1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
2 ¶ It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. 3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. 4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. 5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. 6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
7 ¶ Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart. 8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. 10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
11 ¶ Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun. 12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. 13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? 14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. 15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. 16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? 17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? 18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all. 19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. 20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. 21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee: 22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
23 ¶ All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. 24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? 25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things , and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: 26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. 27 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account: 28 Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found. 29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
Muŋ ne beteyaata hadamadiŋo ye?
1 Too diyaa, wo le be tulu seeralaa ñaato,
aduŋ faa luŋo, wo le be wuluu luŋo ñaato.
2 Saŋa bunkono duŋo,
wo le ye fisa bidaŋ bunkono duŋo ti.
Hadamadiŋo bee labaŋo mu saayaa le ti,
moo-wo-moo be baluwo to,
wo si tara i sondomoo kono.
3 Niikuyaa le ye fisa jeloo ti,
kaatu niikuyaa ka fahaamuroo le fanundi.
4 Moo ñaamendiŋo sondomoo ka tara niikuyaa buŋ ne,
bari toolewo, wo sondomoo ka tara niiseewoo buŋ ne to.
5 Moo ñaamendiŋo la jalayiroo lamoyoo,
wo le ye fisa toolewo la denkiloo lamoyoo ti.
6 Ko ŋaniŋo ka fetifeti dimbaa kono ñaameŋ,
toolewo la jeloo ka tara wo le ñaama.
Ñiŋ fanaa maŋ ke feŋ ti.
7 Moo toorandoo,
ka moo ñaamendiŋo ke moo kuntaŋo le ti,
aduŋ dukoo,
a ka sondomoo jenkendi tiliŋo la le.
8 Kuwo labaŋo, wo le ka fisa a foloo ti,
muñoo le ye fisa faŋ waroo ti.
9 I jusoo kana sutiyaa,
kamfaa daakaadulaa
ka tara toolewolu le jusoo to.
10 Kana a fo ko,
“Muŋ ne ye a tinna
nunto kuwolu beteyaata saayiŋ ti?”
Ñiŋ ñininkaari siifaa,
wo maŋ ke ñaameŋo ti.
11 Ñaameŋo beteyaata le ko keetaafeŋo,
aduŋ a ka moolu nafaa le,
mennu be ñiŋ duniyaa tiloo koto.
12 Ñaameŋo mu tankaraŋo le ti,
ko kodoo mu tankaraŋo ti ñaameŋ.
A kummaayaata le ka a loŋ ko,
ñaameŋo, meŋ ye a soto,
a ka wo maarii niyo le tanka.
13 Alla la keroo juubee:
Niŋ a ye meŋ jenkendi,
jumaa le ka wo tilindi noo?
14 Kuwolu beteyaa waatoo, kontaani,
koleyaa waatoo, ñiŋ miira ko:
Alla le ye ñiŋ doo daa,
a ye ñiŋ doo fanaa daa.
Wo to hadamadiŋo te feŋ fo noo la,
meŋ be naa ke la,
ate faariŋ koolaa.
Baluwo la kuwo ñininkaaroo
15 N na ñiŋ baluu nafantaŋo kono,
ŋa moo tilindiŋo je le,
a maŋ siimaayaa a la tiliŋo kaŋ.
Ŋa moo kuruŋo fanaa je,
a siimaayaata a la kuruŋyaa kaŋ.
Ŋa ñiŋ kuu fuloo bee je n ñaa la le.
16 Kana tiliŋo landatambindi,
aduŋ i kana ñaameŋ kolenke.
Muŋ ne be a tinna la i be i faŋ tiñaa la?
17 Kana tilimbaliyaa landatambindi,
aduŋ i kana ke toolewo fanaa ti.
Muŋ ne be a tinna i be faa la,
i la waatoo maŋ sii?
18 A si beteyaa,
niŋ i maŋ landatamboo ke niŋ sila-wo-sila la.
Alla ñaasilannaa,
wo le ka tara sila betoo kaŋ.
19 Ñaameŋo ka semboo meŋ dii hakilimaa la,
wo le ka tambi kantii taŋ na saatewo kono.
20 A be koyiriŋ ne lewu ko,
moo tilindiŋo maŋ soto ñiŋ duniyaa kono,
meŋ ka kuu betoo doroŋ ke,
a nene maŋ junube kuu ke.
21 Kana i lamoyi kumoo bee la,
moolu be mennu fo la,
niŋ wo nte,
i si i nendiri kaŋo moyi
hani i la dookuulaa la.
22 Bari ñiŋ si tara i fanaa kono ko,
i nene ka moo neŋ ne, siiñaa jamaa.
23 Ŋa n na ñaameŋo le taa
ka ñiŋ kuwolu bee kotobo a la.
N hameta baake ka ñaameŋo soto,
bari a be jamfariŋ n na le.
24 Feŋolu mennu bee be sotoriŋ,
moo buka ì keñaa fahaamu noo,
a kuwo daŋo dinkata baake.
Jumaa le si a daŋo bondi noo?
25 Ŋa n hakiloo tu le,
ka kuwolu karaŋ, ka kisikisiroo ke,
aniŋ ka ñinindiroo ke ñaameŋo la kuwo la,
aniŋ kuwolu daliiloo.
N naata a loŋ ko,
kuruŋyaa mu hakili dooyaa le ti,
aduŋ tooleeyaa mu sondome kuuraŋo le ti.
26 Ŋa feŋ ne je,
meŋ jawuyaata saayaa ti:
musoo meŋ ka munta ko kutindiŋo,
a sondomoo mu jaloo ti,
a buloolu mu nee joloo ti.
Kee meŋ be Alla ye,
wo be kana la ñiŋ musoo ma le.
Bari junubelaa,
a be wo duŋ na a la jaloo kono le.
27 Kawandilaa ye ñiŋ ne fo ko,
“Ali a juubee ŋa ñiŋ ne je,
biriŋ ŋa a dati ka kuu kesoolu tomboŋ,
ka ì kafu ñoo ma domandiŋ-domandiŋ
ka kuwolu koyindi.
28 N tuta meŋ na kuwo ñini la,
m maŋ wo je.
Ka bo niŋ n sondomoo bee la,
n tarata hadamadiŋo le la kuwo kisikisi kaŋ,
hadamadiŋo meŋ tilinta.
Bari wuli kiliŋ kono,
ŋa kiliŋ doroŋ ne soto,
bari a maŋ ke musu ti.
29 Ŋa meŋ je doroŋ, wo le mu,
Alla ye hadamadiŋo niŋ tiliŋo le daa,
bari hadamadiŋo ka taa bula a fansuŋ siloolu le nooma.”
