Ecclesiastes 7
1 Better [is] a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.
Din pa yɛ sen aduhuam papa, na owuda yɛ sen awoda.
2 Better to go unto a house of mourning, Than to go unto a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living layeth [it] unto his heart.
Eye sɛ obi bɛkɔ ayi ase sen sɛ ɔbɛkɔ aponto ase, efisɛ owu yɛ onipa biara nkrabea na ɛsɛ sɛ ateasefo hyɛ eyi nsow.
3 Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.
Awerɛhow ye sen ɔserew, efisɛ anim a ayɛ mmɔbɔmmɔbɔ de koma mu nsiesie pa ba.
4 The heart of the wise [is] in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.
Onyansafo koma wɔ ayi ase, nanso nkwaseafo koma wɔ ahosɛpɛwfo fi.
5 Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than [for] a man to hear a song of fools,
Eye sɛ wobetie onyansafo animka sen sɛ wobetie nkwaseafo dwom.
6 For as the noise of thorns under the pot, So [is] the laughter of a fool, even this [is] vanity.
Sɛnea nsɔe turuturuw wɔ ɔsɛn ase no saa ara na nkwaseafo serew te. Eyi nso yɛ ahuhude.
7 Surely oppression maketh the wise mad, And a gift destroyeth the heart.
Asisi ma onyansafo dan ɔkwasea, na kɛtɛasehyɛ sɛe koma.
8 Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.
Asɛm awiei ye sen ne mfiase, na ntoboase ye sen ahantan.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools resteth.
Mma wo koma nsɔre ntɛmntɛm, na abufuw da nkwaseafo srɛ so.
10 Say not thou, 'What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast not asked wisely of this.
Nka se, “Adɛn nti na tete nna no ye sen nnɛ mmere yi?” Onyansafo mmisa nsɛm sɛɛ.
11 Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding the sun.
Nimdeɛ, ɛyɛ ade pa sɛ agyapade ara pɛ, so wɔ mfaso ma wɔn a wohu owia.
12 For wisdom [is] a defense, money [is] a defence, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], She reviveth her possessors.
Sɛnea nimdeɛ yɛ bammɔ no, saa ara na sika nso te; nanso nhumu ho ade a eye ne sɛ: nea ɔwɔ nimdeɛ no bɔ ne nkwa ho ban.
13 See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?
Dwene nea Onyankopɔn ayɛ ho: Hena na obetumi ateɛ nea wɔama akyea?
14 In a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of evil consider. Also this over-against that hath God made, To the intent that man doth not find anything after him.
Mmere pa mu, ma wʼani nnye; nanso mmere bɔne mu, hu sɛ Onyankopɔn na wayɛ ne nyinaa. Ɛno nti onipa rentumi nhu nea ɛbɛto no daakye.
15 The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrong-doer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.
Me nkwanna a ɛyɛ ahuhude yi mu, mahu nneɛma abien: Ɔtreneeni a owu wɔ ne trenee mu, ne omumɔyɛfo a ɔtena ase kyɛ wɔ nʼamumɔyɛ mu.
16 Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?
Nyɛ wo ho ɔtreneeni ntra so, na nyɛ wo ho onyansafo mmoro so; adɛn nti na wosɛe wo ho?
17 Do not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within thy time?
Nyɛ omumɔyɛfo ntra so, na nyɛ ɔkwasea nso, adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ wuwu ansa na wo bere aso.
18 [It is] good that thou dost lay hold on this, and also, from that withdrawest not thy hand, for whoso is fearing God goeth out with them all.
Eye sɛ wubeso baako no mu den nanso nnyaa nea aka no mu. Onipa a osuro Onyankopɔn no besiw nneyɛe mmoroso nyinaa ano.
19 The wisdom giveth strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.
Nimdeɛ ma onyansafo baako tumi bebree sen kuropɔn mu asodifo du.
20 Because there is not a righteous man on earth that doth good and sinneth not.
Onipa treneeni biara nni asase so a ɔyɛ papa na ɔnyɛ bɔne da.
21 Also to all the words that they speak give not thy heart, that thou hear not thy servant reviling thee.
Mfa nea nnipa ka nyinaa nyɛ asɛm, anyɛ saa a wobɛte sɛ wo somfo redome wo,
22 For many times also hath thy heart known that thou thyself also hast reviled others.
na wunim wɔ wo koma sɛ wo nso woadome nkurɔfo mpɛn bebree.
23 All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, 'I am wise,' and it [is] far from me.
Mede nimdeɛ asɔ eyinom nyinaa ahwɛ, na mekae se, “Masi mʼadwene pi sɛ mɛyɛ onyansafo” nanso na eyi boro me so.
24 Far off [is] that which hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find it?
Sɛnea nimdeɛ te biara, ɛwɔ akyiri na emu dɔ, hena na obetumi ahwehwɛ ahu?
25 I have turned round, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and of foolishness the madness.
Afei meyɛɛ mʼadwene sɛ mɛte ase, ayɛ nhwehwɛmu na mapɛɛpɛɛ nimdeɛ ne sɛnea nneɛma nhyehyɛe te na mate amumɔyɛ mu agyimisɛm ase, ne nkwaseasɛm mu adammɔsɛm nso.
26 And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart [is] nets and snares, her hands [are] bands; the good before God escapeth from her, but the sinner is captured by her.
Mahu nea ɛyɛ nwene sen owu; ɔbea a ɔyɛ afiri; ne koma yɛ nnaadaa na ne nsa yɛ mpokyerɛ. Onipa a ɔsɔ Onyankopɔn ani no renkɔ ne ho nanso ɔbɔnefo de ɔbɛtɔ nʼafiri mu.
27 See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason
Ɔsɛnkafo no se, “Hwɛ eyi ne nea mahwehwɛ ahu: “Mekekaa nneɛma bobɔɔ so pɛɛ sɛ mihu sɛnea nneɛma nhyehyɛe te,
28 (that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.
mereyɛ nhwehwɛmu, na minhu hwee no, mihuu ɔbarima treneeni baako wɔ mmarima apem mu, nanso manhu ɔbea treneeni biara wɔ wɔn mu.
29 See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they — they have sought out many devices.
Eyi nko ara na mahu: Onyankopɔn yɛɛ adesamma atreneefo, nanso nnipa adan wɔn ho hwehwɛ nhyehyɛe foforo.”
