1 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. 2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. 3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
4 ¶ For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
7 ¶ Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. 8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment. 9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. 10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
11 ¶ I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. 12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
13 ¶ This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: 14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
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.
