Nyagblɔla 12
1 Ɖo ŋku wò Wɔla dzi le wò ɖekakpuiŋkekewo me, hafi ŋkeke vɔ̃wo nava eye ƒe siwo me màgakpɔ dzidzɔ le agbeɖuɖu ŋu le o la nagogo.
Yet remember thy Creator, in the days of thy vigour, —or ever come in, the days of discomfort, and the years arrive, in which thou shalt say—I have, in them, no pleasure;
2 Ɖo ŋku wò Wɔla dzi hafi ɣe, kekeli, ɣleti kple ɣletiviwo nado viviti, eye lilikpowo natrɔ agbɔ le tsidzadza megbe,
Or ever be darkened—the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, —and the clouds return after a downpour of rain;
3 elabena ɣeyiɣi aɖe gbɔna esime tsitsi ana wò afɔwo kple abɔwo nadzo nyanyanya, wò ata sesẽwo nagbɔdzɔ, wò aɖuwo dometɔ geɖewo natu eye wò ŋkuwo hã natsi
In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the men of might bow themselves, —and the grinders cease because they are few, and they who look through the windows are darkened;
4 ekema nàna wò nuyiwo namia tititi ne èle nu ɖum esi wò aɖuwo tu vɔ la ta! Àfɔ le fɔŋli, ne xeviwo de asi hadzidzi me, ke màgase nu o eye wò gbe anɔ ƒoƒom, màgate ŋu adzi ha o.
And the doors in the street be closed, when the sound of the mill become low, —and one rise at the chirp of a small bird, and low-voiced be all the daughters of song;
5 Àvɔ̃ na dzidede kple gege, eye nàzu amegãɖeɖi si anɔ zɔzɔm ɖɔɖɔɖɔ, ame si nyɔnugbɔdɔdɔ magadzro o, ame si atsi tsitre ɖe ku ƒe agbo nu, eye wòagogo eƒe aƒe mavɔ esime konyifalawo nɔa ablɔ dzi zɔm.
Yea, at what is high, they be in fear, and there be, terrors, in the way, and the almond be rejected, and the grasshopper drag itself along, and desire perish, —for man is going to his age-abiding home, when the wailers shall go round in the streets;
6 Ɛ̃, ɖo ŋku wò Wɔla dzi le wò ɖekakpuiŋkekewo me, hafi agbe ƒe klosaloka natso, sikagba nagbã, tɔmedeze nagbã le tsi dzidzi to, tsidumɔ ƒe troƒe nafli ɖa,
Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, —or the bucket by the fountain be shivered, or the wheel at the well be broken;
7 nàgatrɔ azu anyi si nènye tsã eye gbɔgbɔ la natrɔ ayi Mawu, ame si tsɔe na wò la gbɔ.
And the dust return to the earth, as it was, —and, the spirit, return unto God, who gave it.
8 Nyagblɔla be nuwo katã nye tofloko ko.
Vanity of vanities, saith the Proclaimer, all, is vanity.
9 Ke esi Nyagblɔla nye nunyala ta la, eyi nu siwo katã wònya la fiafia amewo dzi. Hekpe ɖe esia ŋu la, eƒo ƒu lododowo, eye wòma wo ɖe tanya vovovowo te,
Besides that, the Proclaimer being wise, —still further taught knowledge unto the people, and weighed and searched, arranged proverbs in abundance.
10 elabena Nyagblɔla menye nunyala ɖeɖe ko o, ke boŋ enye nufiala nyui aɖe hã. Menye ɖe wòfia nu si wònya la ko wo o, ke boŋ efianɛ to mɔ si do dzidzɔ na wo la dzi.
The Proclaimer sought to find out words giving delight, and to note down rightly, the words of truth.
11 Nunyala ƒe nyawo le abe nutɔame siwo tɔa ame, dea lãme na ame hena nuwɔwɔ eye woƒoa nyateƒe veviwo ɖe to la ene. Sukuvi siwo sea nu siwo woƒe nufialawo gblɔna na wo la, zua nunyalawo.
The words of the wise, are as goads, yea, as driven nails, their well-ordered sayings, —given from one shepherd.
12 Ke vinye, na woaxlɔ̃ nu wò. Seɖoƒe aɖeke meli na agbalẽ geɖe ŋɔŋlɔ o eye nusɔsrɔ̃ tea ɖeɖi ame ƒe ŋutilã ŋu.
And besides, from them, my son, be admonished, —Of making many books, there is no end, and, much study, is a weariness of the flesh.
13 Nya blibo la ƒe taƒonyae nye: Vɔ̃ Mawu, eye nàwɔ eƒe sewo dzi, elabena esia koe nye amegbetɔwo ƒe dɔdeasiwo katã ƒe ƒuƒoƒo
The conclusion of the matter—the whole, let us hear, —Towards God, be reverent, and, his commandments, observe, for, this, [concerneth] all mankind.
14 elabena Mawu adrɔ̃ ʋɔnu mí le nu siwo katã míewɔ le adzame kple gaglãgbe siaa, eɖanye nyui alo vɔ̃.
For, every work, will God bring into judgment, with every hidden thing, —whether good, or evil.
