Nyagblɔla 8
1 Ame kae le abe nunyala ene? Ame ka ate ŋu aɖe nuwo gɔme? Nunya nana ame ƒe mo klẽna eye wòtrɔa eƒe dzedzeme kplala la.
Who is like the wise man? Who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed.
2 Mebe nàɖo to fia la, elabena èka atam aɖe le Mawu ŋkume
Keep the king’s command, I say, because of your oath before God.
3 Mèganɔ kplakplakpla dzi be yeadzo le fia la ŋkume o. Mègade nya madzɔmadzɔ dzi o, elabena awɔ nu sia nu si adze eŋu.
Do not hasten to leave his presence, and do not persist in a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases.
4 Ŋusẽ gã aɖe da megbe na fia ƒe sededewo, eye ame aɖeke mate ŋu atsi tsitre ɖe eŋu alo aɖe ɖeklemi le eŋu o.
For the king’s word is supreme, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
5 Womehea to na ame siwo wɔa eƒe sewo dzi la o. Nunyalawo adi ɣeyiɣi kple mɔnukpɔkpɔ awɔ fia ƒe sewo dzi.
Whoever keeps his command will come to no harm, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.
6 Togbɔ be ame ƒe nukpekeamewo ate ɖe edzi vevie hã la, ɣeyiɣi kple mɔnu nyuitɔ li na nudzɔɖeamedzi.
For there is a right time and procedure to every purpose, though a man’s misery weighs heavily upon him.
7 Esi ame aɖeke menya etsɔ me o ta la, ame ka ate ŋu agblɔ nya si ava dzɔ la nɛ?
Since no one knows what will happen, who can tell him what is to come?
8 Ame aɖeke mate ŋu asi le ku nu o eye ŋusẽ mele ame aɖeke ŋu be wòaxe mɔ na eƒe kugbe ƒe ɖoɖo o, elabena ame aɖeke meli si ŋgɔ ku mele o. Eme kɔ ƒãa be amegbetɔ ƒe vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi mate ŋu akpe ɖe eŋu le ɣeyiɣi ma me o.
As no man has power over the wind to contain it, so no one has authority over his day of death. As no one can be discharged in wartime, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.
9 Mekpɔ nu siawo katã esi mebu nu sia nu si wowɔna le ɣea te la ŋu. Ɣe aɖe ɣi li esi ame aɖu amegã ɖe ame bubuwo dzi, eye wòtoa esia me wɔa nuvevi eɖokui.
All this I have seen, applying my mind to every deed that is done under the sun; there is a time when one man lords it over another to his own detriment.
10 Hekpe ɖe esia ŋu la, mekpɔ woɖi ame vɔ̃ɖiwo, ame siwo vaa teƒe kɔkɔe la, doa go, eye wokafua wo le du si me wowɔ esia le. Gɔmesese aɖeke mele nu sia hã ŋu o.
Then too, I saw the burial of the wicked who used to go in and out of the holy place, and they were praised in the city where they had done so. This too is futile.
11 Le esi Mawu mehea to na nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo o ta la, amewo buna be ne yewowɔ nu vɔ̃ hã la, yewole dedie.
When the sentence for a crime is not speedily executed, the hearts of men become fully set on doing evil.
12 Ke ne ame aɖe wɔ nu vɔ̃ zi alafa ɖeka eye wòganɔa agbe kokoko hã la, nenyae nyuie be ame siwo vɔ̃a Mawu la tɔ anyo wu godoo.
Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and still lives long, yet I also know that it will go well with those who fear God, who are reverent in His presence.
13 Ke nuvɔ̃wɔlawo manɔ agbe didi vivi o; woƒe ŋkekewo nu ava yi kaba abe vɔvɔli ene, elabena womevɔ̃a Mawu o.
Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.
14 Nu trama aɖe le dzɔdzɔm le anyigba la dzi, edzena abe ɖe Mawu nana dzɔgbevɔ̃e dzɔna ɖe ame nyui aɖewo dzi abe ame vɔ̃ɖiwoe wonye ene, eye wònana dzɔgbenyui ame vɔ̃ɖi aɖewo abe ame nyuiwo wonye ene. Esiawo katã hã nye tofloko ko!
There is a futility that is done on the earth: There are righteous men who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked men who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile.
15 Ale meɖo ta me be maɖu agbe le nye ŋkekewo katã me elabena mekpɔ be naneke menyo le xexe blibo la me wu be ame naɖu nu, ano nu, akpɔ dzidzɔ o eye amea nakpɔ mɔ be yeanɔ dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ sia dzi le dɔ sesẽ siwo katã Mawu ɖo na amewo katã le afi sia afi la wɔwɔ me.
So I commended the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be merry. For this joy will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun.
16 Esi mebu ta me be manya nu eye malé ŋku ɖe amegbetɔ ƒe dɔwɔwɔ le anyigba dzi, esi medɔa alɔ̃ le ŋkeke me loo alo le zã me o ŋuti la,
When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the task that one performs on the earth—though his eyes do not see sleep in the day or even in the night—
17 tete mekpɔ nu siwo katã Mawu wɔ. Ame aɖeke mate ŋu ase nu siwo yia edzi le ɣe la te gɔme o. Togbɔ be edze agbagba be yeaku nuwo gɔme hã la, amegbetɔ mate ŋu ake ɖe woƒe gɔmesese ŋu o. Ne nunyala aɖe atɔ asi akɔ be yenya nu hã la, mate ŋu ase egɔme wòade o.
I saw every work of God, and that a man is unable to comprehend the work that is done under the sun. Despite his efforts to search it out, he cannot find its meaning; even if the wise man claims to know, he is unable to comprehend.
