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Àyànmọ́ kan náà fún gbogbo wọn

Nígbà náà ni mo wá ronú lórí gbogbo èyí, tí mo sì parí rẹ̀ pé, olóòtọ́ àti ọlọ́gbọ́n àti ohun tí wọ́n ń ṣe wà ní ọwọ́ Ọlọ́run, ṣùgbọ́n kò sí ènìyàn tí ó mọ̀ bóyá ìfẹ́ tàbí ìríra ni ó ń dúró de òun. Àyànmọ́ kan náà ni gbogbo wọn yàn—olóòtọ́ àti ènìyàn búburú, rere àti ibi, mímọ́ àti àìmọ́, àwọn tí ó ń rú ẹbọ àti àwọn tí kò rú ẹbọ.

Bí ó ti rí pẹ̀lú ènìyàn rere
    bẹ́ẹ̀ náà ni ó rí pẹ̀lú ẹni tó dẹ́ṣẹ̀
bí ó ti rí pẹ̀lú àwọn tí ó ń ṣe ìbúra
    bẹ́ẹ̀ náà ni ó rí pẹ̀lú àwọn tí ó ń bẹ̀rù láti ṣe ìbúra.

Ohun búburú ni èyí jẹ́ nínú gbogbo ohun tí ó ń ṣẹlẹ̀ lábẹ́ oòrùn. Ìpín kan ṣoṣo ni ó ń dúró de gbogbo wọn, ọkàn ènìyàn pẹ̀lú kún fún ibi, ìsínwín sì wà ní ọkàn wọn nígbà tí wọ́n wà láààyè àti nígbà tí wọ́n bá darapọ̀ mọ́ òkú. Ẹnikẹ́ni tí ó wà láàrín alààyè ní ìrètí—kódà ààyè ajá sàn dáradára ju òkú kìnnìún lọ!

Nítorí pé ẹni tí ó wà láààyè mọ̀ wí pé àwọn yóò kú
    ṣùgbọ́n òkú kò mọ ohun kan
wọn kò ní èrè kankan mọ́,
    àti pé kódà ìrántí wọn tí di ohun ìgbàgbé.
Ìfẹ́ wọn, ìríra wọn
    àti ìlara wọn ti parẹ́:
láéláé kọ́ ni wọn yóò tún ní ìpín
    nínú ohunkóhun tí ó ń ṣẹlẹ̀ lábẹ́ oòrùn.

Lọ jẹ oúnjẹ rẹ pẹ̀lú ayọ̀, kí o sì mu ọtí wáìnì rẹ pẹ̀lú inú dídùn dé ọkàn, nítorí pé ìsinsin yìí ni Ọlọ́run ṣíjú àánú wo ohun tí o ṣe. Máa wọ aṣọ funfun nígbàkúgbà kí o sì máa fi òróró yan orí rẹ nígbà gbogbo. Máa jẹ ayé pẹ̀lú ìyàwó rẹ, ẹni tí o fẹ́ràn, ní gbogbo ọjọ́ ayé àìní ìtumọ̀ yí tí Ọlọ́run ti fi fún ọ lábẹ́ oòrùn—gbogbo ọjọ́ àìní ìtumọ̀ rẹ. Nítorí èyí ni ìpín tìrẹ ní ayé àti nínú iṣẹ́ wàhálà rẹ ní abẹ́ oòrùn. 10 Ohunkóhun tí ọwọ́ rẹ bá rí láti ṣe, ṣe é pẹ̀lú gbogbo agbára rẹ, nítorí kò sí iṣẹ́ ṣíṣe tàbí ìpinnu tàbí ìmọ̀ tàbí ọgbọ́n nínú isà òkú níbi tí ò ń lọ.

11 Mo ti rí ohun mìíràn lábẹ́ oòrùn

Eré ìje kì í ṣe fún ẹni tí ó yára
    tàbí ogun fún alágbára
bẹ́ẹ̀ ni oúnjẹ kò wà fún ọlọ́gbọ́n
    tàbí ọrọ̀ fún ẹni tí ó ní òye
    tàbí ojúrere fún ẹni tí ó ní ìmọ̀;
ṣùgbọ́n ìgbà àti èsì ń ṣẹlẹ̀ sí gbogbo wọn.

12 Síwájú sí i, kò sí ẹni tí ó mọ ìgbà tí àkókò rẹ̀ yóò dé:

Gẹ́gẹ́ bí a ti ń mú ẹja nínú àwọ̀n búburú
    tàbí tí a ń mú ẹyẹ nínú okùn
gẹ́gẹ́ bẹ́ẹ̀ ni a ń mú ènìyàn ní àkókò ibi
    tí ó ṣubú lù wọ́n láìròtẹ́lẹ̀.

Ọgbọ́n dára ju òmùgọ̀ lọ

13 Mo sì tún rí àpẹẹrẹ ọgbọ́n tí ó dùn mọ́ mi lábẹ́ oòrùn: 14 Ìlú kékeré kan tí ènìyàn díẹ̀ wà nínú rẹ̀ wà ní ìgbà kan rí. Ọba alágbára kan sì ṣígun tọ ìlú náà lọ, ó yí i po, ó sì kọ́ ilé ìṣọ́ tí ó tóbi lòdì sí i. 15 Ṣùgbọ́n, tálákà ọkùnrin tí ó jẹ́ ọlọ́gbọ́n kan ń gbé ní ìlú náà, ó sì gba gbogbo ìlú u rẹ̀ là pẹ̀lú ọgbọ́n rẹ̀. Ṣùgbọ́n kò sí ẹni tí ó rántí ọkùnrin tálákà náà. 16 Nítorí náà mo sọ wí pé “Ọgbọ́n dára ju agbára.” Ṣùgbọ́n a kẹ́gàn ọgbọ́n ọkùnrin tálákà náà, wọn kò sì mú ọ̀rọ̀ rẹ̀ ṣe.

17 Ọ̀rọ̀ pẹ̀lẹ́ ọlọ́gbọ́n ènìyàn a máa wà ní ìmúṣẹ
    ju igbe òmùgọ̀ alákòóso lọ.
18 Ọgbọ́n dára ju ohun èlò ogun lọ,
    ṣùgbọ́n ẹnìkan tó dẹ́ṣẹ̀ a máa ba ohun dídára púpọ̀ jẹ́.

Death Comes to All

For I [a]considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: (A)that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them. (B)All things come alike to all:

One event happens to the righteous and the wicked;
To the [b]good, the clean, and the unclean;
To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice.
As is the good, so is the sinner;
He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath.

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

For the living know that they will die;
But (C)the dead know nothing,
And they have no more reward,
For (D)the memory of them is forgotten.
Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished;
Nevermore will they have a share
In anything done under the sun.

Go, (E)eat your bread with joy,
And drink your wine with a merry heart;
For God has already accepted your works.
Let your garments always be white,
And let your head lack no oil.

[c]Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; (F)for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.

10 (G)Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your (H)might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

11 I returned (I)and saw under the sun that—

The race is not to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor bread to the wise,
Nor riches to men of understanding,
Nor favor to men of skill;
But time and (J)chance happen to them all.
12 For (K)man also does not know his time:
Like fish taken in a cruel net,
Like birds caught in a snare,
So the sons of men are (L)snared in an evil time,
When it falls suddenly upon them.

Wisdom Superior to Folly

13 This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me: 14 (M)There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great [d]snares around it. 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.

16 Then I said:

“Wisdom is better than (N)strength.
Nevertheless (O)the poor man’s wisdom is despised,
And his words are not heard.
17 Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard
Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war;
But (P)one sinner destroys much good.”

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 9:1 Lit. put
  2. Ecclesiastes 9:2 LXX, Syr., Vg. good and bad,
  3. Ecclesiastes 9:9 Lit. See life
  4. Ecclesiastes 9:14 LXX, Syr., Vg. bulwarks

A Common Destiny for All

So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them.(A) All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad,[a] the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.

As it is with the good,
    so with the sinful;
as it is with those who take oaths,
    so with those who are afraid to take them.(B)

This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all.(C) The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live,(D) and afterward they join the dead.(E) Anyone who is among the living has hope[b]—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

For the living know that they will die,
    but the dead know nothing;(F)
they have no further reward,
    and even their name(G) is forgotten.(H)
Their love, their hate
    and their jealousy have long since vanished;
never again will they have a part
    in anything that happens under the sun.(I)

Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine(J) with a joyful heart,(K) for God has already approved what you do. Always be clothed in white,(L) and always anoint your head with oil. Enjoy life with your wife,(M) whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot(N) in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10 Whatever(O) your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,(P) for in the realm of the dead,(Q) where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.(R)

11 I have seen something else under the sun:

The race is not to the swift
    or the battle to the strong,(S)
nor does food come to the wise(T)
    or wealth to the brilliant
    or favor to the learned;
but time and chance(U) happen to them all.(V)

12 Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:

As fish are caught in a cruel net,
    or birds are taken in a snare,
so people are trapped by evil times(W)
    that fall unexpectedly upon them.(X)

Wisdom Better Than Folly

13 I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom(Y) that greatly impressed me: 14 There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. 15 Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.(Z) 16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.(AA)

17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
    than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
18 Wisdom(AB) is better than weapons of war,
    but one sinner destroys much good.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 9:2 Septuagint (Aquila), Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew does not have and the bad.
  2. Ecclesiastes 9:4 Or What then is to be chosen? With all who live, there is hope