One Day at a Time
1 I thought about these things. Then I understood that God has power over everyone, even those who are wise and live right. Anything can happen to any one of us, and so we never know if life will be good or bad. 2 But exactly the same thing will finally happen to all of us, whether we live right and respect God or sin and don't respect God. Yes, the same thing will happen if we offer sacrifices to God or if we don't, if we keep our promises or are afraid to make them.
3 It's terribly unfair for the same thing to happen to each of us. We are mean and foolish while we live, and then we die. 4 As long as we are alive, we still have hope, just as a live dog is better off than a dead lion. 5 We know we will die, but the dead don't know a thing. Nothing good will happen to them—they are gone and forgotten. 6 Their loves, their hates, and their jealous feelings have all disappeared with them. They will never again take part in anything that happens on this earth.
7 So be happy and enjoy eating and drinking! God decided long ago that this is what you should do. 8 Dress up, comb your hair, and look your best. 9 Life is short, and you love your wife, so enjoy being with her. This is what you are supposed to do as you struggle through life on this earth. 10 Work hard at whatever you do. You will soon go to the world of the dead, where no one works or thinks or reasons or even knows anything.
11 Here is something else I have learned:
The fastest runners
and the greatest heroes
don't always win races
and battles.
Wisdom, intelligence, and skill
don't always make you healthy,
rich, or popular.
We each have our own share
of misfortune.
12 None of us know when we might fall victim to a sudden disaster and find ourselves like fish in a net or birds in a trap.
Better To Be Wise than Foolish
13 Once I saw what people really think of wisdom, and it made an impression on me. 14 It happened when a powerful ruler surrounded and attacked a small city where only a few people lived. The enemy army was getting ready to break through the city walls. 15 But the city was saved by the wisdom of a poor person who was soon forgotten. 16 So I decided that wisdom is better than strength. Yet if you are poor, no one pays any attention to you, no matter how smart you are.
17 Words of wisdom spoken softly
make much more sense
than the shouts of a ruler
to a crowd of fools.
18 Wisdom is more powerful
than weapons,
yet one mistake can destroy
all the good you have done.
1 Musu ta ono tana te amba ago madaro ago mänite anjioko Lu kani vo taoye tavouni'ba ro ndi taŋgye'ba robe ondrena, ca ŋgalu kode yaoso ànyaro. Ànya niyi tase mile ànyaro ya ko. 2 Tana kandrakado ndi kandrakozi be ka ṛo a'do vona cini ri, taŋgye'ba ri kpa taŋgyeako'ba ri, takado'ba ri kpa takozi'ba ri, 'dise kuni Lu be ri kpa 'dise kuni Lu ko ri, nda se kabe tori olo ri ago kpa nda se lo tori ko ri. Mano se kadoro ko kadopara ni takozi'ba ri; mano se kabe ruäṛu ko kadopara ni mano se käṛuru ko ri. 3 Ono ni ŋgase koziro kabe a'do 'bädri ya owo, kandrakozi ndi kandrakado be ka a'do 'dicini ri. Ori ànyaro 'bädri ya si; tausu ànyaro orivoya twi taundiro ndi amaama be, ago 'do vosi oko ànya ka odra. 4 Oko 'diaza se drigi orivoya lidriidriro 'dise cini lidriidriro 'bädri ono ya ono lako orivoya mio'ba be, tana kokye se lidriidriro orivoya kadopara ndrani ibi se avoro ri. 5 'Dise lidriidriro niyi ndi ànya ka oye odrane, oko avo ni ta aza kote, ago päläti aza te i'do ànyari; oko ije ta ànyaro te kpeye. 6 Ŋgalu ànyaro, yaoso ànyaro ndi mawi ànyaro be tana cini kyete, ago ànya te ta aza ako oyene ŋgase kabe ugu a'do 'bädri ono ya ono ta.
7 Nyugu oyi ri mileya, minya ŋgaonya miro ago nya'do riyä ro, mimvu vino miro yai'dwesi tana ŋgase nyabe oyena Lu letadrina teṛo nja. 8 Ondoalo mindrevo yai'dwesi ago riyä si. 9 Miri ori riyäsi toko nyulube be, tu cini ori awi miro se Lu kozobe miri 'bädri ono ya ono rosi, tana 'do ni ŋgase cini miri a'done sina ta rriti miro rota 'bädri ya owo. 10 Losi cini azaka se ko'dete drì miro ya, miye ànya mbara cini miro si; tana losi kode tavousu kode tauni kode tavouni i'do 'bädri avo ro, se nyabe ukyi ocine kigye ana ya.
11 Mandre ŋga aza kpate 'bädri ono ya, 'dise umuekye 'do 'de koni rri käti ca mbara'ba pe ŋga koni rri ṛe kyila ya. Ŋgaonya a'do ko toto alo tavouni'ba ri, ca ŋgadriamba a'do ko toto alo tauni'ba ri, ca 'desi a'do ko toto alo 'dise tauniuniro ri; oko kandrakozi ka ṛo a'do 'di cini ri. 12 Tana mano aza ni tu ndaro ko. Lidri ka o'de tu kozi ya ätruku'du, ondro kesate ànya dri owo, oso abe ti'bi uru kyimba si, ago oso ari kabe o'de iba ya ronye.
Tavousu ta Tavouni ndi Tavouniako be rota
13 Mandre taka'daro tavouniro kpate 'bädri ya, ago landrete tapara ro märi, 14 'bakici giṛiŋwa aza orivoya lidri fereŋwa be kigye, ago 'bädri'ba mbaraekye aza ikyite gotane. Nda mudrina te ago ederute tiṛina perene. 15 Oko mano tavouni'ba ati'baro aza orivoya kigye lau, ago tavouni ndaro si nda pa 'bakici ana te. Caoko 'diaza alo yi ta mano se ati'baro ana ro kote. 16 'Dooko ma ata makye anjioko tavouni orivoya kadopara ndrani mbara drisi, amawo tavouni mano se ati'ba ro ro gica, ago ati tana gica ko owo. 17 Orivoya kadopara ata tavouni'baro se kabe atana liyaro 'do ro erine ndrani 'dimiri'ba se kabe totre kporo si vo taäyiro amamai roya ri. 18 Tavouni orivoya kadopara ndrani lakazà kyila ro drisi, oko takozi'ba alodi unina ndi ŋgaamba se kadoro perene.