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.
Amaziga g’Abanyigirizibwa
14:1 a Zab 12:5; Mub 3:16 b Kgb 1:16Ate nalaba okunnyigirizibwa kwonna okukolebwa wansi w’enjuba.
Ate laba, amaziga gaabo abanyigirizibwa,
era nga tebalina wakugabasangulako!
Ababanyigiriza baalina obuyinza,
kyokka nga tewali asobola kubagambako.
24:2 a Yer 20:17-18; 22:10 b Yob 3:17; 10:18Ne ndowooza ku abo abaafa,
nga baali ba mukisa okusinga
abo abakyali abalamu;
34:3 a Yob 3:16; Mub 6:3 b Yob 3:22naye abasinga abo,
y’oyo atannaba kuzaalibwa,
atannalaba bibi
obukolebwa wansi w’enjuba.
44:4 Mub 1:14Awo ne ndaba ng’okutegana, n’okutuukiriza mu bikolebwa, kuva mu kukwatirwa obuggya muliraanwa. Na kino butaliimu na kugoberera mpewo.
54:5 Nge 6:10Omusirusiru awumba emikono gye,
ne yeezikiriza yekka.
64:6 Nge 15:16-17; 16:8Kirungi okuba n’emirembe emijjuvu
okusinga okujjula okubonaabona
n’okugoberera empewo.
7Ate era ne ndaba obutaliimu wansi w’enjuba:
84:8 Nge 27:20nalaba omuntu ng’ali bwannamunigina,
nga talina mwana wabulenzi wadde muganda we, naye ng’ategana okukamala, nga tamatira na bugagga bwe,
ne yeebuuza nti, “Nteganira ani
ne neefiiriza essanyu?
Kino nakyo butaliimu,
era tekiriiko kye kigasa.”
9Ababiri basinga omu,
kubanga bagasibwa nnyo mu kukola kwabwe.
10Kubanga singa omu agwa,
munne amuyimusa.
Naye zimusanze oyo ali obw’omu,
bw’agwa tabaako amuyimusa.
11Ababiri bwe bagalamira bombi awamu babuguma;
naye oyo ali obw’omu, ayinza atya okubuguma?
12Omu awangulwa mangu,
kyokka ababiri bayinza okwerwanako.
Kubanga omuguwa ogw’emiyondo esatu tegukutuka mangu.
13Omuvubuka omwavu nga mugezi, akira kabaka amusinga emyaka nga musirusiru, atafaayo ku kubuulirirwa. 14Omuvubuka ayinza okuba ng’avudde mu kkomera n’alya obwakabaka, oba okulya obwakabaka ng’abadde mwavu. 15Nalaba abalamu bonna abatambula wansi w’enjuba nga bagoberera omuvubuka oyo ow’okulya obwakabaka. 16Abantu be yafuganga baali bangi nnyo. Naye abo abajja oluvannyuma lwe tebaamusiima. Na kino nakyo butaliimu na kugoberera mpewo.
