1Remember your Creator.
Remember him while you are still young.
Think about him before your times of trouble come.
The years will come when you will say,
“I don’t find any pleasure in them.”
2That’s when the sunlight will become dark.
The moon and the stars will also grow dark.
And the clouds will return after it rains.
3Remember your Creator before those who guard the house tremble with old age.
That’s when strong men will be bent over.
The women who grind grain will stop because there are so few of them left.
Those who look through the windows won’t be able to see very well.
4Remember your Creator before the front doors are closed.
That’s when the sound of grinding will fade away.
Old people will rise up when they hear birds singing.
But they will barely hear any of their songs.
5Remember your Creator before you become afraid of places that are too high.
You will also be terrified because of danger in the streets.
Remember your Creator before the almond trees have buds on them.
That’s when grasshoppers will drag themselves along.
Old people will lose their desire.
That’s when people will go to their dark homes in the grave.
And those who mourn for the dead will walk around in the streets.
6Remember your Creator before the silver cord is cut.
Remember him before the golden bowl is broken.
The wheel will be broken at the well.
The pitcher will be smashed at the spring.
7Remember your Creator before you return to the dust you came from.
Remember him before your spirit goes back to God who gave it.
8“Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Nothing has any meaning.”
Have Respect for God and Obey His Commandments
9The Teacher was wise. He gave knowledge to people. He tried out many proverbs. He thought about them carefully. Then he wrote them down in order. 10He did his best to find just the right words. And what he wrote was honest and true.
11The sayings of those who are wise move people to take action. Their collected sayings are like nails pounded in firm and deep. These sayings are given to us by one shepherd. 12My son, be careful not to pay attention to anything added to them.
Books will never stop being written. Too much studying makes people tired.
13Everything has now been heard.
And here’s the final thing I want to say.
Have respect for God and obey his commandments.
This is what he expects of all human beings.
14God will judge everything people do.
That includes everything they try to hide.
He’ll judge everything, whether it’s good or evil.
112:1 Koh 11:8; 2Sam 19:35Ririkanaga Mũkũũmbi
matukũ-inĩ ma ũnini waku,
mũiria wa matukũ ma thĩĩna makinye,
na mĩaka ĩkuhĩrĩrie rĩrĩa ũkoiga atĩrĩ,
“Kaĩ ndikenagĩra mĩaka ĩno-ĩ”:
2riũa na ũtheri,
na mweri na njata ĩtanatuĩka nduma,
namo matu matanacooka ho mbura yathira;
3rĩrĩa aikaria a nyũmba makainaina,
nao arĩa marĩ hinya mainame,
rĩrĩa ithĩi igaatiga gũthĩa nĩ ũndũ nĩ nini,
nao arĩa macũthagĩrĩria na ndirica matumanĩrwo nĩ nduma;
412:4 Jer 25:10rĩrĩa mĩrango ya kuumĩra barabara ĩkaahingwo,
na mũgambo wa gũthĩa ũnyiihe;
rĩrĩa andũ magookagĩrio nĩ mĩgambo ya nyoni,
no nyĩmbo ciao ciothe ikaaga kũiguĩka;
512:5 Ayub 10:21; Jer 9:17rĩrĩa andũ marĩ na guoya wa kũhaica igũrũ,
na mageetigĩra mogwati ma mabarabara-inĩ;
rĩrĩa mũtĩ wa mũrothi ũrutĩte kĩro,
nayo ndaahi ithiiage ĩĩkururĩtie,
namo merirĩria mage hinya.
Hĩndĩ ĩyo mũndũ ainũke kũrĩa agaatũũra tene na tene,
nao acakai mathiĩ magĩcakayaga njĩra-inĩ.
6Ririkanaga Mũkũũmbi: mbere ya mũhĩndo wa betha ũtanatuĩka,
o na kana mbakũri ya thahabu ĩtaanooragwo;
mbere ya ndigithũ gũthethererwo itherũkĩro-inĩ rĩa maaĩ,
kana kũgũrũ kwa ngaari kuunĩkĩre gĩthima-inĩ,
712:7 Kĩam 2:7; Ayub 20:8naruo rũkũngũ rũcooke tĩĩri-inĩ kũrĩa ruoimire,
naguo roho ũcooke kũrĩ Ngai ũrĩa waũheanire.
8“Maũndũ mothe nĩ ma tũhũ! Nĩ ma tũhũ!” Ũguo nĩguo Mũrutani ekuuga.
“Maũndũ mothe nĩ ma tũhũ!”
Kĩrĩkĩrĩro kĩa Ũhoro
912:9 1Ath 4:32Mũrutani to kũũhĩga aarĩ mũũgĩ, no nĩ aarutire andũ maũndũ. 1012:10 Thim 22:20-21Nĩacũũranirie na agĩtuĩria maũndũ, na agĩtabanĩria thimo nyingĩ na mũbango. Mũrutani nĩatuĩririe nĩgeetha one ciugo o iria ciagĩrĩire, na ũrĩa aandĩkire warĩ mũrũngĩrĩru na wa ma.
11Ciugo cia andũ arĩa oogĩ nĩ ta mĩcengi, nayo mĩario yao ĩcookanĩrĩirio ĩhaana ta nyambo ihũũrĩirwo wega ikarũma, iheanĩtwo nĩ Mũrĩithi ũmwe. 1212:12 Koh 1:18Ĩtĩkĩra gũtaarwo, mũrũ wakwa, ndũkaneeke ũndũ wa gũciongerera.
Ha ũhoro wa gũthondeka mabuku maingĩ-rĩ, ndũrĩ mũthia, nakuo gũthoma mũno kũnogagia mwĩrĩ.
1312:13 Thaam 20:20; Gũcook 4:2Rĩu-rĩ, maũndũ mothe nĩmarĩkĩtie kũiguuo;
kĩrĩkĩrĩro kĩa ũhoro ũcio wothe nĩ gĩkĩ:
Wĩtigĩre Ngai na ũrũmagie maathani make,
nĩ ũndũ gwĩka ũguo nĩkũhingia maũndũ mothe marĩa mũndũ agĩrĩirũo nĩ gwĩka.
1412:14 Ayub 19:29; Thab 19:12Nĩgũkorwo Ngai nĩagaciirithanĩria ũndũ o wothe wĩkĩtwo,
hamwe na maũndũ mothe marĩa mahithe,
marĩ mega kana marĩ mooru.
