One Day at a Time
1 I thought about these things. Then I understood that God has power over everyone, even those who are wise and live right. Anything can happen to any one of us, and so we never know if life will be good or bad. 2 But exactly the same thing will finally happen to all of us, whether we live right and respect God or sin and don't respect God. Yes, the same thing will happen if we offer sacrifices to God or if we don't, if we keep our promises or are afraid to make them.
3 It's terribly unfair for the same thing to happen to each of us. We are mean and foolish while we live, and then we die. 4 As long as we are alive, we still have hope, just as a live dog is better off than a dead lion. 5 We know we will die, but the dead don't know a thing. Nothing good will happen to them—they are gone and forgotten. 6 Their loves, their hates, and their jealous feelings have all disappeared with them. They will never again take part in anything that happens on this earth.
7 So be happy and enjoy eating and drinking! God decided long ago that this is what you should do. 8 Dress up, comb your hair, and look your best. 9 Life is short, and you love your wife, so enjoy being with her. This is what you are supposed to do as you struggle through life on this earth. 10 Work hard at whatever you do. You will soon go to the world of the dead, where no one works or thinks or reasons or even knows anything.
11 Here is something else I have learned:
The fastest runners
and the greatest heroes
don't always win races
and battles.
Wisdom, intelligence, and skill
don't always make you healthy,
rich, or popular.
We each have our own share
of misfortune.
12 None of us know when we might fall victim to a sudden disaster and find ourselves like fish in a net or birds in a trap.
Better To Be Wise than Foolish
13 Once I saw what people really think of wisdom, and it made an impression on me. 14 It happened when a powerful ruler surrounded and attacked a small city where only a few people lived. The enemy army was getting ready to break through the city walls. 15 But the city was saved by the wisdom of a poor person who was soon forgotten. 16 So I decided that wisdom is better than strength. Yet if you are poor, no one pays any attention to you, no matter how smart you are.
17 Words of wisdom spoken softly
make much more sense
than the shouts of a ruler
to a crowd of fools.
18 Wisdom is more powerful
than weapons,
yet one mistake can destroy
all the good you have done.
1 Ami mba konḓonona oviṋa mbi avihe, nu arire tji mba munu kutja omusemba nonongo noviṋa avihe mbi ve tjita vi ri meke ra Ndjambi. Omundu ka tjiwa kutja okusuvera poo okunyengwa otjo otjikeṋa, nu aviyevari mbi momeho we ovyo omungandjo uriri. 2 Oviṋa avihe vi ṱeki pamwe ku avehe: Otjiwonga tjingetjo tji wira komusemba na komurunde, komukohoke na komuhakohoke, ku ingwi ngu punguha na ku ingwi ngu ha punguha; omusemba u ṱeki pomunauvi, nu ingwi ngu yana u ṱeki pu ingwi ngu tira okuyana. 3 Ouvi mbu ri mu avihe, mbi tjitwa mouye mbwi owo mbwi: Otjiwonga tjimwe tji ya ku avehe, nokutja omitima vyovandu vye ura nouvi, nokutja ouyova u ri momitima vyawo aruhe ngunda ave nomuinyo.
Tjazumba avehe otji mave pundu motjovakoke. 4 Nungwari omundu ngu ri puna ovanamuinyo, eye ingee u nomaundjiro; ombwa ndji nomuinyo oyo onanḓengu pongeyama ndja koka. 5 Ovanamuinyo ve tjiwa kutja mave koka, nungwari ovakoke kave tjiwa otjiṋa, nu kave tji nondjambi, orondu owo va zembwa oparukaze.
6 Orusuvero rwovakoke nonyengo yawo, nomaukoze wawo, avihe mbi vya zenga; nowo kave tji nokukara ko norupa mu avihe, mbi tjitwa kombanda yehi.
7 Nu twende u karye ovikurya vyoye nenyando, nu u kanwe omavinu woye nondjoroka, orondu Ndjambi u nonyuṋe moviungura vyoye okuza korukuru. 8 Zara ozombanda ozombapa aruhe, nu o ha isa okurivava omaze motjiuru. 9 Yorokisa omuinyo woye puna omukazendu ngu wa suvera oure womayuva womuinyo woye womungandjo, Ndjambi nge ku pa kombanda yehi. Yoroka meyuva arihe peke romungandjo ndi, orondu indji ondji ri ondjambi yoye komuinyo na koviungura vyoye, mbi wa ungura nongondjero kombanda yehi. 10 Oviungura ngamwa avihe mbi movanga okuungura, ungura ngunda au nomasa; orondu kaku noviungura nomeripuriro nondjiviro nonongo motjovakoke hapo ove ku mo i.
11 Norukwao ami mba muna otjiṋa hi kombanda yehi kutja ovanatjikara aruhe kambe toṋa momararakaneno, nozombanḓe aruhe kanḓe muna outoṋi movita. Omundu onongo aruhe kangu pewa ovikurya, nomunazondunge aruhe kangu tumba; wina omuhongwa aruhe kangu muna ondjingonekero; nungwari oruveze rwokumuna ouhumandu ru ya ku wo avehe. 12 Omundu ka tjiwa oruveze eye ndwa yengerwa. Otja ozohi punga aze kamburwa mombate youmba, notja ozonḓera punga aze patwa mozongwehe, omundu rumwe opunga ama patwa wina, oruveze rwoumba tji rwe mu wire tjimanga.
Ounongo nouyova
13 Ami wina mba muna otjiṋa mouye mbwi, otjihorera otjiwa tjokutja ounongo u varwa otjatjike: 14 Pa ri otjihuro otjiṱiṱi mu mu ha turire ovandu ovengi. Ombara onamasa otji ye tji rwisa ai tji kovere, nai tungu otutatwa otunamasa okukondorokisa tjo. 15 Nu mu tjo mwa turire omundu omusyona, nungwari eye wa ri onongo tjinene nai nga tja yama otjihuro hi nounongo we. Nungwari kapa ri omundu ngwe rizemburukire nomurumendu omusyona ngwi. 16 Ami aruhe otjiye tja ounongo ombu ri ounanḓengu pomasa; nungwari ounongo womusyona u nyengurwa, nomambo we kaye puratenwa ko. 17 Omambo wovandu ozonongo nge puratenwa nawa, owo onge ri omananḓengu pokuravaera kwomuhonapare mokati kovandu omayova. 18 Ounongo owo ombu ri ounanḓengu povirwise vyovita, nungwari omunauvi umwe u zunḓa oviṋa ovingi oviwa.
