1 I looked again and saw people being mistreated everywhere on earth. They were crying, but no one was there to offer comfort, and those who mistreated them were powerful. 2 I said to myself, “The dead are better off than the living. 3 But those who have never been born are better off than anyone else, because they have never seen the terrible things that happen on this earth.”
4 Then I realized that we work and do wonderful things just because we are jealous of others. This makes no more sense than chasing the wind.
5 Fools will fold their hands
and starve to death.
6 Yet a very little food
eaten in peace
is better than twice as much
earned from overwork
and chasing the wind.
7 Once again I saw that nothing on earth makes sense. 8 For example, some people don't have friends or family. But they are never satisfied with what they own, and they never stop working to get more. They should ask themselves, “Why am I always working to have more? Who will get what I leave behind?” What a senseless and miserable life!
It Is Better To Have a Friend
9 You are better having a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn. 10 If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble. 11 If you sleep alone, you won't have anyone to keep you warm on a cold night. 12 Someone might be able to beat up one of you, but not both of you. As the saying goes, “A rope made from three strands of cord is hard to break.”
13 You may be poor and young, but if you are wise, you are better off than a foolish old king who won't listen to advice. 14 Even if you were not born into the royal family and have been a prisoner and poor, you can still be king. 15 I once saw everyone in the world follow a young leader who came to power after the king was gone. 16 His followers could not even be counted. But years from now, no one will praise him—this makes no more sense than chasing the wind.
1 Ŋa koroosiroo ke kotenke, ŋa a je toorandi kuwo meŋ be taama kaŋ ñiŋ duniyaa tiloo koto:
Ŋa moo toorariŋolu ñaajiyo je le,
ì maŋ sabarindilaa soto.
Semboo be ì toorandilaalu le bulu,
moo maŋ soto ka ì sabarindi.
2 N naata m miira furewo la,
meŋ faata fokabaŋ,
mantaa benta wo le ye,
ka tambi moo la,
meŋ be baluwo to,
a maŋ faa foloo.
3 Bari meŋ fanaa fisiyaata ñinnu bee ti,
wo le mu moo ti,
meŋ maŋ wuluu foloo,
a maŋ kuu kuruŋ je a ñaa la,
meŋ ka ke ñiŋ duniyaa tiloo koto.
Duniyaa kata kuwolu nafaa lee?
4 Ŋa a je le moolu ka kata kuu baalu mennu ke, ka dookuwo ke fo ì buloo ye koyi a to. Kaatu ì ka tara lafiriŋ ñiŋ ne la ka tara ñoo ñaato. Ñiŋ fanaa maŋ ke feŋ ne ti, a ka munta le ko foño bayindoo.
5 Toolewo ka a buloolu laa ñoo kaŋ ne,
a ye a faŋ kasaara.
6 Kayiroo bulu faa kiliŋ aniŋ tenkuŋo,
wo le fisiyaata kata kuu baa fula ti,
aniŋ foño bayindoo.
Kafuñooyaa nafaa
7 Ŋa kuwo meŋ je kotenke ñiŋ duniyaa tiloo koto, a maŋ ke feŋ ti:
8 Kewo doo le mu, a kiliŋ doroŋ ne be a faŋ ye. A maŋ diŋ soto, a maŋ baadiŋ soto. A la katoo warata, dandulaa te meŋ na. Bari hani wo, a la sotoo maŋ a ñaa faa. A ye a faŋ ñininkaa ko, “Nte be ñiŋ kata kuwo bee ke kaŋ jumaa le ye? Muŋ ne ye a tinna ŋa n koo dii niidiyaa kuwolu la?” Ñiŋ fanaa maŋ ke feŋ ti, bataa doroŋ ne mu.
9 Moo fula le fisiyaata kiliŋ ti,
ì fuloo la katoo le be nafaa soto la
kiliŋo taa ti.
10 Niŋ doo boyita,
doo si a wulindi.
Bari balafaa be moo la kuwo to,
meŋ niŋ a boyita,
moo te jee meŋ si a wulindi.
11 Niŋ moo fula ye i laa laaraŋ kiliŋo kaŋ,
ì finjaloo si laa noo ñoo kaŋ ne,
bari moo kiliŋo si sumayaa bo noo a faŋ na ñaadii le?
12 Boyinkannaa si i kutu noo moo kiliŋo le la,
bari moo fula,
wolu si ì faŋ tankandi noo le.
Niŋ i ye julu saba fuwa ñoo bala,
a buka tariyaa ka kuntu.
Semboo niŋ darajoo nafaa lee?
13 Fondinkee fuwaare ñaamendiŋo, wo le fisiyaata mansakee toolewo ti, meŋ ka balaŋ yaamaroo la a keebaayaa waatoo la. 14 Ñiŋ fondinkeeriŋo wuluuta fuwaareyaa kono ñaa-wo-ñaa wo mansamarali bankoo kaŋ, a si bo noo bunjawoo to le, a ye naa ke mansakewo ti. 15 Ŋa a je le moolu mennu bee be ì niyo la, ì be taama kaŋ ñiŋ duniyaa tiloo koto, bulata ñiŋ fondinkeeriŋo le nooma meŋ seyita mansa noo to. 16 A tarata moolu mennu mara kaŋ, wolu maŋ daŋ soto. Bari a jamaanoo labaŋo la, wo moolu maŋ seewoo ñiŋ fondinkeeriŋo la kuwo la, meŋ seyita mansa noo to. Ñiŋ fanaa maŋ ke feŋ ne ti, a ka munta le ko foño bayindoo.
