It Is Senseless To Be Selfish
1 I said to myself, “Have fun and enjoy yourself!” But this didn't make sense. 2 Laughing and having fun is crazy. What good does it do? 3 I wanted to find out what was best for us during the short time we have on this earth. So I decided to make myself happy with wine and find out what it means to be foolish, without really being foolish myself.
4 I did some great things. I built houses and planted vineyards. 5 I had flower gardens and orchards full of fruit trees. 6 And I had pools where I could get water for the trees. 7 I owned slaves, and their sons and daughters became my slaves. I had more sheep and goats than anyone who had ever lived in Jerusalem. 8 Foreign rulers brought me silver, gold, and precious treasures. Men and women sang for me, and I had many wives who gave me great pleasure.
9 I was the most famous person who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and I was very wise. 10 I got whatever I wanted and did whatever made me happy. But most of all, I enjoyed my work. 11 Then I thought about everything I had done, including the hard work, and it was simply chasing the wind. Nothing on earth is worth the trouble.
Wisdom Comes from God
12 I asked myself, “What can the next king do that I haven't done?” Then I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and stupidity. 13 And I discovered that wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. 14 Wisdom is like having two good eyes; foolishness leaves you in the dark. But wise or foolish, we all end up the same.
15 Finally, I said to myself, “Being wise got me nowhere! The same thing will happen to me that happens to fools. Nothing makes sense. 16 Wise or foolish, we all die and are soon forgotten.” 17 This made me hate life. Everything we do is painful; it's just as senseless as chasing the wind.
18 Suddenly I realized that others would someday get everything I had worked for so hard, then I started hating it all. 19 Who knows if those people will be sensible or stupid? Either way, they will own everything I have earned by hard work and wisdom. It doesn't make sense.
20 I thought about all my hard work, and I felt depressed. 21 When we use our wisdom, knowledge, and skill to get what we own, why do we have to leave it to someone who didn't work for it? This is senseless and wrong. 22 What do we really gain from all of our hard work? 23 Our bodies ache during the day, and work is torture. Then at night our thoughts are troubled. It just doesn't make sense.
24 The best thing we can do is to enjoy eating, drinking, and working. I believe these are God's gifts to us, 25 and no one enjoys eating and living more than I do. 26 If we please God, he will make us wise, understanding, and happy. But if we sin, God will make us struggle for a living, then he will give all we own to someone who pleases him. This makes no more sense than chasing the wind.
1 Ndakazwidwa ndikati, “Izha ngwenu, ndowogwisa kuzwishathisa ndikapembela.” Koga bonani, naikobo madatha. 2 Ndakati ngekwe tjiseko, “Bupengo,” ngekwe shatho, “Bhatsho yayo ini wali?” 3 Ndakatongo zwibhuzwa mu nkumbulo kuti kene ndinga shathisa mbili wangu nge nkumbi we zhambi; nkumbulo wangu utjandilakidza nge butjenjedu kuziba bulengwe, kuswikilila ndingabona tjakalulwamila kushingwa nge bakololo be bathu mu shango mu mazhuba mashomanana e butjilo gwabo. 4 Ndakashinga mishingo mikulu; ndakabaka ng'umba azwilimila minda ye mizhambi, 5 ndakazwithamila minda ne pulazi, ngono ndakadzwala mitjelo yakasiyanasiyana muili. 6 Ndakazwitshila matshime kuti ndidilidzile miti yandakadzwala. 7 Ndakatenga balandalume ne balandakadzi ne bamwe balanda bakazwaligwa mu nzi wangu, ndakabe ne fumwa njinji ye ng'ombe ne pkhwizi ne mbudzi, kupinda bose bakatongobepo mbeli kwangu mu Jerusalema. 8 Ndakazwikubunganyila siliva ne golide ne fumwa ya bomambo nenge mituthu, ndakazwishakila bambi be tjilume ne be tjikadzi ne zwamba zwinjinji, kuli shatho ye nthu tjilume. 9 Ndizo wali ndakabe nkulu kwazo kupinda bose bakazha kunditangila mu Jerusalema ne butjenjedu gwakabaka mundili. 10 Zose zwakabe zwiyemugwa nge mesho angu andizo anyima izo, andizodzibila moyo wangu mizipo, moyo wangu wakawana lushatho mu kushinga kwangu kose, ikoko kwakabe iwo mbhayilo wangu we kushinga kose. 11 Ipapo ndakati ndilinga zose zwakashingwa nge maboko angu ne dukuta landakatebula mu kushinga zwithu izwezo, bona, kose kwakabe madatha ne tatana ne phepo, akuna nthu tjaangabhula mu shango.
Butjenjedu ne bulengwe madatha
12 Ndizo ipapo ashanduka alingisisa butjenjedu ne bupengo ne bulengwe, ngoti nthu unozha shule kwa mambo ungathamani wali kuzhe kwe tjakathamiwa kale. 13 Ndipo pandakabona kuti butjenjedu gopinda bulengwe se tjedza tjipinda zhalima. 14 Ntjenjedu una mesho mu nsholo uwe koga tjilengwe tjoyenda mu zhalima. Ngono ndakabona kuti bhelelo labo lofanana. 15 Ipapo ndakazwidwa nditi, “Tjinowila tjilengwe tjowondiwilabo, ini ndakabe ne butjenjedu gungapa wali?” Ndakazwidwa nditi naikobo madatha koga. 16 Ngoti ntjenjedu koga se tjilengwe unokanganika, se tibona kuti mu mazhuba anozha bose banowobe bakanganika ntolo. Koga se tjilengwe ntjenjedu unofa bo! 17 Ndizo abenga butjilo ngoti zose zwinoshingwa mu shango zwakandihwisa zogwadza, ngoti kose madatha ne tatana ne phepo. 18 Ndakabenga kushinga kwangu kwandakashinga mu shango, ha ndibona kuti ndakafanila siyila unowozha shule kwangu mu shango, 19 kakale ndiyani unoziba kuti unowobe ali ntjenjedu kene tjilengwe? Nenguba ewobe mweni wa zose zwa ndakashingila ndishingisa butjenjedu gwangu mu shango. Naiko ikoku bo madatha. 20 Ndizo wali ndakanyala moyo atemeka mafupa ngekwe nshingo wangu wose wandakashinga mu shango. 21 Ngoti nthu ungashinga nge butjenjedu nge luzibo nenge bunyambi kudwapo kasiya fumwa yose kujiwa nge nthu usaka ishingila. Naikoko bo madatha ne mbipo yakabangalala. 22 Hwuti nthu unobuyigwa ngeni mu kutukutila eshinga ezikitila mu shango? 23 Nekuti mazhuba awe wose azhele zogwadza, ne nshingo uwe uzhele buyendasi, ne kuli busiku nkumbulo uwe autonyaluluka. Ikoku naiko bo madatha.
24 Akuna tjimwe tjibuya tje nthu kuzhe kwe kuti aje ang'we, kakale awane kushatha mu kushinga kukwe. Ikoku naiko bo, ndakabona, kodwa mu luboko gwe Ndzimu, 25 nekuti hakwabe kusi iwo, ndiyani ungaja kene akabe ne kushatha? 26 Nthu unoshathisa Ndzimu, unopiwa butjenjedu ne luzibo ne kushatha, koga ku ntjinyi Ndzimu unompa kukubunganya ne kubutitika, ngono kapelela apa iye unoshathisa Ndzimu. Ikoko bo madatha ne tatana ne phepo.