Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, “Pray, come, I try you with mirth, and look on gladness”; and behold, even it [is] vanity.
Mekaa mʼakomam sɛ, “Afei bra, mede anigyeɛ bɛsɔ wo ahwɛ na yɛahunu deɛ ɛyɛ.” Nanso, ankɔsi hwee.
2 Of laughter I said, “Foolish!” And of mirth, “What [is] this it is doing?”
Mekaa sɛ, “Ɔsereɛ yɛ nkwaseadeɛ. Na ɛdeɛn na anigyeɛ tumi yɛ?”
3 I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly until I see where this [is]—the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.
Mepɛɛ sɛ mehunu deɛ ɛyɛ pa ara ma yɛn wɔ ɛberɛ tiawa a yɛwɔ wɔ asase yi so. Enti meyɛɛ mʼadwene sɛ mede nsã bɛsɛpɛ me ho na mahwehwɛ, ahunu nkwaseasɛm asekyerɛ, a mʼankasa deɛ, mennyɛ ɔkwasea.
4 I made great my works, I built for myself houses, I planted for myself vineyards.
Mede me nsa hyɛɛ nnwuma akɛseɛ ase; mesisii adan yɛɛ bobe nturo.
5 I made for myself gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit.
Meyɛɛ nturo ne ahomegyebea na meduaduaa nnuaba ahodoɔ bebree wɔ mu.
6 I made for myself pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth trees.
Mesisii nsukoraeɛ a mɛtwe nsuo afiri mu, de agugu nnua a ɛrenyini no so.
7 I acquired menservants, and maidservants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance—herd and flock—above all who had been before me in Jerusalem.
Metɔɔ nkoa ne mfenaa, na menyaa ebinom nso a wɔwoo wɔn wɔ me fie. Afei nso menyaa anantwie ne nnwan bebree sene obiara a wadi mʼanim wɔ Yerusalem.
8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for myself men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man—a wife and wives.
Mepɛɛ dwetɛ ne sikakɔkɔɔ, gyegyee ahemfo ne amantam no ademudeɛ kaa ho. Mefaa mmarima ne mmaa nnwomtofoɔ, pɛɛ mmaa atenaeɛ nso; deɛ ɛyɛ ɔbarima akoma anigyedeɛ biara.
9 And I became great, and increased above everyone who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.
Megyee edin sene obiara a wadi mʼanim wɔ Yerusalem. Yeinom nyinaa mu no, me nimdeɛ kɔɔ so yɛɛ adwuma.
10 And all that my eyes asked I did not keep back from them; I did not withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this has been my portion, from all my labor,
Deɛ mʼani hwehwɛeɛ biara, mamfa ankame no; mansi mʼakoma anigyeɛ ho ɛkwan. Mʼakoma ani gyee me nnwuma nyinaa ho, na yei yɛ mʼadwumayɛ so akatua.
11 and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labor that I have labored to do, and behold, the whole [is] vanity and distress of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!
Nanso sɛ mehwɛ deɛ me nsa ayɛ nyinaa ne deɛ mabrɛ anya a, ne nyinaa nka hwee, ɛte sɛ deɛ wɔtu mmirika taa mframa. Mannya mfasoɔ biara wɔ owia yi ase.
12 And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what [is] the man who comes after the king? That which [is] already—they have done it!
Mede mʼadwene kɔɔ nimdeɛ, abɔdamsɛm ne nkwaseasɛm so. Ɛdeɛn bio na deɛ wɔadi ɔhene adeɛ bɛtumi ayɛ asene deɛ wɔayɛ dada no?
13 And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the darkness.
Mehunuu sɛ, nimdeɛ yɛ sene nkwaseasɛm, sɛdeɛ hann yɛ sene esum no.
14 The wise—his eyes [are] in his head, and the fool is walking in darkness, and I also knew that one event happens with them all;
Onyansafoɔ ani wɔ ne tirim, na ɔkwasea deɛ, ɔnante esum mu; nanso mehunuu sɛ wɔn nyinaa hyɛberɛ yɛ pɛ.
15 and I said in my heart, “As it happens with the fool, it happens also with me, and why am I then more wise?” And I spoke in my heart, that also this [is] vanity:
Afei mesusuu mʼakomam sɛ, “Ɔkwasea hyɛberɛ bɛto me nso. Enti sɛ mehunu nyansa a, mfasoɔ bɛn na menya?” Mekaa wɔ mʼakomam sɛ, “Yei nso nka hwee.”
16 That there is no remembrance to the wise—with the fool—for all time, for that which [is] already, [in] the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dies the wise? With the fool!
Te sɛ ɔkwasea no, ɔnyansafoɔ nso, wɔrenkae no daa; nna a ɛreba no mu, wɔrenkae wɔn baanu no. Te sɛ ɔkwasea no, onyansafoɔ nso bɛwu!
17 And I have hated life, for sad to me [is] the work that has been done under the sun, for the whole [is] vanity and distress of spirit.
Ɛno enti asetena fonoo me, na adwuma a yɛyɛ wɔ owia yi ase no haa me. Ne nyinaa yɛ ahuhudeɛ, te sɛ deɛ wɔtu mmirika taa mframa.
18 And I have hated all my labor that I labor at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is after me.
Mekyirii deɛ mayɛ adwuma apɛ nyinaa wɔ owia yi ase, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ megya hɔ ma deɛ ɔbɛdi mʼadeɛ.
19 And who knows whether he is wise or foolish? Yet he rules over all my labor that I have labored at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! This [is] also vanity.
Na hwan na ɔnim sɛ onipa ko no bɛyɛ onyansafoɔ anaa ɔkwasea? Nanso deɛ mabiri me mogya ani apɛ wɔ owia yi ase nyinaa bɛkɔ ne nsam. Yei nso yɛ ahuhudeɛ.
20 And I turned around to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor that I labored at under the sun.
Enti mepaa aba wɔ owia yi ase adwumaden ho.
21 For there is a man whose labor [is] in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who has not labored therein he gives it—his portion! Even this [is] vanity and a great evil.
Na onipa bɛfiri ne nimdeɛ, nyansa ne adwumayɛ ho nimdeɛ mu ayɛ nʼasɛdeɛ, na afei ɛsɛ sɛ ogya nʼadwumayɛ so aba ma obi a ɔnyɛɛ adwuma biara. Yei nso yɛ ahuhudeɛ, na ɛha adwene.
22 For what has been to a man by all his labor, and by the thought of his heart that he labored at under the sun?
Ɛdeɛn na onipa nya firi ne brɛ ne dadwene a ɔde yɛ adwuma wɔ owia yi ase mu?
23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart has not lain down; this [is] also vanity.
Ne nkwa nna nyinaa, nʼadwumayɛ yɛ ɔyea ne ɔhaw; anadwo mpo nʼadwene yɛ adwuma. Yei nso yɛ ahuhudeɛ.
24 There is nothing good in a man who eats, and has drunk, and has shown his soul good in his labor. This also I have seen that it [is] from the hand of God.
Biribiara nsene sɛ onipa bɛdidi na wanom na wanya ahomeka wɔ adwumayɛ mu. Yei nso mehunuu sɛ ɛfiri Onyankopɔn,
25 For who eats and who hurries out more than I?
ɛfiri sɛ ɛnyɛ ɔno a, anka hwan na ɔbɛtumi adidi anaasɛ ɔbɛnya ahomeka?
26 For to a man who [is] good before Him, He has given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He has given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this [is] vanity and distress of spirit.
Onipa a ɔsɔ Onyankopɔn ani no, ɔma no nimdeɛ, nyansa ne anigyeɛ, nanso omumuyɛfoɔ deɛ, ɔma ɔboaboa ahonyadeɛ ano ma deɛ ɔsɔ Onyankopɔn ani. Yei nso yɛ ahuhudeɛ, sɛdeɛ wɔde mmirikatuo taa mframa.
