Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness
1Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:
I saw the tears of the oppressed—
and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
and they have no comforter.
2And I declared that the dead,
who had already died,
are happier than the living,
who are still alive.
3But better than both
is the one who has never been born,
who has not seen the evil
that is done under the sun.
4And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
5Fools fold their hands
and ruin themselves.
6Better one handful with tranquillity
than two handfuls with toil
and chasing after the wind.
7Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:
8There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!
9Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
10If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
11Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Advancement Is Meaningless
13Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. 14The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. 16There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Matsoka ndi Mavuto a Moyo Uno
1Ndinayangʼananso ndi kuona chipsinjo chimene chimachitika pansi pano:
ndinaona misozi ya anthu opsinjika,
ndipo iwo alibe owatonthoza;
mphamvu zinali ndi anthu owapsinjawo
ndipo iwonso analibe owatonthoza.
2Ndipo ndinanena kuti akufa,
amene anafa kale,
ndi osangalala kuposa amoyo,
amene akanalibe ndi moyo.
3Koma wopambana onsewa
ndi amene sanabadwe,
amene sanaone zoyipa
zimene chimachitika pansi pano.
4Ndipo ndinazindikira kuti ntchito zonse zolemetsa ndiponso ntchito zonse zaluso zimachitika chifukwa choti wina akuchitira nsanje mnzake. Izinso ndi zopandapake, nʼkungodzivuta chabe.
5Chitsiru chimangoti manja ake lobodo
ndi kudzipha chokha ndi njala.
6Nʼkwabwino kukhala ndi dzanja limodzi lodzaza uli pa mtendere,
kuposa kukhala ndi manja awiri odzaza uli pa mavuto,
ndipo uku nʼkungodzivuta chabe.
7Ndinaonanso chinthu china chopanda phindu pansi pano:
8Panali munthu amene anali yekhayekha;
analibe mwana kapena mʼbale.
Ntchito yake yolemetsa sinkatha,
ndipo maso ake sankakhutitsidwa ndi chuma chake.
Iye anadzifunsa kuti, “Kodi ntchito yosautsayi ndikuyigwirira yani?
Nanga nʼchifukwa chiyani ndikudzimana chisangalalo?”
Izinso ndi zopandapake,
zosasangalatsa!
9Kukhala awiri nʼkwabwino kuposa kukhala wekha,
chifukwa ntchito ya anthu awiri ili ndi phindu:
10Ngati winayo agwa,
mnzakeyo adzamudzutsa.
Koma tsoka kwa munthu amene agwa
ndipo alibe wina woti amudzutse!
11Komanso ngati anthu awiri agona malo amodzi, adzafunditsana.
Koma nanga mmodzi angadzifunditse yekha?
12Munthu mmodzi angathe kugonjetsedwa,
koma anthu awiri akhoza kudziteteza.
Chingwe cha maulusi atatu sichidukirapo.
Kutukuka Nʼkopandapake
13Wachinyamata wosauka koma wanzeru aposa mfumu yokalamba koma yopusa imene simvanso malangizo. 14Wachinyamatayo angathe kuchokera ku ndende ndi kudzakhala mfumu, kapena angathe kubadwa wosauka mʼdziko la mfumuyo. 15Ndipo ndinaona kuti iwo onse amene anakhala ndi moyo ndi kuyenda pansi pano anatsatira wachinyamatayo, amene anatenga malo a mfumu. 16Mfumu ikhoza kulamulira anthu osawerengeka, komabe itamwalira, palibe amene adzayamikire zomwe mfumuyo inachita. Izinso ndi zopandapake, nʼkungozivuta chabe.
