Lemekeza Mulungu
1Uzisamala mayendedwe ako pamene ukupita ku nyumba ya Mulungu. Upite pafupi kuti ukamvetsere mʼmalo mopereka nsembe ya zitsiru zimene sizizindikira kuti zikuchita zolakwa.
2Usamafulumire kuyankhula,
usafulumire mu mtima mwako
kunena chilichonse pamaso pa Mulungu.
Mulungu ali kumwamba
ndipo iwe uli pa dziko lapansi,
choncho mawu ako akhale ochepa.
3Kuchuluka kwa mavuto mu mtima kumabweretsa maloto oyipa,
ndipo kuchuluka kwa mawu kumadzetsa uchitsiru.
4Pamene ulumbira kwa Mulungu usachedwe kukwaniritsa chimene walumbiracho. Iye sakondweretsedwa ndi chitsiru; kwaniritsa lumbiro lako. 5Kuli bwino kusalumbira kusiyana ndi kulumbira koma osakwaniritsa lumbirolo. 6Pakamwa pako pasakuchimwitse. Ndipo usanene kwa mthenga wa mʼNyumba ya Mulungu kuti, “Ndinalakwitsa polumbira.” Chifukwa chiyani ukufuna Mulungu akwiye ndi mawu ako ndiponso ntchito ya manja ako? 7Maloto ochuluka ndi mawu ochuluka ndi zinthu zopandapake. Kotero lemekeza Mulungu.
Chuma Nʼchopandapake
8Ngati uwona anthu osauka akuzunzika mʼdziko, ndiponso anthu ena akupsinja anzawo ndi kuwalanda ufulu wawo, usadabwe ndi zinthu zimenezi; pakuti woyangʼanira ali naye wina womuyangʼanira wamkulu, ndipo pamwamba pa awiriwa pali ena akuluakulu owaposa. 9Anthu onse amatengako zokolola za mʼminda: koma ndi mfumu yokha imene imapeza phindu la mindayi.
10Aliyense amene amakonda ndalama sakhutitsidwa ndi ndalamazo;
aliyense amene amakonda chuma sakhutitsidwa ndi zimene amapeza.
Izinso ndi zopandapake.
11Chuma chikachuluka
akudya nawo chumacho amachulukanso.
Nanga mwini wake amapindulapo chiyani
kuposa kumangochiyangʼana ndi maso ake?
12Wantchito amagona tulo tabwino
ngakhale adye pangʼono kapena kudya kwambiri,
koma munthu wolemera, chuma
sichimulola kuti agone.
13Ine ndinaona choyipa chomvetsa chisoni pansi pano:
chuma chokundikidwa chikupweteka mwini wake yemwe,
14kapena chuma chowonongedwa pa nthawi yatsoka,
kotero kuti pamene wabereka mwana
alibe kanthu koti amusiyire.
15Munthu anabadwa wamaliseche kuchokera mʼmimba mwa amayi ake,
ndipo monga iye anabadwira, adzapitanso choncho.
Pa zonse zimene iye anakhetsera thukuta
palibe nʼchimodzi chomwe chimene adzatenge mʼmanja mwake.
16Izinso ndi zoyipa kwambiri:
munthu adzapita monga momwe anabwerera,
ndipo iye amapindula chiyani,
pakuti amagwira ntchito yolemetsa yopanda phindu?
17Masiku ake onse ndi odzaza ndi mdima,
kukhumudwa kwakukulu, masautso ndi nkhawa.
18Tsono ndinazindikira kuti nʼchabwino ndi choyenera kuti munthu azidya ndi kumwa, ndi kukhutitsidwa ndi ntchito yake yolemetsa imene amayigwira pansi pano pa nthawi yake yochepa imene Mulungu amamupatsa, poti ichi ndiye chake. 19Komatu pamene Mulungu apereka chuma kwa munthu aliyense ndi zinthu zina, ndi kulola kuti akondwere ndi chumacho, munthuyo alandire chumacho ndi kusangalala ndi ntchito yake, imene ndi mphatso yochokera kwa Mulungu. 20Munthu wotereyu saganizirapo za masiku a moyo wake, chifukwa Mulungu amamutanganidwitsa ndi chisangalalo cha mu mtima mwake.
Fulfil your vow to God
In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:17, and 5:2-20 is numbered 5:1-19. 1Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
2Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
and you are on earth,
so let your words be few.
3A dream comes when there are many cares,
and many words mark the speech of a fool.
4When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfil it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfil your vow. 5It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfil it. 6Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, ‘My vow was a mistake.’ Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? 7Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.
Riches are meaningless
8If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. 9The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
10Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This too is meaningless.
11As goods increase,
so do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
except to feast their eyes on them?
12The sleep of a labourer is sweet,
whether they eat little or much,
but as for the rich, their abundance
permits them no sleep.
13I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:
wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
14or wealth lost through some misfortune,
so that when they have children
there is nothing left for them to inherit.
15Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb,
and as everyone comes, so they depart.
They take nothing from their toil
that they can carry in their hands.
16This too is a grievous evil:
as everyone comes, so they depart,
and what do they gain,
since they toil for the wind?
17All their days they eat in darkness,
with great frustration, affliction and anger.
18This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labour under the sun during the few days of life God has given them – for this is their lot. 19Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil – this is a gift of God. 20They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.
