< 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
I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with happiness. So enjoy pleasure.” But look, this also was just a temporary breeze.
2 elabena megblɔ be enye movidzɔdzɔ be woanɔ nu kom ɖaa; nyui kae doa go tso eme?
I said about laughter, “It is crazy,” and about pleasure, “What use is it?”
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.
I explored in my heart how to gratify my desires with wine. I let my mind guide me with wisdom although I was still holding on to folly. I wanted to find out what is good for people to do under heaven during the days of their lives.
4 Mewɔ nu gãwo na ɖokuinye: metu xɔwo, mede waingblewo,
I accomplished great things. I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.
5 mewɔ abɔwo kple yaxɔƒewo, medo atiwo kple kutsetseti ɖe sia ɖe ƒomevi ɖe wo me.
I built for myself gardens and parks; I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
6 Meɖe tsitawo ale be mate ŋu aku tsi tso wo me ade ati siwo medo ɖe ave aɖe me.
I created pools of water to water a forest where trees were grown.
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 purchased male slaves and female slaves; I had slaves born in my palace. I also had large herds and flocks of livestock, much more than any king who ruled before me in Jerusalem.
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 also accumulated for myself silver and gold, the treasures of kings and provinces. I got male and female singers for myself—the delights of the children of humanity—and many concubines.
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.
So I became greater and wealthier than all who were before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom remained 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.
Whatever my eyes desired, I did not withhold from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, because my heart rejoiced in all my labor and pleasure was my 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.
Then I looked on all the deeds that my hands had accomplished, and on the work that I had done, but again, everything was vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind. There was no profit under the sun in it.
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!
Then I turned to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. For what can the next king do who comes after the king, which has not already been done?
13 Mekpɔe be viɖe le nunya ŋu wu bometsitsi abe ale si kekeli nyo wu viviti ene.
Then I began to understand that wisdom has advantages over folly, 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 man uses his eyes in his head to see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness, although I know the same event happens to all of them.
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 said in my heart, “What happens to the fool, will also happen to me. So what difference does it make if I am very wise?” I concluded in my heart, “This too is only vapor.”
16 elabena nunyala kple bometsila siaa le kuku ge eye woaŋlɔ wo ame eveawo be keŋkeŋ le ŋkeke siwo gbɔna la me.
For the wise man, like the fool, is not remembered for very long. In the days to come everything will have been long forgotten. The wise man dies just like the fool dies.
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 detested life because all the work done under the sun was evil to me. This was because everything is vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.
18 Nu si gate ɖe dzinyee nye magblẽ nye dagbadagbawo katã ƒe metsonu ɖi na ame bubuwo.
I hated all my accomplishments for which I had worked under the sun because I must leave them behind to the man who 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!
For who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will be master over everything under the sun that my work and wisdom have built. This also is vapor.
20 Ale metrɔ be mana dzi naɖe le ƒonye le dɔ siwo katã mewɔ le ɣea te la ŋu,
Therefore my heart began to despair over all the work under the sun that I did.
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 there might be someone who works with wisdom, with knowledge, and skill, but he will leave everything he has to a man who has not made any of it. This also is vapor and a great tragedy.
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?
For what profit does the person gain who works so hard and tries in his heart to complete his labors under the sun?
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.
Every day his work is painful and stressful, so at night his soul does not find rest. This also is vapor.
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,
There is nothing better for anyone than to simply eat and drink and be satisfied with what is good in his work. I saw that this truth comes from God's hand.
25 elabena ame kae ate ŋu ato Mawu megbe aɖu nu alo aɖu agbe?
For who can eat or who can have any kind of pleasure apart from God?
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.
For to anyone who pleases him, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy. However, to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and storing up so that he may give it away to someone who pleases God. This also amounts to vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.