Ecclesiastes 1

1 These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

1 Maneno ya Mhubiri, mwana wa Daudi, mfalme huko Yerusalemu:

2 “Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”

2 “Ubatili mtupu! Ubatili mtupu!” Mhubiri anasema. “Ubatili mtupu! Kila kitu ni ubatili.”

3 What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?

3 Mwanadamu anafaidi nini kutokana na kazi yake yote anayotaabikia chini ya jua?

4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.

4 Vizazi huja na vizazi hupita, lakini dunia inadumu milele.

5 The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries back to where it rises.

5 Jua huchomoza na jua huzama, nalo huharakisha kurudi mawioni.

6 The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course.

6 Upepo huvuma kuelekea kusini na kugeukia kaskazini, hurudia mzunguko huo huo, daima ukirudia njia yake.

7 All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place from which the streams come, there again they flow.

7 Mito yote hutiririka baharini, hata hivyo bahari kamwe haijai. Mahali mito inapotoka, huko hurudi tena.

8 All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.

8 Vitu vyote vinachosha, zaidi kuliko mtu anavyoweza kusema. Jicho kamwe halitosheki kutazama, wala sikio halishibi kusikia.

9 What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

9 Kile kilichokuwepo kitakuwepo tena, kile kilichofanyika kitafanyika tena, hakuna kilicho kipya chini ya jua.

10 Is there a case where one can say, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.

10 Kuna kitu chochote ambacho mtu anaweza kusema, “Tazama! Kitu hiki ni kipya”? Kilikuwepo tangu zamani za kale, kilikuwepo kabla ya wakati wetu.

11 There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after.

11 Hakuna kumbukumbu ya watu wa zamani, hata na wale ambao hawajaja bado hawatakumbukwa na wale watakaofuata baadaye.

12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

12 Mimi, Mhubiri, nilikuwa mfalme wa Israeli katika Yerusalemu.

13 And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a miserable task God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!

13 Nilitumia muda wangu wote kujifunza na kuvumbua kwa hekima yote yanayofanyika chini ya mbingu. Jinsi gani Mungu ameweka mzigo mzito juu ya wanadamu!

14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.

14 Nimeshaona mambo yote yanayotendeka chini ya jua, hayo yote ni ubatili, hii ni kukimbiza upepo.

15 What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.

15 Kilichopindika hakiwezi kunyooshwa, kile ambacho hakipo haiwezekani kukihesabu.

16 I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”

16 Niliwaza mwenyewe, “Tazama, nimekua na kuongezeka katika hekima kuliko yeyote aliyewahi kutawala Yerusalemu kabla yangu. Nimekuwa na uzoefu mkubwa wa hekima na maarifa.”

17 So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.

17 Ndipo nilipojitahidi kufahamu kutofautisha hekima, wazimu na upumbavu, lakini nikatambua hata hili nalo ni kukimbiza upepo.

18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.

18 Kwa kuwa hekima nyingi huleta huzuni kubwa; maarifa yanapoongezeka, masikitiko yanaongezeka.