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.
[I will tell you about] those who are truly wise [RHQ] with the result that they can explain why everything happens. Being wise enables people to be happy [MTY] and enables them to smile.
2 Mebe nàɖo to fia la, elabena èka atam aɖe le Mawu ŋkume
You solemnly promised God that you would obey what the king commands, so do that.
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 quickly disobey the king. And do not join those who want to rebel against him, because the king will do what he wants to 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.
We need to obey what the king says more than we need to obey what anyone else says; no one can say to the king, “(Why are you doing that?/You should not be doing that.) [RHQ]”
5 Womehea to na ame siwo wɔa eƒe sewo dzi la o. Nunyalawo adi ɣeyiɣi kple mɔnukpɔkpɔ awɔ fia ƒe sewo dzi.
If you obey what the king commands, he will not harm you. [So] be wise, and know the correct/right time to do things and the right way to do them.
6 Togbɔ be ame ƒe nukpekeamewo ate ɖe edzi vevie hã la, ɣeyiɣi kple mɔnu nyuitɔ li na nudzɔɖeamedzi.
Although people experience many troubles/difficulties, there is a right/correct time to do things, and there is a right/correct way [to do them].
7 Esi ame aɖeke menya etsɔ me o ta la, ame ka ate ŋu agblɔ nya si ava dzɔ la nɛ?
No one knows what will happen in the future, so there is no one [RHQ] who can tell us what is going to happen.
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.
We cannot control the wind, and we cannot control when we will die. Soldiers are not permitted to go home during a battle, and evil people will not be saved by [doing what is] evil.
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.
I thought about all those things, and I thought about all [HYP] the other things that happen on this earth. I saw that [sometimes] people cause those whom they control to suffer.
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.
I also saw that [sometimes] after evil [people] die, they are highly honored at their funerals by the people in the cities where they had done [evil] deeds. It seemed to be difficult to understand why that happens.
11 Le esi Mawu mehea to na nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo o ta la, amewo buna be ne yewowɔ nu vɔ̃ hã la, yewole dedie.
If evil people are not immediately punished, it causes [other] people [SYN] to [also] want to do evil things.
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.
But even if sinful people commit 100 crimes, and [even if they] live for a long time, I know that things will go better for those who greatly respect and revere God.
13 Ke nuvɔ̃wɔlawo manɔ agbe didi vivi o; woƒe ŋkekewo nu ava yi kaba abe vɔvɔli ene, elabena womevɔ̃a Mawu o.
[I also know] that things will not go well go for those who are evil, because they do not revere God. Shadows [do not last a long time]. Similarly [SIM], evil people will not live a long time.
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!
Another thing that [sometimes] happens on this earth is that bad things happen to righteous people, and good things happen to evil people. It is difficult to understand why that happens.
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 decided that I would recommend that people be happy while they are alive, because the best thing that people can do here on this earth is to eat and drink and be happy. Enjoying doing those things will help people while they do their work, all the time that God has given to them to remain alive here on the earth.
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,
I thought about being wise and about people who work very hard, working day and night and not taking time 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 thought about everything [HYP] that God has done, and I realized that no one can understand everything that happens here on this earth. Truly, people are not able to fully understand everything [that God understands], even if they try hard to do that. Even if wise people claim that they understand it all, they cannot.
