Ecclesiastes 9
1 For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; all is before them.
Enti medwenee eyinom nyinaa ho na mihuu sɛ atreneefo, anyansafo ne nea wɔyɛ wɔ Onyankopɔn nsam; nanso obiara nnim sɛ ɔdɔ anaasɛ ɔtan retwɛn no.
2 All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.
Wɔn nyinaa nkrabea yɛ baako; atreneefo ne amumɔyɛfo, nnipa pa ne nnipa bɔne, wɔn a wɔn ho tew ne wɔn a wɔn ho ntew, wɔn a wɔbɔ afɔre ne wɔn a wɔmmɔ. Sɛnea ɛte ma onipa pa no, saa ara na ɛte ma ɔbɔnefo; sɛnea ɛte ma wɔn a wɔka ntam no, saa ara na ɛte ma wɔn a wosuro sɛ wɔbɛka ntam.
3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all. Yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
Eyi ne bɔne a ɛwɔ biribiara a esi wɔ owia yi ase mu. Nkrabeakoro ba yɛn nyinaa so. Nea ɛka ho ne sɛ, bɔne ahyɛ nnipa koma mu ma na adammɔ nsɛm wɔ wɔn koma mu, bere a wɔwɔ nkwa mu, na akyiri no wɔkɔka awufo ho.
4 For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
Obiara a ɔka ateasefo ho no wɔ anidaso, mpo ɔkraman a ɔte ase ye sen gyata a wawu.
5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.
Na ateasefo nim sɛ wobewu, nanso awufo nnim hwee; wonni akatua biara bio, na wɔn ho nkae mpo ayera.
6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither do they any longer have a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.
Wɔn dɔ, ɔtan ne ninkunu atu ayera dedaw; wonni hwee yɛ wɔ biribiara a esi wɔ owia yi ase mu.
7 Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.
Enti kɔ, fa anigye di wʼaduan, na fa ahosɛpɛw koma nom wo nsa, efisɛ saa bere yi na Onyankopɔn pene nea woyɛ so.
8 Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil.
Bere biara ma wʼadurade nyɛ fitaa na fa ngohuam sra wo tirim.
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun.
Wo ne wo yere, munnye mo ani, ɔbea a wodɔ no no, wɔ nna a ɛnka hwee a Onyankopɔn de ama mo wɔ owia yi ase, mo ahuhude nna no. Efisɛ ɛyɛ mo kyɛfa wɔ mo nkwanna mu, ne mo adwumaden wɔ owia yi ase.
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going. (Sheol h7585)
Nea wo nsa bɛso so biara, fa wʼahoɔden nyinaa yɛ, efisɛ ɔda a wɔrekɔ mu no, adwumayɛ, adwennwene, nhumu ne nimdeɛ nni hɔ. (Sheol h7585)
11 I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.
Mihuu biribi foforo wɔ owia yi ase: Mmirikakansi nni hɔ mma nea ne ho yɛ hare anaasɛ ɔko nni hɔ mma ɔhoɔdenfo, aduan mma onyansafo nkyɛn anaasɛ ahonya nnkɔ nhumufo hɔ, na adom nnkɔ nimdefo nkyɛn; nanso bere ne akwannya wɔ hɔ ma wɔn nyinaa.
12 For man also doesn’t know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.
Bio, onipa biara nnim dɔn ko a ne bere bɛso: Sɛnea asau buma mpataa, ne sɛnea afiri yi nnomaa no saa ara na mmere bɔne to nnipa wɔ bere a wɔn ani nni wɔn ho so.
13 I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.
Bio, mihuu saa nimdeɛ ho nhwɛso yi wɔ owia yi ase ma mʼani gyee ho yiye:
14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.
Bere bi na kuropɔn ketewa bi wɔ hɔ a mu nnipa yɛ kakraa bi. Ɔhene bi a ɔwɔ tumi tow hyɛɛ kuropɔn yi so, otwaa ho hyiae na osisii mpie akɛse tiaa no.
15 Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
Na ohiani bi a onim nyansa wɔ kuropɔn no mu, na ɔnam ne nimdeɛ so gyee kuropɔn no sii hɔ. Nanso obiara ankae saa ohiani no.
16 Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Enti mekae se, “Nimdeɛ ye sen ahoɔden.” Nanso wobuu ohiani no nimdeɛ no animtiaa, na obiara ntie nʼasɛm bio.
17 The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools.
Ɛsɛ sɛ wotie onyansafo nsɛm a ɔka no brɛoo no na ɛnyɛ nkwaseafo sodifo nteɛteɛmu.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.
Nimdeɛ ye sen akode, nanso ɔdebɔneyɛni baako sɛe nnepa bebree.
