Suffering, Hard Work and No Friends
1I looked and saw how much people were suffering on this earth.
I saw the tears of those who are suffering.
They don’t have anyone to comfort them.
Power is on the side of those who treat them badly.
Those who are suffering don’t have anyone to comfort them.
2Then I announced that those
who have already died
are happier than those
who are still alive.
3But someone who hasn’t been born yet
is better off than the dead or the living.
That’s because that person hasn’t seen the evil things
that are done on earth.
4I also saw that a person works hard and accomplishes a lot. But they do it only because they want what another person has. That doesn’t have any meaning either. It’s like chasing the wind.
5Foolish people fold their hands and don’t work.
And that destroys them.
6One handful with peace and quiet
is better than two handfuls with hard work.
Working too hard is like chasing the wind.
7Again I saw something on earth that didn’t mean anything.
8A man lived all by himself.
He didn’t have any sons or brothers.
His hard work never ended.
But he wasn’t happy with what he had.
“Who am I working so hard for?” he asked.
“Why don’t I get the things I enjoy?”
That doesn’t have any meaning either.
In fact, it’s a very bad deal!
9Two people are better than one.
They can help each other in everything they do.
10Suppose either of them falls down.
Then the one can help the other one up.
But suppose a person falls down and doesn’t have anyone to help them up.
Then feel sorry for that person!
11Or suppose two people lie down together.
Then they’ll keep warm.
But how can one person keep warm alone?
12One person could be overpowered.
But two people can stand up for themselves.
And a rope made out of three cords isn’t easily broken.
Getting Ahead Is Meaningless
13A poor but wise young man is better off than an old but foolish king. That king doesn’t pay attention to a warning anymore. 14The young man might have come from prison to become king. Or he might have been born poor within the kingdom but still became king. 15I saw that everyone was following the young man who had become the new king. 16At first, all the people served him when he became king. But those who came later weren’t pleased with the way he was ruling. That doesn’t have any meaning either. It’s like chasing the wind.
Kũhinyĩrĩrio, Kwĩnogia, na Kwaga Arata
1Ningĩ nĩndarorire na ngĩona kũhinyanĩrĩria kũrĩa gwathiiaga na mbere gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa:
Ngĩona maithori ma arĩa ahinyĩrĩrie,
na matirĩ na mũndũ wa kũmahooreria;
arĩa maamahinyagĩrĩria nĩo maarĩ na ũhoti,
no acio maahinyagĩrĩrio matiarĩ na mũndũ wa kũmahooreria.
2Tondũ ũcio ngiuga atĩ andũ arĩa akuũ,
o acio marĩkĩtie gũkua,
nĩmakenaga gũkĩra arĩa marĩ muoyo,
o acio marĩ muoyo o na rĩu.
34:3 Ayub 3:16No rĩrĩ, mũndũ ũrĩa mwega gũkĩra acio eerĩ
nĩ ũrĩa ũtarĩ mũciare,
o ũcio ũtoneete ũũru
ũrĩa wĩkagwo gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa.
4Ningĩ ngĩona atĩ wĩra wothe na maũndũ marĩa mũndũ agĩĩaga namo moimanaga na mũndũ kũiguĩra mũndũ wa itũũra rĩake ũiru. Ũndũ ũcio o naguo no wa tũhũ, o ta gũtengʼeria rũhuho.
54:5 Thim 6:10Mũndũ mũkĩĩgu enyiitanagĩria moko,
akeyananga we mwene.
64:6 Thim 15:16-17Nĩ kaba mũndũ akorwo na kĩndũ kĩnini na akorwo na ũhooreri,
gũkĩra gwĩtungumania agĩe na indo nyingĩ,
na gũtengʼeria rũhuho.
7Ningĩ ngĩona ũndũ wa tũhũ gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa:
84:8 Thim 27:20Kwarĩ na mũndũ watũũraga arĩ wiki;
ndaarĩ na mũriũ kana mũrũ wa nyina.
No rĩrĩ, aatũũraga etungumanagia,
no maitho make matiaiganagwo nĩ ũtonga.
Eyũririe atĩrĩ, “Nũũ ũratũma ndĩtungumanie ũũ, na noge,
na nĩ kĩĩ kĩratũma ndĩiime ikeno?”
Ũndũ ũcio o naguo nĩ wa tũhũ,
no wĩra wa gũthĩĩnĩka!
9Nĩ kaba andũ eerĩ gũkĩra ũmwe,
tondũ nĩmoonaga uumithio mwega wa wĩra wao:
10Ũmwe angĩgũa thĩ-rĩ,
mũratawe no amuoe.
No rĩrĩ, mũndũ angĩgũa thĩ na ndarĩ na wa kũmuoya-rĩ,
kaĩ ũcio nĩ wa kũiguĩrwo tha-ĩ!
11Ningĩ-rĩ, andũ eerĩ mangĩkoma hamwe nĩmaiguithanagia ũrugarĩ.
No rĩrĩ, mũndũ angĩhota kũigua ũrugarĩ atĩa arĩ o wiki?
12Mũndũ ũmwe no akĩrio hinya,
no andũ eerĩ no mahote kwĩgitĩra.
Mũhĩndo mũrame na ndigi ithatũ ndũngĩtuĩka narua.
Ũthii wa-na-Mbere no wa Tũhũ
13Nĩ kaba mũndũ mwĩthĩ mũthĩĩni no nĩ mũũgĩ, gũkĩra mũthamaki mũkũrũ no nĩ mũkĩĩgu, ũrĩa ũtangĩtaarĩka. 14Mũndũ mwĩthĩ ũcio no akorwo oimĩte njeera agatuuo mũthamaki, kana akorwo aaciarirwo arĩ mũthĩĩni o kũu ũthamaki-inĩ wake. 15Ngĩkĩona atĩ andũ arĩa othe matũũraga na magathiiagĩra gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa maarũmĩrĩire mwanake ũcio mũthĩĩni, o ũcio wacookire ithenya rĩa mũthamaki. 16Andũ arĩa othe maathagwo nĩwe matingĩtarĩka. No rĩrĩ, andũ arĩa mookire thuutha wake matiakenirio nĩ ũcio wacookire ithenya rĩa mũthamaki. Ũndũ ũyũ o naguo nĩ wa tũhũ, o ta gũtengʼeria rũhuho.
