Ecclesiastes 12
1 While you are still young, keep thinking about [God], who created you. Do that before [you are old] and you experience many troubles, during the years when you say “I no [longer] enjoy being alive.”
Kae wo Bɔfo wɔ wo mmerantebere mu, ansa na nnabɔne no aba na mfe a wobɛka se, “Minni mu anigye biara” no reba,
2 [When you become old], the light from the sun and moon and stars will [seem] dim [to you], and [it will seem that the rain] clouds [always] return [quickly] after it rains.
ansa na owia ne hann, ɔsram ne nsoromma aduru sum, na omununkum asan aba osutɔ akyi.
3 Then your [arms that you use to protect] [MET] your bodies will shake/tremble, and your [legs that support] [MET] your bodies will become weak. Many of your [teeth that you use to] grind/chew [your food] will fall out, and your [eyes that you use to] look out of windows will not see clearly.
Bere a ofi no awɛmfo ho popo, na mmarima ahoɔdenfo akom, bere a awiyamfo agyae adwumayɛ, sɛ wosua nti na wɔn a wɔhwɛ pema mu no ani so ayɛ kusuu;
4 Your [ears] [MET] will not hear the noise in the streets, and you will not be able to hear clearly the sound of people grinding grain with millstones. You will be awakened in the morning by hearing the birds singing/chirping, [but] you will not be able to hear well the songs that (the birds/people) sing.
bere a wɔatoto abɔnten no apon mu na awiyambea nnyigyei ano abrɛ ase; bere a nnipa te nnomaa su na wɔanyan, nanso wɔn nnwonto ano abrɛ ase;
5 You will be afraid to be in high places and afraid of dangers on the roads that you walk on. [Your hair] will become [white like] [MET] the flowers of almond trees. [When you try to walk], you will drag yourself along like [MET] grasshoppers, and you will no longer desire [to have sex]. Then you will [die and] go to your eternal home, and people who will mourn for you will be in the streets.
bere a nnipa suro sorokɔ ne mmɔnten so amanenyasɛm; bere a “ɔsonkoran” dua begu nhwiren na tɛwtɛw twe ne ho kɔ no na nkatede ho adwudwo. Afei onipa kɔ ne daa home mu na agyaadwotwafo tu gu mmɔnten so.
6 [Think much about God now, because] soon our lives will end, [like] [MET] silver chains or golden bowls that break easily, or like pitchers/jugs that are broken at the water fountain, or like broken pulleys at a well.
Kae no, ansa na dwetɛ hama no atew, anaasɛ sikakɔkɔɔ asanka no abɔ; ansa na sukuruwa no abobɔ wɔ asuten ho, anaasɛ asubura so nkyimii abubu,
7 Then our corpses will [decay and] become dirt again, and our spirits will return to God, the one who gave us our spirits.
na dɔte san kɔ asase a efi mu bae, na honhom no tu kɔ Onyankopɔn a ɔde mae no nkyɛn.
8 [So] I say [again] that it is difficult to understand why everything happens; everything is mysterious.
“Ahuhude mu ahuhude” ɔsɛnkafo no na ose. “Biribiara yɛ ahuhude!”
9 I was considered to be a very wise man, and I taught the people many things. I assembled/collected and wrote down many proverbs, and I carefully thought about and studied them.
Ɔsɛnkafo no yɛ onyansafo na ɔde nimdeɛ maa nnipa nso. Ɔdwenee na ɔyɛɛ nhwehwɛmu na obubuu mmɛ bebree.
10 I searched for the right words, and what I have written is reliable and true.
Ɔsɛnkafo no hwehwɛɛ sɛ obenya nsɛm a ɛfata, na nea ɔkyerɛw no yɛ pɛ na ɛyɛ nokware nso.
11 The things that [I and other] wise people say [teach people what they should do]; they are like [SIM] (goads/sharp sticks that people use to strike animals to direct where they should go). They are like [SIM] nails that stick out of pieces of wood. They are given to us by [God, who is like] [MET] our shepherd.
Anyansafo nsɛm te sɛ nantwikafo mpeaw. Wɔn nsɛm a wɔaboa ano te sɛ nnadewa a wɔde abobɔ dua mu ma akɔ mu yiye. Saa nsɛm yi nyinaa fi Oguanhwɛfo baako nkyɛn.
12 [So], my son, pay careful attention to what I have written, and choose carefully what you read that others have written, [because] writing proverbs/books is endless, and [trying to] study them all will cause you to become exhausted.
Mebɔ wo kɔkɔ sɛ twe wo ho fi biribiara a ɛka eyinom ho, me babarima. Nhoma bebrebe nkyerɛw nni awiei, na ne sua pii no ma honam yɛ mmerɛw.
13 [Now] you have heard all [that I have told you], and here is the conclusion: Revere God, and obey his commandments, because those commandments summarize everything that people should do.
Afei ne nyinaa atɔ asom; nsɛm no awiei ni: Suro Onyankopɔn na di nʼahyɛde so, na onipa asɛde nyinaa ni.
14 And do not forget that God will judge everything that we do, good things and bad things, [even] things that we do secretly.
Onyankopɔn bebu nneyɛe biara atɛn, nea wɔayɛ asie nso ka ho, sɛ ɛyɛ papa anaa bɔne.
