Ecclesiastes 4
1 And I have turned, and I see all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and behold, the tear of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and at the hand of their oppressors [is] power, and they have no comforter.
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 And I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet alive.
Ale mebu be ame kukuwo tɔ nyo sãa wu agbagbeawo tɔ
3 And better than both of them [is] he who has not yet been, in that he has not seen the evil work that has been done under the sun.
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 And I have seen all the labor, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbor. Even this [is] vanity and distress of spirit.
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 The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:
Bometsila bla asi ɖe akɔnu eye wògblẽ eɖokui dome.
6 “Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labor and distress of spirit.”
Nu asiʋlo ɖeka si ŋuti ŋutifafa le la nyo wu nu asiʋlo eve si ŋuti sreɖidzedze kple dagbadagba ɖe yame kpe ɖo.
7 And I have turned, and I see a vain thing under the sun:
Megalé ŋku ɖe movidzɔdzɔ tɔgbi aɖe si le xexea me godoo la hã ŋu.
8 There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he has not, and there is no end to all his labor! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and [he does not say], “For whom am I laboring and bereaving my soul of good?” This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.
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 The two [are] better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labor.
Ame eve ate ŋu awɔ dɔ wu ame ɖeka ƒe dɔwɔwɔ ƒe teƒe eve elabena woƒe nukpɔkpɔ anyo sãa wu.
10 For if they fall, the one raises up his companion, but woe to the one who falls and there is not a second to raise him up!
Ne ɖeka dze anyi la, evelia afɔe, ke ne amea nye ɖeka eye wòdze anyi la, egena ɖe fukpekpe me.
11 Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how has one heat?
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 And if the one strengthens himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord is not quickly broken.
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 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who has not known to be warned anymore.
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 For from a house of prisoners he has come out to reign, for even in his own kingdom he has been 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 have seen all the living, who are walking under the sun, with the second youth who stands in 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 there is no end to all the people, to all who were before them; also, the latter do not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and distress of spirit.
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.
