1 I looked again and saw people being mistreated everywhere on earth. They were crying, but no one was there to offer comfort, and those who mistreated them were powerful. 2 I said to myself, “The dead are better off than the living. 3 But those who have never been born are better off than anyone else, because they have never seen the terrible things that happen on this earth.”
4 Then I realized that we work and do wonderful things just because we are jealous of others. This makes no more sense than chasing the wind.
5 Fools will fold their hands
and starve to death.
6 Yet a very little food
eaten in peace
is better than twice as much
earned from overwork
and chasing the wind.
7 Once again I saw that nothing on earth makes sense. 8 For example, some people don't have friends or family. But they are never satisfied with what they own, and they never stop working to get more. They should ask themselves, “Why am I always working to have more? Who will get what I leave behind?” What a senseless and miserable life!
It Is Better To Have a Friend
9 You are better having a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn. 10 If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble. 11 If you sleep alone, you won't have anyone to keep you warm on a cold night. 12 Someone might be able to beat up one of you, but not both of you. As the saying goes, “A rope made from three strands of cord is hard to break.”
13 You may be poor and young, but if you are wise, you are better off than a foolish old king who won't listen to advice. 14 Even if you were not born into the royal family and have been a prisoner and poor, you can still be king. 15 I once saw everyone in the world follow a young leader who came to power after the king was gone. 16 His followers could not even be counted. But years from now, no one will praise him—this makes no more sense than chasing the wind.
1 Tjazumba arire tji mba munu rukwao inga omaṋiṋikiziro aehe nge tjitwa mouye mbwi. Tara, imba ovaṋiṋikiziwa ve ṱoruhoze, nungwari owo kave na ngu meve yarura omitima pehi, imba ovaṋiṋikize vawo tjinga e ri mbe nouvara, nu tjinga ape hi na ngu meve yama. 2 Ami otji me tanga ovaṱi mba koka rukuru; owo ombe ri ovaṋingandu pu imba mbe nomuinyo nga mba. 3 Nungwari omuṋingandu tjinene pu wo aveyevari eye ngwi ingee ngu hiya kwatwa, nu ngu hi na wa mwine ouhasemba mbu tjitwa mouye.
4 Ami wina mba muna kutja ongondjero aihe noviungura avihe vyovandu vi za mokuṱasana eruru. Nungwari imbi omungandjo; kwa sana nokurambera ombepo uriri. 5 Owo ve tja omundu eyova u nyuta omake we, nu e ritarere ama ṱondjara. 6 Okokuwa okukara noviṋa oviṱiṱi meke rimwe au nohange komeho yokukara nomake ayeyevari nge ura nozongondjero, nu tjandje okwo okurambera ombepo uriri.
7 Norukwao ami mba muna otjiṋa tjarwe tji tjiri omungandjo mouye mbwi: 8 Pe nomundu ngwa tura erike ṱii. Eye ke nomuatje nu ke nomuzamumwe, nungwari kongondjero yoviungura vye kaku nondjandero, nomeho we kaye kovisiwa i outumbe. Nungwari hapo eye u ungurira uṋe nouzeu nai, tje rikaerisa evyaro arihe? Imbi avihe omungandjo uriri, nu oviṋa vyoposyo.
9 Okokuwa tji mu ri mu vevari komeho yokurira umwe ṱii, orondu ovandu vevari ve nondjambi ombwa mongondjero yoviungura vyawo. 10 Orondu umwe tja u, omukwao me mu yeura; nungwari omundu tje ri erike na u, owee ku ye, tjinga ape hi na warwe ngu me mu vatere. 11 Rukwao, ovandu vevari tji va rara pamwe, mave pasana oupyu; nungwari omundu tja rara erike ma sora vi okumuna oupyu? 12 Nomundu worive tja rwisa umwe wawo, aveyevari mave sora okumupirukira; nongoze ndja mangwa pozongoze ndatu kamaai porwa oupupu.
13 Okokuwa okurira omutanda omusyona, nungwari onongo, komurungu wokurira ombara ongururume, nungwari eyova, nu ndji ha vanga okurongwa. 14 Ingwi omutanda ngwa piti motjovakamburwa rumwe ma karira ombara, nandarire kutja wa kwatwa omusyona mouhona eye mbu maa kahonaparera. 15 Ami mba muna kutja imba ovanamuinyo avehe mbe ryanga mouye auhe va ri komukuma womuzandu omutanda ngwi ngwa rira omupingene wombara. 16 Kapa ri ondjandero kotjivaro tjovandu avehe ombara mbu ya honaparera. Nungwari oyo tji ya zu po, inḓa ozondekurona tjandje kaze nohange noviungura vyayo. Wina avihe mbi omungandjo, nu okurambera ombepo uriri.
