1Mbiri yakanaka inopfuura chizoro chakanaka, nezuva rokufa kupfuura zuva rokuzvarwa.
1Better [is] a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.
2Zviri nani kuenda kuimba yokuchema, pakuenda kuimba yomutambo; nekuti ndiwo mugumo wavanhu vose; munhu mupenyu achazvirangarira pamoyo pake.
2Better to go unto a house of mourning, Than to go unto a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living layeth [it] unto his heart.
3Kuchema kunopfuura kuseka, nekuti moyo unofadzwa nokupunyaira kwechiso.
3Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.
4moyo yavakachenjera iri paimba yokuchema, asi moyo yamapenzi iri paimba yokufara.
4The heart of the wise [is] in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.
5Zviri nani kuti munhu anzwe kutuka kwavakachenjera, pakuti anzwe kuimba kwamapenzi.
5Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than [for] a man to hear a song of fools,
6nekuti kuseka kwebenzi kwakafanana nokuputika kwemhinzwa pasi pehari; naizvozvowo hazvina maturo.
6For as the noise of thorns under the pot, So [is] the laughter of a fool, even this [is] vanity.
7Zvirokwazvo kumanikidza kunoita muchenjeri benzi; uye fufuro inoparadza njere.
7Surely oppression maketh the wise mad, And a gift destroyeth the heart.
8Kuguma kwechinhu kunopfuura kutanga kwacho; ano moyo murefu anopfuura ano moyo unozvikudza.
8Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.
9Usakurumidza pamweya wako kutsamwa, nekuti kutsamwa kunogara pachipfuva chamapenzi.
9Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools resteth.
10Usati, Mazuva ekare anopfuura azvino nokunaka neiko? nekuti haungabvunzi saizvozvo nouchenjeri.
10Say not thou, `What was it, That the former days were better than these?` For thou hast not asked wisely of this.
11Uchenjeri hwakaenzana nenhaka; zvirokwazvo, hwakaisvonaka kuna vanoona zuva.
11Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding the sun.
12nekuti uchenjeri chitaviridzo, mariwo chitaviridzo, asi kunakisa kwezivo ndiko, kuti uchenjeri hunochengeta hupenyu hwaiye anahwo.
12For wisdom [is] a defense, money [is] a defence, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], She reviveth her possessors.
13Cherekedza basa raMwari, nekuti ndiani angaruramisa chaakakombamisa iye?
13See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?
14Fara nezuva rokugara zvakanaka, rangarira nezuva rokutambudzika; Mwari ndiye akaita izvozvo zvose zviviri, kuti munhu arege kuziva zviri mberi kwake.
14In a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of evil consider. Also this over-against that hath God made, To the intent that man doth not find anything after him.
15Izvozvi zvose ndakazviona pamazuva angu asina maturo. Akarurama ariko, anoparara pakati pokururama kwake, uyezve, munhu akaipa ariko, anorarama nguva huru pakati pezvakaipa zvake.
15The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrong-doer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.
16Usava munhu wakaisvorurama, usava wakaisvochenjera; uchazviparadzireiko?
16Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?
17Usava munhu akaisvoipa, uye usava benzi; uchafireiko nguva yako isati yasvika?
17Do not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within thy time?
18Zvakanaka kuti ubatisise chinhu ichi, uye usabvisa ruoko rwako panechecho; nekuti anotya Mwari, achapukunyuka panaizvozvo zvose.
18[It is] good that thou dost lay hold on this, and also, from that withdrawest not thy hand, for whoso is fearing God goeth out with them all.
19Uchenjeri hunosimbisa akachenjera kupfuura vabati vane gumi vari muguta.
19The wisdom giveth strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.
20Zvirokwazvo, hapana munhu akarurama panyika, anoita zvakanaka, asingatadzi.
20Because there is not a righteous man on earth that doth good and sinneth not.
21Uyezve, usava nehanya namashoko ose anotaurwa, kuti urege kunzwa muranda wako achikutuka.
21Also to all the words that they speak give not thy heart, that thou hear not thy servant reviling thee.
22nekuti kazhinji moyo wako unoziva kuti newewo wakatuka vamwe saizvozvo.
22For many times also hath thy heart known that thou thyself also hast reviled others.
23Izvozvi zvose ndakazviidza nouchenjeri; ndakati, Ndichava akachenjera; asi zvakanga zviri kure neni.
23All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, `I am wise,` and it [is] far from me.
24Izvo, zviripo, zviri kure, zvakadzika kwazvo, ndiani angazviziva?
24Far off [is] that which hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find it?
25Ndakatendeuka, nemoyo wangu ukada kuziva nokunzvera, nokutsvaka uchenjeri namano, ndizive kuti kuipa upenzi, noupenzi kupenga.
25I have turned round, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and of foolishness the madness.
26Ndikawana chinhu chinovava kukunda rufu, ndiye mukadzi ari musungo, moyo wake ari mambure, namaoko ake zvisungo; Ani naani wakanaka pana Mwari, achapukunyuka kwaari; asi mutadzi achabatwa naye.
26And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart [is] nets and snares, her hands [are] bands; the good before God escapeth from her, but the sinner is captured by her.
27Zvanzi noMuparidzi, Tarirai, ndizvozvi zvandakawana, ndichiverenga chinhu chimwe nechimwe, kuti ndiwane shumo yazvo;
27See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason
28zvinongoramba zvichitsvakwa nomweya wangu, asi ndigere kuzviwana, ndakawana murume mumwe pakati pechiuru chezana, asi handina kuwana mukadzi pakati pavazhinji vakadai.
28(that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.
29Asi tarirai, chinhu chimwe ichi chete ndicho chandakawana, kuti Mwari akaita munhu akarurama, asi ivo vakatsvaka mano mazhinji.
29See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they — they have sought out many devices.