1 I have noticed that in this world a serious injustice is done. 2 God will give us wealth, honor, and property, yes, everything we want, but then will not let us enjoy it. Some stranger will enjoy it instead. It is useless, and it just isn't right. 3 We may have a hundred children and live a long time, but no matter how long we live, if we do not get our share of happiness and do not receive a decent burial, then I say that a baby born dead is better off. 4 It does that baby no good to be born; it disappears into darkness, where it is forgotten. 5 It never sees the light of day or knows what life is like, but at least it has found rest— 6 more so than the man who never enjoys life, though he may live two thousand years. After all, both of them are going to the same place.
7 We do all our work just to get something to eat, but we never have enough. 8 How are the wise better off than fools? What good does it do the poor to know how to face life? 9 It is useless; it is like chasing the wind. It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else.
10 Everything that happens was already determined long ago, and we all know that you cannot argue with someone who is stronger than you. 11 The longer you argue, the more useless it is, and you are no better off. 12 How can anyone know what is best for us in this short, useless life of ours—a life that passes like a shadow? How can we know what will happen in the world after we die?
1 Kuna bubi gwandakabona mu shango, ngono gopawula tjilume. 2 Nthu unopiwa fumwa ne thundu ne gudzo nge Ndzimu, kuti asitongo sheta tjimwe muna zwaanoyemula, koga Ndzimu autompa simba lekuzwija, koga zowojiwa nge ntaya, ikoku madatha, banga linopanda. 3 Ha nlume angazwala bana bali zana (100) ebe etjila makole manjinji mazhuba e bupenyu gugwe akabe manjinji, koga akasizipigwe nge zwibuya zwe butjilo, kakale akasibiganyike, ndoti mwana wakazwagwa tjibaka tjisathu tjaswika unoyita paunli. 4 Ngobe kozha kuli madatha kungina mu zhalima kakale zina lako lakasumbikika mu zhalima, 5 kakale akuzobona zhuba kene kukaziba tjimwe, koga kowana kunyaluluka kupinda iye. 6 Nenguba angatjila makole ali zwiwulu zwibili (2 000), akuna lushatho bathu abatoyenda kundawo ing'ompela? 7 Shinga kungapa kwe bathu kobe ku shingigwa ntumbu, koga kuyemula zojiwa akutofa kwapela. 8 Ntjenjedu unopinda tjilengwe ngeni? Nshayi unoziba kuzwibhata mbeli kwe batjili uneni tjaanatjo? 9 Bona kwe mesho koyita pana kupembela kwe yemula, ikoku naiko madatha e kutatana ne phepo. 10 Tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakatongobepo tjakapiwa zina, kakale kozibgwa kuti nthu ini, ne kuti aanganyanyayidzane ne wakasima kumpinda. 11 Matama manjinji ano paphidza madatha, ngono nthu iye ungabe eyita ngeni wali? 12 Ndiyani wali unoziba tjakanakila nthu se etjila mazhuba mashomanana koga mu butjilo gugwe gusigwatjimwe, gwaanopinda mu guli se ntutshi? Ndiyani unga budza nthu kuti kowosalani mu shango shule kwe lufu gugwe?