Ecclesiastes 12
1 And remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, of which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
Kae wo Bɔfo wɔ wo mmerantebere mu, ansa na nnabɔne no aba na mfe a wobɛka se, “Minni mu anigye biara” no reba,
2 before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;
ansa na owia ne hann, ɔsram ne nsoromma aduru sum, na omununkum asan aba osutɔ akyi.
3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows are darkened,
Bere a ofi no awɛmfo ho popo, na mmarima ahoɔdenfo akom, bere a awiyamfo agyae adwumayɛ, sɛ wosua nti na wɔn a wɔhwɛ pema mu no ani so ayɛ kusuu;
4 and the doors are shut toward the street; when the sound of the grinding is subdued, and they rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;
bere a wɔatoto abɔnten no apon mu na awiyambea nnyigyei ano abrɛ ase; bere a nnipa te nnomaa su na wɔanyan, nanso wɔn nnwonto ano abrɛ ase;
5 they are also afraid of what is high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond is despised, and the grasshopper is a burden, and the caper-berry is without effect; (for man goeth to his age-long home, and the mourners go about the streets; )
bere a nnipa suro sorokɔ ne mmɔnten so amanenyasɛm; bere a “ɔsonkoran” dua begu nhwiren na tɛwtɛw twe ne ho kɔ no na nkatede ho adwudwo. Afei onipa kɔ ne daa home mu na agyaadwotwafo tu gu mmɔnten so.
6 — before the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be shattered at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the cistern;
Kae no, ansa na dwetɛ hama no atew, anaasɛ sikakɔkɔɔ asanka no abɔ; ansa na sukuruwa no abobɔ wɔ asuten ho, anaasɛ asubura so nkyimii abubu,
7 and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who gave it.
na dɔte san kɔ asase a efi mu bae, na honhom no tu kɔ Onyankopɔn a ɔde mae no nkyɛn.
8 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher: all is vanity.
“Ahuhude mu ahuhude” ɔsɛnkafo no na ose. “Biribiara yɛ ahuhude!”
9 And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, and sought out, [and] set in order many proverbs.
Ɔsɛnkafo no yɛ onyansafo na ɔde nimdeɛ maa nnipa nso. Ɔdwenee na ɔyɛɛ nhwehwɛmu na obubuu mmɛ bebree.
10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words; and that which was written is upright, words of truth.
Ɔsɛnkafo no hwehwɛɛ sɛ obenya nsɛm a ɛfata, na nea ɔkyerɛw no yɛ pɛ na ɛyɛ nokware nso.
11 The words of the wise are as goads, and the collections [of them] as nails fastened in: they are given from one shepherd.
Anyansafo nsɛm te sɛ nantwikafo mpeaw. Wɔn nsɛm a wɔaboa ano te sɛ nnadewa a wɔde abobɔ dua mu ma akɔ mu yiye. Saa nsɛm yi nyinaa fi Oguanhwɛfo baako nkyɛn.
12 And besides, my son, be warned by them: of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
Mebɔ wo kɔkɔ sɛ twe wo ho fi biribiara a ɛka eyinom ho, me babarima. Nhoma bebrebe nkyerɛw nni awiei, na ne sua pii no ma honam yɛ mmerɛw.
13 Let us hear the end of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole of man.
Afei ne nyinaa atɔ asom; nsɛm no awiei ni: Suro Onyankopɔn na di nʼahyɛde so, na onipa asɛde nyinaa ni.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.
Onyankopɔn bebu nneyɛe biara atɛn, nea wɔayɛ asie nso ka ho, sɛ ɛyɛ papa anaa bɔne.
