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.
Ounyenye wokombada yedu noupuna itau eta elao
1 Onde lipopila momwenyo wange: “Paife nee nda hala oku ku yelekela nehafo. Kala u udite hano ouwa!” Ndelenee tala, naasho yo ongahoelela. 2 Nda lombwela oindjola, oyo oulai. Nehafo nde lilombwela: Otashi kwafa shike? 3 Ame nda diladila momwenyo wange ndi hekeleke olutu lange nomaviinyu, fimbo ounongo otau endifa omwenyo wange, nondi kanyatele koulai, fiyo handi mono oshike shiwa kovana vovanhu, osho ve noku shi ninga koshi yeulu momafiku avo omokukalamwenyo kwavo. 4 Ame nda longa oilonga inene: nde litungila eengulu, nonde likokolela oikokola yomiviinyu.
5 Ame nde li ningila oikunino noikunino yomiti ndele muyo nda twika mo omiti di lili nadi lili doiimati. 6 Nde li ningila omatale, opo ndi tekele oixwa yomiti dipe. 7 Ame onde lilandela yo ovapika ovalumenhu novakainhu naava yo va dalelwa meumbo lange. Ame nda li yo neengobe dihapu needi dihapu di dule daava va li nge komesho muJerusalem. 8 Ame nde likongela yo oshisiliveli noshingoldo nomamona eehamba nomamona oitukulwalongo. Ame onde likongela ovaimbi ovalumenhu novakainhu, ounyenye womahafo ovana vovanhu nokutya, ovaholike vahapu. 9 Ndele nda kula nda ninga omunenenhu ndi dule aveshe va li nge komesho muJerusalem. Ounongo owa kala yo pwaame. 10 Ame inandi kelela omesho ange kwaashishe oo e shi hala. Omutima wange inandi u kelela nande ehafo limwe, osheshi omutima wange wa hafela oilonga yange aishe idjuu, ndele osho sha li oshipewa shange shomoilonga yange aishe idjuu. 11 Opo nee nda tala oilonga yange aishe omake ange a longa, noilonga yange aishe idjuu nde i longa, ndele tala, oyo aishe oyongahoelela nokushikula omhepo. Ndele ashishe shokoshi yetango kashi nekwafo.
12 Ame nda punguluka ndi tale ounongo noulai noushima, osheshi omunhu ou ta shikula ohamba, ota dulu shike mbela shimwe, osho ashike eshi sha ningwa nale! 13 Opo nee nda mona nokutya, ounongo u dule oulai, nouyelele u dule omulaulu. 14 Omunaendunge e nomesho momutwe waye, ndelenee elai tali ende momulaulu. Ndelenee nda mona yo nokutya, oshipewa shavo aveshe oshi fike pamwe. 15 Onghee hano nde lipopila momwenyo wange: “Osho tashi hange elai, otashi hange nge yo. Omolwashike hano ame nda li omunongo unene?” Ndelenee nde lipopila momwenyo nokutya, owo yo owongahoelela. 16 Osheshi edimbulukiwo lomunongo itali kala po ngaashi yo lelai, shaashi momafiku tae uya, ashishe sha dimbuwa filu. Omunongo ta fi, ndishi, ngaashi elai! 17 Onghee hano nda tonda okukalamwenyo, osheshi oshilonga osho tashi ka ningwa koshi yetango inashi wapalela nge, shaashi ashishe oshongahoelela nokushikula ashike omhepo. 18 Ndele nda tonda oshilonga shange ashishe, osho nde shi longa noudjuu koshi yetango, eshi ndi noku shi efela omunhu ou ta ka shikula nge. 19 Ndele olyelye e shi shii ye ngeenge omunongo ile elai? Ndele ye ota ka pangela oilonga yange aishe nde i longa noudjuu ndele nde i likongela nounongo koshi yetango. Nasho yo oshongahoelela.
20 Onghee hano omutima wange nde u efela mexupulo omolwoilonga yange aishe, nde i longa noudjuu koshi yetango. 21 Osheshi osho shi li: omunhu ou e liningila oupyakadi nokulonga nounongo nomayele nouladi, e noku shi yandja komunhu, ou ine lipyakidila nasho. Nasho yo oshongahoelela noshiponga shinene. 22 Osheshi omunhu ota mono shike molwoupyakadi waye aushe nomolwelalakaneno lomutima waye, nalo ye te lietele oudjuu koshi yetango? 23 Osheshi omafiku aye aeshe ouyehame noshilonga shaye oluhodi. Nomoufiku yo omwenyo waye itau tulumukwa. Nasho yo oshongahoelela. 24 Omunhu ke na nande ouwa umwe, okulya nokunwa nokushambukifa omwenyo waye nouwa mokulonga kwaye kudjuu. Ame nda mona nokutya, osho osha dja meke laKalunga. 25 Osheshi olyelye ta dulu okulya nokunwa ehe na Kalunga? 26 Osheshi omunhu ou a wapala koshipala shaye, Ye ote mu pe ounongo, omayele nehafo, ndelenee omulunde ta pewa kuye oshilonga shokulikongela nokuhapupalifa, opo shi pewe ou a wapala koshipala shaKalunga. Nasho yo oshongahoelela nokushikula ashike omhepo.
