1 I decided to enjoy myself and find out what happiness is. But I found that this is useless, too. 2 I discovered that laughter is foolish, that pleasure does you no good. 3 Driven on by my desire for wisdom, I decided to cheer myself up with wine and have a good time. I thought that this might be the best way people can spend their short lives on earth.
4 I accomplished great things. I built myself houses and planted vineyards. 5 I planted gardens and orchards, with all kinds of fruit trees in them; 6 I dug ponds to irrigate them. 7 I bought many slaves, and there were slaves born in my household. I owned more livestock than anyone else who had ever lived in Jerusalem. 8 I also piled up silver and gold from the royal treasuries of the lands I ruled. Men and women sang to entertain me, and I had all the women a man could want.
9 Yes, I was great, greater than anyone else who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and my wisdom never failed me. 10 Anything I wanted, I got. I did not deny myself any pleasure. I was proud of everything I had worked for, and all this was my reward. 11 Then I thought about all that I had done and how hard I had worked doing it, and I realized that it didn't mean a thing. It was like chasing the wind—of no use at all. 12 After all, a king can only do what previous kings have done.
So I started thinking about what it meant to be wise or reckless or foolish. 13 Oh, I know, “Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. 14 The wise can see where they are going, and fools cannot.” But I also know that the same fate is waiting for us all. 15 I thought to myself, “What happens to fools is going to happen to me, too. So what have I gained from being so wise?” “Nothing,” I answered, “not a thing.” 16 No one remembers the wise, and no one remembers fools. In days to come, we will all be forgotten. We must all die—wise and foolish alike. 17 So life came to mean nothing to me, because everything in it had brought me nothing but trouble. It had all been useless; I had been chasing the wind.
18 Nothing that I had worked for and earned meant a thing to me, because I knew that I would have to leave it to my successor, 19 and he might be wise, or he might be foolish—who knows? Yet he will own everything I have worked for, everything my wisdom has earned for me in this world. It is all useless. 20 So I came to regret that I had worked so hard. 21 You work for something with all your wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and then you have to leave it all to someone who hasn't had to work for it. It is useless, and it isn't right! 22 You work and worry your way through life, and what do you have to show for it? 23 As long as you live, everything you do brings nothing but worry and heartache. Even at night your mind can't rest. It is all useless.
24 The best thing we can do is eat and drink and enjoy what we have earned. And yet, I realized that even this comes from God. 25 How else could you have anything to eat or enjoy yourself at all? 26 God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness to those who please him, but he makes sinners work, earning and saving, so that what they get can be given to those who please him. It is all useless. It is like 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.
