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 really a wise man, and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? The wisdom of a man, lighteth up his countenance, but, by defiance of countenance, one is disfigured.
2 Mebe nàɖo to fia la, elabena èka atam aɖe le Mawu ŋkume
I [said], The bidding of the king, observe thou, even out of regard to 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.
Not rashly from his presence, shouldst thou go: do not take thy stand in a vexatious thing, —for, whatsoever he pleaseth, he will do.
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.
Where the word of a king is, there is power, —who then may say to him, What wouldst thou do?
5 Womehea to na ame siwo wɔa eƒe sewo dzi la o. Nunyalawo adi ɣeyiɣi kple mɔnukpɔkpɔ awɔ fia ƒe sewo dzi.
He that observeth the commandment, will not notice a vexatious thing, —and, of time and manner, will the heart of the wise take note.
6 Togbɔ be ame ƒe nukpekeamewo ate ɖe edzi vevie hã la, ɣeyiɣi kple mɔnu nyuitɔ li na nudzɔɖeamedzi.
For, to every pursuit, there is a time and a manner, —when, the vexation of man, is great concerning it.
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 who knoweth what shall be, for, when it shall be, who will tell him?
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.
No man, hath power over the spirit, to retain the spirit, and, none, hath power over the day of death, and there is no furlough in war, —neither shall lawlessness deliver them who are given thereto.
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, had I seen, and tried to apply my heart to every work which was done under the sun, —at such time as one man had power over another man, to his hurt.
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, thereupon, I considered the lawless when buried, when they had entered, [their graves], that, from the place of the Holy One, they used to go and boast in the city that they had so done, —even this, was 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 sentence against a wicked work is not executed speedily—on this account, the heart of the sons of men is fully set within them, to commit wickedness.
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.
Though a sinner be committing wickedness a hundred times, and continuing long in his own way, yet I surely know that it shall be well to them who revere God, who stand in awe before him;
13 Ke nuvɔ̃wɔlawo manɔ agbe didi vivi o; woƒe ŋkekewo nu ava yi kaba abe vɔvɔli ene, elabena womevɔ̃a Mawu o.
but, well, shall it not be to the lawless man, neither shall he lengthen out his days like a shadow, —because he standeth not in awe 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!
Here was a vain thing which was done upon the earth—that there were righteous men unto whom it happened according to the work of the lawless, and there were lawless men, unto whom it happened according to the work of the righteous, —I said, that, even this, was 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 extolled I, gladness, in that there was nothing better for a man, under the sun, than to eat and to drink, and to be glad, —since, that, should tarry with him in his toil, for the days of his life which God had 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,
When I gave my heart, to know wisdom, and to consider the business that was done upon the earth, then surely, by day and by night, there was one who suffered not his eyes, to sleep.
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.
Then I considered all the work of God, that man could not find out the work that was done under the sun, inasmuch as man toileth in seeking and yet cannot find, —yea, even though the wise man should say he knoweth, yet can he not find it out.
