Ecclesiastes 4
1 Then I turned to consider all the ways people oppress others here on earth. Look at the tears of the oppressed—there's no one to comfort them! Powerful people oppress them, and there's no one to comfort them!
Emegbe la, melé ŋku ɖe ameteteɖeanyi siwo katã le xexea me la ŋu. Mekpɔ ame siwo wote ɖe anyi la ƒe aɖatsiwo; kpeɖeŋutɔ aɖeke meli na wo o, le esime kpeɖeŋutɔ siwo nye ŋusẽtɔwo la le ameteɖeanyilawo ƒe akpa dzi.
2 I congratulated those who were already dead, for the dead are better off than those who are still alive and being oppressed.
Ale mebu be ame kukuwo tɔ nyo sãa wu agbagbeawo tɔ
3 But best of all are those who have never existed—they haven't seen the evil things people do to each other here on earth.
eye ame siwo nye dzɔgbenyuitɔwo wu la, woawoe nye ame siwo womedzi o eye womekpɔ vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi kple nu vɔ̃ siwo xɔ xexea me katã la kpɔ o.
4 I observed that every skill in work comes from competition with others. Once again this is hard to understand, like trying to hold on to the elusive wind.
Megadze sii hã be nu si dɔa amewo ɖa be woaku kutri awɔ dɔ hena dzidzedzekpɔkpɔ la tso ŋubiabiã ɖe amehavi ŋu gbɔ. Ke esia hã nye bometsitsi kple dagbadagba ɖe yame ko.
5 Fools fold their arms and do nothing—so in the end they're all used up.
Bometsila bla asi ɖe akɔnu eye wògblẽ eɖokui dome.
6 It's better to earn a little without stress than a lot with too much stress and chasing after the wind.
Nu asiʋlo ɖeka si ŋuti ŋutifafa le la nyo wu nu asiʋlo eve si ŋuti sreɖidzedze kple dagbadagba ɖe yame kpe ɖo.
7 Then I turned to consider something else here on earth that is also frustratingly hard to understand.
Megalé ŋku ɖe movidzɔdzɔ tɔgbi aɖe si le xexea me godoo la hã ŋu.
8 What about someone who has no family to help him, no brother or son, who works all the time, but isn't satisfied with the money he makes. “Who am I working for?” he asks himself. “Why am I preventing myself from enjoying life?” Such a situation is hard to explain—it's an evil business!
Nu sia ku ɖe ŋutsu aɖe si si viŋutsu alo vinyɔnu aɖeke mele o la ŋu, ke ŋutsu sia wɔa dɔ sesĩe matsomatsoe, eye wòƒoa kesinɔnuwo nu ƒu. Ame kae wòagblẽ nu siawo katã ɖi na? Nu ka ta wòle nu gbem le eɖokui gbɔ nenema? Viɖe aɖeke kura mele eme o.
9 Two are better than one, for they can help each other in their work.
Ame eve ate ŋu awɔ dɔ wu ame ɖeka ƒe dɔwɔwɔ ƒe teƒe eve elabena woƒe nukpɔkpɔ anyo sãa wu.
10 If one of them falls down, the other can help them up, but how sad it is for someone who falls down and doesn't have anyone to help them up.
Ne ɖeka dze anyi la, evelia afɔe, ke ne amea nye ɖeka eye wòdze anyi la, egena ɖe fukpekpe me.
11 In the same way, if two people lie down together, they keep each other warm, but you can't keep yourself warm if you're alone.
Hekpe ɖe esia ŋu la, ame eve siwo tsyɔ kundru ɖeka le vuvɔŋɔli le zã me la kpɔa dzoxɔxɔ tso wo nɔewo gbɔ, ke aleke ame ɖeka ate ŋu ade dzo lãme na eɖokui?
12 Someone fighting against one other person may win, but not if they are fighting against two. A cord made of three strands can't be torn apart quickly.
Gawu la, woate ŋu aɖu ame ɖeka dzi bɔbɔe gake ame eve ate ŋu anɔ akpa ɖeka eye woaɖu dzi. Nu si ganyo wu esiae nye, ame etɔ̃ nanɔ akpa ɖeka elabena ka si wotsɔ ka sue etɔ̃ lɔ̃e la menya lãna bɔbɔe o.
13 A poor young person who's wise is better than an old and foolish king who no longer accepts advice.
Enyo be ame nanye ɖekakpui nyanu si da ahe wu be wòanye fia tsitsi aɖe si nye bometsila, eye wògbea aɖaŋu ɖe sia ɖe xɔxɔ.
14 He may even come out of prison to reign over his kingdom, even though he was born poor.
Ɖekakpui ma tɔgbi ate ŋu ado go le gaxɔ me eye xexea me adze edzi nɛ. Ate ŋu aɖu fia gɔ̃ hã togbɔ be wodzii ɖe ahedada me hã.
15 I observed everyone here on earth following the youth who takes his place.
Ame sia ame tsia dzi be yeakpe ɖe ɖekakpui ma tɔgbi ŋu, woadi be yewoakpe ɖe eŋu wòaxɔ fiazikpui la sesẽtɔe gɔ̃ hã.
16 He is surrounded by crowds of supporters, but the next generation isn't happy with him. This also illustrates the passing nature of life whose meaning is elusive, like pursuing the wind for understanding.
Ate ŋu azu kplɔla na ame akpe akpewo eye ame sia ame alɔ̃e. Ke ne dzidzime yeye la me viwo va tsi la, woɖenɛ le fiazikpui la dzi! Ale esia hã ganye bometsitsi kple dagbadagba ɖe yame ko.
