< Nyagblɔla 5 >
1 Ne èle gegem ɖe gbedoxɔ me la, ke wò towo ɖi eye nàmia wò nu! Mèganye bometsila si menyana gɔ̃ hã be enye nu vɔ̃ be nàɖe adzɔgbe na Mawu tamemabumabutɔe o,
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil.
2 Wò nu megatsɔ blablabla o, eye wò dzi megatsɔ ne wòaƒo nu le Mawu ŋkume o, elabena Mawu le dziƒo ke, le esime wò ya nèle anyigba dzi le afii eya ta mègaƒo nu blablabla o.
Be not rash with thy month, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3 Abe ale si hloloetsotso fũu akpa nana wokua drɔ̃e vɔ̃wo ene la, nenema kee bometsitsi nana woƒoa nukpoloe.
For a dream cometh with a multitude of business; and a fool’s voice with a multitude of words.
4 Eya ta ne èɖe adzɔgbe na Mawu be yeawɔ nane la, mègahe nua wɔwɔ ɖe megbe o, elabena Mawu mekpɔa dzidzɔ le bometsilawo ŋu o. Wɔ wò adzɔgbeɖeɖe dzi nɛ.
When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou vowest.
5 Ne èzi kpi, mèdo ŋugbe be yeawɔ nane o la, enyo sãa wu be nàdo ŋugbe be yeawɔ nane eye nàgbe ewɔwɔ.
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6 Mègana wò nu nakplɔ wò de nu vɔ̃ me o eye mègagblɔ na dɔtsɔla si le gbedoxɔ me be, “Vodadae nye nye adzɔgbeɖeɖe” o. Nu ka ta Mawu ado dɔmedzoe le nya si nègblɔ ta eye wòagblẽ nu si nèwɔ kple asi?
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
7 Gɔmesese mele drɔ̃ekuku geɖewo kple nya sɔgbɔwo me o eya ta nɔ anyi le Mawuvɔvɔ̃ me.
For [thus it cometh to pass] through the multitude of dreams and vanities and many words: but fear thou God.
8 Ne èkpɔ wole ame dahe aɖe tem ɖe to eye womedrɔ̃ ʋɔnu dzɔdzɔe nɛ o le teƒe aɖe le anyigba blibo la dzi la, mègana wòawɔ nuku na wò o elabena amegã ɖe sia ɖe le tatɔ aɖe te eye ame bubuwo gale tatɔawo hã tame.
If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there be higher than they.
9 Fia la le ame siawo katã tame. Oo, ɖe woakpɔ fia aɖe wòatsɔ eɖokui aɖo anyi ɖe dukɔa ƒe nyonyo ta hafi. Eya koe ate ŋu ahe ɖoɖo ade tɔtɔ sia me.
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king [himself] is served by the field.
10 Ame si lɔ̃a ga la, makpɔ ga wòasɔ gbɔ nɛ, adze eŋu gbeɖe o. Enye bometsitsi be ame nabu be kesinɔnuwoe naa dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ ame!
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this also is vanity.
11 Ale si nèkpɔ ga wòsɔ gbɔe la, nenema tututue wò gaŋudɔwɔwɔ hã anɔ; ekema nu nyui kae le gakpɔkpɔ ŋu? Ɖewohĩ nu nyui si le gakpɔkpɔ ŋu koe nye nàkpɔ ga la wòaƒu du ato wò asibidɛwo dome adzo le gbɔwò!
When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, saving the beholding [of them] with his eyes?
12 Ame dahe si wɔa dɔ sesĩe la, dɔa alɔ̃ nyuie ne eɖu nu sue aɖe alo ne eɖu nu fũu, ke kesinɔtɔwo ya tsia dzimaɖi eye womekpɔa alɔ̃ dɔna o.
The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
13 Mekpɔ nu vɔ̃ɖi gã aɖe le ɣea te: eyae nye kesinɔnu si woli kɔe da ɖi wòva zu nuveviwɔame na nutɔ
There is a grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun, [namely], riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:
14 alo kesinɔnu si wobu to dzɔgbevɔ̃e me, ale be ne viŋutsu le amea si la, naneke matsi anyi na viŋutsu la o.
and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.
15 Ame si ɖoa ŋu ɖe dɔwɔna sia tɔgbi ŋu la, trɔna kaba yia ahedada me, afi si wòdze dɔa gɔme tsoe.
As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
16 Abe ale si megblɔ do ŋgɔ ene la: Nya sia nye nya sesẽ aɖe, elabena amea ƒe dagbadagba sia katã va zua tofloko kple ayadɔwɔwɔ ko. Eƒe nuwo katã buna.
And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboureth for the wind?
17 Eƒe gome le eƒe agbemeŋkeke mamlɛawo katã me la zua viviti, dziɖeleameƒo, dadaƒu kple dɔmedzoedodo.
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed and hath sickness and wrath.
18 Ke nu ɖeka pɛ ya nyo, eyae nye wòaɖu nu nyuie, ano wain kɔŋkɔ gã ɖeka, ana eƒe ɖoƒe le agbe me nadze eŋu eye wòana dɔ sia dɔ si wòwɔna la nado dzidzɔ nɛ to ɣeyiɣi si me Mawu ana wòanɔ agbe la me.
Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour, wherein he laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion.
19 Gawu la, ne Mawu na kesinɔnuwo kple nunɔamesiwo ame aɖe eye wòna amenuvevee be wòaɖui, axɔ nu si nye etɔ gome eye wòakpɔ dzidzɔ le eƒe dɔwɔwɔ me la, nunanae wònye tso Mawu gbɔ.
Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
20 Ƒãa hafi wòbua eƒe agbemeŋkekewo ŋu. Mawu naa eƒe susu nɔa dzidzɔ si le eƒe dzi me la ŋu ɣeawo katã ɣi.
For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth [him] in the joy of his heart.