Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one's birth.
Edin pa yɛ sene aduhwam papa, na owuda yɛ sene awoda.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.
Ɛyɛ sɛ obi bɛkɔ ayie ase sene sɛ ɔbɛkɔ apontoɔ ase, ɛfiri sɛ owuo yɛ onipa biara hyɛberɛ na ɛsɛ sɛ ateasefoɔ hyɛ yei nso.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
Awerɛhoɔ yɛ sene ɔsereɛ, ɛfiri sɛ, anim a ayɛ mmɔbɔ mmɔbɔ de akoma mu nsiesie pa ba.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Onyansafoɔ akoma wɔ ayie ase, nanso nkwaseafoɔ akoma wɔ ahosɛpɛfoɔ fie.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Ɛyɛ sɛ wɔbɛtie onyansafoɔ animka sene sɛ wɔbɛtie nkwaseafoɔ dwom.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
Sɛdeɛ nkasɛɛ turituri wɔ ɛsɛn ase no saa ara na nkwaseafoɔ sereɛ teɛ. Yei nso yɛ ahuhudeɛ.
7 Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
Nsisie ma onyansafoɔ dane ɔkwasea, na kɛtɛasehyɛ sɛe akoma.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Asɛm awieeɛ yɛ sene ne ahyɛaseɛ, na ntoboaseɛ yɛ sene ahantan.
9 Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
Mma wʼakoma nsɔre ntɛm ntɛm na abufuo da wo nso sɛ ɔkwasea.
10 Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For you do not ask wisely about this.
Ɛnka sɛ, “Adɛn enti na tete nna no yɛ sene ɛnnɛ mmerɛ yi?” Onyansafoɔ mmisa nsɛm sei.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.
Nimdeɛ, sɛ agyapadeɛ no, yɛ adepa. Ɛho wɔ mfasoɔ ma wɔn a wɔhunu owia.
12 For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
Sɛdeɛ nimdeɛ yɛ banbɔ no saa ara na sika nso teɛ, nanso nhunumu ho adeɛ a ɛyɛ ne sɛ: deɛ ɔwɔ nimdeɛ no bɔ ne nkwa ho ban.
13 Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?
Dwene deɛ Onyankopɔn ayɛ ho: Hwan na ɔbɛtumi atene deɛ wayɛ ama akyea?
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.
Mmere pa mu, ma wʼani nnye; nanso mmere bɔne mu, hunu sɛ Onyankopɔn na wayɛ ne nyinaa. Ɛno enti onipa ntumi nhunu deɛ ɛbɛto no daakye.
15 All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
Me nkwa nna a ɛyɛ ahuhudeɛ yi mu, mahunu nneɛma mmienu: Ɔteneneeni a ɔwu wɔ ne tenenee mu, ne omumuyɛfoɔ a ɔtena ase kyɛ wɔ nʼamumuyɛ mu.
16 Do not be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
Ɛnyɛ wo ho ɔteneneeni ntra so, na ɛnyɛ wo ho onyansafoɔ mmoro so, adɛn enti na wosɛe wo ho?
17 Do not be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?
Ɛnyɛ omumuyɛfoɔ ntra so, na ɛnyɛ ɔkwasea nso, adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ wowu ansa na wo berɛ aso?
18 It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also from that do not withdraw your hand; for he who fears God will come forth from them all.
Ɛyɛ sɛ wobɛsɔ baako mu nanso nnyaa deɛ aka no mu. Onipa a ɔsuro Onyankopɔn no bɛsi adeyɛ mmorosoɔ biara ano.
19 Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
Nimdeɛ ma onyansafoɔ baako tumi bebree sene kuropɔn mu sodifoɔ edu.
20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn't sin.
Onipa teneneeni biara nni asase so a ɔyɛ papa na ɔnyɛ bɔne da.
21 Also do not take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
Mfa deɛ nnipa ka nyinaa nyɛ asɛm, anyɛ saa a, wobɛte sɛ wo ɔsomfoɔ redome wo,
22 for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
na wonim wɔ wʼakoma sɛ, wo nso woadome nkurɔfoɔ mpɛn bebree.
23 All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, "I will be wise;" but it was far from me.
Mede nimdeɛ asɔ yeinom nyinaa ahwɛ, na mekaa sɛ, “Masi mʼadwene pi sɛ mɛyɛ onyansafoɔ” nanso na yei boro me so.
24 That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
Sɛdeɛ nimdeɛ teɛ biara, ɛwɔ akyiri, na emu dɔ, hwan na ɔbɛtumi ahwehwɛ ahunu?
25 I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.
Afei meyɛɛ mʼadwene sɛ mɛte aseɛ, ayɛ nhwehwɛmu na mapɛɛpɛɛ nimdeɛ ne sɛdeɛ nneɛma nhyehyɛeɛ teɛ na mate amumuyɛ mu agyimisɛm ase ne nkwaseasɛm mu abɔdamsɛm nso.
26 I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.
Mahunu deɛ ɛyɛ nwono sene owuo ɔbaa a ɔyɛ afidie; nʼakoma yɛ nnaadaa na ne nsa yɛ mpɔkyerɛ. Onipa a ɔsɔ Onyankopɔn ani no renkɔ ne ho nanso ɔbɔnefoɔ deɛ, ɔbɛtɔ nʼafidie mu.
27 Look, this have I found, says the Preacher, one to another, to find out the scheme;
Ɔsɛnkafoɔ no sɛ, “Hwɛ yei ne deɛ mahwehwɛ ahunu: “Mekekaa nneɛma bobɔɔ so pɛɛ sɛ mehunu sɛdeɛ nneɛma nhyehyɛeɛ teɛ.
28 which my soul still seeks; but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
Mereyɛ nhwehwɛ mu na menhunu hwee no, mehunuu ɔbarima teneneeni baako wɔ mmarima apem mu, nanso manhunu ɔbaa teneneeni biara wɔ wɔn mu.
29 Look, this only have I found, that God made humankind upright, but they search for many schemes.
Yei nko ara na mahunu: Onyankopɔn yɛɛ adasamma teneneefoɔ, nanso nnipa adane wɔn ho hwehwɛ nhyehyɛeɛ foforɔ.”
