Nyagblɔla 7
1 Ŋkɔ nyui xɔ asi wu amiʋeʋĩ xɔasitɔ kekeake. Ame ƒe kugbe nyo wu eƒe dzigbe!
A good name is better than precious ointments, and a day of death is better than a day of birth.
2 Kuteƒedede nyo wu aglotuƒedede elabena èle kuku ge eye enye nu nyui be nàbu ku ŋu le esime ɣeyiɣi gale ŋgɔwò.
It is better to go to a house of mourning, than to a house of feasting. For in the former, we are admonished about the end of all things, so that the living consider what may be in the future.
3 Nuxaxa nyo wu nukoko elabena blanuiléle wɔa dɔ nyui ɖe mía dzi.
Anger is better than laughter. For through the sadness of the countenance, the soul of one who offends may be corrected.
4 Ɛ̃, nunyala bua ku ŋu vevie ke bometsila bua agbeɖuɖu fifia ko ŋu.
The heart of the wise is a place of mourning, and the heart of the foolish is a place of rejoicing.
5 Ne nunyala ka mo na ame la, enyo wu bometsila nakafu ame
It is better to be corrected by a wise man, than to be deceived by the false praise of the foolish.
6 elabena bometsila ƒe amekafukafu nu yina kaba abe agbalẽ kakɛe ge ɖe dzo me ene eya ta enye numanyamanya be ame nana bometsitsi ma tɔgbi ƒe nya nawɔ dɔ ɖe edzi.
For, like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of the foolish. But this, too, is emptiness.
7 Zãnuxɔxɔ nana nunyala trɔna zua bometsila elabena zãnuxɔxɔ gblẽa eƒe nugɔmesese me.
A false accusation troubles the wise man and saps the strength of his heart.
8 Nuwuwu nyo wu gɔmedzedze! Dzigbɔɖi nyo wu ɖokuidodoɖedzi.
The end of a speech is better than the beginning. Patience is better than arrogance.
9 Mègado dɔmedzoe kabakaba o, elabena dɔmedzoedodo kabakaba nana ame zua bometsila.
Do not be quickly moved to anger. For anger resides in the sinews of the foolish.
10 Mègatsi dzi ɖe “ŋkekenyui siwo va yi” la ŋu o elabena mènya ne wonyo wu egbeŋkeke siawo o!
You should not say: “What do you think is the reason that the former times were better than they are now?” For this type of question is foolish.
11 Nunya nye domenyinu xɔasi kple viɖe na ame siwo le agbe;
Wisdom with riches is more useful and more advantageous, for those who see the sun.
12 Àte ŋu atsɔ ga alo nunya akpɔ nu sia nu, gake nyui geɖe le nunyalanyenye me.
For as wisdom protects, so also does money protect. But learning and wisdom have this much more: that they grant life to one who possesses them.
13 Kpɔ mɔ si dzi Mawu wɔa eƒe nuwo toe la ɖa eye nàzɔ mɔ ma dzi. Mègatsi tsitre ɖe dzɔdzɔme ƒe sewo ŋu o.
Consider the works of God, that no one is able to correct whomever he has despised.
14 Kpɔ dzidzɔ le dzɔgbenyui ƒe ɣeyiɣiwo me, eye ne dzɔgbevɔ̃e tu wò la, dze sii be Mawue naa dzɔgbenyui kple dzɔgbevɔ̃e siaa, ale be ame sia ame nanya be kakaɖedzi mele naneke ŋu le agbe sia me o.
In good times, enjoy good things, but beware of an evil time. For just as God has established the one, so also the other, in order that man may not find any just complaint against him.
15 Medze si nu sia nu le nye agbenɔnɔ ƒuƒlu sia me. Medze sii be ame nyui aɖewo kuna kaba ke ame vɔ̃ɖi aɖewo nɔa agbe didi
I also saw this, in the days of my vanity: a just man perishing in his justice, and an impious man living a long time in his malice.
16 eya ta mègawɔ nu dzɔdzɔe akpa o eye mèganya nu tso eme akpa o. Nu ka ta nàwu ɖokuiwò?
Do not try to be overly just, and do not try to be more wise than is necessary, lest you become stupid.
17 Ke mègavɔ̃ɖi akpa loo alo nàtsi bome akpa o! Nu ka ta nàku hafi wò azã nasu?
Do not act with great impiety, and do not choose to be foolish, lest you die before your time.
18 Lé fɔ ɖe dɔdeasi ɖe sia ɖe si le ŋuwò la ŋu, eye ne èvɔ̃a Mawu la, àte ŋu akpɔ mɔ na Mawu ƒe yayra.
It is good for you to support a just man. Furthermore, you should not withdraw your hand from him, for whoever fears God, neglects nothing.
19 Ŋusẽ le nunyala ɖeka ŋu wu du gã ewo ƒe dziɖulawo!
Wisdom has strengthened the wise more than ten princes of a city.
20 Ame aɖeke mele xexe blibo la me si nye ame nyui ale gbegbe be mewɔa nu vɔ̃ aɖeke kura o.
But there is no just man on earth, who does good and does not sin.
21 Mègade xa ɖi hena nyasese o, àva se wò dɔla wòanɔ fi ƒom de wò!
So then, do not attach your heart to every word that is spoken, lest perhaps you may hear your servant speaking ill of you.
22 Wò ŋutɔ ènya zi geɖe siwo nèƒoa fi dea amewoe!
For your conscience knows that you, too, have repeatedly spoken evil of others.
23 Medze agbagba ɖe sia ɖe be manya nu. Megblɔ be, “Mazu nunyala kokoko” Ke medze edzi nam nenema o.
I have tested everything in wisdom. I have said: “I will be wise.” And wisdom withdrew farther from me,
24 Nunya le didiƒe ke eye esesẽ ŋutɔ be woake ɖe eŋu.
so much more than it was before. Wisdom is very profound, so who shall reveal her?
25 Medii le afi sia afi, meɖo ta me kplikpaa be nye asi nasu nunya kple ŋuɖoɖowo na nye biabiawo dzi, eye maɖee fia ɖokuinye be vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi nye lãdzɔdzɔ, eye bometsitsi nye tsukuku.
I have examined all things in my soul, so that I may know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason, and so that I may recognize the impiety of the foolish, and the error of the imprudent.
26 Nyɔnu si nye gamɔ kple ɖɔ si ɖea ame la ƒe aɖi nu sẽna wu ku tɔ. Mawu naɖi be nàte ŋu asi le enu, ke nu vɔ̃ wɔla mesina le eƒe mɔtetrewo nu o.
And I have discovered a woman more bitter than death: she who is like the snare of a hunter, and whose heart is like a net, and whose hands are like chains. Whoever pleases God shall flee from her. But whoever is a sinner shall be seized by her.
27 Nyagblɔla gblɔ be, “Kpɔ ɖa, nu si ŋu meke ɖo lae nye, woatsɔ nu ɖeka akpe bubu be woanya ɖoɖo si le nuwo me.
Behold, Ecclesiastes said, I have discovered these things, one after another, in order that I might discover the explanation
28 Esi mele nuwo me kum, nyemeke ɖe naneke ŋu o la, mekpɔ ŋutsu si nye ame dzɔdzɔe ɖeka le ame akpe ɖeka dome, ke nyemekpɔ nyɔnu ɖeka si nye ame dzɔdzɔe la le wo katã dome o.
which my soul still seeks and has not found. One man among a thousand, I have found; a woman among them all, I have not found.
29 Mekpɔe hã be togbɔ be Mawu wɔ amegbetɔwo wonye ame dzɔdzɔewo hã la, wo dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe trɔ dze eya ŋutɔ ƒe nu vɔ̃ mɔ dzi.”
This alone have I discovered: that God made man righteous, and yet he has adulterated himself with innumerable questions. Who is so great as the wise? And who has understood the meaning of the word?
