Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies can make perfumed oil smell bad. Likewise a little foolishness outweighs great wisdom and honor.
Sɛdeɛ nwansena funu ma aduhwam yi nka bɔne no, saa ara na nkwaseasɛm kakra boro nimdeɛ ne animuonyam so.
2 The mind of the wise person chooses the right side, but the mind of the fool goes left!
Onyansafoɔ akoma kom kɔ nifa, nanso ɔkwasea akoma 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 ɛkwan so a wɔhunu sɛ ɔnnim nyansa na ɔma obiara hunu 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 sodifoɔ bo fu wo a, nnya wʼadwuma nto hɔ; na ntoboaseɛ dwodwo mfomsoɔ kɛseɛ ano.
5 I also realized there's another evil here on earth: rulers make a big mistake
Bɔne bi wɔ hɔ a mahunu wɔ owia yi ase. Ɛyɛ mfomsoɔ bi a ɛfiri sodifoɔ:
6 when they put fools in high positions, while those who are richly qualified are put in low positions.
Wɔma nkwaseafoɔ diberɛ a ɛkorɔn, na asikafoɔ nya deɛ ɛwɔ fam.
7 I've seen slaves riding on horseback, while princes walk on the ground like slaves.
Mahunu 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 ɔtu amena no bɛtumi atɔ mu; na deɛ ɔbubu ɔfasuo no, ɔwɔ bɛtumi aka no.
9 If you quarry stone, you could be injured. If you split logs, you could be hurt.
Obiara a ɔpae aboɔ no, aboɔ no bɛtumi apira no; na deɛ ɔpae nnua no bɛtumi 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 akum na wɔanse ano a, ɛbɛhia ahoɔden bebree nanso adwumayɛ ho nimdeɛ de nkonimdie 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 wɔadwodwo no a deɛ ɔdwodwo ɔwɔ no rennya ho mfasoɔ biara.
12 Wise words are beneficial, but fools destroy themselves by what they say.
Onyansafoɔ anom nsɛm yɛ nyam, nanso ɔkwasea ano fafa de no kɔ asɛeɛ mu.
13 Fools begin by saying foolish things, and end up talking evil nonsense.
Ahyɛaseɛ no, ne nsɛm yɛ nkwaseasɛm; na ɛkɔwie abɔdamsɛm bɔne,
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 deɛ ɛreba, hwan na ɔbɛtumi aka deɛ ɛbɛsi nʼakyi akyerɛ no?
15 Work makes fools so worn out they can't achieve anything.
Ɔkwasea adwumayɛ ma ɔbrɛ; na ɛmma ɔnhunu ɛkwan 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 ɔhene yɛ akwa na wo mmapɔmma to ɛpono 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 ɔhene yɛ ɔdehyeɛ na wo mmapɔmma didi ɛberɛ a ɛfata de pɛ ahoɔden, na ɛnyɛ nsãborɔ.
18 Lazy people let their roofs collapse; idle people don't repair their leaky houses.
Sɛ obi yɛ akwadworɔ a, ne mpunan yɛ mmerɛ; sɛ ne nsa nka hwee a, ne fie nwunu.
19 A good meal brings pleasure; wine makes life pleasant; money provides for all needs.
Wɔto ɛpono ma sereɛ, na nsã ma onipa ahosɛpɛ, nanso sika na ɛyɛ biribiara safoa.
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 wowɔ piam nso a, nnome osikani, ɛfiri sɛ anomaa a ɔnam ewiem de wʼasɛm bɛkɔ, na anomaa a otuo bɛkɔ akɔka.
