Ecclesiastes 12
1 While you are still young, keep thinking about [God], who created you. Do that before [you are old] and you experience many troubles, during the years when you say “I no [longer] enjoy being alive.”
Rangarira Musiki wako pamazuva ouduku hwako, mazuva okutambudzika asati auya, namakore asati aswedera pauchati, “Handioni zvinofadza maari,”
2 [When you become old], the light from the sun and moon and stars will [seem] dim [to you], and [it will seem that the rain] clouds [always] return [quickly] after it rains.
zuva nechiedza uye nomwedzi nenyeredzi zvisati zvadzima, uye makore asati adzoka mushure mokunaya kwemvura;
3 Then your [arms that you use to protect] [MET] your bodies will shake/tremble, and your [legs that support] [MET] your bodies will become weak. Many of your [teeth that you use to] grind/chew [your food] will fall out, and your [eyes that you use to] look out of windows will not see clearly.
kana vatariri vemba vodedera, navarume vakasimba vokotama, kana vakuyi vorega nokuti vashoma, uye vaya vanotarira napamawindo voonera madzerere;
4 Your [ears] [MET] will not hear the noise in the streets, and you will not be able to hear clearly the sound of people grinding grain with millstones. You will be awakened in the morning by hearing the birds singing/chirping, [but] you will not be able to hear well the songs that (the birds/people) sing.
kana mikova yokunzira ichinge yapfigwa uye maungira okukuya oderera; kana vanhu vomutswa nokuimba kweshiri asi nziyo dzavo dzose dzisisanzwiki zvakanaka;
5 You will be afraid to be in high places and afraid of dangers on the roads that you walk on. [Your hair] will become [white like] [MET] the flowers of almond trees. [When you try to walk], you will drag yourself along like [MET] grasshoppers, and you will no longer desire [to have sex]. Then you will [die and] go to your eternal home, and people who will mourn for you will be in the streets.
kana vanhu votya nzvimbo dzakakwirira nenjodzi mumigwagwa; kana muamanda wotumbuka nemhashu yozvikwekweredza uye kuda kwose kwapera. Ipapo munhu anoenda kumusha wake usingaperi, uye vanochema vachafamba-famba munzira.
6 [Think much about God now, because] soon our lives will end, [like] [MET] silver chains or golden bowls that break easily, or like pitchers/jugs that are broken at the water fountain, or like broken pulleys at a well.
Murangarirei, rwodzi rwesirivha rusati rwadambuka; uye mbiya yegoridhe isati yaputswa; chirongo chisati chapwanyika pachitubu, uye vhiri risati raputswa patsime,
7 Then our corpses will [decay and] become dirt again, and our spirits will return to God, the one who gave us our spirits.
uye guruva risati radzokera kuvhu kwarakabva, nomweya usati wadzokera kuna Mwari akaupa.
8 [So] I say [again] that it is difficult to understand why everything happens; everything is mysterious.
Muparidzi anoti, “Hazvina maturo! Hazvina maturo! Zvose hazvina maturo!”
9 I was considered to be a very wise man, and I taught the people many things. I assembled/collected and wrote down many proverbs, and I carefully thought about and studied them.
Muparidzi akanga asina kuchenjera chete asi akadzidzisawo zivo kuvanhu. Akarangarira akaongorora uye akaronga zvirevo zvizhinji.
10 I searched for the right words, and what I have written is reliable and true.
Muparidzi akatsvaka kuti awane mashoko akanaka chete, uye zvaakanyora zvakarurama uye ndezvechokwadi.
11 The things that [I and other] wise people say [teach people what they should do]; they are like [SIM] (goads/sharp sticks that people use to strike animals to direct where they should go). They are like [SIM] nails that stick out of pieces of wood. They are given to us by [God, who is like] [MET] our shepherd.
Mashoko avachenjeri akafanana nezvibayiso, mashoko avo akaunganidzwa akasimbiswa sembambo dzakarovererwa kwazvo, akapiwa noMufudzi mumwe chete.
12 [So], my son, pay careful attention to what I have written, and choose carefully what you read that others have written, [because] writing proverbs/books is endless, and [trying to] study them all will cause you to become exhausted.
Yambirwa, mwanakomana wangu, kuti pasava nechinhu chipi zvacho chichawedzerwa pazviri. Zvokunyora mabhuku mazhinji hazvina magumo, uye kudzidza zvizhinji kunonetesa muviri.
13 [Now] you have heard all [that I have told you], and here is the conclusion: Revere God, and obey his commandments, because those commandments summarize everything that people should do.
Zvino zvose zvanzwikwa; houno mugumo wenyaya yacho: Itya Mwari uchengete mirayiro yake, nokuti iri ndiro basa rose romunhu.
14 And do not forget that God will judge everything that we do, good things and bad things, [even] things that we do secretly.
Nokuti Mwari achatonga basa rimwe nerimwe kusanganisira nezvakavanzika zvose, zvakanaka kana zvakaipa.
