1 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
Na kwa ajili ya hayo yote, nikatia moyo wangu katika kuyatafuta-tafuta haya; ya kuwa wenye haki, na wenye hekima, pamoja na matendo yao yote, wamo mkononi mwa Mungu; kwamba ni pendo au kwamba ni chuki, mwanadamu hajui; mambo yote yawapita.
2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
Mambo yote yawatukia wote sawasawa; kuna tukio moja kwake mwenye haki na kwake asiye haki; kwa mtu mwema na kwa mtu mwovu; kwa mtu aliye safi na kwa mtu asiye safi; kwake yeye atoaye kafara na kwake asiyetoa kafara; kama alivyo huyo mwema ndivyo alivyo mwenye dhambi; yeye aapaye na yeye aogopaye kiapo.
3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
Baa hilo ni katika mambo yote yanayofanyika chini ya jua, ya kuwa wote wanalo tukio moja; naam, zaidi ya hayo, mioyo ya wanadamu imejaa maovu, na wazimu umo mioyoni mwao wakati walipo hai, na baadaye huenda kwa wafu.
4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
Kwa kuwa liko tumaini kwa yule aliyeambatana na wote walio hai; (maana ni afadhali mbwa aliye hai kuliko simba aliyekufa);
5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
kwa sababu walio hai wanajua ya kwamba watakufa; lakini wafu hawajui neno lo lote, wala hawana ijara tena; maana kumbukumbu lao limesahauliwa.
6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
Mapenzi yao na machukio yao, na husuda yao, imepotea yote pamoja; wala hawana sehemu tena katika jambo lo lote lililofanyika chini ya jua.
7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
Wewe enenda zako, ule chakula chako kwa furaha, unywe mvinyo yako kwa moyo wa kuchangamka; kwa kuwa Mungu amekwisha kuzikubali kazi zako.
8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
Mavazi yako na yawe meupe sikuzote; wala kichwa chako kisikose marhamu.
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
Uishi kwa furaha pamoja na mke umpendaye, siku zote za maisha yako ya ubatili, ulizopewa chini ya jua; siku zote za ubatili wako, kwa maana huo ni sehemu yako ya maisha; na katika taabu zako ulizozitaabika chini ya jua.
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
Lo lote mkono wako utakalolipata kulifanya, ulifanye kwa nguvu zako; kwa kuwa hakuna kazi, wala shauri, wala maarifa, wala hekima, huko kuzimu uendako wewe.
11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Nikarudi, na kuona chini ya jua, ya kwamba si wenye mbio washindao katika michezo, wala si walio hodari washindao vitani, wala si wenye hekima wapatao chakula, wala si watu wa ufahamu wapatao mali, wala wenye ustadi wapatao upendeleo; lakini wakati na bahati huwapata wote.
12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
Maana mwanadamu naye hajui wakati wake; kama samaki wanaokamatwa katika nyavu mbaya, na mfano wa ndege wanaonaswa mtegoni, kadhalika wanadamu hunaswa katika wakati mbaya, unapowaangukia kwa ghafula.
13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
Pia nimeona hekima chini ya jua, nayo ni kama hivi, tena kwangu mimi ilionekana kuwa ni neno kubwa.
14 there was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
Palikuwa na mji mdogo, na watu ndani yake walikuwa wachache; akaja mfalme mkuu juu yake, akauhusuru, akajenga ngome kubwa ili kuupiga.
15 now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
Basi, kulionekana humo mtu maskini mwenye hekima, naye kwa hekima yake akauokoa mji ule lakini hata hivyo hapakuwa na mtu ye yote aliyemkumbuka yule mtu maskini.
16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Ndipo niliposema, Bora hekima kuliko nguvu; walakini hekima ya maskini hudharauliwa, wala maneno yake hayasikilizwi.
17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
Maneno ya wenye hekima yanenwayo taratibu husikiwa, Zaidi ya mlio wake atawalaye katikati ya wapumbavu.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
Hekima ndiyo bora kupita silaha za vita; Lakini mkosaji mmoja huharibu mema mengi.
