< Ecclesiastes 10 >
1 Dead flies can make perfumed oil smell bad. Likewise a little foolishness outweighs great wisdom and honor.
Sɛnea nwansena funu ma aduhuam yi nka bɔne no, saa ara na nkwaseasɛm kakraa bi boro nimdeɛ ne anuonyam so no.
2 The mind of the wise person chooses the right side, but the mind of the fool goes left!
Onyansafo koma sian kɔ nifa, nanso ɔkwasea koma kɔ benkum.
3 Just the way that fools walk down the road shows they have no sense, making clear to everyone their stupidity.
Mpo sɛ ɔkwasea nam ɔkwan so a, wohu sɛ onnim nyansa na ɔma obiara hu sɛ wagyimi.
4 If your superior gets angry with you, don't give up and leave. If you stay calm even bad mistakes can be resolved.
Sɛ sodifo bo fuw wo a, nnyaw wʼadwuma nto hɔ; na ntoboase dwudwo mfomso kɛse ano.
5 I also realized there's another evil here on earth: rulers make a big mistake
Bɔne bi wɔ hɔ a mahu wɔ owia yi ase ɛyɛ mfomso bi a efi sodifo:
6 when they put fools in high positions, while those who are richly qualified are put in low positions.
Wɔma nkwaseafo dibea a ɛkorɔn, na asikafo nya nea ɛwɔ fam.
7 I've seen slaves riding on horseback, while princes walk on the ground like slaves.
Mahu nkoa sɛ wɔtete apɔnkɔ so, na mmapɔmma nam fam sɛ nkoa.
8 If you dig a pit, you could fall in. If you knock down a wall, you could be bitten by a snake.
Obiara a otu amoa no betumi atɔ mu; na nea obubu ɔfasu no, ɔwɔ betumi aka no.
9 If you quarry stone, you could be injured. If you split logs, you could be hurt.
Obiara a ɔpae abo no, abo no betumi apira no; na nea ɔpae nnua no betumi anya mu akwanhyia.
10 If your ax is blunt and you don't sharpen it, you have to use a lot more force. Conclusion: being wise brings good results.
Sɛ abonnua ano kum na wɔansew ano a ebehia ahoɔden bebree, nanso adwumayɛ ho nimdeɛ de nkonimdi bɛba.
11 If the snake bites the snake charmer before it's charmed, there's no benefit to the snake charmer!
Sɛ ɔwɔ ka obi ansa na wɔadwudwo no a nea odwudwo ɔwɔ no rennya so mfaso biara.
12 Wise words are beneficial, but fools destroy themselves by what they say.
Onyansafo anom nsɛm yɛ nyam, nanso ɔkwasea ano fafa de no kɔ ɔsɛe mu.
13 Fools begin by saying foolish things, and end up talking evil nonsense.
Mfiase no, wɔn nsɛm yɛ nkwaseasɛm; awiei no, ɛyɛ adammɔ atirimɔdensɛm,
14 Fools talk on and on, however no one knows what's going to happen, so who can say what the future holds?
na ɔkwasea woro nsɛm. Obiara nnim nea ɛreba, hena na obetumi aka nea ebesi wɔ obi akyi akyerɛ no?
15 Work makes fools so worn out they can't achieve anything.
Ɔkwasea adwumayɛ ma ɔbrɛ; na ɛmma onhu ɔkwan a ɛkɔ kurom.
16 You're in trouble if the king of your country is young, and if your leaders are busy feasting from early morning.
Nnome nka wo, asase a na wo hene yɛ ɔsomfo na wo mmapɔmma to pon anɔpa.
17 You're fortunate if your king comes from a noble family, and your leaders feast at the proper time to give themselves energy, and not to get drunk.
Nhyira nka wo, asase a wo hene yɛ ɔdehye na wo mmapɔmma didi bere a ɛfata de pɛ ahoɔden na ɛnyɛ nsabow.
18 Lazy people let their roofs collapse; idle people don't repair their leaky houses.
Sɛ obi yɛ akwadworɔ a ne mpuran yɛ mmerɛw; sɛ ne nsa nka hwee a ne fi nwini.
19 A good meal brings pleasure; wine makes life pleasant; money provides for all needs.
Wɔto pon ma serew, na nsa ma onipa ahosɛpɛw, nanso sika na ɛyɛ biribiara safe.
20 Don't talk badly about the king, not even in your thoughts. Don't talk badly about leaders, even in the privacy of your bedroom. A bird may hear what you say and fly away to tell them.
Wʼadwene mu mpo nkasa ntia ɔhene, na wo pia mu nso nnome ɔdefo, efisɛ anomaa a ɔnam wim de wʼasɛm bɛkɔ, na anomaa a otu bɛkɔ akɔka.