1 Sa Kuru-aob xa ǂkhamsis âts ǃnâ ǂâi re,
ǁnā ǂkhaba tsēdi ǁîdi ǃnâts
“ǃGâi-i xare-e ta ǁîdi ǃnâ hō tama”
ti nî mîdi nî hās aiǃâ.
2 Sores tsî ǃnâb,
ǁkhâb tsî ǀgamirode ǃkhaeǃkhaehe
tsî di ǃâude ǀnanub khaoǃgâ nî ǁarus aiǃâ.
3 Omsa ra ǃûikha ǀkhū, ǀgaisakha ǂkhabu,
ǁnādi ǃhoroba ra ǁkhamide ǁkhamiǀû
tsî di mûǂuidaode-u ra kōǃkharu mûde nî ǀhai kaihes aiǃâ.
4 Daodi ǃgangu ǃoa ra ǂoade ǂganamhe;
ǃhoroǁkhamis di ǀōba ǂam,
khoe-e ani-i āb xa ǂkhaiǂkhaihe
tsî di ǁnae-aodi di ǁnaetsanade nî ǀhoes aiǃâ.
5 Khoen ǀgapi ǃkhaigu ai
tsî daogu ai ǃgûsa ra ǃao ǁaeb,
amandelhaide ǃkhā,
ǂhomma ǂause ǂhana
tsîb hoaraga turaba ra ǀkhaib ǃnâ sa Kuru-aob xa ǂâi re,
khoen ǁōb di ǃkhaib ǃoa garu
tsîn ǃoa-aona ǃgangu ǃnâ ra ǃgûma xuige.
6 Sa Kuru-aob xa ǂâi re ǀhaiǀuri ǃhâuba ǂgaeǃgaohe,
ǃhuniǀuri xapasa khôaǂkhūhe,
ǁgamxapab ǁgam-e ǀaus tawa ra ǂgae-ūheba ǂkhūǂkhūhe
tsîs ǀnūs, tsaus tawa ra sîsenūhesa nî khôahes aiǃâ.
7 Soros nî ǃhūb, ǁîba xus ge ǂnubiheb ǃoa
tsî ǀomsa Elob, ǁîsa ge mā hâ ib ǃoa oas aiǃâ.
8 Hoaraga xūn ge a harebeoǃnâ, tib ge Aoǁnâ-aoba ra mî,
harebeoǃnâ a.
ǀAmǀams
9 Gā-aisib âb xōǀkhāb ge Aoǁnâ-aoba ǂgui ǂkhoamîde ǂōrisase ôaǃnâ, ǀhaoǀhao tsî xoa tsî khoena ǁîb ǂan xūna gere ǁkhāǁkhā. 10 Aoǁnâ-aob ge ǀgaisase ǃgâi mîde gere ôa tsîb ge hoaǁae amaba gere ǃhoa. 11 Gā-ai khoe-i di mîdi ge haib hîan gūre-aona ra ǀgoadī-ūb khami ī. ǀĀ spaikergu khami di ge ǀhaoǀhaosa mîdi, gā-ai khoe-i dide ī.
12 Ti ôatse, a ta ǁkhāti ǃkhâikhom tsi. ǂKhanina xoatoas ge ganupe a ǀkhai tsîs ge ǃnāsa ǁkhāǁkhāsensa nî ǂkhabu kai tsi.
13 Nē hoaraga xūn khaoǃgâs ǁîsa ra ǃgaumâs ge:
Eloba ǃaoǃgâ î mîmādi âba ǁnâuǀnam,
hūs di ǃaromas khoesib ge ǂnubibahes a ǁî xuige.
14 Elob ge mâ xū-i dī da ra-i hoa-e nî ǀgoraǃgâ,
nēsin ga ǃgâis tamas ka io tsūs hoasa,
ǂganǃgâsib ǃnâ ra dīhen tsîna.
1 Keep your Creator in mind while you are young! In years to come, you will be burdened down with troubles and say, “I don't enjoy life anymore.”
2 Someday the light of the sun
and the moon and the stars
will all seem dim to you.
Rain clouds will remain
over your head.
3 Your body will grow feeble,
your teeth will decay,
and your eyesight fail.
4 The noisy grinding of grain
and the voices of singers
will be shut out
by your deaf ears,
but even the song of a bird
will keep you awake.
5 You will be afraid
to climb up a hill
or walk down a road.
Your hair will turn as white
as almond blossoms.
You will feel lifeless
and drag along
like an old grasshopper.
We each go to our eternal home,
and the streets here are filled
with those who mourn.
6 The silver cord snaps,
the golden bowl breaks;
the water pitcher is smashed,
and the pulley at the well
is shattered.
7 So our bodies return
to the earth,
and the life-giving breath
returns to God.
8 Nothing makes sense.
I have seen it all—
nothing makes sense.
Respect and Obey God
9 I was a wise teacher with much understanding, and I collected a number of proverbs that I had carefully studied. 10 Then I tried to explain these things in the best and most accurate way.
11 Words of wisdom are like the stick a farmer uses to make animals move. These sayings come from a shepherd, and they are like nails that fasten things together. 12 My child, I warn you to stay away from any teachings except these.
There is no end to books,
and too much study
will wear you out.
13 Everything you were taught can be put into a few words:
Respect and obey God!
This is what life
is all about.
14 God will judge
everything we do,
even what is done in secret,
whether good or bad.
