Ecclesiastes 2
1 [Then] I said to myself, “Okay, I will try to do everything that I enjoy. I will find out whether doing what I enjoy can truly enable me to be happy.” But I found out that doing that was also useless/senseless.
Ndeĩrire na ngoro yakwa atĩrĩ, “Atĩrĩrĩ, ũka rĩu, nĩngũkũgeria na ikeno nĩgeetha nyone nĩ ũndũ ũrĩkũ mwega.” No rĩrĩ, o naguo ũndũ ũcio warĩ o wa tũhũ.
2 [So] I said [to myself], “It is foolish to laugh [all the time], and continually doing what I enjoy does not seem to bring any lasting benefit.”
Ningĩ ngiuga atĩrĩ, “Mĩtheko o nayo nĩ ũrimũ. Naguo ũhoro wa gwĩkenia-rĩ, ngĩĩyũria nĩ wa bata ũrĩkũ?”
3 [So], after thinking a lot about it, I decided to (cheer myself/cause myself to be happy) by drinking [a lot of] wine. [So] while I was still trying to be wise, I decided to do things that [many] people do to be happy during the short time that they are alive on the earth.
Ndaageririe ũrĩa ingĩkenia mwĩrĩ wakwa na ndibei, o ndongoretio nĩ ngoro yakwa na ũũgĩ, ngĩhĩmbĩria ũkĩĩgu, ngĩenda kũmenya nĩ ũndũ ũrĩkũ andũ maagĩrĩirwo nĩ gwĩka gũkũ thĩ matukũ-inĩ o macio manini ma muoyo wao.
4 I did great things: I [caused] houses to be built for myself and vineyards to be planted.
Nĩndarutire mawĩra manene: Ngĩĩyakĩra nyũmba, na ngĩĩhaandĩra mĩgũnda ya mĩthabibũ.
5 I [told my workers] to make gardens and parks. [Then] I [told them to] fill the gardens with many kinds of fruit trees.
Nĩndathondekire mĩgũnda na kũndũ gwa kũhurũkwo, na ngĩhaanda mĩtĩ ya mĩthemba yothe ya matunda kuo.
6 I [told them to] build reservoirs to store water to irrigate the fruit trees.
Ngĩcooka ngĩhingĩrĩria tũria twa maaĩ twa kuunithagĩria maaĩ kũrĩa mĩtĩ ĩyo yakũragĩra.
7 I bought male and female slaves, and babies [who later became my slaves] were born in my palace. I also owned more livestock than any of the previous kings in Jerusalem had owned.
Ningĩ ngĩgũra ngombo cia arũme na cia andũ-a-nja, na nĩ ndaarĩ na ngombo ingĩ iria ciaciarĩirwo gwakwa mũciĩ. O na nĩ ndaarĩ na ndũũru nyingĩ cia mbũri na cia ngʼombe gũkĩra arĩa othe maarĩ Jerusalemu mbere yakwa.
8 I also accumulated large amounts of silver and gold [that were paid to me] from the treasures of kings and rulers of provinces. [I hired] men and women to sing for me, and I had many (concubines/slave wives) who gave me [much] pleasure [EUP].
Nĩndacookanĩrĩirie betha na thahabu, na indo cia bata iria cia athamaki o na cia mabũrũri. Ningĩ ngĩgĩa na aini a arũme na a andũ-a-nja, o na thuriya nyingĩ mũno: maũndũ marĩa makenagia ngoro ya mũndũ.
9 So, I became greater than anyone else who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and I was [very] wise.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩneneha na ngĩtonga mũno gũkĩra arĩa othe maarĩ Jerusalemu mbere yakwa. Thĩinĩ wa maũndũ macio mothe-rĩ, ũũgĩ wakwa ndaarĩ o naguo.
10 I got everything [LIT] that I [SYN] saw and wanted. I did everything [LIT] that I thought would enable me to be happy. All those things that I [SYN] enjoyed were [like] a reward for all my hard work.
Naguo ũndũ o wothe ũrĩa maitho makwa meriragĩria ndierigagĩrĩria kũwĩka; o na ningĩ ngoro yakwa ndiamĩrigĩrĩirie gĩkeno o na kĩrĩkũ. Nĩgũkorwo ngoro yakwa nĩyakenagĩra mawĩra makwa mothe, naguo ũndũ ũcio nĩguo warĩ irĩhi rĩa wĩra wakwa wothe.
11 [But] then I thought about all the hard work that I [SYN] had done [to get all those things], and none of it seems to bring any lasting benefit [DOU]. It was all [like] chasing the wind.
No rĩrĩa ndaarorire mawĩra marĩa mothe ndaarutĩte na moko makwa, o na ũrĩa ndetungumanĩtie ngĩmaruta, ngĩona atĩ maũndũ mothe nĩ ma tũhũ, no ta gũtengʼeria rũhuho; gũtirĩ kĩndũ mũndũ angĩĩguna nakĩo gũkũ thĩ.
12 Then I started to think about being wise, and [also about] being foolish [DOU]. [I said to myself, “I certainly do not think that] [RHQ] the next king will be able to do anything better than I can.”
Ningĩ ngĩcooka ngĩĩhũgũra nĩguo ndĩcũũranie ũhoro wa ũũgĩ, o na wa ũgũrũki, na wa ũkĩĩgu. Atĩrĩrĩ, nĩ atĩa ũngĩ mũthamaki ũrĩa ũcookagio ithenya rĩa ũrĩa ũngĩ angĩĩka ũteekĩtwo?
13 And I thought, “Surely it is better to be wise than to be foolish, like light is better than darkness,
Hĩndĩ ĩyo ngĩkĩona atĩ ũũgĩ nĩ mwega gũkĩra ũkĩĩgu, o ta ũrĩa ũtheri ũrĩ mwega gũkĩra nduma.
14 [because] wise people [walk in the daylight and] [IDM] can see where they are going, but foolish people walk in the darkness [and cannot see where they are going].” But I [also] realized that both wise people and foolish people eventually die.
Mũndũ ũrĩa mũũgĩ nĩonaga kũrĩa arathiĩ, no mũndũ mũkĩĩgu athiiagĩra nduma-inĩ; no ngĩcooka ngĩmenya atĩ o eerĩ makoragwo nĩ ũndũ o ro ũmwe.
15 So I said to myself, “I am very wise, but I will [die at the end of my life], like foolish people do. So (how has it benefited me to be very wise?/it certainly has not benefited me to be very wise [RHQ]). I do not understand why [people consider that] it is valuable to be wise.
Hĩndĩ ĩyo ngĩkiuga na ngoro yakwa atĩrĩ, “Ũndũ ũrĩa ũkoraga mũndũ mũkĩĩgu o na niĩ no ũkaangora. Ũũgĩ wakwa-rĩ, ũkĩngʼunĩte na kĩ?” Ngĩkiuga atĩrĩ na ngoro yakwa, “Ũndũ ũyũ o naguo no wa tũhũ.”
16 Wise people and foolish people all die. And after we die, we will all eventually be forgotten [DOU].”
Nĩgũkorwo mũndũ ũrĩa mũũgĩ, o ta mũndũ ũrĩa mũkĩĩgu, ndagatũũra aririkanagwo; nĩgũkorwo matukũ-inĩ marĩa magooka o eerĩ nĩmakariganĩra. Hĩ, mũndũ ũrĩa mũũgĩ akuuaga o ta mũndũ ũrĩa mũkĩĩgu!
17 So I hated being alive, because everything that we do here on the earth [MTY] distresses me. It all seems to be useless [like] chasing the wind.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩthũũra gũtũũra muoyo, tondũ wĩra ũrĩa ũrutagwo gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa warĩ wa kũnjiguithia kĩeha. Wothe warĩ wa tũhũ, o ta gũtengʼeria rũhuho.
18 I [also began to] hate all the hard work that I had done, because [when I die], everything [that I have acquired] will belong to the next king.
Ngĩgĩthũũra maũndũ mothe marĩa ndenogeetie namo gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa, tondũ no nginya ngaamatigĩra ũrĩa ũgooka thuutha wakwa.
19 And (who/no one) knows [RHQ] whether he will be wise or whether he will be foolish. But even if he is foolish, he will acquire all the things that I worked very hard and wisely to get.
Ningĩ nũũ ũũĩ kana ũcio ũgooka ithenya rĩakwa agaakorwo arĩ mũndũ mũũgĩ kana arĩ mũndũ mũkĩĩgu? No rĩrĩ, nĩwe ũkaarũgamĩrĩra wĩra ũrĩa ndaanetungumania naguo ngĩtũmagĩra ũũgĩ wakwa gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa. Ũndũ ũcio o naguo no wa tũhũ.
20 I thought about all the hard work that I had done. [It seemed useless], and I became depressed/discouraged.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngoro yakwa ĩkĩambĩrĩria kũũrwo nĩ hinya nĩ ũndũ wa wĩra wakwa wothe wa mĩnoga ũrĩa ndaarutaga gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa.
21 Some people work wisely and skillfully, using the things that they have learned. But [when they die], they leave everything, and someone who has not worked hard acquires those things. And that also [seemed to] be senseless and caused me to be discouraged.
Tondũ mũndũ no arute wĩra wake na ũũgĩ, na ũmenyo, na kũũhĩgĩra maũndũ, no rĩrĩ, no nginya acooke atige kĩrĩa gĩothe agĩĩta nakĩo kũrĩ mũndũ ũngĩ ũtakĩnogeire. Ũndũ ũyũ o naguo no wa tũhũ, na nĩ mũtino mũnene.
22 So, it seems that people do not [RHQ] get much for all the hard work that they do and for worrying.
Mũndũ-rĩ, nĩ uumithio ũrĩkũ oonaga harĩ wĩra ũrĩa wothe arutaga, na mĩnoga, na gwĩtungumania kũrĩa anetungumania nakuo gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa?
23 Every day the work that they do causes them to experience pain and to be worried. And during the night, their minds are not able to rest. That also is very frustrating.
Nĩgũkorwo matukũ make mothe, wĩra wake nĩ wa ruo na kĩeha; o na ũtukũ, meciiria make matihurũkaga. Ũndũ ũcio o naguo no wa tũhũ.
24 [So I decided that] the best thing that we can do is to enjoy what we eat and drink, and [also] enjoy our work. And I realized that those things are what God intends for us.
Mũndũ-rĩ, ndarĩ ũndũ ũngĩ mwega angĩĩka ũkĩrĩte kũrĩa na kũnyua, na gũkenera wĩra wake. Ũndũ ũyũ o naguo ngĩona atĩ uumĩte guoko-inĩ kwa Ngai,
25 There is absolutely no one [RHQ] who is able to enjoy those things if God does not give those things to him.
nĩ ũndũ-rĩ, nũũ ũngĩhota kũrĩa kana gũkena Ngai atarĩ ho?
26 God enables those who please him to be wise, to know [many things], and to enjoy [many things]. But if sinful people work hard and become rich, God [can] take their money away from them and give it to those who please him. But that also is something that is difficult for me to understand. [Their working hard seems] useless, [like] chasing the wind.
Ngai aheaga mũndũ ũrĩa ũmũkenagia maũndũ ma ũũgĩ, na ũmenyo, na gĩkeno, no mũndũ ũrĩa mwĩhia akamũhe wĩra wa gũcookanĩrĩria na kwĩigĩra ũtonga, nĩguo acooke aũnenganĩre kũrĩ mũndũ ũrĩa ũmũkenagia. Ũndũ ũcio o naguo no wa tũhũ, o ta gũtengʼeria rũhuho.
