< Nyagblɔla 3 >
1 Ɣeyiɣi li na nu sia nu, eye azã li na tameɖoɖowo katã le dziƒoa te.
To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 Amedziɣi li, eye kuɣi li. Nudoɣi li, eye nuxaɣi li.
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up [that which is] planted;
3 Amewuɣi li, eye gbedaɣi li. Nugblẽɣi li, eye nudzraɖoɣi li.
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 Avifaɣi li, eye nukoɣi li. Konyifaɣi li, eye ɣeɖuɣi li.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 Kpekakaɣi li, eye kpeƒoƒuɣi li. Asikplakɔɣi li, eye asiɖelekɔɣi li.
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 Nudiɣi li, eye nubuɣi li. Nudzraɖoɣi li, eye nuƒugbeɣi li.
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 Nuvuɣi li, eye nutɔɣi li. Ɖoɖoeziɣi li, eye nuƒoɣi li.
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 Lɔlɔ̃ɣi li, eye fuléɣi li. Aʋawɔɣi li, eye ŋutifafawɔɣi li.
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 Nu ka tututu amegbetɔ kpɔna tso dɔ sesẽ wɔwɔ me?
What profit hath he that worketh in that in which he laboreth?
10 Mebu ta me tso nu sia ŋu tso dɔ vovovo siwo Mawu tsɔ na amegbetɔ la ŋu.
I have seen the labor, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 Nu sia nu sɔ ɖe eya ŋutɔ ƒe ɣeyiɣi dzi. Ke, togbɔ be Mawu de mavɔmavɔnyenye ta me na amegbetɔ hã la, amegbetɔ mate ŋu akpɔ Mawu ƒe dɔ blibo la tso gɔmedzedzea va se ɖe nuwuwu o,
He hath made every [thing] beautiful in its time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
12 eya ta metso nya la me be gbã la, nu si ƒo nuwo katã tae nye be amegbetɔ nakpɔ dzidzɔ, eye wòaɖu agbe ŋkeke ale si wòate ŋui;
I know that [there is] no good in them, but for [a man] to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 evelia la, ele be wòaɖu nu, ano nu eye wòaɖu agbe kple nu siwo do tso eƒe dagbadagbawo me elabena esiawoe nye nunana tso Mawu gbɔ.
And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it [is] the gift of God.
14 Eye menya esia be nu sia nu si Mawu wɔ la, tɔtrɔ aɖeke meganɔa eŋu o, womate ŋu atsɔ naneke akpee o eye womate ŋu aɖe naneke le eme hã o. Mawu ƒe taɖodzinu le nya sia mee nye be ele be amegbetɔ navɔ̃ Mawu, Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la.
I know that, whatever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth [it], that [men] should fear before him.
15 Nu sia nu si li fifia la, nɔ anyi tso keke gbe aɖe gbe ke eye nu sia nu si ava dzɔ la, dzɔ kpɔ va yi xoxo. Mawu gatrɔa nu si dzɔ kpɔ xoxo la vanɛ.
That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
16 Hekpe ɖe esia ŋu la, mede dzesii be, le anyigba blibo la dzi la, dzɔdzɔenyenye le bubum, nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ le dzɔdzɔenyenyeteƒe xɔm eye zãnuxɔxɔ le ʋɔnudrɔ̃ƒewo gɔ̃ hã.
And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, [that] wickedness [was] there; and the place of righteousness, [that] iniquity [was] there.
17 Megblɔ na ɖokuinye be, “Ne azã la su ko la, Mawu ahe nu sia nu si ame aɖe wɔna, nyui kple vɔ̃ siaa ayi ʋɔnue.”
I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked: for [there is] a time there for every purpose and for every work.
18 Le esia megbe la, medze sii be, “Mawu le mɔ ɖem be xexea me nalé eƒe nu vɔ̃ mɔ atsɔ, ale be yeate ŋu ado amegbetɔƒomea kpɔ, eye amegbetɔwo ŋutɔ nakpɔe be yewole abe gbemelãwo ene.
I said in my heart concerning the state of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
19 Elabena amegbetɔwo kple lãwo siaa gbɔa ya ɖeka ma ke eye wo ame eveawo siaa kuna. Ale amegbetɔwo tɔ menyo wu lãwo tɔ o. Esia hã nye tofloko!
For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yes, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast: for all [is] vanity.
20 Wo katã yia teƒe ɖeka ma, si nye anyi si me wotso kple esi ke woagatrɔ azu,
All go to one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
21 elabena ame ka ate ŋu aɖee fia bena, amegbetɔ ƒe gbɔgbɔ ɖoa ta dzi, ke lãwo tɔ ya ɖoa ta anyi, gena ɖe tome?”
Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
22 Eya ta mekpɔe be nu si nyo na amegbetɔ wu lae nye be wòakpɔ dzidzɔ le eƒe dɔwɔwɔ me. Elabena eya tae wòle afi sia ɖo, eye ame aɖeke magate ŋu agbugbɔe va agbe sia me, wòakpɔ dzidzɔ le nu siwo ava va la ŋu o. Eya ta ele be wòakpɔ dzidzɔ le wo ŋu fifia.
Wherefore I perceive that [there is] nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that [is] his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?