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Ìgbádùn

Mo rò nínú ọkàn mi, “Wá nísinsin yìí, èmi yóò sì dán ọ wò pẹ̀lú ìgbádùn láti ṣe àwárí ohun tí ó dára.” Ṣùgbọ́n eléyìí náà jásí asán. “Mo wí fún ẹ̀rín pé òmùgọ̀ ni. Àti fún ìre-ayọ̀ pé kí ni ó ń ṣe?” Mo tiraka láti dun ara mi nínú pẹ̀lú ọtí wáìnì, àti láti fi ọwọ́ lé òmùgọ̀—ọkàn mi sì ń tọ́ mi pẹ̀lú ọgbọ́n. Mo fẹ́ wo ohun tí ó yẹ ní ṣíṣe fún ènìyàn ní abẹ́ ọ̀run ní ìwọ̀nba ọjọ́ ayé rẹ̀.

(A)Mo ṣe àwọn iṣẹ́ ńláńlá: Mo kọ́ ilé púpọ̀ fún ara mi, mo sì gbin ọgbà àjàrà púpọ̀. Mo ṣe ọgbà àti àgbàlá, mo sì gbin onírúurú igi eléso sí inú wọn. Mo gbẹ́ adágún láti máa bu omi rin àwọn igi tí ó ń hù jáde nínú ọgbà. (B)Mo ra àwọn ẹrú ọkùnrin àti àwọn ẹrú obìnrin, mo sì tún ní àwọn ẹrú mìíràn tí a bí sí ilé mi. Mo sì tún ní ẹran ọ̀sìn ju ẹnikẹ́ni ní Jerusalẹmu lọ. Mo kó fàdákà àti wúrà jọ fún ara mi àti àwọn ohun ìṣúra ti ọba àti ìgbèríko. Mo ní àwọn akọrin ọkùnrin àti obìnrin, àti dídùn inú ọmọ ènìyàn, aya àti obìnrin púpọ̀. Mo di ẹni ńlá ju ẹnikẹ́ni tí ó wà ní Jerusalẹmu ṣáájú mi. Nínú gbogbo èyí, ọgbọ́n mi kò fi mí sílẹ̀.

10 Èmi kò jẹ́ kí ojú mi ṣe aláìrí ohun tí ó bá ń fẹ́.
    N kò sì jẹ́ kí ọkàn mi ó ṣe aláìní ìgbádùn.
Ọkàn mi yọ̀ nínú gbogbo iṣẹ́ mi,
    èyí sì ni èrè fún gbogbo wàhálà mi.
11 Síbẹ̀, nígbà tí mo wo gbogbo ohun tí ọwọ́ mi ti ṣe
    àti ohun tí mo ti ṣe wàhálà láti ní:
gbogbo rẹ̀, asán ni. Ó dàbí ẹni
    gbìyànjú àti mú afẹ́fẹ́, kò sí èrè kan ní abẹ́ oòrùn;
ọgbọ́n àti òmùgọ̀, asán ni.

12 Nígbà náà ni mo tún bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí ọgbọ́n,
    àti ìsínwín àti àìgbọ́n
kí ni ọba tí ó jẹ lẹ́yìn tí ọba kan kú le è ṣe
    ju èyí tí ọba ìṣáájú ti ṣe lọ.
13 Mo sì ri wí pé ọgbọ́n dára ju òmùgọ̀
    gẹ́gẹ́ bí ìmọ́lẹ̀ ti dára ju òkùnkùn lọ.
14 Ojú ọlọ́gbọ́n ń bẹ lágbárí rẹ̀,
    nígbà tí aṣiwèrè ń rìn nínú òkùnkùn,
ṣùgbọ́n mo wá padà mọ̀
    wí pé ìpín kan náà ni ó ń dúró de ìsọ̀rí àwọn ènìyàn méjèèjì.
15 Nígbà náà ni mo rò nínú ọkàn wí pé,
    “Irú ìpín tí òmùgọ̀ ní yóò bá èmi náà pẹ̀lú
kí wá ni ohun tí mo jẹ ní èrè nípa ọgbọ́n?”
    Mo sọ nínú ọkàn mi wí pé,
    “Asán ni eléyìí pẹ̀lú.”
16 Nítorí pé ọlọ́gbọ́n ènìyàn, gẹ́gẹ́ bí i òmùgọ̀, a kì yóò rántí rẹ̀ fún ìgbà pípẹ́;
    gbogbo wọn ni yóò di ohun ìgbàgbé ní ọjọ́ tó ń bọ̀.
Ikú tí ó pa aṣiwèrè náà ni yóò pa ọlọ́gbọ́n ènìyàn.

Asán ni iṣẹ́ ṣíṣe

17 Nítorí náà, mo kórìíra ìwàláàyè, nítorí pé iṣẹ́ tí wọn ń ṣe ní abẹ́ oòrùn ti mú ìdààmú bá mi. Gbogbo rẹ̀ asán ni, ó dàbí ẹni ń gbìyànjú àti mú afẹ́fẹ́ ni. 18 Mo kórìíra gbogbo ohun tí mo ti ṣiṣẹ́ fún ní abẹ́ oòrùn, nítorí pé mo ní láti fi wọ́n sílẹ̀ fún ẹni tí ó wà lẹ́yìn mi ni. 19 Ta ni ó wá mọ̀ bóyá ọlọ́gbọ́n ènìyàn ni yóò jẹ́ tàbí aṣiwèrè? Síbẹ̀ yóò ní láti ṣe àkóso lórí gbogbo iṣẹ́ tí mo tí ṣe yìí pẹ̀lú. 20 Nítorí náà, ọkàn mi bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí ní kábámọ̀ lórí gbogbo àìsimi iṣẹ́ ṣíṣe mi ní abẹ́ oòrùn. 21 Nítorí pé ènìyàn le è ṣe iṣẹ́ rẹ̀ pẹ̀lú ọgbọ́n, òye àti ìmọ̀ ní abẹ́ oòrùn, tí ó sì ti kọ́ ṣe iṣẹ́ fúnrarẹ̀. Asán ni eléyìí pẹ̀lú àti àdánù ńlá. 22 Kí ni ohun tí ènìyàn rí gbà fún gbogbo wàhálà àti ìpọ́njú tí ó fi ṣiṣẹ́ lábẹ́ oòrùn? 23 Gbogbo ọjọ́ rẹ, iṣẹ́ rẹ kún fún ìrora, àti ìbànújẹ́, kódà ọkàn rẹ̀ kì í ní ìsinmi ní alẹ́. Asán ni eléyìí pẹ̀lú.

24 (C)Ènìyàn kò le è ṣe ohunkóhun tí ó dára jù pé kí ó jẹ kí ó sì mu, kí ó sì rí ìtẹ́lọ́rùn nínú iṣẹ́ rẹ̀. Mo rí wí pé eléyìí pẹ̀lú wá láti ọwọ́ Ọlọ́run. 25 Nítorí wí pé láìsí òun, ta ni ó le jẹ tàbí kí ó mọ adùn? 26 Fún ẹni tí ó bá tẹ́ Ọlọ́run lọ́rùn ni Ọlọ́run yóò fún ní ọgbọ́n, ìmọ̀ àti ìdùnnú, ṣùgbọ́n fún ẹni dẹ́ṣẹ̀, Ó fún un ní iṣẹ́ láti ṣà àti láti kó ohun ìní pamọ́ kí ó sì fi fún ẹni tí ó tẹ́ Ọlọ́run lọ́rùn. Eléyìí pẹ̀lú, asán ni, ó dàbí ẹni gbìyànjú àti mú afẹ́fẹ́.

Pleasures Are Meaningless

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure(A) to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. “Laughter,”(B) I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” I tried cheering myself with wine,(C) and embracing folly(D)—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself(E) and planted vineyards.(F) I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves(G) who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold(H) for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.(I) I acquired male and female singers,(J) and a harem[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem(K) before me.(L) In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
    I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
    and this was the reward for all my toil.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
    and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;(M)
    nothing was gained under the sun.(N)

Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless

12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom,
    and also madness and folly.(O)
What more can the king’s successor do
    than what has already been done?(P)
13 I saw that wisdom(Q) is better than folly,(R)
    just as light is better than darkness.
14 The wise have eyes in their heads,
    while the fool walks in the darkness;
but I came to realize
    that the same fate overtakes them both.(S)

15 Then I said to myself,

“The fate of the fool will overtake me also.
    What then do I gain by being wise?”(T)
I said to myself,
    “This too is meaningless.”
16 For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered;(U)
    the days have already come when both have been forgotten.(V)
Like the fool, the wise too must die!(W)

Toil Is Meaningless

17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.(X) 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.(Y) 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish?(Z) Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun?(AA) 23 All their days their work is grief and pain;(AB) even at night their minds do not rest.(AC) This too is meaningless.

24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink(AD) and find satisfaction in their own toil.(AE) This too, I see, is from the hand of God,(AF) 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?(AG) 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom,(AH) knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth(AI) to hand it over to the one who pleases God.(AJ) This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 2:8 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.