1 Who is smart enough
to explain everything?
Wisdom makes you cheerful
and gives you a smile.
Obey the King
2 If you promised God that you would be loyal to the king, I advise you to keep that promise. 3 Don't quickly oppose the king or argue when he has already made up his mind. 4 The king's word is law. No one can ask him, “Why are you doing this?” 5 If you obey the king, you will stay out of trouble. So be wise and learn what to do and when to do it. 6 Life is hard, but there is a time and a place for everything, 7 though no one can tell the future. 8 We cannot control the wind or determine the day of our death. There is no escape in time of war, and no one can hide behind evil. 9 I noticed all this and thought seriously about what goes on in the world. Why does one person have the power to hurt another?
Who Can Understand the Ways of God?
10 I saw the wicked buried with honor, but God's people had to leave the holy city and were forgotten. None of this makes sense. 11 When we see criminals commit crime after crime without being punished, it makes us want to start a life of crime. 12 They commit hundreds of crimes and live a long time, in spite of the saying:
Everyone who lives right
and respects God
will prosper,
13 but no one who sins
and rejects God
will prosper or live very long.
14 There is something else that doesn't make sense to me. Good citizens are treated as criminals, while criminals are honored as though they were good citizens. 15 So I think we should get as much out of life as we possibly can. There is nothing better than to enjoy our food and drink and have a good time. Then we can make it through this troublesome life that God has given us here on earth.
16 Day and night I went without sleep, trying to understand what goes on in this world. 17 I saw everything God does, and I realized no one can really understand what happens. We may be very wise, but no matter how much we try or how much we claim to know, we cannot understand it all.
Esimano lyomunawino
1 Olye a fa omunawino, nolye a tseya okufatula iinima? Owino yomuntu otayi adhimitha oshipala she, nuukukutu woshipala she tau lundululwa kuyo.
2 Otandi ti: Vulika komalombwelo gomukwaniilwa, unene omolwegano we li ganene Kalunga. 3 Za po koshipala shomukwaniilwa, ngoye ino kalela po oshinima shoka inaashi mu opalela, oshoka ashihe shoka a hala, ote shi gwanitha. 4 Oshoka oohapu dhomukwaniilwa odhi na oonkondo, nolye ta vulu oku mu pula ta ti: “Oto ningi shike?” 5 Nakudhiginina iipango ye ita adhika kuuwinayi; nomwenyo gwomunandunge otagu tseya ethimbo netokolo lyu uka. 6 Oshoka oshinima kehe oshi na ethimbo lyasho neuthilo, nando uuwinayi womuntu otau mu thindile pohi. 7 Omuntu ke na owino yaashoka tashi ke mu adha komeho, olye te mu hololele shoka tashi ya konakuyiwa? 8 Kaku na omuntu ta vulu okupangela ombepo e yi keelele, kaku na ngoka e na oonkondo dhokuutha esiku lyeso nokaku na elaleko molugodhi; osho wo uukolokoshi itau hupitha ngoka te u ningi.
Omukolokoshi nomuyuuki
9 Ayihe mbika onde yi dhimbulula, sho omwenyo gwandje gwa koneke oshilonga kehe tashi ningwa kohi yetango methimbo uuna omuntu gumwe ta dhiladhilile mukwawo oshiponga. 10 Onda mono wo aakolokoshi taa fumvikwa taa yi mevululuko, manga mboka ye ende pauyuuki taa zi mehala eyapuki noya dhimbiwa moshilando. Naashika owalawala.
Epangulo tali kankekwa
11 Uuna epangulo lyaalongi yuudhudhu itaali endelele okupangulwa, omwenyo gwaana yaantu ogwa fula okulonga uudhudhu. 12 Omulunde nando na yone lwethele nota kala nomwenyo omule, ondi shi shi kutya mboka haa tila Kalunga oye li nawa, oshoka haye mu tila, 13 ihe omulunde ita kala nawa noita lelepaleke omasiku ngaashi omuzizimba, oshoka iha tila Kalunga. 14 Shoka hashi ningwa kombanda yevi, oshowala, owaleelela, aayuuki sho taa ningwa ngaashi aakaanakalunga, naakaanakalunga sho haa ningwa ngaashi aayuuki. Osho nda ti kutya owala, owaleelela.
15 Opo mpoka nda tanga enyanyu, oshoka kohi yetango kaku na sha sho opalela omuntu, shila okulya nokunwa nokwiinyanyudha. Oyo mbika ta vulu okuninga momaipyakidhilo ge, manga e li kombanda yevi mokukalamwenyo nkoka Kalunga e ku mu pa kohi yetango.
16 Sho nda pungulula omutima gwandje, ndi ilonge okutseya owino nokutala iinima mbyoka tayi ningwa kombanda yevi, eeno, nokuli omutenya nuusiku kaku na ngoka ta mono oomposi — 17 onda mono miilonga ayihe yaKalunga kutya omuntu ita vulu okuuva ko shoka tashi ningwa kohi yetango; omuntu ni ipyakidhile okukonakona, ihe itu uvu ko sha. Nando omunawino a dhiladhile e yi uve ko, ita tompola sha.
