Ẹnikẹ́ni tí ó wà láàrín alààyè ní ìrètí—kódà ààyè ajá sàn dáradára ju òkú kìnnìún lọ!
While we are alive, we confidently expect [that good things will happen to us]. [We despise] dogs, but it is better to be a dog that is alive than to be a [majestic] lion that is dead.
5 Nítorí pé ẹni tí ó wà láààyè mọ̀ wí pé àwọn yóò kú ṣùgbọ́n òkú kò mọ ohun kan wọn kò ní èrè kankan mọ́, àti pé kódà ìrántí wọn tí di ohun ìgbàgbé.
We who are alive know that [some day] we will die, but dead people do not know anything. Dead people do not receive any more rewards, and people soon forget them.
6 Ìfẹ́ wọn, ìríra wọn, àti ìlara wọn ti parẹ́: láéláé kọ́ ni wọn yóò tún ní ìpín nínú ohunkóhun tí ó ń ṣẹlẹ̀ lábẹ́ oòrùn.
[While they were alive], they loved [some people], they hated [some people], they envied [some people], but that all ends when they die. They will never again be a part of anything that happens here on the earth.
7 Lọ jẹ oúnjẹ rẹ pẹ̀lú ayọ̀, kí o sì mu ọtí wáìnì rẹ pẹ̀lú inú dídùn dé ọkàn, nítorí pé ìsinsin yìí ni Ọlọ́run síjú àánú wo ohun tí o ṣe.
[So I say], be joyful [DOU] while you eat your food and drink your wine, because that is what God wants you to do.
8 Máa wọ aṣọ funfun nígbàkígbà kí o sì máa fi òróró yan orí rẹ nígbà gbogbo.
Wear nice [MTY] clothes and make your face look nice.
9 Máa jẹ ayé pẹ̀lú ìyàwó rẹ, ẹni tí o fẹ́ràn, ní gbogbo ọjọ́ ayé àìní ìtumọ̀ yí tí Ọlọ́run ti fi fún ọ lábẹ́ oòrùn—gbogbo ọjọ́ àìní ìtumọ̀ rẹ. Nítorí èyí ni ìpín tìrẹ ní ayé àti nínú iṣẹ́ wàhálà rẹ ní abẹ́ oòrùn.
Enjoy living with your wife whom you love, all during the time that God has given to you to be alive here on this earth. And even though it is difficult to understand why many things happen, enjoy doing the work that you do here on this earth.
10 Ohunkóhun tí ọwọ́ rẹ bá rí láti ṣe, ṣe é pẹ̀lú gbogbo agbára rẹ, nítorí kò sí iṣẹ́ ṣíṣe tàbí ìpinnu tàbí ìmọ̀ tàbí ọgbọ́n nínú isà òkú níbi tí ò ń lọ. (Sheol h7585)
Whatever you are able to do, do it with all your energy, because [some time you will die], and in the place of the dead where you are going, no one works or plans to do anything or knows anything or is wise. (Sheol h7585)
11 Mo ti rí ohun mìíràn lábẹ́ oòrùn. Eré ìje kì í ṣe fún ẹni tí ó yára tàbí ogun fún alágbára, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni oúnjẹ kò wà fún ọlọ́gbọ́n tàbí ọrọ̀ fún ẹni tí ó ní òye tàbí ojúrere fún ẹni tí ó ní ìmọ̀; ṣùgbọ́n ìgbà àti èsì ń ṣẹlẹ̀ sí gbogbo wọn.
I have seen something else here on the earth: The person who runs fastest does not [always] win the race, the strongest soldiers do not [always] win the battle, the wisest people do not [always] have food, the smartest people do not [always] become rich, and people who have studied a lot are not [always] (honored/treated very specially) by others; we cannot [always] control what things will happen to us and where they will happen.
12 Síwájú sí i, kò sí ẹni tí ó mọ ìgbà tí àkókò rẹ̀ yóò dé, gẹ́gẹ́ bí a ti ń mú ẹja nínú àwọ̀n búburú tàbí tí a ń mú ẹyẹ nínú okùn gẹ́gẹ́ bẹ́ẹ̀ ni a ń mú ènìyàn ní àkókò ibi tí ó ṣubú lù wọ́n láìròtẹ́lẹ̀.
No one knows when he will die [EUP]; fish are cruelly caught in a net, and birds are caught in snares/traps; similarly [SIM], people experience disasters at times when they do not expect them to happen.
13 Mo sì tún rí àpẹẹrẹ ọgbọ́n tí ó dùn mọ́ mi lábẹ́ oòrùn.
Once I saw something that a wise man did that impressed me.
14 Ìlú kékeré kan tí ènìyàn díẹ̀ wà nínú rẹ̀ wà ní ìgbà kan rí. Ọba alágbára kan sì ṣígun tọ ìlú náà lọ, ó yí i po, ó sì kọ́ ilé ìṣọ́ tí ó tóbi lòdì sí i.
There was a small town, where only a few people lived. The army of a great king came to that town and surrounded it. They built dirt ramps up against the walls in order to climb up and attack the town.
15 Ṣùgbọ́n, tálákà ọkùnrin tí ó jẹ́ ọlọ́gbọ́n kan ń gbé ní ìlú náà, ó sì gba gbogbo ìlú u rẹ̀ là pẹ̀lú ọgbọ́n rẹ̀. Ṣùgbọ́n kò sí ẹni tí ó rántí ọkùnrin tálákà náà.
In that town there was a man who was poor but very wise. Because of doing what that man [suggested], the town was saved; but people [soon] forgot about him.
16 Nítorí náà mo sọ wí pé, “Ọgbọ́n dára ju agbára.” Ṣùgbọ́n a kẹ́gàn ọgbọ́n ọkùnrin tálákà náà, wọn kò sì mú ọ̀rọ̀ rẹ̀ ṣe.
So I realized that although being wise is better than being strong, if you are poor, no one will appreciate what you do, and people will soon forget what you said.
17 Ọ̀rọ̀ pẹ̀lẹ́ ọlọ́gbọ́n ènìyàn a máa wà ní ìmúṣẹ ju igbe òmùgọ̀ alákòóso lọ.
Speaking quietly what is [very] wise is [much] more sensible than a king shouting to foolish people.
18 Ọgbọ́n dára ju ohun èlò ogun lọ, ṣùgbọ́n ẹnìkan tó dẹ́ṣẹ̀ a máa ba ohun dídára púpọ̀ jẹ́.
Being wise is more useful than [a lot of] weapons; but if you do one foolish thing, [it is possible that] because of doing that, you will ruin all the good things that you have done.
