1 Who is smart enough
to explain everything?
Wisdom makes you cheerful
and gives you a smile.
Obey the King
2 If you promised God that you would be loyal to the king, I advise you to keep that promise. 3 Don't quickly oppose the king or argue when he has already made up his mind. 4 The king's word is law. No one can ask him, “Why are you doing this?” 5 If you obey the king, you will stay out of trouble. So be wise and learn what to do and when to do it. 6 Life is hard, but there is a time and a place for everything, 7 though no one can tell the future. 8 We cannot control the wind or determine the day of our death. There is no escape in time of war, and no one can hide behind evil. 9 I noticed all this and thought seriously about what goes on in the world. Why does one person have the power to hurt another?
Who Can Understand the Ways of God?
10 I saw the wicked buried with honor, but God's people had to leave the holy city and were forgotten. None of this makes sense. 11 When we see criminals commit crime after crime without being punished, it makes us want to start a life of crime. 12 They commit hundreds of crimes and live a long time, in spite of the saying:
Everyone who lives right
and respects God
will prosper,
13 but no one who sins
and rejects God
will prosper or live very long.
14 There is something else that doesn't make sense to me. Good citizens are treated as criminals, while criminals are honored as though they were good citizens. 15 So I think we should get as much out of life as we possibly can. There is nothing better than to enjoy our food and drink and have a good time. Then we can make it through this troublesome life that God has given us here on earth.
16 Day and night I went without sleep, trying to understand what goes on in this world. 17 I saw everything God does, and I realized no one can really understand what happens. We may be very wise, but no matter how much we try or how much we claim to know, we cannot understand it all.
Ovapangeli nava fimanekwe
1 Olyelye e li ngaashi omunongo, nefatululo loinima ola shiivika kulyelye? Ounongo womunhu tau yeleke oshipala shaye, noukukutu woshipala shaye tau lundululwa kuwo. 2 Ame ohandi ti: Diinina oshipango shohamba, unene molweano we li anena Kalunga. 3 Ino endelela okuliteeka kuyo. Ino ama koshinima shii, osheshi yo tai ningi eshi ye shi hala. 4 Osheshi ondjovo yohamba i neenghono, ndele olyelye ta dulu oku i lombwela: “To ningi shike?” 5 Ou ta diinine oshipango ita ka mona oshinima shii. Omutima womunongo wa shiiva efimbo netokolo la yuka. 6 Osheshi keshe oshinima oshi nefimbo lasho netokolo lasho. Osheshi owii womunhu tau mu djuupaleke unene. 7 Osheshi keshi shii eshi tashi ke uya. Olyelye te mu hololele osho shi nokuuya komesho? 8 Kaku na nande omunhu ta dulu okupangela omhepo a kelele omhepo, ndele kaku na ou ta pangele efiku lefyo. Kaku nelekelo molwoodi. Nosho yo ouhenakalunga itau xupifa ou e u hole. 9 Ashishe eshi nde shi mona, eshi nda pungululila omutima wange koshilonga keshe tashi longwa koshi yetango mefimbo mulo omunhu ta pangelele mukwao omupya. 10 Ame nda mona yo nhumbi ovahenakalunga va pakwa ndele va ya metulumuko, fimbo ovo va enda pauyuki va li ve nokudja po ponhele iyapuki ndele va dimbuwa moshilando. Nasho yo ongahoelela. 11 Shaashi etokolo loshilonga shii itali endelele, onghee omutima wovana vovanhu u yadi okulonga owii. 12 Osheshi omulunde ta nyono lwefele ndele ta kala nomwenyo efimbo lile. Ndelenee ondi shi shii ava hava tila Kalunga, otava ka ningilwa nawa, shaashi tava tila koshipala shaye, 13 ndele omuhenakalunga ita ka mona elao, ndele omafiku aye itaa ka lepala ngaashi omudile, osheshi iha tila Kalunga. 14 Naasho yo onghonelela kombada yedu, eshi ope novayuki tava ningilwa pailonga yovahenakalunga, ndele ope novahenakalunga tava ningilwa pailonga yovayuki. Onghee handi ti: Nasho yo ongahoelela. 15 Onghee hano ame nda pandula ehafo, osheshi omunhu koshi yetango ke na shimwe shiwa, okulya nokunwa nokunyakukwa. Oyo tai mu shikula moshilonga shaye shidjuu pomafiku okukalamwenyo kwaye Kalunga e mu pa koshi yetango. 16 Ame eshi nda pungulula omutima wange okulilonga ounongo, nokutala oinima tai ningwa kombada yedu, heeno, nokuli oufiku nomutenya kaku na ou ta mono eemhofi, 17 opo nee moshilonga ashishe shaKalunga nda mona nokutya, omunhu moshilonga osho tashi ningwa koshi yetango, ita mono mo sha, ndele omunhu te lilolokifa mokukonga, ndelenee ita mono; heeno, omunongo nande ha diladila ye e shi shii, ite ke shi shiiva.
