1 Only the wise know what things really mean. Wisdom makes them smile and makes their frowns disappear.
Obey the King
2 Do what the king says, and don't make any rash promises to God. 3 The king can do anything he likes, so depart from his presence; don't stay in such a dangerous place. 4 The king acts with authority, and no one can challenge what he does. 5 As long as you obey his commands, you are safe, and a wise person knows how and when to do it. 6 There is a right time and a right way to do everything, but we know so little! 7 None of us knows what is going to happen, and there is no one to tell us. 8 No one can keep from dying or put off the day of death. That is a battle we cannot escape; we cannot cheat our way out.
The Wicked and the Righteous
9 I saw all this when I thought about the things that are done in this world, a world where some people have power and others have to suffer under them. 10 Yes, I have seen the wicked buried and in their graves, but on the way back from the cemetery people praise them in the very city where they did their evil. It is useless.
11 Why do people commit crimes so readily? Because crime is not punished quickly enough. 12 A sinner may commit a hundred crimes and still live. Oh yes, I know what they say: “If you obey God, everything will be all right, 13 but it will not go well for the wicked. Their life is like a shadow and they will die young, because they do not obey God.” 14 But this is nonsense. Look at what happens in the world: sometimes the righteous get the punishment of the wicked, and the wicked get the reward of the righteous. I say it is useless.
15 So I am convinced that we should enjoy ourselves, because the only pleasure we have in this life is eating and drinking and enjoying ourselves. We can at least do this as we labor during the life that God has given us in this world.
16 Whenever I tried to become wise and learn what goes on in the world, I realized that you could stay awake night and day 17 and never be able to understand what God is doing. However hard you try, you will never find out. The wise may claim to know, but they don't.
Ovapangeli nava fimanekwe
1 Olyelye e li ngaashi omunongo, nefatululo loinima ola shiivika kulyelye? Ounongo womunhu tau yeleke oshipala shaye, noukukutu woshipala shaye tau lundululwa kuwo. 2 Ame ohandi ti: Diinina oshipango shohamba, unene molweano we li anena Kalunga. 3 Ino endelela okuliteeka kuyo. Ino ama koshinima shii, osheshi yo tai ningi eshi ye shi hala. 4 Osheshi ondjovo yohamba i neenghono, ndele olyelye ta dulu oku i lombwela: “To ningi shike?” 5 Ou ta diinine oshipango ita ka mona oshinima shii. Omutima womunongo wa shiiva efimbo netokolo la yuka. 6 Osheshi keshe oshinima oshi nefimbo lasho netokolo lasho. Osheshi owii womunhu tau mu djuupaleke unene. 7 Osheshi keshi shii eshi tashi ke uya. Olyelye te mu hololele osho shi nokuuya komesho? 8 Kaku na nande omunhu ta dulu okupangela omhepo a kelele omhepo, ndele kaku na ou ta pangele efiku lefyo. Kaku nelekelo molwoodi. Nosho yo ouhenakalunga itau xupifa ou e u hole. 9 Ashishe eshi nde shi mona, eshi nda pungululila omutima wange koshilonga keshe tashi longwa koshi yetango mefimbo mulo omunhu ta pangelele mukwao omupya. 10 Ame nda mona yo nhumbi ovahenakalunga va pakwa ndele va ya metulumuko, fimbo ovo va enda pauyuki va li ve nokudja po ponhele iyapuki ndele va dimbuwa moshilando. Nasho yo ongahoelela. 11 Shaashi etokolo loshilonga shii itali endelele, onghee omutima wovana vovanhu u yadi okulonga owii. 12 Osheshi omulunde ta nyono lwefele ndele ta kala nomwenyo efimbo lile. Ndelenee ondi shi shii ava hava tila Kalunga, otava ka ningilwa nawa, shaashi tava tila koshipala shaye, 13 ndele omuhenakalunga ita ka mona elao, ndele omafiku aye itaa ka lepala ngaashi omudile, osheshi iha tila Kalunga. 14 Naasho yo onghonelela kombada yedu, eshi ope novayuki tava ningilwa pailonga yovahenakalunga, ndele ope novahenakalunga tava ningilwa pailonga yovayuki. Onghee handi ti: Nasho yo ongahoelela. 15 Onghee hano ame nda pandula ehafo, osheshi omunhu koshi yetango ke na shimwe shiwa, okulya nokunwa nokunyakukwa. Oyo tai mu shikula moshilonga shaye shidjuu pomafiku okukalamwenyo kwaye Kalunga e mu pa koshi yetango. 16 Ame eshi nda pungulula omutima wange okulilonga ounongo, nokutala oinima tai ningwa kombada yedu, heeno, nokuli oufiku nomutenya kaku na ou ta mono eemhofi, 17 opo nee moshilonga ashishe shaKalunga nda mona nokutya, omunhu moshilonga osho tashi ningwa koshi yetango, ita mono mo sha, ndele omunhu te lilolokifa mokukonga, ndelenee ita mono; heeno, omunongo nande ha diladila ye e shi shii, ite ke shi shiiva.
