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.
But all this I have laid unto my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred doth man know, the whole [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.
The whole [is] as to the whole; one event is to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, and to him who is sacrificing, and to him who is not sacrificing; as [is] the good, so [is] the sinner, he who is swearing as he who is fearing 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 that hath been done under the sun, that one event [is] to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart during their life, and after it — unto the dead.
4 Agbagbeawo si ko mɔkpɔkpɔ le. “Enyo be ame nanye avu gbagbe wu wòanye dzata kuku.”
But [to] him who is joined unto all the living there is confidence, for to a living dog it [is] better than to the 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 die, and the dead know not anything, and there is no more to them a reward, for their remembrance hath been 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, their hatred also, their envy also, hath already perished, and they have no more a portion to the age in all that hath been done under the sun.
7 Eya ta ɖu nu, nàno nu eye nàkpɔ dzidzɔ elabena wò dɔwɔwɔwo dze Mawu ŋu xoxo!
Go, eat with joy thy bread, and drink with a glad heart thy wine, for already hath God been pleased with thy works.
8 Do awu nyuiwo eye mègana ɖamemi navɔ le wò ta me o.
At all times let thy garments be white, and let not perfume be lacking on 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.
See life with the wife whom thou hast loved, all the days of the life of thy vanity, that He hath given to thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity, for it [is] thy portion in life, even of thy labour that thou art labouring at 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)
All that thy hand findeth to do, with thy power do, for there is no work, and device, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol whither thou art going. (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 have turned so as to see under the sun, that not to the swift [is] the race, nor to the mighty the battle, nor even to the wise bread, nor even to the intelligent wealth, nor even to the skilful grace, for time and chance happen with 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 even man knoweth not his time; as fish that are taken hold of by an evil net, and as birds that are taken hold of by a snare, like these [are] the sons of man snared at an evil time, when it falleth upon them suddenly.
13 Nu bubu si gawɔ dɔ tɔxɛ ɖe dzinye esi melé ŋku ɖe amegbetɔwo ƒe nyawo ŋu lae nye:
This also I have seen: wisdom under the sun, and it is 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.
A little city, and few men in it, and a great king hath come unto it, and hath surrounded it, and hath built against it great bulwarks;
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 hath been found in it a poor wise man, and he hath delivered the city by his wisdom, and men have not remembered that 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.
And I said, 'Better [is] wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor 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 words of the wise in quiet are heard, More than the cry of a ruler over fools.
18 Nunya nyo wu aʋawɔnuwo, ke nu vɔ̃ wɔla ɖeka ate ŋu agblẽ nu geɖe.
Better [is] wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroyeth much good!
