1 Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.
Ni nani aliye kama mwenye hekima; Naye ni nani ajuaye kufasiri neno? Hekima ya mtu humng'ariza uso wake, Na ugumu wa uso wake hubadilika.
2 I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
Mimi nasema hivi, Uishike amri ya mfalme; na hiyo kwa sababu umeapa kwa Mungu.
3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
Usifanye haraka kutoka mbele ya uso wake; usiendelee kufanya lililo baya; maana yeye hufanya lo lote limpendezalo.
4 Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
Kwa kuwa neno la mfalme lina nguvu; naye ni nani awezaye kumwambia huyo, Wafanya nini?
5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.
Aishikaye amri hatajua neno baya; Na moyo wa mwenye hekima hujua wakati na hukumu.
6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
Kwa maana kwa kila shauri kuna wakati na hukumu; kwa sababu mashaka ya mwanadamu yaliyo juu yake ni makubwa;
7 For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?
kwa kuwa hajui yatakayokuwako; kwa maana ni nani awezaye kumweleza jinsi yatakavyokuwa?
8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.
Hakuna mwenye uwezo juu ya roho aizuie roho; Wala hana mamlaka juu ya siku ya kufa; Wala hakuna kuruhusiwa katika vita vile; Wala uovu hautamwokoa yule aliyeuzoea.
9 All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.
Mambo hayo yote nimeyaona, nikatia moyo wangu katika kila kazi iliyofanyika chini ya jua. Kuna wakati ambapo mtu mmoja anayo mamlaka juu ya mwenziwe kwa hasira yake.
10 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.
Pia nikaona waovu wamezikwa, nao wamefika kaburini; tena waliofanya mema wameondoka katika patakatifu, nao wamesahauliwa mjini. Hayo nayo ni ubatili.
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
Kwa sababu hukumu juu ya tendo baya haitekelezwi upesi, mioyo ya wanadamu huthibitishwa ndani yao ili kutenda mabaya.
12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
Ajapokuwa mwenye dhambi amefanya maovu mara mia, akazidisha siku zake; lakini hata hivyo najua hakika ya kwamba itakuwa heri kwao wamchao Mungu, wenye kicho mbele zake;
13 but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
walakini haitakuwa heri kwa mwovu, wala hatazidisha siku zake, zilizo kama kivuli; kwa sababu hana kicho mbele za Mungu.
14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men , unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men , to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
Kuna ubatili unaofanyika juu ya nchi, kwamba wako wenye haki nao wapatilizwa kama kwa kazi yao waovu; tena wako waovu, nao wapatilizwa kama kwa kazi yao wenye haki. Nami nikasema ya kuwa hayo nayo ni ubatili.
15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.
Kisha nikaisifu furaha, kwa sababu mwanadamu hana neno lo lote lililo jema chini ya jua, kuliko kula, na kunywa, na kucheka; na yakuwa hilo likae naye katika amali yake, siku zote za maisha yake alizompa Mungu chini ya jua.
16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)
Mimi nilipotia moyo wangu katika kuijua hekima, na kuuona utumishi uliofanyika juu ya nchi, (maana kuna asiyepata usingizi kwa macho yake mchana wala usiku);
17 then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it ; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it , yet shall he not be able to find it .
basi, niliiona kazi yote ya Mungu, ya kuwa haitafutikani na mwanadamu kazi inayofanyika chini ya jua; kwa sababu mwanadamu na akijisumbua kadiri awezavyo kuitafuta, hata hivyo hataiona; naam, zaidi ya hayo, mwenye hekima ajapodhania ya kuwa ataijua, lakini yeye hataweza kuiona.
