1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. 3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. 5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. 6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. 7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. 8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. 11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
12 ¶ I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. 16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. 17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. 18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Tjimwe ne tjimwe madatha
1 Awa matama e Nsumikili, nkololo wa Dafite wakabe ali mambo mu Jerusalema,
2 “Madatha e madatha,” koleba Nsumikili.
“Madatha e madatha!
Tjimwe ne tjimwe madatha.”
3 Nthu unobuyigwa ngeni mukushinga kukwe,
etukutila zwingapa mu shango?
4 Tjizekugwana tjimwe tjopinda,
tjizekugwana tjimwe tjozha,
koga shango inogalila tjatjose.
5 Zhuba lobhuda kakale zhuba longina,
likatjimbidza labgwilila kwalinobhuda.
6 Phepo inohwuhwudzila ku burwa,
ikapotelekela ku bunandzwa,
phepo ino poteleka ika tendeleka,
ikabgwilila kwainodwa.
7 Njizi dzose dzowungila ku gungwa,
koga gungwa alitozhala,
njizi kwadzinowungila,
ikoko dzobgwilila kakale.
8 Zwithu zose zwizhele manyalo,
nge zila isina ungatjenesa,
zhisho alitogutshiwa ngobona,
na iyo zebe aitozhala ngohwa.
9 Tjagalatjilipo nditjo tjinowobepo,
ne tjakatongo shingwa, nditjo tjinowoshingwa,
akuna tjithu tjitshwa mu shango.
10 Akuna tjithu tjingayi nge kwatjo,
“Bona, itjetji tjitshwa?”
Tjakatongobepo kale,
mu makole tisathu tikabepo.
11 Akuna ikumbuludzo tje zwakatongo bepo,
kene akutobepo kualakana
zwithu zwitjowoshingikala,
muna batjowozha shule kwa ngwenu.
Butjenjedu madatha
12 Imi Nsumikili ndakabe mambo we Iziraela mu Jerusalema. 13 Ndakashingisa nkumbulo wangu kushaka ne kufunyungudza ne butjenjedu, tjimwe ne tjimwe tjinoshingikala mu shango, Ndzimu wakapa bakololo be bathu ntolo kuti badzulane nawo. 14 Ndakabona tjimwe ne tjimwe tjinoshingikala mu shango, koga bonani, tjimwe ne tjimwe madatha ekutatana ne phepo. 15 Tjakakombama atjingatambunudziwe ne tjisipo atjingabagwe. 16 Ndakazwidwa ndikati, “Ndakawana butjenjedu bukulu, kupinda bose bakatongo tungamila Jerusalema kunditangila, kakale nkumbulo wangu wakabe ne kuzhala butjenjedu ne luzibo.” 17 Kakale ndakashingisa nkumbulo wangu kuziba butjenjedu ne bupengo ne bulengwe. Ndakabona kuti kose ikoku naiko hwutatana ne phepo koga. 18 Mu butjenjedu kuzhele kudziyidzika, kakale iye unopaphidza luzibo unopaphidza buyendasi.