1 Ami mba konḓonona oviṋa mbi avihe, nu arire tji mba munu kutja omusemba nonongo noviṋa avihe mbi ve tjita vi ri meke ra Ndjambi. Omundu ka tjiwa kutja okusuvera poo okunyengwa otjo otjikeṋa, nu aviyevari mbi momeho we ovyo omungandjo uriri. 2 Oviṋa avihe vi ṱeki pamwe ku avehe: Otjiwonga tjingetjo tji wira komusemba na komurunde, komukohoke na komuhakohoke, ku ingwi ngu punguha na ku ingwi ngu ha punguha; omusemba u ṱeki pomunauvi, nu ingwi ngu yana u ṱeki pu ingwi ngu tira okuyana. 3 Ouvi mbu ri mu avihe, mbi tjitwa mouye mbwi owo mbwi: Otjiwonga tjimwe tji ya ku avehe, nokutja omitima vyovandu vye ura nouvi, nokutja ouyova u ri momitima vyawo aruhe ngunda ave nomuinyo.
Tjazumba avehe otji mave pundu motjovakoke. 4 Nungwari omundu ngu ri puna ovanamuinyo, eye ingee u nomaundjiro; ombwa ndji nomuinyo oyo onanḓengu pongeyama ndja koka. 5 Ovanamuinyo ve tjiwa kutja mave koka, nungwari ovakoke kave tjiwa otjiṋa, nu kave tji nondjambi, orondu owo va zembwa oparukaze.
6 Orusuvero rwovakoke nonyengo yawo, nomaukoze wawo, avihe mbi vya zenga; nowo kave tji nokukara ko norupa mu avihe, mbi tjitwa kombanda yehi.
7 Nu twende u karye ovikurya vyoye nenyando, nu u kanwe omavinu woye nondjoroka, orondu Ndjambi u nonyuṋe moviungura vyoye okuza korukuru. 8 Zara ozombanda ozombapa aruhe, nu o ha isa okurivava omaze motjiuru. 9 Yorokisa omuinyo woye puna omukazendu ngu wa suvera oure womayuva womuinyo woye womungandjo, Ndjambi nge ku pa kombanda yehi. Yoroka meyuva arihe peke romungandjo ndi, orondu indji ondji ri ondjambi yoye komuinyo na koviungura vyoye, mbi wa ungura nongondjero kombanda yehi. 10 Oviungura ngamwa avihe mbi movanga okuungura, ungura ngunda au nomasa; orondu kaku noviungura nomeripuriro nondjiviro nonongo motjovakoke hapo ove ku mo i.
11 Norukwao ami mba muna otjiṋa hi kombanda yehi kutja ovanatjikara aruhe kambe toṋa momararakaneno, nozombanḓe aruhe kanḓe muna outoṋi movita. Omundu onongo aruhe kangu pewa ovikurya, nomunazondunge aruhe kangu tumba; wina omuhongwa aruhe kangu muna ondjingonekero; nungwari oruveze rwokumuna ouhumandu ru ya ku wo avehe. 12 Omundu ka tjiwa oruveze eye ndwa yengerwa. Otja ozohi punga aze kamburwa mombate youmba, notja ozonḓera punga aze patwa mozongwehe, omundu rumwe opunga ama patwa wina, oruveze rwoumba tji rwe mu wire tjimanga.
Ounongo nouyova
13 Ami wina mba muna otjiṋa mouye mbwi, otjihorera otjiwa tjokutja ounongo u varwa otjatjike: 14 Pa ri otjihuro otjiṱiṱi mu mu ha turire ovandu ovengi. Ombara onamasa otji ye tji rwisa ai tji kovere, nai tungu otutatwa otunamasa okukondorokisa tjo. 15 Nu mu tjo mwa turire omundu omusyona, nungwari eye wa ri onongo tjinene nai nga tja yama otjihuro hi nounongo we. Nungwari kapa ri omundu ngwe rizemburukire nomurumendu omusyona ngwi. 16 Ami aruhe otjiye tja ounongo ombu ri ounanḓengu pomasa; nungwari ounongo womusyona u nyengurwa, nomambo we kaye puratenwa ko. 17 Omambo wovandu ozonongo nge puratenwa nawa, owo onge ri omananḓengu pokuravaera kwomuhonapare mokati kovandu omayova. 18 Ounongo owo ombu ri ounanḓengu povirwise vyovita, nungwari omunauvi umwe u zunḓa oviṋa ovingi oviwa.
1 I thought long and hard about all this and saw that God controls the actions of wise and righteous people, even their love and their hate. No one knows anything about what lies ahead. 2 It makes no difference. The same fate comes to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the bad, to those who are religious and those who are not, to those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. A good person is no better off than a sinner; one who takes an oath is no better off than one who does not. 3 One fate comes to all alike, and this is as wrong as anything that happens in this world. As long as people live, their minds are full of evil and madness, and suddenly they die. 4 But anyone who is alive in the world of the living has some hope; a live dog is better off than a dead lion. 5 Yes, the living know they are going to die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward; they are completely forgotten. 6 Their loves, their hates, their passions, all died with them. They will never again take part in anything that happens in this world.
7 Go ahead—eat your food and be happy; drink your wine and be cheerful. It's all right with God. 8 Always look happy and cheerful. 9 Enjoy life with the one you love, as long as you live the useless life that God has given you in this world. Enjoy every useless day of it, because that is all you will get for all your trouble. 10 Work hard at whatever you do, because there will be no action, no thought, no knowledge, no wisdom in the world of the dead—and that is where you are going.
11 I realized another thing, that in this world fast runners do not always win the races, and the brave do not always win the battles. The wise do not always earn a living, intelligent people do not always get rich, and capable people do not always rise to high positions. Bad luck happens to everyone. 12 You never know when your time is coming. Like birds suddenly caught in a trap, like fish caught in a net, we are trapped at some evil moment when we least expect it.
Thoughts on Wisdom and Foolishness
13 There is something else I saw, a good example of how wisdom is regarded in this world. 14 There was a little town without many people in it. A powerful king attacked it. He surrounded it and prepared to break through the walls. 15 Someone lived there who was poor, but so clever that he could have saved the town. But no one thought about him. 16 I have always said that wisdom is better than strength, but no one thinks of the poor as wise or pays any attention to what they say. 17 It is better to listen to the quiet words of someone wise than to the shouts of a ruler at a council of fools. 18 Wisdom does more good than weapons, but one sinner can undo a lot of good.
