Ecclesiastes 5
1 Keep your foot when you go to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do 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 rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and you upon earth: therefore let your words be few.
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 For a dream comes through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
Kama una mambo mengi ya kufanya na kuhangaika, pengine utapata ndoto mbaya. Na pengine utaongea maneno mengi ya upumbavu.
4 When you vow a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools: pay that which you have vowed.
Ukiweka nadhili kwa Mungu, usichelewe kuifanya, kwa kuwa Mungu hafurahii upumbavu. Fanya kile ulichoapa utakifanya.
5 Better is it that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.
Ni bora kutokuweka nadhiri kuliko kuweka nadhiri ambayo usiyoiondoa.
6 Suffer not your mouth to cause your flesh to sin; neither say you before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at your voice, and destroy 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 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear you God.
Kwa kuwa katika ndoto nyingi, kama ilivyo katika maneno mengi, kuna mvuke ubatili. Hivyo mwogope Mungu.
8 If you see the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regards; and there be 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 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
Kwa nyongeza uzalishaji wa ardhi ni kwa kila mmoja, na mfalme mwenyewe huchukua uzalishaji kutoka mashambani.
10 He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loves abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
Yeyote apendaye fedha hatatosheka na fedha, na yeyote apendaye utajiri mara zote hutaka zaidi. Huu pia ni mvuke.
11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
Kadri mafanikio yanapoongezeka, ndivyo wanavyoongezeka watu wanaotumia. Kuna faida gani katika utajiri kwa mmiliki isipokuwa kuutazama kwa macho yake?
12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
Usingizi wa mfanyakazi ni mtamu, kama anakula kidogo au sana, lakini utajiri wa mtu tajiri haumuruhusu yeye kulala vizuri.
13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
Kuna jambo baya zaidi ambalo nimeliona chini ya jua: mali iliyowekwa akiba na mwenye nayo, inamsababishia taabu mwenyewe.
14 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he bring forths a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
Wakati tajiri anapopoteza utajiri wake kwa bahati mbaya, mwana wake, ambaye amemzaa, habakiziwi chochote mikononi mwake.
15 As he came out of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry 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 also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit has he that has laboured 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 also he eats in darkness, and he has much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
Wakati wa siku zake anakula gizani na anafedheheshwa sana na magonjwa na hasira.
18 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he takes under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him: for it is his portion.
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 also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of 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 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answers him in the joy of his heart.
Kwa kuwa mara kadhaa hakumbuki siku za maisha yake, kwa sababu Mungu anamfanya kuhangaika na mambo ambayo anafurahia kuyafanya.
