The Foolishness of Trusting in Riches
1 Hear this, everyone!
Listen, all people everywhere,
2 great and small alike,
rich and poor together.
3 My thoughts will be clear;
I will speak words of wisdom.
4 I will turn my attention to proverbs
and explain their meaning as I play the harp.
5 I am not afraid in times of danger
when I am surrounded by enemies,
6 by evil people who trust in their riches
and boast of their great wealth.
7 We can never redeem ourselves;
we cannot pay God the price for our lives,
8 because the payment for a human life is too great.
What we could pay would never be enough
9 to keep us from the grave,
to let us live forever.
10 Anyone can see that even the wise die,
as well as the foolish and stupid.
They all leave their riches to their descendants.
11 Their graves are their homes forever;
there they stay for all time,
though they once had lands of their own.
12 Our greatness cannot keep us from death;
we will still die like the animals.
13 See what happens to those who trust in themselves,
the fate of those who are satisfied with their wealth—
14 they are doomed to die like sheep,
and Death will be their shepherd.
The righteous will triumph over them,
as their bodies quickly decay
in the world of the dead far from their homes.
15 But God will rescue me;
he will save me from the power of death.
16 Don't be upset when someone becomes rich,
when his wealth grows even greater;
17 he cannot take it with him when he dies;
his wealth will not go with him to the grave.
18 Even if someone is satisfied with this life
and is praised because he is successful,
19 he will join all his ancestors in death,
where the darkness lasts forever.
20 Our greatness cannot keep us from death;
we will still die like the animals.
Elao lomuhenakalunga tali kana
Elao lomuyuki tali kalelele
Epsalme lOvakora, la pewa enyakwa lolwiimbo.
1 Shi udeni, oiwana aishe!
Pwilikineni, oonakukala kombada yedu amushe!
2 Ovana veehepele nye novoidale nye,
amushe, oipuna nomapongo.
3 Okanya kange naka popye ounongo,
nomadiladilo omutima wange
oo eendunge doovenevene.
4 Okutwi kwange ohandi ku endekele koshipopiwa,
otumbutumbu nda hala oku i holola
peshiko lokaxumbafeta.
5 Ohandi tila shike mbela momafiku oipo,
oududu wovataataai vange
ngeenge tau kondeke nge,
6 ava ve li po tave lineekele omamona avo,
ndele tava fulalalele ouhapu woupuna wavo?
7 Kape na omunhu ta dulu okukulila omumwaina,
nokuyandjela mukwao oikulila kuKalunga,
8 osheshi okufutila omwenyo oifuta apa i fike,
otai nyengana,
ye ke na oku shi hetekela vali fiyo alushe,
9 winya ngeno a kale nomwenyo, ita mono enyonauko.
10 Ahowe, ote shi ulikilwa nokuli, nokutya
novanongo otava fi yo;
novashima novapwidi aveshe otava nyonauka po,
nemona lavo, ove noku li fiila vakwao.
11 Euko lomeni lavo oleli:
eengulu davo tadi ka kalelela,
eenghalelo davo kepupi fiyo okepupi,
nande va le ve nomapya avo.
12 Heeno, omunhu, nande na kale a tumbala,
ye ita kala mulo,
ye okwa fa oimuna tai hanauka po.
13 Eshi ondjila yaava have lineekele voovene,
novahopaeleli vavo,
ava tava pande eendjovo davo. Sela
14 Ove lifindila moshovafi ngaashi eedi mokatomeno,
efyo olo omufita wavo,
nongomongula otava pangelwa kovayuki,
nomalupe avo otaa lika po koshovafi,
aha mone mo omutumba.
15 Ndelenee omwenyo wange,
Kalunga ote u kulile mo mepangelo lomoshovafi;
osheshi Oye omukombeleli wange. Sela
16 Ino kala wa tila ngeenge umwe ta punapala,
nemona lomeumbo laye ngeenge tali hapupala;
17 osheshi mokufya kwaye ita i nashimwe shomuyo,
netumbalo laye okwa nyengwa okuya nalo.
18 Nande oku liwete, e li nawa fimbo e li po,
ndele ta fimanekelwa okuhepuluka kwaye,
19 ota i nokuli, apa pa ya ooxe,
ava itava mono nande vali ouyelele womutenya.
20 Omunhu, nande omunenenhweelela
ndele ke neendunge,
okwa fa oimuna tai xulifwa po.
