Ecclesiastes 5
1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not understand that they are doing what is wrong.
Sɛ wokɔ Onyankopɔn fie a, hwɛ wʼanammɔntuo yie. Bɛn no na tie no sene sɛ wobɛbɔ nkwaseafoɔ afɔdeɛ, wɔn a wɔnnim mfomsoɔ a wɔyɛ no.
2 Do not be too quick to speak with your mouth, and do not let your heart be too quick to bring any matter up before God. God is in heaven, but you are on earth, so let your words be few.
Mpɛ ntɛm nkasa, mma wʼakoma ho mpere no sɛ ɔbɛka asɛm bi wɔ Onyankopɔn anim. Onyankopɔn te ɔsoro na wo deɛ, wo wɔ asase so, enti ma wo nsɛm nyɛ kakraa bi.
3 If you have too many things to do and worry about, you will probably have bad dreams. The more words you speak, the more foolish things you will probably say.
Sɛdeɛ adaeɛsoɔ firi adwendwene bebree mu ba no, saa ara na ɔkwasea kasa tentene teɛ.
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to do it, for God has no pleasure in fools. Do what you vow you will do.
Sɛ wohyɛ Onyankopɔn bɔ a, ntwentwɛn wo nan ase wɔ ho. Ɔnni anigyeɛ wɔ nkwaseafoɔ mu; enti di wo bɔhyɛ so.
5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one that you do not carry out.
Sɛ woanhyɛ bɔ koraa a, ɛyɛ sene sɛ wobɛhyɛ bɔ na wonni so.
6 Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin. Do not say to the priest's messenger, “That vow was a mistake.” Why make God angry by vowing falsely, provoking God to destroy the work of your hands?
Mma wʼano mfa wo nkɔ bɔne mu. Nyi wʼano nkyerɛ asɔredan mu ɔsomfoɔ sɛ, “Me bɔhyɛ no yɛ mfomsoɔ.” Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ Onyankopɔn bo fu deɛ woka na ɔsɛe wo nsa ano adwuma?
7 For in many dreams, as in many words, there is meaningless vapor. So fear God.
Adaeɛso ne nsɛm keka bebree nka hwee. Enti suro Onyankopɔn.
8 When you see the poor being oppressed and robbed of just and right treatment in your province, do not be astonished as if no one knows, because there are people in power who watch those under them, and there are even higher ones over them.
Sɛ wohunu ohiani a wɔhyɛ ne so wɔ ɔmansin bi mu, na atɛntenenee ne ahofadie abɔ no a, mma yeinom nyɛ wo nwanwa ɛfiri sɛ, deɛ ɔso sene no hwɛ ne so, na deɛ ɔso sene wɔn baanu no nso hwɛ wɔn so.
9 In addition, the produce of the land is for everyone, and the king himself takes produce from the fields.
Asase no so siadeɛ wɔ ɛso nnipa nyinaa, na ɔhene no ankasa na ɔnya mfuo no so mfasodeɛ.
10 Anyone who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, and anyone who loves wealth always wants more. This, too, is vapor.
Deɛ nʼani bere sika no nnya deɛ ɛdɔɔso da; na deɛ ɔpɛ ahonyadeɛ dodoɔ no ani nsɔ deɛ ɔnya. Yei nso yɛ ahuhudeɛ.
11 As prosperity increases, so also do the people who consume it. What advantage in wealth is there to the owner except to watch it with his eyes?
Adetɔndeɛ bu so a, saa ara na atɔfoɔ no nso dɔɔso. Na mfasoɔ bɛn na deɛ ɛwɔ noɔ no nya sene sɛ ɔde nʼani bɛhwɛ?
12 The sleep of a working man is sweet, whether he eats little or a lot, but the wealth of a rich person does not allow him to sleep well.
Ɔpaani da ma nʼani kum, sɛ wadidi amee anaasɛ wammee, nanso ɔdefoɔ ahonya dodoɔ enti ɔntumi nna.
13 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun: riches hoarded by the owner, resulting in his own misery.
Ɔhaw kɛseɛ bi a mahunu no wɔ owia yi ase nie: sɛ wɔboaboa ahonyadeɛ ano de ha ne wura,
14 When the rich man loses his wealth through bad luck, his own son, one whom he has fathered, is left with nothing in his hands.
anaasɛ ɔbɛhwere ahonyadeɛ wɔ amanehunu mu a enti sɛ ɔnya ɔbabarima bi a hwee nni hɔ a wɔde bɛgya no.
15 As a man comes from his mother's womb, so also he will leave naked. He can take none of the fruits of his labor in his hand.
Adagya na onipa de firi ne maame yafunu mu baeɛ, na sɛdeɛ ɔbaeɛ no, saa ara na ɔbɛkorɔ. Ɔmmfa nʼadwumayɛ so mfasodeɛ biara a ɔbɛtumi akuta wɔ ne nsa mu nkɔ.
16 Another evil is that as a person comes, so he goes away. So what profit is there for him who works for the wind?
Yei nso yɛ ɔhaw kɛseɛ: Sɛdeɛ onipa ba no, saa ara na ɔkorɔ, na mfasoɔ bɛn na ɔnya wɔ ɛberɛ a ɔyɛ adwuma ma mframa?
17 During his days he eats with darkness and is greatly distressed with sickness and anger.
Ne nna nyinaa mu no, ɔdidi a, nʼanom nyɛ no dɛ ɛfiri sɛ abamubuo, ateeteeɛ ne abufuo wɔ no so.
18 Look, what I have seen to be good and suitable is to eat and drink and to enjoy the gain from all our work, as we labor under the sun during the days of this life that God has given us. For this is man's assignment.
Afei mehunuu sɛ ɛyɛ ma onipa sɛ ɔbɛdidi na wanom na wama nʼani agye nʼadwumaden ho wɔ owia yi ase, wɔ mmerɛ kakra a Onyankopɔn de ama no yi mu, ɛfiri sɛ yei ne ne kyɛfa.
19 Anyone to whom God has given riches and wealth and the ability to receive his share and rejoice in his work—this is a gift from God.
Deɛ ɛka ho ne sɛ, sɛ Onyankopɔn ma onipa bi ahonyadeɛ ne adenya, na ɔnya ahotɔ, de anigyeɛ yɛ nʼadwuma, na ɔhunu sɛ ne kyɛfa ne no a, ɔnnkae sɛ ɛyɛ Onyankopɔn akyɛdeɛ.
20 For he does not call to mind very often the days of his life, because God makes him keep busy with the things that he enjoys doing.
Ɔnntaa ntena ase nnwene ne nkwa nna ho, ɛfiri sɛ Onyankopɔn de akoma mu anigyeɛ ama no.
