¹Guard your steps when you go to God’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don’t know that they do evil.

¹ Ma si waasu ka salaŋ, Ni laakalo mo ma si waasu ka hay kulu ci Irikoy jine. Zama Irikoy go beene, ni mo go ganda, Woodin sabbay se naŋ ni sanno ma ciya ikayniyo.

¹Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil.

²Don’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few.

² Zama hindiri ga kaa muraadu boobo sabbay se, Saamo jinde mo, i g'a bay sanni boobo do.

²Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

³For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words.

³ Waati kaŋ ni ga sarti sambu Irikoy jine, ma si alwaato harta, zama a si maa saamey kaani. Kala ni ma haya kaŋ ni n'a sarti sambu nd'a din bana.

³For a dream cometh with a multitude of business, and a fool's voice with a multitude of words.

⁴When you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.

⁴ Dambe day ni ma si sarti sambu, da ni m'a sambu, ni ma s'a bana.

⁴When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou vowest.

⁵It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.

⁵ Ni ma si yadda ni meyo ma ni gaahamo daŋ zunubi ra. Ma si ne mo Irikoy dontonanta se: «Ay daray no.» Ifo se no Irikoy ga futu ni jinda se, a ma ni kambe goyo mo halaci?

⁵Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

⁶Don’t allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don’t protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?

⁶ Zama hindiri boobo da sanni boobo ra gonda yaamo. Day ni ma humburu Irikoy.

⁶Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that is was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

⁷For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words: but you must fear God.

⁷ Da ni di i ga talka kankam, i ga cimi ciiti nda adilitaray siirandi mo kawyey ra, ni ma si dambara nda woodin. Zama boro beeri ga boro kaŋ gaze nga gaa laakal, borey kaŋ yaŋ bis'ey mo go no.

⁷For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words: but fear thou God.

⁸If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter: for one official is eyed by a higher one; and there are officials over them.

⁸ Farey albarka ga boro kulu nafa, bonkoono bumbo ga nafa a gaa.

⁸If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are higher than they.

⁹Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.

⁹ Boro kaŋ ga ba nzarfu si kungu nda nzarfu. Koyne, boro kaŋ ga ba yulwa si kungu nda tontoni. Woodin mo yaamo no.

⁹Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king [himself] is served by the field.

¹⁰He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.

¹⁰ Da arzaka tonton, a ŋwaakoy mo ga tonton. Ifo ga ti a koyo albarka, Kal a ma guna nda nga moy hinne?

¹⁰He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.

¹¹When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes?

¹¹ Goy-teeri jirbo ga kaan, Baa a ŋwa ikayna wala iboobo no. Amma arzakante kunguyaŋ si naŋ a ma jirbi.

¹¹When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding [of them] with his eyes?

¹²The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

¹² Hasaraw bambata go no kaŋ ay di beena cire: Duureyaŋ kaŋ i koyo go g'i batu, i ma ciya a se hasaraw hari.

¹²The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

¹³There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.

¹³ Duura din mo ma halaci saaya jaŋay se. D'a na ize aru hay mo, A sinda hay kulu nga kambe ra.

¹³There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, [namely], riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:

¹⁴Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand.

¹⁴ Danga mate kaŋ a fatta nga nyaŋo gunda ra gaa-koonu, A ga ye ka dira yaadin koyne, mate kaŋ a kaa din. A si konda hay kulu mo a goyo riiba ra, Danga a si konda hay kulu nga kambe ra no.

¹⁴and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.

¹⁵As he came forth from his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.

¹⁵ Woone mo hasaraw bambata no: Danga mate kaŋ cine boro kaa, yaadin no a ga ye. Ifo no ga ti a riiba kaŋ a ga ŋwa, Za kaŋ haw faaruyaŋ se no a goy?

¹⁵As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.

¹⁶This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind?

¹⁶ A jirbey kulu ra a go kubay ra ka margu nda hẽeni korno da doori nda dukuri.

¹⁶And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboreth for the wind?

¹⁷All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.

¹⁷ Guna haŋ kaŋ ay di ga boori, a ga saba mo: boro ma ŋwa, a ma haŋ, a ma farhã mo nga goyo kulu ra kaŋ a ga taabi nd'a beena cire, a fundo jirbi kayney kaŋ Irikoy n'a no, zama woodin ga ti a baa.

¹⁷All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed, and hath sickness and wrath.

¹⁸Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.

¹⁸ Boro kulu kaŋ no koyne, kaŋ Irikoy n'a no arzaka nda duure, a n'a no mo dabari a ma ŋwa i gaa, a ma du nga baa ka farhã nga goyo ra. Woodin mo Irikoy nooyaŋ no.

¹⁸Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, wherein he laboreth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion.

¹⁹Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.

¹⁹ Zama a si fongu sorro boobo nga fundi jirbey gaa, zama Irikoy n'a bine toonandi nda nga farhã harey.

¹⁹Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor-this is the gift of God.

²⁰For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life; because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.

²⁰For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth [him] in the joy of his heart.