The Foolishness of Trusting in Riches
1 Hear this, everyone!
Listen, all people everywhere,
2 great and small alike,
rich and poor together.
3 My thoughts will be clear;
I will speak words of wisdom.
4 I will turn my attention to proverbs
and explain their meaning as I play the harp.
5 I am not afraid in times of danger
when I am surrounded by enemies,
6 by evil people who trust in their riches
and boast of their great wealth.
7 We can never redeem ourselves;
we cannot pay God the price for our lives,
8 because the payment for a human life is too great.
What we could pay would never be enough
9 to keep us from the grave,
to let us live forever.
10 Anyone can see that even the wise die,
as well as the foolish and stupid.
They all leave their riches to their descendants.
11 Their graves are their homes forever;
there they stay for all time,
though they once had lands of their own.
12 Our greatness cannot keep us from death;
we will still die like the animals.
13 See what happens to those who trust in themselves,
the fate of those who are satisfied with their wealth—
14 they are doomed to die like sheep,
and Death will be their shepherd.
The righteous will triumph over them,
as their bodies quickly decay
in the world of the dead far from their homes.
15 But God will rescue me;
he will save me from the power of death.
16 Don't be upset when someone becomes rich,
when his wealth grows even greater;
17 he cannot take it with him when he dies;
his wealth will not go with him to the grave.
18 Even if someone is satisfied with this life
and is praised because he is successful,
19 he will join all his ancestors in death,
where the darkness lasts forever.
20 Our greatness cannot keep us from death;
we will still die like the animals.
Madatha e kugalabgwe mu fumwa
1 Ihwani woku imwi bathu bose;
teedzani imwi bagali be shango yose,
2 bapasi kose ne bakamilidzika,
bafumi kose ne bashayi.
3 Nlomo wangu unowoleba butjenjedu;
ndebeleko ye moyo wangu inowobe kuhwisisa.
4 Ndowoteedza makungulupeswa;
ndowolidza dende awana dabilo ye malipa.
5 Ini nditja mu misi ye kudziyidzika,
ha matjinyo aibabo banobhayana
nami akandipoteleka,
6 ibabo banogalamoyo mu fumwa dzabo kakale
bezwikudza ngekwe bunji gwe thundu dzabo?
7 Malebeswa, akuna nthu tjaangatenganya butjilo nditjo,
akuna themba nthu yaangabigila Ndzimu nge kwago.
8 Tjinotenganya butjilo themba yatjo i pezhugwi kwazo,
kakale akungashingikale
9 kuti nthu atjilile tjose, asitongongina mu gomba.
10 Ngobe atilinga batjenjedu, towana befa;
tjilengwe ne tjihema banoloba bose
besiyila bamwe fumwa yabo.
11 Zwikumbu ndizo mizi yabo nge kusingapele,
ndiwo magalo abo ne zwizekugwana zose,
nenguba bakatumila shango nge mazina abo.
12 Koga nthu angagalile tjose mu kuzwikudza kukwe
unonga phuka dzinoloba.
13 Elo ndilo bhelelo le zila ye bulengwe,
bhelelo la ibabo banoshathisiwa nge thundu dzabo.
14 Se pkhwizi, bakashaligwa gomba le lufu;
lufu gowobe nlisi wabo;
banodelukila koga mu ikumbu,
ne mbumbiko yabo inowokolomoka;
Gomba le lufu ndilo linowobe nzi wabo.
15 Koga Ndzimu unowodzutunula meya yangu
mu simba le lufu,
ngobe iwo unowondiamutjila.
16 Musitje ha bamwe befuma,
ha fumwa dze mizi yabo dzipaphidzika.
17 Ngobe ha befa akuna tjabanowosenga,
fumwa yabo ayitowobatobela.
18 Nenguba mu butjilo gwabo bakabe bezwidwa beti bakashatha,
ngoti nthu unokudziwa ha wuzwithamila kwakanaka,
19 banowoyenda kuna bobatategulu babo,
ibabo basingatjawobona tjedza kakale.
20 Koga nthu angagalile tjose mu kuzwikudza kukwe;
unonga phuka dzinoloba.