It Is Senseless To Be Selfish
1 I said to myself, “Have fun and enjoy yourself!” But this didn't make sense. 2 Laughing and having fun is crazy. What good does it do? 3 I wanted to find out what was best for us during the short time we have on this earth. So I decided to make myself happy with wine and find out what it means to be foolish, without really being foolish myself.
4 I did some great things. I built houses and planted vineyards. 5 I had flower gardens and orchards full of fruit trees. 6 And I had pools where I could get water for the trees. 7 I owned slaves, and their sons and daughters became my slaves. I had more sheep and goats than anyone who had ever lived in Jerusalem. 8 Foreign rulers brought me silver, gold, and precious treasures. Men and women sang for me, and I had many wives who gave me great pleasure.
9 I was the most famous person who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and I was very wise. 10 I got whatever I wanted and did whatever made me happy. But most of all, I enjoyed my work. 11 Then I thought about everything I had done, including the hard work, and it was simply chasing the wind. Nothing on earth is worth the trouble.
Wisdom Comes from God
12 I asked myself, “What can the next king do that I haven't done?” Then I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and stupidity. 13 And I discovered that wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. 14 Wisdom is like having two good eyes; foolishness leaves you in the dark. But wise or foolish, we all end up the same.
15 Finally, I said to myself, “Being wise got me nowhere! The same thing will happen to me that happens to fools. Nothing makes sense. 16 Wise or foolish, we all die and are soon forgotten.” 17 This made me hate life. Everything we do is painful; it's just as senseless as chasing the wind.
18 Suddenly I realized that others would someday get everything I had worked for so hard, then I started hating it all. 19 Who knows if those people will be sensible or stupid? Either way, they will own everything I have earned by hard work and wisdom. It doesn't make sense.
20 I thought about all my hard work, and I felt depressed. 21 When we use our wisdom, knowledge, and skill to get what we own, why do we have to leave it to someone who didn't work for it? This is senseless and wrong. 22 What do we really gain from all of our hard work? 23 Our bodies ache during the day, and work is torture. Then at night our thoughts are troubled. It just doesn't make sense.
24 The best thing we can do is to enjoy eating, drinking, and working. I believe these are God's gifts to us, 25 and no one enjoys eating and living more than I do. 26 If we please God, he will make us wise, understanding, and happy. But if we sin, God will make us struggle for a living, then he will give all we own to someone who pleases him. This makes no more sense than chasing the wind.
1 Ami mbe ripura mu ami omuini kutja osemba, me roro okuriyorokisa mbi tare kutja enyando mari ndji etere tjike. Nungwari okutjita nao ami mba muna kutja okwo omungandjo wina. 2 Kozondjora mba tja: “Ozo ouyova!” Kenyando mba tja: “Oro mari vatere tjike?” 3 Ami mbe ripura momutima wandje okukovisa orutu rwandje nomavinu, nungwari ingee mbi riyameka kounongo; nu mbe ripura okukakatera kouyova nga tji mba muna imbi mbi ri ovisemba kovandu, mbi va sokutjita kombanda yehi ngunda ave nomuinyo.
4 Ami mba ungura oviungura ovinene, okutja okuritungira ozondjuwo, nokukuna ovikunino vyomivite. 5 Mbe riungurira ovikunino nomakunino womiti, narire tji mba kunu mo omiti ngamwa avihe vyovihape. 6 Mba ungurisa ozombu zomeva okutjatja na zo ovikunwa. 7 Ami mba randa ovakarere ovarumendu novakazendu; nu mba ri novakarere mba kwaterwa monganda yandje. Wina mba ri notupanda twozongombe nozonyanda ozengi pu inḓa zovandu avehe mba turire mOjerusalem komurungu wandje. 8 Nu wina mbe rinyanyangizira osilveri nongoldo, novihuze vyozombara novyotukondwa twomahi ngu mbi honaparera; mbe ripahera ovaimbure ovarumendu novakazendu, nu mbari novakazendu ovengi omurumendu mba tja zera.
9 Notji mba rira omutjiukwa tjinene povature avehe, mba ri po komurungu wandje mOjerusalem; nounongo wandje aruhe tjandje mbi na wo. 10 Oviṋa avihe mbiye vanga, hi riruruparere ko; omutima wandje hi u tjaerere ko kenyando ngamwa arihe; orondu omutima wandje wa yoroka nondjorokero ndji ya ri ondjambi yongondjero yoviungura vyandje avihe. 11 Nu vari otji mba tara koviungura vyandje avihe mbya zikamisiwa i omake wandje na kongondjero yoviungura vyandje avihe; nu tara, avihe vya ri omungandjo, nu vya ri tjimuna okurambera ombepo uriri. Kape notjiṋa tji mo munine po mouye mbwi.
12 Tjazumba arire tji mbe ripura kutja okukara nounongo, nokuhinozondunge nouyova mavi hee tjike; norukwao mbe ripura kutja omundu ngu ma pingene ombara ma yenene okutjita vi? Ma tjiti tjingetjo hi tji tja tjitirwe rukuru nga mba! 13 Ami otji mba muna kutja ounongo ombu ri ounanḓengu pouyova tjimuna ondjerera tji i ri onanḓengu ponḓorera. 14 Onongo i muna komurungu wayo, eyova ri kayenda monḓorera. Nungwari ami me tjiwa wina kutja otjiwonga tjingetjo tji tu undja atuhe pu pe ṱa. 15 Otji mbe rihungirira momutima wandje ame tja: “Otjiwonga tjingetjo tji matji ya keyova, otjinga ama tji ya ku ami wina. Pe nohepero yatjike okurira onongo?” Ami arire tji mbe rizemburuka kutja imbi wina omungandjo, opouriri. 16 Orondu kape nomazemburukiro nge karerera konongo na keyova; momayuva ngu maye ya aveyevari mave zembwa; onongo neyova mave koka. 17 Ami otji mba tonda okuhupa kwomundu, imbi mbi tjitwa kombanda yehi tjinga avi ndji yaukisa, navihe tjinga avi ri omungandjo, nu avi ri tjimuna okurora okurambera ombepo uriri.
18 Avihe mbi mba ungurira nu mbi mba pwikira omupingene wandje, mba uta okuvinyengwa; 19 nowaṋi ngu ma tjiwa kutja ingwi omupingene wandje ma rire onongo poo eyova? Nungwari eye ma rire omuhona woviungura vyandje avihe mbi mba kondjera nounongo kombanda yehi. Avihe mbi wina ovyo omungandjo uriri. 20 Ami otji mbe rihahiza momutima wandje mena roviungura vyandje avihe, mbi mba ungura kombanda yehi. 21 Nu hapo otji pe kara kutja omundu ngwa ungura nounongo nondjiviro nouṋingandu ma isa imbi mbi ri ovye, novyo avi rire vyomundu warwe ngu hi na indu we vi kondjera. Imbi avihe omungandjo, nu ouhasemba ounene. 22 Nomundu hapo nai ma munine po tjike poviungura vye avihe na pongondjero eye ndja kondja kombanda yehi? 23 Tjiri, omayuva we aehe owo omihihamo, nongondjero ye oyo eputi, nangarire ouṱuku omutima we kau suva. Avihe mbi wina ovyo omungandjo.
24 Kape notjiṋa tjarwe otjiwa komundu posi yokurya nokunwa nokukara nohange moviungura vye. Imbi wina mba muna kutja vi za meke ra Ndjambi. 25 Orondu owaṋi ngu sora okurya, nowaṋi ngu sora okunyanda nokuhinaye? 26 Ndjambi u yandja ounongo nondjiviro nenyando ku ingwi eye me nonyuṋe; nungwari Ndjambi u ungurisa omurunde kutja imbi ovyongondjero ye vi pwikirwe ingwi Ndjambi me nonyuṋe. Avihe mbi wina omungandjo, nu vi ri tjimuna okurambera ombepo uriri.
