1Ndiani akafanana nomunhu akachenjera? Ndiani anoziva kududzira chinhu? Uchenjeri hwomunhu hunobwinyisa chiso chake; hasha dzechiso chake dzinoshandurwa.
1Who is as the wise? and who knoweth the explanation of things? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face is changed.
2Ndinoti, Chengeta murayiro wamambo, uzviite nokuda kwezvawakapikira Mwari.
2I [say], Keep the king's commandment, and [that] on account of the oath of God.
3Usakurumidza kubva pamberi pake; usatsungirira pachinhu chakaipa, nekuti anoita zvose zvaanoda.
3Be not hasty to go out of his sight; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatever pleaseth him,
4nekuti shoko ramambo rine simba, ndiani angati kwaari, Munoiteiko?
4because the word of a king is 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 knoweth time and manner.
6nekuti chinhu chimwe nechimwe chine nguva yacho nokutongwa kwacho; nekuti kushata komunhu kunomuremedza;
6For to every purpose there is time and manner. For 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 who hath control over the spirit to retain the spirit; and no one hath control over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war, neither shall wickedness deliver those that are 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 when man ruleth man to his hurt.
10Saizvozvo ndakaona akaipa achivigwa, vanhu vakauya kuhwiro hwake; asi vakanga vaita zvakarurama vakabva panzvimbo tsvene, vakakanganikwa muguta; naizvozvo hazvina maturo.
10And I have also seen the wicked buried and going away; and such as had acted rightly went 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 children 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 I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, because they 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 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; and 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.
15And I commended mirth, because there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry; for that shall abide with him of his labour 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 saw that all [is] the work of God, [and] that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however man may labour to seek [it] out, yet doth he not find [it]; and even, if a wise [man] think to know [it], he shall not be able to find [it] out.