Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than oil of great price, and the day of death than the day of birth.
Ezi aha ka mma karịa mmanụ isi ụtọ. Ụbọchị mmadụ nwụrụ ka ụbọchị a mụrụ ya mma.
2 It is better to go to the house of weeping, than to go to the house of feasting; because that is the end of every man, and the living will take it to their hearts.
Ọ kaara gị mma ije nʼebe a na-eru ụjụ karịa ebe a na-eri na-aṅụ. Nʼihi na ọnwụ dịịrị mmadụ ọbụla; ndị dị ndụ kwesiri iburu nke a nʼobi.
3 Sorrow is better than joy; when the face is sad the mind gets better.
Iru ụjụ ka ịchị ọchị mma, ihu gbarụrụ agbarụ na-enyere obi aka
4 The hearts of the wise are in the house of weeping; but the hearts of the foolish are in the house of joy.
Onye maara ihe na-eche echiche banyere ọnwụ, ma onye nzuzu na-eche naanị banyere ikpori ndụ.
5 It is better to take note of the protest of the wise, than for a man to give ear to the song of the foolish.
Ọ ka mma ige ntị nye mba onye maara ihe karịa ịṅa ntị nʼabụ ndị na-enweghị uche na-abụ.
6 Like the cracking of thorns under a pot, so is the laugh of a foolish man; and this again is to no purpose.
Ọchị onye nzuzu dị ka mkpọtụ nke ogwu na-ere ọkụ na-eme nʼokpuru ite. Ihe a bụkwa ihe efu.
7 The wise are troubled by the ways of the cruel, and the giving of money is the destruction of the heart.
Iji anya ike nara mmadụ ihe na-eme ka onye mara ihe ghọọ onye nzuzu, iri ngarị na-emerụ obi mmadụ.
8 The end of a thing is better than its start, and a gentle spirit is better than pride.
Ọgwụgwụ ihe ọbụla dị mma karịa mmalite ya! Ogologo ntachiobi dị mma karịa mpako!
9 Be not quick to let your spirit be angry; because wrath is in the heart of the foolish.
Abụla onye na-ewe iwe ọsịịsọ, nʼihi na iwe bụ oke ndị nzuzu.
10 Say not, Why were the days which have gone by better than these? Such a question comes not from wisdom.
Asịla, “Gịnị mere ụbọchị gara aga ji dị mma karịa ụbọchị ndị a?” Nʼihi na ọ bụghị amamihe ị jụ ajụjụ dị otu a.
11 Wisdom together with a heritage is good, and a profit to those who see the sun.
Amamihe dịka ihe nketa, bụ ihe dị mma. Ọ na-abara uru nye ndị na-ahụ anyanwụ anya.
12 Wisdom keeps a man from danger even as money does; but the value of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to its owner.
Amamihe bụ ndo dịka ego si bụrụkwa ndo, ma ụzọ ihe ọmụma ji dị mma karịa bụ nke a: Amamihe na-echebe ndụ ndị nwere ya.
13 Give thought to the work of God. Who will make straight what he has made bent?
Chee echiche banyere ihe Chineke na-eme. Mmadụ ọ pụrụ ime ka ọ dịzie adịzie, bụ ihe Chineke mere ka ọ gbagọọ agbagọ?
14 In the day of wealth have joy, but in the day of evil take thought: God has put the one against the other, so that man may not be certain what will be after him.
Mgbe ihe na-agara gị nke ọma, ṅụrịa ọṅụ, nʼihi ọ dịrị gị mma, ma mgbe mmekpa ahụ batara, mata nke ọma na Chineke onye na-enye ọnọdụ ọma makwa ihe banyere ọnọdụ ọjọọ. Ya mere, o nweghị onye ọbụla nwere ike ịchọpụta ọdịnihu ya.
15 These two have I seen in my life which is to no purpose: a good man coming to his end in his righteousness, and an evil man whose days are long in his evil-doing.
Ndụ m nʼụwa a bụ ihe efu, ahụla m ihe abụọ ndị a; onye ezi omume na-anwụ nʼezi omume ya, ma onye na-emebi iwu na-ebi ogologo ndụ na mmebi iwu ya.
16 Be not given overmuch to righteousness and be not over-wise. Why let destruction come on you?
Nʼihi ya, abụbigala onye ezi omume oke, emekwala onwe gị onye mabigara ihe oke. Gịnị mere i ji achọ igbu onwe gị?
17 Be not evil overmuch, and be not foolish. Why come to your end before your time?
Abụbigala onye na-emefe ajọ omume oke, abụkwala onye nzuzu! Gịnị ka ị ga-eji nwụọ mgbe oge gị na-erubeghị?
18 It is good to take this in your hand and not to keep your hand from that; he who has the fear of God will be free of the two.
Ọ dị mma ijide otu na-esepụghị aka na nke ọzọ, onye na-atụ egwu Chineke ga-enweta uru nʼime ha abụọ.
19 Wisdom makes a wise man stronger than ten rulers in a town.
Amamihe na-eme ka otu onye dị ike karịa mmadụ iri na-achị otu obodo.
20 There is no man on earth of such righteousness that he does good and is free from sin all his days.
Gbaa ụwa niile gburugburu, ọ dịghị otu onye bụ onye ezi omume, ọ dịghị onye na-eme ihe ziri ezi nke na-adịghị eme mmehie mgbe ọbụla.
21 Do not give ear to all the words which men say, for fear of hearing the curses of your servant.
Egela ntị nʼihe niile ndị mmadụ na-ekwu, ị pụrụ ịnụ nkọcha nke ohu gị na-akọcha gị.
22 Your heart has knowledge how frequently others have been cursed by you.
Gị onwe gị maara na ọtụtụ oge, ị na-akọchakwa ndị ọzọ.
23 All this I have put to the test by wisdom; I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.
Agbalịsiela m ike inwe nghọta. Ekwuru m sị, “Aga m abụ onye amamihe,” ma nke a karịrị m.
24 Far off is true existence, and very deep; who may have knowledge of it?
Amamihe adịghị mfe inweta, ọ dị omimi nke ukwuu; ọ bụ onye pụrụ ịchọpụta ya?
25 I gave my mind to knowledge and to searching for wisdom and the reason of things, and to the discovery that sin is foolish, and that to be foolish is to be without one's senses.
A tụgharịrị uche m ka m ghọta, iledo na ịchọpụta amamihe na atụmatụ otu ihe niile si dị na ịghọtakwa nzuzu nke dị na ajọ omume na ịyị ara nke dị na enweghị uche.
26 And I saw a thing more bitter than death, even the woman whose heart is full of tricks and nets, and whose hands are as bands. He with whom God is pleased will get free from her, but the sinner will be taken by her.
Achọpụtara m na ọ dị ihe dị ilu karịa ọnwụ, ihe ahụ bụ nwanyị. Obi ya dị ka ụgbụ. Otu a kwa, aka o ji ejikụ gị dị ka ụdọ igwe. Onye ahụ na-eme ihe na-atọ Chineke ụtọ na-esi nʼaka ya gbapụ, ma ndị mmehie ka ọ na-enwude nʼọnya ya.
27 Look! this I have seen, said the Preacher, taking one thing after another to get the true account,
“Lee, Ihe a ka m chọpụtara,” ka onye nkuzi kwuru: “Site nʼịtụkwasị otu ihe nʼelu ibe ya ka m matara isi ihe niile.
28 For which my soul is still searching, but I have it not; one man among a thousand have I seen; but a woman among all these I have not seen.
Mgbe m ka na-achọ ma achọtaghị m, nʼetiti puku mmadụ ndị ikom, achọtara m otu onye aka ya dị ọcha, ma ọ dịghị otu nwanyị m chọtara nʼetiti ha.
29 This only have I seen, that God made men upright, but they have been searching out all sorts of inventions.
Achọpụtara m naanị nke a, Chineke mere ndị mmadụ ka ha bụrụ ndị ụzọ ha ziri ezi, ma ha atụgharịala chọrọ ọtụtụ ihe nchepụta gawa.”
