Ecclesiastes 9
1 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred [by] all [that is] before them.
Megalé ŋku ɖe nuwo ŋu nyuie, eye mede dzesii be ame dzɔdzɔewo kple nunyalawo kple woƒe dɔwɔwɔwo katã le Mawu ƒe asi me. Ame aɖeke menya ne ave wo nu loo alo mave wo nu o. Esiawo katã le wo ŋgɔ.
2 All [things come] alike to all: [there is] one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as [is] the good, so [is] the sinner; [and] he that sweareth, as [he] that feareth an oath.
Nu ɖeka ma koe li na ame dzɔdzɔewo kple ame vɔ̃ɖiwo, ame nyuiwo kple ame baɖawo, ame dzadzɛwo kple ame ƒoɖiwo, ame siwo saa vɔ kple ame siwo mesaa vɔ o. Ale si wòle na ame nyui la, nenema kee wòle na nu vɔ̃ wɔla hã. Ale si wòle na ame siwo kaa atam la, nenema kee wòle na ame siwo vɔ̃a atamkaka.
3 This [is] an evil among all [things] that are done under the sun, that [there is] one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart while they live, and after that [they go] to the dead.
Esiae nye nu vɔ̃ɖi si le nu sia nu si dzɔna le ɣea te la ŋu: nu ɖeka ma koe dzɔna ɖe amewo katã dzi. Gawu la, amewo ƒe dziwo yɔ fũu kple vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi kple tsukuku le woƒe dziwo me esime wole agbe eye emegbe la, woyia kukuawo dome.
4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
Agbagbeawo si ko mɔkpɔkpɔ le. “Enyo be ame nanye avu gbagbe wu wòanye dzata kuku.”
5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Elabena agbagbeawo nya nu ɖeka sia be yewole kuku ge ke kukuawo ya menya naneke o eye womeɖoa ŋku naneke dzi hã o.
6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any [thing] that is done under the sun.
Nu sia nu si wowɔ le woƒe agbenɔɣi, abe lɔlɔ̃, fuléle alo ŋuʋaʋã ene la, woŋlɔ wo be keŋkeŋ eye wɔƒe aɖeke megale wo ŋu le xexe sia me o.
7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
Eya ta ɖu nu, nàno nu eye nàkpɔ dzidzɔ elabena wò dɔwɔwɔwo dze Mawu ŋu xoxo!
8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
Do awu nyuiwo eye mègana ɖamemi navɔ le wò ta me o.
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that [is] thy portion in [this] life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
Ɖu agbe kple nyɔnu si nèlɔ̃ la, le agbemeŋkeke ʋɛ siwo le ŋgɔwò la me elabena srɔ̃ si Mawu tsɔ na wò lae nye wò fetu gãtɔ le afii le wò dagbadagbawo katã ta.
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for [there is] no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (Sheol h7585)
Nu sia nu si nàwɔ ko la, wɔe nyuie abe ale si nàte ŋui ene elabena le ku me, afi si yi ge nàla la, dɔwɔwɔ alo ɖoɖowɔwɔ, nunya alo gɔmesese aɖeke meli o. (Sheol h7585)
11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race [is] not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Megalé ŋku ɖe nuwo ŋu le xexe blibo la me eye mede dzesii be ame si ƒua du sesĩe wu ame bubu ɖe sia ɖe la meɖua dzi le duɖimekekewo katã me ɣe sia ɣi o eye ame sesẽtɔ meɖua dzi le aʋawɔwɔ me ɣe sia ɣi o. Megakpɔe be enuenu la, nunyalawo daa ahe eye aɖaŋutɔwo mezua ame xɔŋkɔwo ɣe sia ɣi kokoko o, ke esiawo katã ɖina ɖe ame ko, ne amea le teƒe nyuitɔ le ɣeyiɣi nyuitɔ dzi.
12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so [are] the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
Ame aɖeke menyaa gbe si gbe dzɔgbevɔ̃e adzɔ ɖe ye dzi o. Edzɔna ko abe tɔmelã si woɖe le ɖɔ me alo xevi si woɖe le mɔ me ene.
13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it [seemed] great unto me:
Nu bubu si gawɔ dɔ tɔxɛ ɖe dzinye esi melé ŋku ɖe amegbetɔwo ƒe nyawo ŋu lae nye:
14 [There was] a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
Du sue aɖe nɔ anyi; ame ʋɛ aɖewo koe nɔ eme. Fia gã aɖe va kple eƒe aʋakɔ, eye woɖe to ɖee.
15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
Nunyala aɖe si nye ŋutsu dahe aɖe la nɔ du sia me. Enya nu si wòawɔ aɖe dua. Ewɔe, eye wòɖe dua tso futɔwo ƒe asime. Ke emegbe la, ame aɖeke megaɖo ŋku ŋutsu sia dzi kura o.
16 Then said I, Wisdom [is] better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom [is] despised, and his words are not heard.
Ale medze sii be togbɔ be nunya xɔ asi wu ŋusẽ hã la, ne nunyala la nye ame dahe ko la, woado vloe eye eƒe nuƒoƒo madze ame ŋu o.
17 The words of wise [men are] heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
Ke nunyala ƒe nya si wògblɔna dzaa la, xɔa asi wu bometsilawo ƒe fia ƒe ɣlidodo.
18 Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
Nunya nyo wu aʋawɔnuwo, ke nu vɔ̃ wɔla ɖeka ate ŋu agblẽ nu geɖe.
