It Is Senseless To Be Selfish
1 I said to myself, “Have fun and enjoy yourself!” But this didn't make sense. 2 Laughing and having fun is crazy. What good does it do? 3 I wanted to find out what was best for us during the short time we have on this earth. So I decided to make myself happy with wine and find out what it means to be foolish, without really being foolish myself.
4 I did some great things. I built houses and planted vineyards. 5 I had flower gardens and orchards full of fruit trees. 6 And I had pools where I could get water for the trees. 7 I owned slaves, and their sons and daughters became my slaves. I had more sheep and goats than anyone who had ever lived in Jerusalem. 8 Foreign rulers brought me silver, gold, and precious treasures. Men and women sang for me, and I had many wives who gave me great pleasure.
9 I was the most famous person who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and I was very wise. 10 I got whatever I wanted and did whatever made me happy. But most of all, I enjoyed my work. 11 Then I thought about everything I had done, including the hard work, and it was simply chasing the wind. Nothing on earth is worth the trouble.
Wisdom Comes from God
12 I asked myself, “What can the next king do that I haven't done?” Then I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and stupidity. 13 And I discovered that wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. 14 Wisdom is like having two good eyes; foolishness leaves you in the dark. But wise or foolish, we all end up the same.
15 Finally, I said to myself, “Being wise got me nowhere! The same thing will happen to me that happens to fools. Nothing makes sense. 16 Wise or foolish, we all die and are soon forgotten.” 17 This made me hate life. Everything we do is painful; it's just as senseless as chasing the wind.
18 Suddenly I realized that others would someday get everything I had worked for so hard, then I started hating it all. 19 Who knows if those people will be sensible or stupid? Either way, they will own everything I have earned by hard work and wisdom. It doesn't make sense.
20 I thought about all my hard work, and I felt depressed. 21 When we use our wisdom, knowledge, and skill to get what we own, why do we have to leave it to someone who didn't work for it? This is senseless and wrong. 22 What do we really gain from all of our hard work? 23 Our bodies ache during the day, and work is torture. Then at night our thoughts are troubled. It just doesn't make sense.
24 The best thing we can do is to enjoy eating, drinking, and working. I believe these are God's gifts to us, 25 and no one enjoys eating and living more than I do. 26 If we please God, he will make us wise, understanding, and happy. But if we sin, God will make us struggle for a living, then he will give all we own to someone who pleases him. This makes no more sense than chasing the wind.
1 Musutate makye: “Ma modo mojona 'da riyä oyene ago njäkyine.” Oko musu vona te anjioko ono kpa orivoya taawi yi. 2 Mänite anjioko läguugu orivoya ta amama yi, tana riyä unina ko takado aza oyene miri. 3 Maratate tavounisi riyä oyene vino si ago a'done kadoro. Musutate makye: Ono a'dona ni ori se kadopara lidri ri ori se tuna fereŋwa ono oriza 'bädri ono ya owo.
4 Maye losi 'dèsiro te; mabe zoi te ago mikyi'di ämvu konoro te andivo maro ri. 5 Maso ämvui te ago mede gyini'desi te andivo maro ri, ago mikyi'di doŋgo cini dritoto ice rote ànya ya. 6 Mä'di karaṛi te andivo maro ri gyi lodaza ice cini ri ugu ombaza. 7 Magye iyeäṛii àgoro ndi 'ditokoro be te, ago ma'dote iyeäṛii se ätite 'ba maro ya be; ma'dote äṛi koronyai 'ba ro robe amba, ndrani 'bädri'bai se koriyibe Yerusalema ya käti ni märi iyi drisi. 8 Motokala mo'di ro kpate ndi logo läguläguro be andivo maro ri ŋgaosa si ni 'bädri'bai wari amba ro rigyesi; ma'dote loŋgo oŋgo'bai be mànoagoro ago 'ditokoro ndi 'ditoko ogyeako liŋgyiekyero amba be.
9 Ma'dote para ago mälävu ànya se cini koriyibe Yerusalema ya käti ni märi iyi te; ago tavouni maro kye kote. 10 Musu ŋgase cini malebe te; ago mirita andivo maro kote ni riyä aza yasi, musu riyä 'desi te ni losi cini maro yasi, ago 'do ni päläti maro losi cini maro ro owo. 11 Ondro musu ta losi se cini drì maro koyebe te ndi losi se ma'dobe oyevoya mbarasi ono tana te oko, vona cini a'doro taawi ro oso abe ugu oli onja 'do ronye, ago endaro ŋga aza usune 'bädri ya i'do. 12 Ta'dota maza mi te tavouni, amaama ndi moreere be ondrene; oko 'bädri'ba ka iro tase 'bädri'bai käti koyeyibe 'do oyena ayani.
13 Ndi mänite anjioko tavouni orivoya kadopara ndrani moreere ri oso ŋgaeyi ka'dobe kadopara ndrani ŋgätini drisi ronye. 14 Lidri tavouni'bai niyi ndi vose ànya kayibe oyi kigye ondrene, oko amamai niyi kote ondrene; caoko mandrebe ŋga alodi ono odra ka a'do ànya riti ri ojoojoro. 15 'Dooko matate andivo maro ri makye: “Kandrakozi se kabe a'do amama ri a'dona kpa märi. Ka'do inye ŋgase musuna ni tavouni yasi ni e'diya?” Ago mazatadri andivo maro rote makye: “A'done tavouni be kpa orivoya taawi yi.” 16 Ayina ta mano tavouni'ba ro ko kpa oso mano amama ro ronye madaro. Tuse kabe ikyi iyi ya ta ànya cini ro ujena 'da. Mano tavouni'ba ro odrana kpa oso mano amama ro ronye. 17 Ta'dota ya maro osote ori lomvo, tana ŋgase cini ayebe noŋwa 'bädri ya ono orivoya rriti yi märi, tana ŋga cini orivoya taawi yi, oso abe ugu oli onja ronye.
18 Ya maro osote ŋgase cini maro maye losina be mbarasi 'bädri ya ono lomvo, mandrebe anjioko ma oye ànya e'bene 'dise ka oyebe esone mavosi ri, 19 kode 'dina 'do tavouni'ba yi kode amama yi a'di ni 'da niya? Caoko nda a'dona 'da ni 'desi ŋgase cini masobe ro ago ŋgase cini mayebe tavouni maro si 'bädri ya ono ro. Ono kpa orivoya taawi yi. 20 'Dooko mazamite gbikyi oko ma'dote märäyi ro ta losi se cini mayebe ruezasi 'bädri ya ono rota, 21 tana tu azakasi oko mano se kabe losi oye tavouni si, tauni si ago tauni a'do kyikyiro ŋga cini edero be si 'do beṛo ndäri ŋgana cini iyi e'bene mano se koye losi na ko 'do ri ni sinjäkyine sina. Ono kpa orivoya taawi yi ago orivoya koziro para. 22 Päläti se lidri ka'dona sina ta losi se cini nda koloyebe 'bädri ya ono rota e'diya? 23 Tana tu cini ori ndaro ro orivoya rriti si, ago losi ndaro orivoya rriti be; ca ŋgäkyi si drî ndaro loli kote. Ono kpa orivoya taawi yi.
24 Ŋga aza i'do kadoro lidri ri ndrani ŋgase nda kabe onyana ago umvuna drisi, ago njäkyine ŋgase nda ka'dobe sina si. Caoko mänite ono ka ikyi kpani Lu resi. 25 Tana ka'dobe teinye nda ako a'di unina ni ŋgaonyane kode riyä oyene ya? 26 Tana Lu kani tavouni, tauni ndi riyä be ozona 'dise tana kusi nda be ri. Oko nda ka takozi'bai o'ba losi oyene ŋgadriamba usuza ago ombane driigye, ta'dota ŋgase ànya kabe usuna nda kozo robe 'dise tana kusi nda be ri. Ono kpa orivoya taawi yi oso abe oli onja 'do ronye.