Nyagblɔla 2
1 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
So then I thought to myself, “Alright, let me examine pleasure and see how good that is.” But this too turned out to be something temporary that passes.
2 elabena megblɔ be enye movidzɔdzɔ be woanɔ nu kom ɖaa; nyui kae doa go tso eme?
I conclude that laughing your way through life is stupid, and pleasure—what use is that?
3 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.
Then I used my mind to examine the attraction of wine to my body. My mind still guiding me with wisdom, I took it until I acted like a fool, so that I might see whether this was good for people to do during their time here.
4 Mewɔ nu gãwo na ɖokuinye: metu xɔwo, mede waingblewo,
Then I tried great construction projects. I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.
5 mewɔ abɔwo kple yaxɔƒewo, medo atiwo kple kutsetseti ɖe sia ɖe ƒomevi ɖe wo me.
I made for myself gardens and parks, planting them with all kinds of fruit trees.
6 Meɖe tsitawo ale be mate ŋu aku tsi tso wo me ade ati siwo medo ɖe ave aɖe me.
I constructed for myself reservoirs to water all these growing trees.
7 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.
I bought male and female slaves, and their children also belonged to me. I also owned many herds and flocks, more than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
8 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.
I collected for myself great quantities of silver and gold, paid to me as tribute by kings and provinces. I brought in for myself male and female singers, and enjoyed many concubines—all a man could want!
9 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.
I became great—greater than anyone in Jerusalem before me. All the while my wisdom stayed with me.
10 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.
I didn't stop myself trying anything I wanted. Whatever I felt like enjoying, I did. I even enjoyed everything I had accomplished, a reward for all my work.
11 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.
But when I thought about what I had worked so hard to achieve, everything I'd done, it was so short-lived—as significant as someone trying to catch the wind. There really is no enduring benefit here on earth.
12 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!
So I started to think about wisdom—and madness and foolishness. For what can anyone who comes after the king do that hasn't already been done?
13 Mekpɔe be viɖe le nunya ŋu wu bometsitsi abe ale si kekeli nyo wu viviti ene.
I recognized that wisdom is better than foolishness just as light is better than darkness.
14 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.
The wise see where they're going, but fools walk in darkness. But I also realized that they all come to the same end.
15 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;
Then I thought to myself, “If I'm going to end up the same as a fool, what's the point of being so wise?” So I thought to myself, “This is also hard to understand!”
16 elabena nunyala kple bometsila siaa le kuku ge eye woaŋlɔ wo ame eveawo be keŋkeŋ le ŋkeke siwo gbɔna la me.
Nobody remembers the wise or the fool for very long—in the future everything will be forgotten. Whether wise or foolish, they both die.
17 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.
So I ended up feeling disgusted with life because everything that happens here on earth is so distressing. It's so incomprehensible, like trying to control the wind.
18 Nu si gate ɖe dzinyee nye magblẽ nye dagbadagbawo katã ƒe metsonu ɖi na ame bubuwo.
I even ended up hating what I had achieved here on earth because I have to hand it over to whoever comes after me.
19 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!
And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will rule over everything I accomplished through my wisdom here on earth. This is just so frustrating, so hard to understand!
20 Ale metrɔ be mana dzi naɖe le ƒonye le dɔ siwo katã mewɔ le ɣea te la ŋu,
I decided to give up, my mind in despair over the significance of all my life's achievements.
21 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
For you can work wisely, knowledgably, and with skill—and who benefits? Someone who hasn't worked for it! This is both frustrating and totally unjust!
22 elabena nu ka ame kpɔna tso eƒe dagbadagba kple eƒe dzi ƒe agbagbadzedze le dɔ siwo katã wòwɔna le ɣea te ŋu la me?
What do you get here on earth for all your hard work and worry?
23 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.
Your working life is full of trouble and strife—even at night your thoughts keep you awake. This is tough to comprehend!
24 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,
So what's the best thing to do? Eat, drink, and enjoy your work, recognizing as I did that these things are given to us by God,
25 elabena ame kae ate ŋu ato Mawu megbe aɖu nu alo aɖu agbe?
for who can eat or enjoy life apart from him?
26 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.
To those who are good, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But to the sinner God gives the task of gathering and collecting wealth, only to hand it over to someone who pleases God. This also shows how fleeting life is, and hard to understand—like trying to understand how the wind blows.
