1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
Jitunze mguu wako uendapo nyumbani kwa Mungu; Maana ni heri kukaribia ili usikie, Kuliko kutoa kafara ya wapumbavu; Ambao hawajui kuwa wafanya mabaya.
2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
Usiseme maneno ya ujinga kwa kinywa chako, wala moyo wako usiwe na haraka kunena mbele za Mungu; kwa maana, Mungu yuko mbinguni, na wewe upo chini, Kwa hiyo maneno yako na yawe machache.
3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
Kwa maana ndoto huja kwa sababu ya shughuli nyingi; na sauti ya mpumbavu kwa njia ya wingi wa maneno.
4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
Wewe ukimwekea Mungu nadhiri, usikawie kuiondoa; kwa kuwa yeye hawi radhi na wapumbavu; basi, uiondoe hiyo uliyoiweka nadhiri.
5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
Ni afadhali usiweke nadhiri, Kuliko kuiweka usiiondoe.
6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
Usikiache kinywa chako kuukosesha mwili wako; wala usiseme mbele ya huyo malaika ya kwamba umepitiliwa; kwani Mungu akukasirikie sauti yako, na kuiharibu kazi ya mikono yako?
7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
Maana ndivyo ilivyo katika habari za wingi wa ndoto, na ubatili, na maneno mengi; walakini wewe umche Mungu.
8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
Ujapokuwa unaona maskini kuonewa, na hukumu na haki kuondolewa kwa jeuri katika jimbo, usilistaajabie jambo hilo; kwa sababu, Aliye juu kuliko walio juu huangalia; Tena wako walio juu kupita hao.
9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
Lakini, pamoja na hayo, manufaa ya nchi kwa kila njia ni mfalme anayejibidiisha kwa ajili ya shamba.
10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
Apendaye fedha hatashiba fedha, Wala apendaye wingi hatashiba maongeo. Hayo pia ni ubatili.
11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
Mali yakiongezeka, hao walao nao waongezeka na mwenyewe hufaidiwa nini, ila kuyatazama kwa macho yake tu?
12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
Usingizi wake kibarua ni mtamu, kwamba amekula kidogo, au kwamba amekula kingi; lakini kushiba kwake tajiri hakumwachi kulala usingizi.
13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely , riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
Kuna na balaa mbaya sana niliyoiona chini ya jua, nayo ni hii, mali alizoziweka mwenyewe kwa kujinyima;
14 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
na mali hizo zimepotea kwa bahati mbaya; naye akiwa amezaa mwana, hamna kitu mkononi mwake.
15 As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
Alivyotoka tumboni mwa mamaye, atakwenda tena tupu-tupu kama alivyokuja; asichume kitu cho chote kwa ajili ya kazi yake, hata akichukue mkononi mwake.
16 And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
Hiyo ndiyo balaa mbaya sana, ya kwamba kama vile alivyokuja, vivyo hivyo atakwenda zake; naye amefaidiwa nini mwenye kujitaabisha kwa ajili ya upepo?
17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
Siku zake zote hula gizani, mwenye fadhaa nyingi, mwenye ugonjwa na uchungu.
18 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
Tazama, mimi niliyoyaona kuwa ndiyo mema na ya kufaa, ni mtu kula na kunywa, na kujiburudisha kwa mema katika kazi yake yote anayoifanya chini ya jua, siku zote za maisha yake alizopewa na Mungu; maana hilo ndilo fungu lake.
19 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
Tena, kwa habari za kila mwanadamu, ambaye Mungu amempa mali na ukwasi, akamwezesha kula katika hizo, na kuipokea sehemu yake, na kuifurahia amali yake; hiyo ndiyo karama ya Mungu.
20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
Kwa kuwa mtu hatazikumbuka mno siku za maisha yake; kwa sababu Mungu humtakabali katika furaha ya moyo wake.
