Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies cause a perfumer’s perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom—By reason of honor—a little folly!
Sɛdeɛ nwansena funu ma aduhwam yi nka bɔne no, saa ara na nkwaseasɛm kakra boro nimdeɛ ne animuonyam so.
2 The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
Onyansafoɔ akoma kom kɔ nifa, nanso ɔkwasea akoma kɔ benkum.
3 And also, when he that is a fool Is walking in the way, his heart is lacking, And he has said to everyone, “He [is] a fool.”
Mpo sɛ ɔkwasea nam ɛkwan so a wɔhunu sɛ ɔnnim nyansa na ɔma obiara hunu sɛ wagyimi.
4 If the spirit of the ruler goes up against you, do not leave your place, For yielding quiets great sinners.
Sɛ sodifoɔ bo fu wo a, nnya wʼadwuma nto hɔ; na ntoboaseɛ dwodwo mfomsoɔ kɛseɛ ano.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As ignorance that goes out from the ruler,
Bɔne bi wɔ hɔ a mahunu wɔ owia yi ase. Ɛyɛ mfomsoɔ bi a ɛfiri sodifoɔ:
6 He has set the fool in many high places, And the rich sits in a low place.
Wɔma nkwaseafoɔ diberɛ a ɛkorɔn, na asikafoɔ nya deɛ ɛwɔ fam.
7 I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
Mahunu nkoa sɛ wɔtete apɔnkɔ so, na mmapɔmma nam fam sɛ nkoa.
8 Whoever is digging a pit falls into it, And whoever is breaking a hedge, a serpent bites him.
Obiara a ɔtu amena no bɛtumi atɔ mu; na deɛ ɔbubu ɔfasuo no, ɔwɔ bɛtumi aka no.
9 Whoever is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoever is cleaving trees endangered by them.
Obiara a ɔpae aboɔ no, aboɔ no bɛtumi apira no; na deɛ ɔpae nnua no bɛtumi anya mu akwanhyia.
10 If the iron has been blunt, And he has not sharpened the face, Then he increases strength, And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right.
Sɛ abonnua ano akum na wɔanse ano a, ɛbɛhia ahoɔden bebree nanso adwumayɛ ho nimdeɛ de nkonimdie bɛba.
11 If the serpent bites without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
Sɛ ɔwɔ ka obi ansa na wɔadwodwo no a deɛ ɔdwodwo ɔwɔ no rennya ho mfasoɔ biara.
12 Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
Onyansafoɔ anom nsɛm yɛ nyam, nanso ɔkwasea ano fafa de no kɔ asɛeɛ mu.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
Ahyɛaseɛ no, ne nsɛm yɛ nkwaseasɛm; na ɛkɔwie abɔdamsɛm bɔne,
14 And the fool multiplies words: “Man does not know that which is—And that which is after him, who declares to him?”
na ɔkwasea woro nsɛm. Obiara nnim deɛ ɛreba, hwan na ɔbɛtumi aka deɛ ɛbɛsi nʼakyi akyerɛ no?
15 The labor of the foolish wearies him, In that he has not known to go to the city.
Ɔkwasea adwumayɛ ma ɔbrɛ; na ɛmma ɔnhunu ɛkwan a ɛkɔ kurom.
16 Woe to you, O land, when your king [is] a youth, And your princes eat in the morning.
Nnome nka wo, asase a na wo ɔhene yɛ akwa na wo mmapɔmma to ɛpono anɔpa.
17 Blessed are you, O land, When your king [is] a son of nobles, And your princes eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness.
Nhyira nka wo, asase a wo ɔhene yɛ ɔdehyeɛ na wo mmapɔmma didi ɛberɛ a ɛfata de pɛ ahoɔden, na ɛnyɛ nsãborɔ.
18 By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands the house drops.
Sɛ obi yɛ akwadworɔ a, ne mpunan yɛ mmerɛ; sɛ ne nsa nka hwee a, ne fie nwunu.
19 For mirth they are making a feast, And wine makes life joyful, And the silver answers with all.
Wɔto ɛpono ma sereɛ, na nsã ma onipa ahosɛpɛ, nanso sika na ɛyɛ biribiara safoa.
20 Even in your mind do not revile a king, And in the inner parts of your bed-chamber do not revile the rich: For a bird of the heavens causes the voice to go, And a possessor of wings declares the word.
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.
