1 Ami mbe ripura mu ami omuini kutja osemba, me roro okuriyorokisa mbi tare kutja enyando mari ndji etere tjike. Nungwari okutjita nao ami mba muna kutja okwo omungandjo wina. 2 Kozondjora mba tja: “Ozo ouyova!” Kenyando mba tja: “Oro mari vatere tjike?” 3 Ami mbe ripura momutima wandje okukovisa orutu rwandje nomavinu, nungwari ingee mbi riyameka kounongo; nu mbe ripura okukakatera kouyova nga tji mba muna imbi mbi ri ovisemba kovandu, mbi va sokutjita kombanda yehi ngunda ave nomuinyo.
4 Ami mba ungura oviungura ovinene, okutja okuritungira ozondjuwo, nokukuna ovikunino vyomivite. 5 Mbe riungurira ovikunino nomakunino womiti, narire tji mba kunu mo omiti ngamwa avihe vyovihape. 6 Mba ungurisa ozombu zomeva okutjatja na zo ovikunwa. 7 Ami mba randa ovakarere ovarumendu novakazendu; nu mba ri novakarere mba kwaterwa monganda yandje. Wina mba ri notupanda twozongombe nozonyanda ozengi pu inḓa zovandu avehe mba turire mOjerusalem komurungu wandje. 8 Nu wina mbe rinyanyangizira osilveri nongoldo, novihuze vyozombara novyotukondwa twomahi ngu mbi honaparera; mbe ripahera ovaimbure ovarumendu novakazendu, nu mbari novakazendu ovengi omurumendu mba tja zera.
9 Notji mba rira omutjiukwa tjinene povature avehe, mba ri po komurungu wandje mOjerusalem; nounongo wandje aruhe tjandje mbi na wo. 10 Oviṋa avihe mbiye vanga, hi riruruparere ko; omutima wandje hi u tjaerere ko kenyando ngamwa arihe; orondu omutima wandje wa yoroka nondjorokero ndji ya ri ondjambi yongondjero yoviungura vyandje avihe. 11 Nu vari otji mba tara koviungura vyandje avihe mbya zikamisiwa i omake wandje na kongondjero yoviungura vyandje avihe; nu tara, avihe vya ri omungandjo, nu vya ri tjimuna okurambera ombepo uriri. Kape notjiṋa tji mo munine po mouye mbwi.
12 Tjazumba arire tji mbe ripura kutja okukara nounongo, nokuhinozondunge nouyova mavi hee tjike; norukwao mbe ripura kutja omundu ngu ma pingene ombara ma yenene okutjita vi? Ma tjiti tjingetjo hi tji tja tjitirwe rukuru nga mba! 13 Ami otji mba muna kutja ounongo ombu ri ounanḓengu pouyova tjimuna ondjerera tji i ri onanḓengu ponḓorera. 14 Onongo i muna komurungu wayo, eyova ri kayenda monḓorera. Nungwari ami me tjiwa wina kutja otjiwonga tjingetjo tji tu undja atuhe pu pe ṱa. 15 Otji mbe rihungirira momutima wandje ame tja: “Otjiwonga tjingetjo tji matji ya keyova, otjinga ama tji ya ku ami wina. Pe nohepero yatjike okurira onongo?” Ami arire tji mbe rizemburuka kutja imbi wina omungandjo, opouriri. 16 Orondu kape nomazemburukiro nge karerera konongo na keyova; momayuva ngu maye ya aveyevari mave zembwa; onongo neyova mave koka. 17 Ami otji mba tonda okuhupa kwomundu, imbi mbi tjitwa kombanda yehi tjinga avi ndji yaukisa, navihe tjinga avi ri omungandjo, nu avi ri tjimuna okurora okurambera ombepo uriri.
18 Avihe mbi mba ungurira nu mbi mba pwikira omupingene wandje, mba uta okuvinyengwa; 19 nowaṋi ngu ma tjiwa kutja ingwi omupingene wandje ma rire onongo poo eyova? Nungwari eye ma rire omuhona woviungura vyandje avihe mbi mba kondjera nounongo kombanda yehi. Avihe mbi wina ovyo omungandjo uriri. 20 Ami otji mbe rihahiza momutima wandje mena roviungura vyandje avihe, mbi mba ungura kombanda yehi. 21 Nu hapo otji pe kara kutja omundu ngwa ungura nounongo nondjiviro nouṋingandu ma isa imbi mbi ri ovye, novyo avi rire vyomundu warwe ngu hi na indu we vi kondjera. Imbi avihe omungandjo, nu ouhasemba ounene. 22 Nomundu hapo nai ma munine po tjike poviungura vye avihe na pongondjero eye ndja kondja kombanda yehi? 23 Tjiri, omayuva we aehe owo omihihamo, nongondjero ye oyo eputi, nangarire ouṱuku omutima we kau suva. Avihe mbi wina ovyo omungandjo.
24 Kape notjiṋa tjarwe otjiwa komundu posi yokurya nokunwa nokukara nohange moviungura vye. Imbi wina mba muna kutja vi za meke ra Ndjambi. 25 Orondu owaṋi ngu sora okurya, nowaṋi ngu sora okunyanda nokuhinaye? 26 Ndjambi u yandja ounongo nondjiviro nenyando ku ingwi eye me nonyuṋe; nungwari Ndjambi u ungurisa omurunde kutja imbi ovyongondjero ye vi pwikirwe ingwi Ndjambi me nonyuṋe. Avihe mbi wina omungandjo, nu vi ri tjimuna okurambera ombepo uriri.
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.
