Ecclesiastes 5
1 Put your feet down with care when you go to the house of God, for it is better to give ear than to make the burned offerings of the foolish, whose knowledge is only of doing evil.
Linda mwenendo wako unapoenda kwenye nyumba ya Mungu. Nenda kule usikilize. Kusikiliza ni bora kuliko wapumbavu wanapotoa dhabihu wakati hawajuikuwa wanachofanya katika maisha ni kibaya.
2 Be not unwise with your mouth, and let not your heart be quick to say anything before God, because God is in heaven and you are on the earth — so let not the number of your words be great.
Usiwe mwepesi wa kuongea kwa mdomo wako, na usiufanye moyo wako kuleta jambo lolote kwa haraka mbele za Mungu. Mungu yuko mbinguni, lakini uko chini, kwa hiyo maneno yako yawe machache.
3 As a dream comes from much business, so the voice of a foolish man comes with words in great number.
Kama una mambo mengi ya kufanya na kuhangaika, pengine utapata ndoto mbaya. Na pengine utaongea maneno mengi ya upumbavu.
4 When you take an oath before God, put it quickly into effect, because he has no pleasure in the foolish; keep the oath you have taken.
Ukiweka nadhili kwa Mungu, usichelewe kuifanya, kwa kuwa Mungu hafurahii upumbavu. Fanya kile ulichoapa utakifanya.
5 It is better not to take an oath than to take an oath and not keep it.
Ni bora kutokuweka nadhiri kuliko kuweka nadhiri ambayo usiyoiondoa.
6 Let not your mouth make your flesh do evil. And say not before the angel, It was an error. So that God may not be angry with your words and put an end to the work of your hands.
Usiuruhusu mdomo wako kusababisha mwili wako kutenda dhambi. Usiseme kwa mtumwa wa kuhani, “Kile kiapo kilikuwa kwa makosa.” Kwani nini kumfanya Mungu akasirike kwa kuapa kwa uongo, kumchochea Mungu aharibu kazi ya mikono yako?
7 Because much talk comes from dreams and things of no purpose. But let the fear of God be in you.
Kwa kuwa katika ndoto nyingi, kama ilivyo katika maneno mengi, kuna mvuke ubatili. Hivyo mwogope Mungu.
8 If you see the poor under a cruel yoke, and law and right being violently overturned in a country, be not surprised, because one authority is keeping watch on another and there are higher than they.
Unapomwona masikini akiteswa na kunyang'anywa haki na kutendewa vibaya katika jimbo lako, usishangae kama kwamba hakuna anaye fahamu, kwa sababu kuna watu katika mamlaka ambao hutazama, kuna hata walio juu yao.
9 It is good generally for a country where the land is worked to have a king.
Kwa nyongeza uzalishaji wa ardhi ni kwa kila mmoja, na mfalme mwenyewe huchukua uzalishaji kutoka mashambani.
10 He who has a love for silver never has enough silver, or he who has love for wealth, enough profit. This again is to no purpose.
Yeyote apendaye fedha hatatosheka na fedha, na yeyote apendaye utajiri mara zote hutaka zaidi. Huu pia ni mvuke.
11 When goods are increased, the number of those who take of them is increased; and what profit has the owner but to see them?
Kadri mafanikio yanapoongezeka, ndivyo wanavyoongezeka watu wanaotumia. Kuna faida gani katika utajiri kwa mmiliki isipokuwa kuutazama kwa macho yake?
12 The sleep of a working man is sweet, if he has little food or much; but to him who is full, sleep will not come.
Usingizi wa mfanyakazi ni mtamu, kama anakula kidogo au sana, lakini utajiri wa mtu tajiri haumuruhusu yeye kulala vizuri.
13 There is a great evil which I have seen under the sun — wealth kept by the owner to be his downfall.
Kuna jambo baya zaidi ambalo nimeliona chini ya jua: mali iliyowekwa akiba na mwenye nayo, inamsababishia taabu mwenyewe.
14 And I saw the destruction of his wealth by an evil chance; and when he became the father of a son he had nothing in his hand.
Wakati tajiri anapopoteza utajiri wake kwa bahati mbaya, mwana wake, ambaye amemzaa, habakiziwi chochote mikononi mwake.
15 As he came from his mother at birth, so does he go again; he gets from his work no reward which he may take away in his hand.
Kama mtu azaliwavyo uchi kutoka tumboni mwa mamaye, vivyo hivyo ataondoka katika maisha haya akiwa uchi. Hachukui chochote kutoka katika kazi yake.
16 And this again is a great evil, that in all points as he came so will he go; and what profit has he in working for the wind?
Jambo jingine baya kabisa, kama mtu alivyo kuja ni lazima aende vivyo hivyo. Hivyo ni faida gani mtu yeyote aipatayo katika kufanya kwa ajili ya upepo?
17 All his days are in the dark, and he has much sorrow, pain, disease, and trouble.
Wakati wa siku zake anakula gizani na anafedheheshwa sana na magonjwa na hasira.
18 This is what I have seen: it is good and fair for a man to take meat and drink and to have joy in all his work under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; that is his reward.
Tazama, kile nilichokiona kuwa kizuri kufaaa ni kula na knywa na kufurahia faida kutoka katika kazi zetu zote, tuzifanyazo chini ya jua wakati wa siku za maisha haya ambayo Mungu ametupa. Kwa kuwa huu ni wajibu wa mtu.
19 Every man to whom God has given money and wealth and the power to have pleasure in it and to do his part and have joy in his work: this is given by God.
Yeyote ambaye Mungu amempa mali na utajiri na uwezo wa kupokea sehemu yake na kufurahi katika kazi yake hii ni zawadi kutoka kwa Mungu.
20 He will not give much thought to the days of his life; because God lets him be taken up with the joy of his heart.
Kwa kuwa mara kadhaa hakumbuki siku za maisha yake, kwa sababu Mungu anamfanya kuhangaika na mambo ambayo anafurahia kuyafanya.
