Life Is Useless
1 These are the words of the Philosopher, David's son, who was king in Jerusalem.
2 It is useless, useless, said the Philosopher. Life is useless, all useless. 3 You spend your life working, laboring, and what do you have to show for it? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the world stays just the same. 5 The sun still rises, and it still goes down, going wearily back to where it must start all over again. 6 The wind blows south, the wind blows north—round and round and back again. 7 Every river flows into the sea, but the sea is not yet full. The water returns to where the rivers began, and starts all over again. 8 Everything leads to weariness—a weariness too great for words. Our eyes can never see enough to be satisfied; our ears can never hear enough. 9 What has happened before will happen again. What has been done before will be done again. There is nothing new in the whole world. 10 “Look,” they say, “here is something new!” But no, it has all happened before, long before we were born. 11 No one remembers what has happened in the past, and no one in days to come will remember what happens between now and then.
The Philosopher's Experience
12 I, the Philosopher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I determined that I would examine and study all the things that are done in this world.
God has laid a miserable fate upon us. 14 I have seen everything done in this world, and I tell you, it is all useless. It is like chasing the wind. 15 You can't straighten out what is crooked; you can't count things that aren't there.
16 I told myself, “I have become a great man, far wiser than anyone who ruled Jerusalem before me. I know what wisdom and knowledge really are.” 17 I was determined to learn the difference between knowledge and foolishness, wisdom and madness. But I found out that I might as well be chasing the wind. 18 The wiser you are, the more worries you have; the more you know, the more it hurts.
Ori Orivoya Taawi yi
1 Kwoi orivoya ata Taope'ba, ŋgwa Dawidi 'bädri'ba Yerusalema ya ro ro. 2 Taope'ba ekye: Ŋga cini orivoya awi, awi! Endaro ŋga cini orivoya taawi yi.
3 Ŋgase lidri kabe usuna ni losi cini ndaro se nda kabe oyena kitu dri ono yasi e'diya? 4 Kovole'bai efo gwo ago kovole'bai lävu gwo, oko 'bädri rigi 'du dri iro dri. 5 Kitu ka itu ago kitu ka oci, ago gote foroforo vose kabe itu ni kigye 'do ya. 6 Oli ka oli ŋgäṛiŋwadri, ago go gwo mä'dudri; ago ka oli ŋguluro ago go ego kpa gwo olivo ndaro yasi. 7 Goloŋwai cini ka udi gyi'desi ya, caoko gyi'desi ga ko twi; gyi na go ka udi vose goloŋwai keto idi beni kigyesi ya, ago ni nasi go eto udi kpa gwo to'di. 8 Ŋga cini orivoya rritiro; lidri ni ko tana atane; ondrena oko ojo mi ko, erina oko ojo bi ko. 9 Tase ka'dobe kyeno ogo a'dona kpa to'di, tase ayebe kyeno ago ayena kpa to'di; ŋga aza i'do to'diro 'bädri ya. 10 Inye'do ŋga aza gibe se 'diaza ri tana atane ekye: “Mindre ta ono orivoya to'diro ya?” Hwa, a'do ṛote kyeno, ṛo kyeno teinye dri ama utiako. 11 Ŋgase kyeno kai ayi tana kote, ca ŋgase ka oyebe ogo a'done ayina tana ko ndi se ka oyebe esone voigyesi 'do be.
Tauni Taope'ba ro
12 Ma Taope'ba ma'dote 'bädri'ba ro Yisaraele'bai dri Yerusalema ya. 13 Ago ya cini si male ŋgase cini ayebe 'bädri ono ya enane ago tazevona tenyine taunisi.
Lu 'ba kandrakozi rritiro te lidri ri ruutrine sina. 14 Mandre ŋgase cini ayebe 'bädri ya ono te, ago miti ämiri, vona cini orivoya taawi yi oso abe oli onja ronye. 15 Ŋgase gwa'digwa'diro änina kote edrene ŋgye, ago ŋgase aza i'do änina ko otine.
16 Matate andivo maro ri makye: “Mäni tavouni te para ndrani ànya se koriyibe 'bädri'ba ro Yerusalema ya käti ni märi drisi, ago drî maro orivoya twi tauni para tavouni robe ndi tauni be.” 17 Ago ma'ba drî maro te tavouni unine ago amaama ndi ŋgäbääbä be unine. Ago mandrete anjioko ono ma kpa ugu oli lanja. 18 Tana vose tavouni amba be rriti orivoya amba kigye, ago nda se kabe ugu tauni amba nda ka kpa ugu rueza amba.