Ecclesiastes 4
1 I thought some more about all the suffering that people are caused to experience on the earth [MTY]. I saw the tears of people who were (oppressed/treated cruelly) and who had no one to comfort/encourage them. Those who oppressed them had power, and there was absolutely no one who was able to comfort those who were being oppressed.
Ndinayangʼananso ndi kuona chipsinjo chimene chimachitika pansi pano: ndinaona misozi ya anthu opsinjika, ndipo iwo alibe owatonthoza; mphamvu zinali ndi anthu owapsinjawo ndipo iwonso analibe owatonthoza.
2 [So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.
Ndipo ndinanena kuti akufa, amene anafa kale, ndi osangalala kuposa amoyo, amene akanalibe ndi moyo.
3 And those who have not been born yet are more fortunate than those who are still alive and those who have died, [because] those who have not been born have not seen all the evil things that are done on the earth.
Koma wopambana onsewa ndi amene sanabadwe, amene sanaone zoyipa zimene chimachitika pansi pano.
4 I also thought about all the hard work that people do and the skills that they have. And I thought about how they compete with each other because they are envious of others, [and I concluded that] this also is something that is not accomplishing anything useful, [like] chasing the wind.
Ndipo ndinazindikira kuti ntchito zonse zolemetsa ndiponso ntchito zonse zaluso zimachitika chifukwa choti wina akuchitira nsanje mnzake. Izinso ndi zopandapake, nʼkungodzivuta chabe.
5 Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
Chitsiru chimangoti manja ake lobodo ndi kudzipha chokha ndi njala.
6 [So I say], “It is better to be content with not having much money, than to work very hard and try to get a lot of money, which is [as useless as] chasing the wind.”
Nʼkwabwino kukhala ndi dzanja limodzi lodzaza uli pa mtendere, kuposa kukhala ndi manja awiri odzaza uli pa mavuto, ndipo uku nʼkungodzivuta chabe.
7 I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
Ndinaonanso chinthu china chopanda phindu pansi pano:
8 There are men who live alone; they do not have a wife or children or any brothers living with them; every day they work [very hard], without stopping, to get a lot of money, but they are never satisfied with the things that they have. They never ask [themselves], “Why am I working very hard to earn more money? Why am I not doing things that would cause me to be happy?” What they do also seems senseless.
Panali munthu amene anali yekhayekha; analibe mwana kapena mʼbale. Ntchito yake yolemetsa sinkatha, ndipo maso ake sankakhutitsidwa ndi chuma chake. Iye anadzifunsa kuti, “Kodi ntchito yosautsayi ndikuyigwirira yani? Nanga nʼchifukwa chiyani ndikudzimana chisangalalo?” Izinso ndi zopandapake, zosasangalatsa!
9 Having someone [work] with you is better than being by yourself [all the time]. If you have a friend, he can help you to do your work.
Kukhala awiri nʼkwabwino kuposa kukhala wekha, chifukwa ntchito ya anthu awiri ili ndi phindu:
10 If you fall down, he can help you get up again. But if you fall down when you are alone, it will be difficult for you, because there will be no one to help you stand up.
Ngati winayo agwa, mnzakeyo adzamudzutsa. Koma tsoka kwa munthu amene agwa ndipo alibe wina woti amudzutse!
11 Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
Komanso ngati anthu awiri agona malo amodzi, adzafunditsana. Koma nanga mmodzi angadzifunditse yekha?
12 Someone who is alone can easily be attacked and defeated by another person, but two people can help each other and (resist/defend themselves against) someone who attacks them. [Three people can defend themselves even more easily], [like] a rope that is made from three cords is harder to break [than a rope made from two cords].
Munthu mmodzi angathe kugonjetsedwa, koma anthu awiri akhoza kudziteteza. Chingwe cha maulusi atatu sichidukirapo.
13 A young man who is poor but wise is a better person than a foolish old king who refuses to pay attention when people try to give him good advice.
Wachinyamata wosauka koma wanzeru aposa mfumu yokalamba koma yopusa imene simvanso malangizo.
14 It is possible for a young man like that to succeed and some day become king, even if his parents were poor or even if he was in prison some of the time.
Wachinyamatayo angathe kuchokera ku ndende ndi kudzakhala mfumu, kapena angathe kubadwa wosauka mʼdziko la mfumuyo.
15 But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
Ndipo ndinaona kuti iwo onse amene anakhala ndi moyo ndi kuyenda pansi pano anatsatira wachinyamatayo, amene anatenga malo a mfumu.
16 Large crowds of people crowd around him. But after a few years, they will reject him, [too]. So it is all senseless, [like] chasing after the wind.
Mfumu ikhoza kulamulira anthu osawerengeka, komabe itamwalira, palibe amene adzayamikire zomwe mfumuyo inachita. Izinso ndi zopandapake, nʼkungozivuta chabe.
