Ɔsɛnkafo 2
1 Mekaa wɔ me koma mu se, “Afei bra, mede anigye bɛsɔ wo ahwɛ na yɛahu nea eye.” Nanso ankosi hwee.
I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also [is] vanity.
2 Mekae se, “Ɔserew yɛ nkwaseade. Na dɛn na anigye tumi yɛ?”
I said of laughter, [It is] mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
3 Mepɛɛ sɛ mihu nea eye pa ara ma yɛn wɔ bere tiaa a yɛwɔ wɔ asase yi so no. Enti meyɛɛ mʼadwene sɛ mede nsa bɛsɛpɛw me ho na mahwehwɛ, ahu nkwaseasɛm nkyerɛase, a na nyansa da so bɔ mʼankasa mʼadwene ho ban.
I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what [was] that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
4 Mede me nsa hyɛɛ nnwuma akɛse ase; misisii adan yɛɛ bobe nturo.
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
5 Meyɛɛ nturo ne ahomegyebea na miduaduaa nnuaba ahorow bebree wɔ mu.
I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all [kind of] fruits:
6 Misisii nsukorae a mɛtwe nsu afi mu, de agugu nnua a ɛrenyin no so.
I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
7 Metɔɔ nkoa ne mfenaa, na minyaa ebinom nso a wɔwoo wɔn wɔ me fi. Afei nso, minyaa anantwi ne nguan bebree sen obiara a wadi mʼanim wɔ Yerusalem.
I got [me] servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
8 Mepɛɛ dwetɛ ne sikakɔkɔɔ, gyigyee ahemfo ne amantam no ademude kaa ho. Mefaa mmarima ne mmea nnwontofo, pɛɛ mmea atenae nso; nea ɛyɛ ɔbarima koma anigyede biara.
I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, [as] musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
9 Migyee din sen obiara a wadi mʼanim wɔ Yerusalem. Eyinom nyinaa mu no me nimdeɛ kɔɔ so yɛɛ adwuma.
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
10 Nea mʼani hwehwɛe biara mamfa ankame no; mansiw me koma anigye ho kwan. Me koma ani gyee me nnwuma nyinaa ho, na eyi yɛ mʼadwumayɛ so akatua.
And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
11 Nanso sɛ mehwɛ nea me nsa ayɛ nyinaa ne nea mabrɛ anya a, ne nyinaa nka hwee, ɛte sɛnea wotu mmirika taa mframa mannya mfaso biara wɔ owia yi ase.
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all [was] vanity and vexation of spirit, and [there was] no profit under the sun.
12 Mede mʼadwene kɔɔ nimdeɛ, adammɔsɛm ne nkwaseasɛm so. Dɛn bio na nea wadi ɔhene ade betumi ayɛ asen nea wɔayɛ dedaw no?
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [even] that which hath been already done.
13 Mihuu sɛ nimdeɛ ye sen nkwaseasɛm, sɛnea hann yɛ sen sum no.
Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
14 Onyansafo ani wɔ ne tirim, na ɔkwasea de, ɔnantew sum mu; nanso mihuu sɛ wɔn nyinaa nkrabea yɛ pɛ.
The wise man’s eyes [are] in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
15 Afei misusuw wɔ me koma mu se, “Ɔkwasea nkrabea bɛto me nso. Enti sɛ mihu nyansa a mfaso bɛn na minya?” Mekaa wɔ me koma mu se, “Eyi nso nka hwee.”
Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also [is] vanity.
16 Te sɛ ɔkwasea no, onyansafo nso, wɔrenkae no daa; nna a ɛreba no mu, wɔrenkae wɔn baanu no. Te sɛ ɔkwasea no, onyansafo nso bewu!
For [there is] no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now [is] in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise [man]? as the fool.
17 Ɛno nti asetena fonoo me, na adwuma a yɛyɛ wɔ owia yi ase no haw me. Ne nyinaa yɛ ahuhude, te sɛnea wotu mmirika taa mframa.
Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun [is] grievous unto me: for all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
18 Mikyii nea mayɛ adwuma apɛ nyinaa wɔ owia yi ase, efisɛ ɛsɛ sɛ migyaw hɔ ma nea obedi mʼade.
Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
19 Na hena na onim sɛ onipa ko no bɛyɛ onyansafo anaa ɔkwasea? Nanso nea mabiri me mogya ani apɛ wɔ owia yi ase nyinaa bɛkɔ ne nsam. Eyi nso yɛ ahuhude.
And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise [man] or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This [is] also vanity.
20 Enti mepaa abaw wɔ owia yi ase adwumaden ho.
Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
21 Na onipa befi ne nimdeɛ, nyansa ne adwumayɛ ho nimdeɛ mu ayɛ nʼasɛde, na afei ɛsɛ sɛ ogyaw nʼadwumayɛ so aba ma obi a ɔnyɛɛ adwuma biara. Eyi nso yɛ ahuhude, na ɛhaw adwene.
For there is a man whose labour [is] in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it [for] his portion. This also [is] vanity and a great evil.
22 Dɛn na onipa nya fi ne brɛ ne dadwen a ɔde yɛ adwuma wɔ owia yi ase mu?
For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
23 Ne nkwanna nyinaa, nʼadwumayɛ yɛ ɔyaw ne ɔhaw; anadwo mpo nʼadwene yɛ adwuma. Eyi nso yɛ ahuhude.
For all his days [are] sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
24 Biribiara nsen sɛ onipa bedidi na wanom na wanya ahotɔ wɔ adwumayɛ mu. Eyi nso mihuu sɛ efi Onyankopɔn,
[There is] nothing better for a man, [than] that he should eat and drink, and [that] he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it [was] from the hand of God.
25 efisɛ ɛnyɛ ɔno a anka hena na obetumi adidi anaasɛ obenya ahotɔ?
For who can eat, or who else can hasten [hereunto], more than I?
26 Onipa a ɔsɔ Onyankopɔn ani no, ɔma no nimdeɛ, nyansa ne anigye, nanso omumɔyɛfo de, ɔma ɔboaboa ahonyade ano ma nea ɔsɔ Onyankopɔn ani. Eyi nso yɛ ahuhude, sɛnea wɔde mmirikatu taa mframa no.
For [God] giveth to a man that [is] good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to [him that is] good before God. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
