1Ndiani akafanana nomunhu akachenjera? Ndiani anoziva kududzira chinhu? Uchenjeri hwomunhu hunobwinyisa chiso chake; hasha dzechiso chake dzinoshandurwa.
1Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.
2Ndinoti, Chengeta murayiro wamambo, uzviite nokuda kwezvawakapikira Mwari.
2I [counsel thee], Keep the king's command, and that in regard of the oath of God.
3Usakurumidza kubva pamberi pake; usatsungirira pachinhu chakaipa, nekuti anoita zvose zvaanoda.
3Be not hasty to go out of his presence; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
4nekuti shoko ramambo rine simba, ndiani angati kwaari, Munoiteiko?
4For the king's word [hath] power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
5Munhu anochengeta murayiro, haangaoni chinhu chakaipa; moyo wowakachenjera unoziva nguva nokutongwa.
5Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart discerneth time and judgment:
6nekuti chinhu chimwe nechimwe chine nguva yacho nokutongwa kwacho; nekuti kushata komunhu kunomuremedza;
6for to every purpose there is a time and judgment; because the misery of man is great upon him:
7nekuti haazivi zvichazovapo; nekuti ndiani angamuzivisa kuti zvichava zvakadini?
7for he knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?
8Hakuna munhu ane simba pamusoro pemhepo, kuti adzivirire mhepo; uye haana simba pamusoro pezuva rorufu; hakuna kukangamwirwa pakurwa; saizvozvo zvakaipa hazvingarwiri iye anozviita.
8There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in war: neither shall wickedness deliver him that is given to it.
9Izvozvi zvose ndakazviona, ndikarangarira nomoyo wangu mabasa ose anoitwa pasi pezuva, panguva kana mumwe munhu ane simba pamusoro pomumwe, achimuitira zvakaipa.
9All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: [there is] a time wherein one man hath power over another to his hurt.
10Saizvozvo ndakaona akaipa achivigwa, vanhu vakauya kuhwiro hwake; asi vakanga vaita zvakarurama vakabva panzvimbo tsvene, vakakanganikwa muguta; naizvozvo hazvina maturo.
10So I saw the wicked buried, and they came [to the grave]; and they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city: this also is vanity.
11Kutongwa zvakusingakurumidzi kuuya pamusoro pebasa rakaipa, moyo yavanakomana vavanhu inotsungirira kuita zvakaipa.
11Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12Kunyange mutadzi akaita zvakaipa rune zana, akava namazuva mazhinji, kunyange zvakadaro ndinoziva zvirokwazvo kuti vanotya Mwari, vanotya pamberi pake, vachagara zvakanaka;
12Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his [days], yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him:
13asi akaipa haangagari zvakanaka, haangavi namazuva mazhinji, zvaakafanana nomumvuri; nekuti haatyi pamberi paMwari.
13but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong [his] days, [which are] as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
14Chinhu chisina maturo chiripo, chinoitwa panyika, ndicho kuti vakarurama variko vanoitirwa sezvinoitirwa mabasa avakaipa, uyezve vakaipa variko vanoitirwa sezvinoitirwa mabasa avakarurama; ndikati, Naizvozvi hazvina maturo.
14There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there are righteous men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
15Ipapo ndakarumbidza mufaro, nekuti munhu haane chinhu chinopfuura ichi, kuti adye, amwe, afare; kuti izvozvo zvigare naye pakubata kwake mazuva ose ohupenyu hwake, hwaakapiwa naMwari pasi pezuva.
15Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful: for that shall abide with him in his labor [all] the days of his life which God hath given him under the sun.
16Zvino ndakati ndichirangarira nomoyo wangu kuti ndizive uchenjeri nokuona kubata kunoitwa panyika (nokuti vamwe variko vasingaoni hope nameso avo masikati novusiku),
16When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes),
17ndikaona mabasa ose aMwari, kuti munhu haanganzwisisi mabasa ose anoitwa pasi pezuva; nekuti kunyange munhu akatambura hake kuti azvinzvere, haanganzwisisi hake; zvirokwazvo, kunyange munhu, akachenjera, achiti, ndinozviziva, kunyange zvakadaro, haangagoni kuzvinzwisisa.
17then I beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however much a man labor to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea moreover, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.