< Ecclesiastes 2 >

1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and behold, this also [is] vanity.
Megblɔ na ɖokuinye be, “Enyo, kpɔ dzidzɔ eye nàɖu agbe azɔ, abe ale si nàte ŋui ene.” Ke mekpɔe be esia hã nye tofloko ko
2 I said of laughter, [It is] mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
elabena megblɔ be enye movidzɔdzɔ be woanɔ nu kom ɖaa; nyui kae doa go tso eme?
3 I sought in my heart, to give myself to wine, yet acquainting my heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what [was] that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
Ale le tamebubu geɖe megbe la, meɖo be matsɔ ahanono ado dzidzɔ na ɖokuinye, gake maganɔ nunya yome tim. Medi be malé bometsitsi ɖe asi goŋgoŋgoŋ va se ɖe esime madze si nu si anyo na amegbetɔwo be woawɔ le dziƒoa te le woƒe ŋkeke sue si me woanɔ agbe la.
4 I made me great works; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards:
Mewɔ nu gãwo na ɖokuinye: metu xɔwo, mede waingblewo,
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all [kind of] fruits:
mewɔ abɔwo kple yaxɔƒewo, medo atiwo kple kutsetseti ɖe sia ɖe ƒomevi ɖe wo me.
6 I made me pools of water, to water with them the wood that bringeth forth trees:
Meɖe tsitawo ale be mate ŋu aku tsi tso wo me ade ati siwo medo ɖe ave aɖe me.
7 I procured [me] servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
Meƒle kluviwo kple kosiwo, eye wodzi ɖewo le nye ŋutɔ nye aƒe me. Nyiwo kple alẽwo sɔ gbɔ ɖe asinye fũu wu fia siwo nɔ Yerusalem do ŋgɔ nam la si.
8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings, and of the provinces: I procured me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, [as] musical instruments, and of all sorts.
Mena fiawo kple dutatɔwo dzɔ klosalo kple sika nam. Meɖo ŋutsuwo kple nyɔnuwo ƒe hadzihawo, kpẽkuhawo kple ʋuƒohawo da ɖi. Hekpe ɖe esiawo ŋu la, nye ahiãviwo dze tugbe, eye wosɔ gbɔ fũu.
9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Ale mexɔ ŋkɔ wu Fia bubu ɖe sia ɖe si nɔ Yerusalem kpɔ. Gawu la, meke ŋku ɖi be mate ŋu ade dzesi nu siawo katã ƒe asixɔxɔ.
10 And whatever my eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor: and this was my portion of all my labor.
Mewɔ nu sia nu si dze ŋunye eye nyemehe ɖokuinye ɖa tso dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ aɖeke ƒomevi gbɔ o. Dɔ sesẽ wɔwɔ gɔ̃ hã do dzidzɔ nam. Le nyateƒe me la, dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ sia koe nye nye agbagbadzedzewo katã ƒe fetu.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and behold, all [was] vanity and vexation of spirit, and [there was] no profit under the sun.
Ke esi melé ŋku ɖe nu siwo katã mete kpɔ ŋu la, medze sii be wo katã nye tofloko kple yamenu ko, eye viɖe aɖeke mele naneke ŋu le afi aɖeke o.
12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [even] that which hath been already done.
Azɔ la, meɖo be malé ŋku ɖe nunya, tsukuku kple bometsitsi ŋu, elabena nu bubu ka ame si ava ɖe fia yome la ate ŋu awɔ? Nu si tututu wowɔ va yi la koe!
13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
Mekpɔe be viɖe le nunya ŋu wu bometsitsi abe ale si kekeli nyo wu viviti ene.
14 The wise man's eyes [are] in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
Nunyala kpɔa nu le esime bometsila zɔa viviti me. Ke mede dzesii be nu ɖeka ma ke koe dzɔna ɖe nunyala kple bometsila siaa dzi.
15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also [is] vanity.
Eya ta megblɔ le nye dzi me be ale si bometsila aku la, nenema tututue nye hã makue, eya ta viɖe kae le nunya ŋu nam? Medze sii azɔ be nunya gɔ̃ hã, toflokoe;
16 For [there is] no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now [is] in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise [man]? as the fool.
elabena nunyala kple bometsila siaa le kuku ge eye woaŋlɔ wo ame eveawo be keŋkeŋ le ŋkeke siwo gbɔna la me.
17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun [is] grievous to me: for all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
Eya ta azɔ la, melé fu agbenɔnɔ blibo la, elabena susu aɖeke mele nu siwo wowɔna le ɣea te la dometɔ aɖeke me o, elabena wo katã nye tofloko kple dagbadagba ɖe yame ko.
18 Yes, I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it to the man that shall be after me.
Nu si gate ɖe dzinyee nye magblẽ nye dagbadagbawo katã ƒe metsonu ɖi na ame bubuwo.
19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise [man] or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have showed myself wise under the sun. This [is] also vanity.
Ame kae anya do ŋgɔ ne vinye ŋutsu anye nunyala loo alo bometsila? Evɔa, ele be woatsɔ nu sia nu si le asinye la nɛ! Esia hã nye tofloko ko!
20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor which I took under the sun.
Ale metrɔ be mana dzi naɖe le ƒonye le dɔ siwo katã mewɔ le ɣea te la ŋu,
21 For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not labored in it, shall he leave it [for] his portion. This also [is] vanity and a great evil.
elabena ame aɖe li si tsɔ nunya kple gɔmesese kple aɖaŋu wɔ eƒe dɔe, ke ele nɛ be wòagblẽ nu siwo wòkpɔ tso dɔwɔwɔ me la ɖi na ame aɖe si mewɔ naneke kura tso dɔ la ŋu o la, woazu etɔ. Esia hã anye tofloko kple nu vɔ̃ɖi aɖe
22 For what hath man of all his labor, and of the vexation of his heart, in which he hath labored under the sun?
elabena nu ka ame kpɔna tso eƒe dagbadagba kple eƒe dzi ƒe agbagbadzedze le dɔ siwo katã wòwɔna le ɣea te ŋu la me?
23 For all his days [are] sorrows, and his labor grief; yes, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
Kpɔ ɖa, eƒe ŋkekewo katã nye vevesese ko eye eƒe dɔwɔwɔwo katã nye nuxaxa ko. Le zã me gɔ̃ hã la, eƒe dzi mekpɔa gbɔdzɔe o. Esia gɔ̃ hã nye tofloko ko.
24 [There is] nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and [that] he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it [was] from the hand of God.
Ale metso nya me be naneke meli si nyo na amegbetɔ wu be wòaɖu nu, ano nu eye wòana eƒe luʋɔ nakpɔ dzidzɔ le eƒe agbagbadzedzewo ŋu o. Mekpɔe be esia hã, Mawu ƒe asimee wòtsona,
25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten [to it] more than I?
elabena ame kae ate ŋu ato Mawu megbe aɖu nu alo aɖu agbe?
26 For [God] giveth to a man who [is] good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth toil, to gather, and to amass, that he may give to [him that is] good before God. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
Elabena Mawu naa nunya, gɔmesese kple dzidzɔ ame siwo ŋu wòkpɔ ŋudzedze le, ke etsɔa dɔ sesẽ wɔwɔ na nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo be woaƒo ƒu nu alo ali kɔ nu, ale be Mawu natsɔ wo ana ame si dze eŋu. Ale eme kɔ ƒãa be esia hã nye tofloko kple dagbadagba ɖe yame ko ƒe kpɔɖeŋu.

< Ecclesiastes 2 >