Ɔsɛnkafo 11
1 Fa wʼawi twa po; na daakye bi wubenya so mfaso.
Cast your bread on the waters; for you shall find it after many days.
2 Fa hyɛ aguadi ason mu, yiw, nea ɛto so awotwe mu, wunnim atoyerɛnkyɛm a ɛbɛba asase no so.
Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight; for you don’t know what evil will be on the earth.
3 Sɛ nsu ayɛ omununkum mu ma a, ɛtɔ osu gu asase so. Sɛ dua bi bu hwe anafo fam anaa atifi fam a, nea ɛhwee no, ɛhɔ ara na ɛbɛda.
If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth; and if a tree falls towards the south, or towards the north, in the place where the tree falls, there shall it be.
4 Obiara a ɔtwɛn wim nsakrae no rennua, na nea ɔhwɛ omununkum no nso rentwa.
He who observes the wind won’t sow; and he who regards the clouds won’t reap.
5 Sɛnea wunnim ɔkwan a mframa nam so, anaa sɛnea wɔnwen nipadua wɔ ɔyafunu mu no, saa ara na worentumi nte Onyankopɔn nnwuma ase, ade nyinaa Yɛfo no.
As you don’t know what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; even so you don’t know the work of God who does all.
6 Dua wʼaba anɔpa, na anwummere nso ma wo nsa nna ho, na wunnim nea ɛbɛyɛ yiye, sɛ eyi anaa eyi, anaasɛ ebia abien no nyinaa bɛyɛ yie.
In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening don’t withhold your hand; for you don’t know which will prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both will be equally good.
7 Hann yɛ fɛ; na ɛyɛ aniwa dɛ sɛ ohu owia.
Truly the light is sweet, and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to see the sun.
8 Mfe dodow a onipa bɛtena nkwa yi mu nyinaa ɛsɛ sɛ onya ahotɔ. Nanso ɛsɛ sɛ ɔkae nnabɔne na ɛbɛdɔɔso. Biribiara a ɛbɛba no yɛ ahuhude.
Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.
9 Ma wʼani nnye, aberante, bere a woyɛ ɔbabun, ma wo koma mma wo anigye wɔ wo mmerantebere mu. Di nea wo koma pɛ ne nea wʼaniwa hu akyi, nanso hu sɛ eyinom nyinaa ho Onyankopɔn de wo bɛba atemmu mu.
Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgement.
10 Enti yi adwennwen biara fi wo koma mu na tow ɔhaw biara a ɛwɔ wo mu no gu, efisɛ mmeranteyɛ ne ahoɔden yɛ ahuhude.
Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.
