Ûib xa hâ ǂâidi
1 ǃGâi ǀons ge ǃgomǀgausa ǃgâihamxū-i ǃgâ-ai a ǃgâi;
tsîs ge sa ǁōtsēsa ǃnaets ge tsēs ǃgâ-ai a ǃgâi.
2 ǃOab hâ om-i ǁga ǃgûs ge
ǃgâiǃgâisens hâ ǃkhai-i ǁga ǃgûs ǃgâ-ai a ǃgâi,
ûib hoaǁae ǁō da nî ǃkhaisa ra ǂâiǂâiǃnâ da xui-ao.
3 ǃOas ge âis ǃgâ-ai a ǃgâi;
ais âtsa a ǃoaǃoa ǁkhā xawe ra ǁnâuǃāba ǀgaiǀgai.
4 Gā-ai khoe-i ge ǁōb di ǂâibasensa ra ǂâiǃgâ;
gân ra ǃgâiǃgâisens xa ǀgui ǂâi hîa.
5 Gā-ai khoe-i di ǃkhâikhomsa ǃgâs ge
gâ khoen di ǁnaeba ǃgâs ǃgâ-ai a ǃgâi.
6 Gâ khoe-i di âib ge ǁkhūn,
ǀaes ǃnâ ra ǂaninin khami ra ǀō.
Nēs ge a harebeoǃnâ.
7 ǁGâiǀāb ge gā-ai khoe-e ra gâ kai
tsî ǁamaǃkhunis ge ǂgaoba ra hîkākā.
8 Xū-i di ǀams ge ǁî-i di tsoatsoas ǃgâ-ai a ǃgâi.
ǃNūǃnâxasib ge ǃguriǃgurisens ǃgâ-ai a ǃgâi.
9 Tā ǃhaese ǁaixa,
ǁaixasib gân di ǂgaob ǃnâ ǀgui ǁan hâ xuige.
10 Tā “Tare-i ǃaroma di ǃkharu ge tsēde nēsi hâdi ǃgâ-ai ge ǃgâi i?”
ti dî re, nēs gā-ai dî tama xuige.
11 Gā-aisib ge ǀumisa ǃkhōǃoas khami ī
tsî ǁnān soresa ra mûna aiǂhanu-i ase a ība.
12 Gā-aisiba sâus ge
mari-e sâus ǁkhās khami ī.
Gā-aisib ra sâu xui-ao,
nēs ge a ǂans di aiǂhanu.
13 Elob sîsenna ǃgaoǃgâ re.
Mâti i khoe-e Elob gama kai hâ xū-e
a ǂhanuǂhanu ǁkhā?
14 Xūn ga ǃgâise ǃgûba tsi, o ǃgâiaǂgao re,
î ǃgomsin ga hāǂam tsi, o ǂâis ǃnâ ūhâ re:
Elob ge ǃgâin tsî tsūn hoana kuru hâ
tsîts ge a ǀū taren noxopa nî ī ǃkhaisa.
15 Hoaraga xūna ta ge ti harebeoǃnâ ûib ǃnâ ge mû.
ǂHanu-ai khoen ra ǂhanu-aisib ân ǃnâ ǁō
hîan ge ǂkhaba khoena ǁîn ǂkhabasib ǃnâ ra ûihâhâ.
16 Tā ǃnāsase ǂhanu-ai
î tā ǃnāsase gā-aikaisen.
Tare-i ǃaromats ra ǁî-aitsama hîkākāsen ǂgao.
17 Tā ǃnāsase ǂkhaba î tā gâ.
Tare-i ǃaromats sa ǁaeb aiǃâ nî ǁō ǂgao?
18 Nē ǀgam ǃkhâikhomra ǃkhōmâis ge a ǃgâi,
ǁnān Eloba ra ǃaoǃgân ǁîra hoara ǃnâ,
ǁguiǂams âna nî dīǀoaǀoa xui-ao.
19 Gā-aisib ge disi khoegu, ǃāsa ra ǂgaeǂguigu ǃgâ-ai
khoe-e ra gā-ai kai.
20 ǂHanu-ai khoe-i, ǃgâise ǀgui ra dī
tsî ǁore tama-i ge ǃhūbaib ai a ǀkhai.
21 Tā khoen ra mî xū-i hoa-e ǃgâ,
îts tā sa ǃgā-i ra ǃkhāǃkhā tsi ǀgausa ǁnâu;
22 aitsamats sats tsîna ǂan
mâtikō khoenats ge ǂgui ǃnāde ǃkhāǃkhā ǃkhaisa xuige.
23 Nēn hoana ta ge gā-aisib ǀkha ǃâitsâ tsî
“A ta gā-ai re” ti ge mî,
xawes ge ǁîsa tita xu ge ǃnū i.
24 ǁNān hîa hân ge sada nî ǁnâuǃās ǃgâ-ai hâ
tsî kaise a ǃgam.
Khoe-e xare nēsa a ǁnâuǃā ǁkhā?
25 Tita ge ti ǂgaoba gā-aisibab nî ǂan tsî ôaǃnâse ge ǃammâi,
mîǃā tsîb ǂkhabasib, gâresib di gâsib diba nî ǂanse.
26 Tsî ta ge ǁōb xa a au xū-e ge mû
tarekhoes, ǂgaob âs ǁnoa
tsî a ǂhaosa.
ǂGaob âs ge a ǃkhōsis di khede.
Ob ge Elob aiǃâ a ǃgâi khoeba ǁîsa xu ra ǁhâ
xaweb ge ǁore-aoba ǁîs ǃkhōsis ǃnâ ra hâ.
27 Nēn ge ǂkhariǂkharibese ta ge ǂanǂui tsî ǀaro xūna, tib ge Aoǁnâ-aoba ra mî.
28 ǀNî ǃereamna ta ge gere ôa
xawe ta ge ǁîna hō tama ge i.
ǀOadisi aorekhoegu ǁaegu ta ge ǀgui khoeba ge hō,
xawe tarekhoedi xa ta ge ǀguis tsîna hō tama hâ.
29 Nēn ge hoaraga xūn ǁkhāǁkhāsen ta gena:
Elob ge khoesiba ǂhanu-ai tsî ama-aise ge kuru.
1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
2 ¶ It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. 3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. 4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. 5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. 6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
7 ¶ Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart. 8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. 10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
11 ¶ Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun. 12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. 13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? 14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. 15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. 16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? 17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? 18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all. 19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. 20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. 21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee: 22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
23 ¶ All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. 24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? 25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things , and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: 26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. 27 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account: 28 Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found. 29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.