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 knows the wise? and who knows the interpretation of a saying? A man's wisdom will lighten his countenance; but a man of shameless countenance will be hated.
2 Mebe nàɖo to fia la, elabena èka atam aɖe le Mawu ŋkume
Observe the commandment of the king, and [that] because of the word of the oath of 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.
Be not hasty; you shall go forth out of his presence: stand not in an evil matter; for he will do whatever he shall please,
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.
even as a king having power: and who will say to him, What do you?
5 Womehea to na ame siwo wɔa eƒe sewo dzi la o. Nunyalawo adi ɣeyiɣi kple mɔnukpɔkpɔ awɔ fia ƒe sewo dzi.
He that keeps the commandment shall not know an evil thing: and the heart of the wise knows the time of judgment.
6 Togbɔ be ame ƒe nukpekeamewo ate ɖe edzi vevie hã la, ɣeyiɣi kple mɔnu nyuitɔ li na nudzɔɖeamedzi.
For to every thing there is time and judgment; for the knowledge of a man is great to him.
7 Esi ame aɖeke menya etsɔ me o ta la, ame ka ate ŋu agblɔ nya si ava dzɔ la nɛ?
For there is no one that knows what is going to be: for who shall tell him how it shall be?
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.
There is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit; and there is no power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in the day of the battle; neither shall ungodliness save her votary.
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.
So I saw all this, and I applied my heart to every work that has been done under the sun; all the things wherein man has power over man to afflict him.
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.
And then I saw the ungodly carried into the tombs, and [that] out of the holy place: and they departed, and were praised in the city, because they had done thus: this also is vanity.
11 Le esi Mawu mehea to na nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo o ta la, amewo buna be ne yewowɔ nu vɔ̃ hã la, yewole dedie.
Because there is no contradiction made on the part of those who do evil quickly, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully determined in them to do 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.
He that has sinned has done evil from that time, and long from beforehand: nevertheless I know, that it is well with them that fear God, that they may fear before him:
13 Ke nuvɔ̃wɔlawo manɔ agbe didi vivi o; woƒe ŋkekewo nu ava yi kaba abe vɔvɔli ene, elabena womevɔ̃a Mawu o.
but it shall not be well with the ungodly, and he shall not prolong his days, [which are] as a shadow; forasmuch as he fears not before God.
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 vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are righteous persons to whom it happens according to the doing of the ungodly; and there are ungodly men, to whom it happens according to the doing of the just: I said, This is also vanity.
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.
Then I praised mirth, because there is no good for a man under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and be merry: and this shall attend him in his labor all the days of his life, which God has given 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,
Whereupon I set my heart to know wisdom, and to perceive the trouble that was wrought upon the earth: for there is that neither by day nor night sees sleep with his eyes.
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.
And I saw all the works of God, that a man shall not be able to discover the work which is wrought under the sun; whatever things a man shall endeavor to seek, however a man may labor to seek it, yet he shall not find it; yes, how much soever a wise man may speak of knowing it, he shall not be able to find it: for I applied all this to my heart, and my heart has seen all this.
