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.
For I gave my mind to all this, even to search out all this, that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God, and yet neither his love nor hatred doth any man know. All 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 [[cometh to them]] as to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, and to the unclean; 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 oath.
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 an evil among all things which take place under the sun, that there is one event to all; therefore also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and afterward they go down to the dead.
4 Agbagbeawo si ko mɔkpɔkpɔ le. “Enyo be ame nanye avu gbagbe wu wòanye dzata kuku.”
For who is there that is excepted? With all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
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 living know that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing, and there is no more to them any advantage, for their memory 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.
Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they a portion any more for ever in any thing which taketh place under the sun.
7 Eya ta ɖu nu, nàno nu eye nàkpɔ dzidzɔ elabena wò dɔwɔwɔwo dze Mawu ŋu xoxo!
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a cheerful heart; for long since hath God been pleased with thy works.
8 Do awu nyuiwo eye mègana ɖamemi navɔ le wò ta me o.
Let thy garments be always white, and let not fragrant oil be wanting upon thy 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.
Enjoy life with the wife whom thou lovest, all the days of thy vain life which he hath given thee under the sun, all thy vain days. For this is thy portion in life, and in thy labor with which thou weariest thyself under the sun.
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)
Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might! For there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the under-world, 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 turned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of knowledge; but time and chance happen 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 man knoweth not his time. As fishes that are taken in a destructive net, and as birds that are caught in a snare, so are the sons of men snared in a time of distress, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
13 Nu bubu si gawɔ dɔ tɔxɛ ɖe dzinye esi melé ŋku ɖe amegbetɔwo ƒe nyawo ŋu lae nye:
This also have I seen; even wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me.
14 Du sue aɖe nɔ anyi; ame ʋɛ aɖewo koe nɔ eme. Fia gã aɖe va kple eƒe aʋakɔ, eye woɖe to ɖee.
There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks 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.
Now there was found within it a wise poor man; and he, by his wisdom, delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor 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, “Wisdom is better than strength;” and yet the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
17 Ke nunyala ƒe nya si wògblɔna dzaa la, xɔa asi wu bometsilawo ƒe fia ƒe ɣlidodo.
The quiet words of the wise are sooner heard than the shouting of a foolish ruler.
18 Nunya nyo wu aʋawɔnuwo, ke nu vɔ̃ wɔla ɖeka ate ŋu agblẽ nu geɖe.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war. But one offender destroyeth much good.
