Nyagblɔla 9
1 Megalé ŋku ɖe nuwo ŋu nyuie, eye mede dzesii be ame dzɔdzɔewo kple nunyalawo kple woƒe dɔwɔwɔwo katã le Mawu ƒe asi me. Ame aɖeke menya ne ave wo nu loo alo mave wo nu o. Esiawo katã le wo ŋgɔ.
I have surely giuen mine heart to all this, and to declare all this, that the iust, and the wise, and their workes are in the hand of God: and no man knoweth eyther loue or hatred of all that is before them.
2 Nu ɖeka ma koe li na ame dzɔdzɔewo kple ame vɔ̃ɖiwo, ame nyuiwo kple ame baɖawo, ame dzadzɛwo kple ame ƒoɖiwo, ame siwo saa vɔ kple ame siwo mesaa vɔ o. Ale si wòle na ame nyui la, nenema kee wòle na nu vɔ̃ wɔla hã. Ale si wòle na ame siwo kaa atam la, nenema kee wòle na ame siwo vɔ̃a atamkaka.
All things come alike to all: and the same condition is to the iust and to the wicked, to the good and to the pure, and to the polluted, and to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner, he that sweareth, as he that feareth an othe.
3 Esiae nye nu vɔ̃ɖi si le nu sia nu si dzɔna le ɣea te la ŋu: nu ɖeka ma koe dzɔna ɖe amewo katã dzi. Gawu la, amewo ƒe dziwo yɔ fũu kple vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi kple tsukuku le woƒe dziwo me esime wole agbe eye emegbe la, woyia kukuawo dome.
This is euill among all that is done vnder the sunne, that there is one condition to all, and also the heart of the sonnes of men is full of euill, and madnes is in their heartes whiles they liue, and after that, they goe to the dead.
4 Agbagbeawo si ko mɔkpɔkpɔ le. “Enyo be ame nanye avu gbagbe wu wòanye dzata kuku.”
Surely whosoeuer is ioyned to all ye liuing, there is hope: for it is better to a liuing dog, then to a dead lyon.
5 Elabena agbagbeawo nya nu ɖeka sia be yewole kuku ge ke kukuawo ya menya naneke o eye womeɖoa ŋku naneke dzi hã o.
For the liuing knowe that they shall dye, but the dead knowe nothing at all: neither haue they any more a rewarde: for their remembrance is forgotten.
6 Nu sia nu si wowɔ le woƒe agbenɔɣi, abe lɔlɔ̃, fuléle alo ŋuʋaʋã ene la, woŋlɔ wo be keŋkeŋ eye wɔƒe aɖeke megale wo ŋu le xexe sia me o.
Also their loue, and their hatred, and their enuie is now perished, and they haue no more portion for euer, in all that is done vnder the sunne.
7 Eya ta ɖu nu, nàno nu eye nàkpɔ dzidzɔ elabena wò dɔwɔwɔwo dze Mawu ŋu xoxo!
Goe, eate thy bread with ioy, and drinke thy wine with a cheerefull heart: for God nowe accepteth thy workes.
8 Do awu nyuiwo eye mègana ɖamemi navɔ le wò ta me o.
At all times let thy garments be white, and let not oyle be lacking vpon thine head.
9 Ɖu agbe kple nyɔnu si nèlɔ̃ la, le agbemeŋkeke ʋɛ siwo le ŋgɔwò la me elabena srɔ̃ si Mawu tsɔ na wò lae nye wò fetu gãtɔ le afii le wò dagbadagbawo katã ta.
Reioyce with the wife whom thou hast loued all the dayes of the life of thy vanitie, which God hath giuen thee vnder the sunne all the dayes of thy vanitie: for this is thy portion in the life, and in thy trauaile wherein thou labourest vnder the sunne.
10 Nu sia nu si nàwɔ ko la, wɔe nyuie abe ale si nàte ŋui ene elabena le ku me, afi si yi ge nàla la, dɔwɔwɔ alo ɖoɖowɔwɔ, nunya alo gɔmesese aɖeke meli o. (Sheol h7585)
All that thine hand shall finde to doe, doe it with all thy power: for there is neither worke nor inuention, nor knowledge, nor wisedome in the graue whither thou goest. (Sheol h7585)
11 Megalé ŋku ɖe nuwo ŋu le xexe blibo la me eye mede dzesii be ame si ƒua du sesĩe wu ame bubu ɖe sia ɖe la meɖua dzi le duɖimekekewo katã me ɣe sia ɣi o eye ame sesẽtɔ meɖua dzi le aʋawɔwɔ me ɣe sia ɣi o. Megakpɔe be enuenu la, nunyalawo daa ahe eye aɖaŋutɔwo mezua ame xɔŋkɔwo ɣe sia ɣi kokoko o, ke esiawo katã ɖina ɖe ame ko, ne amea le teƒe nyuitɔ le ɣeyiɣi nyuitɔ dzi.
I returned, and I sawe vnder the sunne that the race is not to the swift, nor the battell to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor also riches to men of vnderstanding, neither yet fauour to men of knowledge: but time and chance commeth to them all.
12 Ame aɖeke menyaa gbe si gbe dzɔgbevɔ̃e adzɔ ɖe ye dzi o. Edzɔna ko abe tɔmelã si woɖe le ɖɔ me alo xevi si woɖe le mɔ me ene.
For neither doth man knowe his time, but as the fishes which are taken in an euill net, and as the birdes that are caught in the snare: so are the children of men snared in the euill time when it falleth vpon them suddenly.
13 Nu bubu si gawɔ dɔ tɔxɛ ɖe dzinye esi melé ŋku ɖe amegbetɔwo ƒe nyawo ŋu lae nye:
I haue also seene this wisedome vnder the sunne, and it is great vnto me.
14 Du sue aɖe nɔ anyi; ame ʋɛ aɖewo koe nɔ eme. Fia gã aɖe va kple eƒe aʋakɔ, eye woɖe to ɖee.
A litle citie and fewe men in it, and a great King came against it, and compassed it about, and builded fortes against it.
15 Nunyala aɖe si nye ŋutsu dahe aɖe la nɔ du sia me. Enya nu si wòawɔ aɖe dua. Ewɔe, eye wòɖe dua tso futɔwo ƒe asime. Ke emegbe la, ame aɖeke megaɖo ŋku ŋutsu sia dzi kura o.
And there was founde therein a poore and wise man, and he deliuered the citie by his wisedome: but none remembred this poore man.
16 Ale medze sii be togbɔ be nunya xɔ asi wu ŋusẽ hã la, ne nunyala la nye ame dahe ko la, woado vloe eye eƒe nuƒoƒo madze ame ŋu o.
Then said I, Better is wisdome then strength: yet the wisedome of the poore is despised, and his wordes are not heard.
17 Ke nunyala ƒe nya si wògblɔna dzaa la, xɔa asi wu bometsilawo ƒe fia ƒe ɣlidodo.
The wordes of the wise are more heard in quietnes, then the crye of him that ruleth among fooles.
18 Nunya nyo wu aʋawɔnuwo, ke nu vɔ̃ wɔla ɖeka ate ŋu agblẽ nu geɖe.
Better is wisedome then weapons of warre: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
