Ecclesiastes 12
1 While you are still young, keep thinking about [God], who created you. Do that before [you are old] and you experience many troubles, during the years when you say “I no [longer] enjoy being alive.”
Jjukiranga omutonzi wo mu nnaku ez’obuvubuka bwo, ng’ennaku embi tezinnakutuukako n’emyaka nga teginnasembera, mw’olyogerera nti, “Sizisanyukira”;
2 [When you become old], the light from the sun and moon and stars will [seem] dim [to you], and [it will seem that the rain] clouds [always] return [quickly] after it rains.
ng’enjuba n’obutangaavu, omwezi n’emmunyeenye nga tebinnafuuka kizikiza; nga n’ebire biweddemu enkuba;
3 Then your [arms that you use to protect] [MET] your bodies will shake/tremble, and your [legs that support] [MET] your bodies will become weak. Many of your [teeth that you use to] grind/chew [your food] will fall out, and your [eyes that you use to] look out of windows will not see clearly.
abakuumi b’enju mwe balikankanira, n’abasajja ab’amaanyi mwe bakutamizibwa, nga n’abo abasa baleseeyo okusa, kubanga batono, n’abo abalingiza mu butuli nga tebakyalaba;
4 Your [ears] [MET] will not hear the noise in the streets, and you will not be able to hear clearly the sound of people grinding grain with millstones. You will be awakened in the morning by hearing the birds singing/chirping, [but] you will not be able to hear well the songs that (the birds/people) sing.
nga n’enzigi ez’olekedde enguudo zigaddwawo, n’eddoboozi ly’okusa nga livumbedde; ng’abasajja bagolokoka olw’eddoboozi ly’ennyonyi, naye nga ennyimba zaabwe zivumbedde;
5 You will be afraid to be in high places and afraid of dangers on the roads that you walk on. [Your hair] will become [white like] [MET] the flowers of almond trees. [When you try to walk], you will drag yourself along like [MET] grasshoppers, and you will no longer desire [to have sex]. Then you will [die and] go to your eternal home, and people who will mourn for you will be in the streets.
nga batya buli kiwanvu n’akabi akali mu nguudo, ng’omubira gumulisizza, ng’enseenene yeewalula era nga tewakyali alimu keetaaga kino oba kiri. Omuntu n’agenda mu nnyumba ye gy’alimala ekiseera ekiwanvu n’abakungubazi ne babuna enguudo.
6 [Think much about God now, because] soon our lives will end, [like] [MET] silver chains or golden bowls that break easily, or like pitchers/jugs that are broken at the water fountain, or like broken pulleys at a well.
Jjukira omutonzi wo ng’omuguwa gwa ffeeza tegunnakutuka oba ebbakuli eya zaabu nga tennayatika, ng’ensuwa tennayatikira ku luzzi obanga ne nnamuziga tennamenyekera ku luzzi,
7 Then our corpses will [decay and] become dirt again, and our spirits will return to God, the one who gave us our spirits.
ng’enfuufu edda mu ttaka mwe yava, n’omwoyo ne gudda eri Katonda eyaguwa omuntu.
8 [So] I say [again] that it is difficult to understand why everything happens; everything is mysterious.
Obutaliimu! Obutaliimu! Omubuulizi bw’agamba, “Buli kintu butaliimu.”
9 I was considered to be a very wise man, and I taught the people many things. I assembled/collected and wrote down many proverbs, and I carefully thought about and studied them.
Omubuulizi teyali mugezi kyokka, wabula yayigiriza n’abantu eby’amagezi. Yalowooza n’anoonyereza n’ayiiyaayo engero nnyingi.
10 I searched for the right words, and what I have written is reliable and true.
Omubuulizi yanoonyereza n’afuna ebigambo ebituufu byennyini, ne bye yawandiika byali byesimbu era nga bya mazima.
11 The things that [I and other] wise people say [teach people what they should do]; they are like [SIM] (goads/sharp sticks that people use to strike animals to direct where they should go). They are like [SIM] nails that stick out of pieces of wood. They are given to us by [God, who is like] [MET] our shepherd.
Ebigambo by’abantu abagezi biri ng’emiwunda, engero zino ezakuŋŋaanyizibwa omusumba omu ziri ng’emisumaali egyakomererwa ne ginywezebwa ennyo.
12 [So], my son, pay careful attention to what I have written, and choose carefully what you read that others have written, [because] writing proverbs/books is endless, and [trying to] study them all will cause you to become exhausted.
Mwana wange weekuume ekintu kyonna ekyongerwako. Okuwandiika ebitabo ebingi tekukoma, n’okuyiga okungi kukooya omubiri.
13 [Now] you have heard all [that I have told you], and here is the conclusion: Revere God, and obey his commandments, because those commandments summarize everything that people should do.
Kale byonna biwuliddwa; eno y’enkomerero yaabyo: Tyanga Katonda okwatenga amateeka ge, kubanga ekyo omuntu ky’agwanira okukola.
14 And do not forget that God will judge everything that we do, good things and bad things, [even] things that we do secretly.
Kubanga Katonda alisala omusango olwa buli kikolwa; ekyo ekyakwekebwa, nga kirungi oba nga kibi.
