Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of Koheleth, the son of David, the king in Jerusalem.
Eyinom ne nsɛm a Ɔsɛnkafo, ɔhene Dawid babarima a ɔyɛ ɔhene wɔ Yerusalem se:
2 Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth, vanity of vanities: all is vanity.
“Ahuhude! Ahuhude!” Ɔsɛnkafo no na ose. “Ahuhude mu ahuhude Biribiara yɛ ahuhude.”
3 What profit hath a man of all his toil which he toil-eth under the sun?
Dɛn na onipa nya fi nʼadwumayɛ nyinaa mu, nea okum ne ho yɛ no owia so no?
4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth endureth for ever.
Awo ntoatoaso ba na ɛkɔ, nanso asase tim hɔ daa.
5 The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and striving to reach his place he riseth again there.
Owia pue na owia kɔtɔ, na ɛyɛ ntɛm kɔ nea epue fii hɔ no.
6 Going toward the south, and turning round toward the north, the wind moveth round about continually; and around its circles doth the wind return again.
Mframa bɔ kɔ anafo fam na ɛdan hwɛ atifi fam; ekyinkyin kɔ baabiara, na ɛsan bɔ fa ne kwan so.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is never full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither will they continue to go.
Nsubɔnten nyinaa sen kogu po mu, nanso po nyɛ ma da. Faako a nsubɔnten no fi no hɔ na wɔsan kɔ bio.
8 All things weary themselves [constantly]; man can not utter them: the eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Biribiara yɛ ɔbrɛ a ɛboro nea obi bɛka so. Ani nhwɛ ade nwie da na aso nso ntie nsɛm mma ɛnyɛ mma da.
9 That which hath been, is the same which will be; and that which hath been done, is the same which will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.
Nea aba no bɛba bio, nea wɔayɛ no, wɔbɛyɛ bio; ade foforo biara nni owia yi ase.
10 If there be any thing whereof it is said, See, this is new: It hath already been in olden times which were before us.
Biribi wɔ hɔ a wobetumi aka wɔ ho se: “Hwɛ! eyi yɛ ade foforo” ana? Ɛwɔ hɔ dedaw fi tete nteredee; ɛwɔ hɔ ansa na wɔwoo yɛn.
11 [Only] there is no recollection of former [generations]; and also of the later ones, that are to be—of these [likewise] there will be no recollection with those that will be still later.
Wɔnkae tetefo no, na wɔn a wonnya nnwoo wɔn no nso, wɔn a wobedi wɔn akyi no renkae wɔn.
12 I Koheleth was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Me, Ɔsɛnkafo, na meyɛ Israelhene wɔ Yerusalem.
13 And I directed my heart to inquire and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this is an evil employment which God hath given to the sons of man to busy themselves therewith.
Mituu me ho sii hɔ sɛ mede nimdeɛ besua ayɛ nhwehwɛmu wɔ biribiara a wɔyɛ no owia yi ase ho. Adesoa duruduru a Onyankopɔn de ato adesamma so!
14 I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun: and, behold, all is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
Mahu biribiara a wɔyɛ no owia yi ase; ne nyinaa nka hwee, ɛte sɛnea obi tu mmirika taa mframa.
15 What is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is defective cannot be numbered.
Nea akyea no wontumi nteɛ; na nea enni hɔ no wontumi nkan.
16 I spoke with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have truly obtained greater and more wisdom than all those who have been before me over Jerusalem: yea, my heart had seen much wisdom and knowledge.
Mekaa wɔ me tirim se, “Hwɛ, manyin na manya nimdeɛ bebree asen obiara a watena Yerusalem ahengua so ansa na merebedi ade. Manya nhumu ne nimdeɛ mu osuahu.”
17 And I directed my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly; [but] I have perceived that this also is a torture of the spirit.
Afei meyɛɛ mʼadwene sɛ mɛhwehwɛ na mate nimdeɛ, ne adammɔsɛm ne nkwaseasɛm ase. Nanso mihuu sɛ eyi nso te sɛnea obi tu mmirika taa mframa.
18 For where there is much wisdom there is much vexation: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth pain.
Nimdeɛ bebree de awerɛhow na ɛba; nyansa dɔɔso a, awerɛhowdi dɔɔso.
