Ɔsɛnkafo 2
1 Mekaa wɔ me koma mu se, “Afei bra, mede anigye bɛsɔ wo ahwɛ na yɛahu nea eye.” Nanso ankosi hwee.
Said, I, in my heart, Come now! I will prove thee with gladness, and look thou on blessedness, —but lo! even that, was vanity.
2 Mekae se, “Ɔserew yɛ nkwaseade. Na dɛn na anigye tumi yɛ?”
Of laughter, I said, Madness! and, of mirth, What can it do?
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 out with my heart, to cherish with wine, my flesh, —but, my heart, was to guide with wisdom, even in laying hold of folly, until I should see which was blessedness for the sons of men, as to that which they could do, under the heavens, during the number of the days of their life.
4 Mede me nsa hyɛɛ nnwuma akɛse ase; misisii adan yɛɛ bobe nturo.
I enlarged my works, —I built me houses, I planted me vineyards;
5 Meyɛɛ nturo ne ahomegyebea na miduaduaa nnuaba ahorow bebree wɔ mu.
I made me gardens, and parks, —I planted in them trees of every kind of fruit;
6 Misisii nsukorae a mɛtwe nsu afi mu, de agugu nnua a ɛrenyin no so.
I made me pools of water, —to irrigate therefrom the thick-set saplings growing up into 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 acquired, men-servants and women-servants, and, the children of the household, were mine, —also possessions, herds and flocks in abundance, were mine, beyond all who had been before me in Jerusalem;
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 heaped me up, both silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings, and provinces, —I provided me singing-men and singing-women, and the delights of the sons of men, a wife and wives.
9 Migyee din sen obiara a wadi mʼanim wɔ Yerusalem. Eyinom nyinaa mu no me nimdeɛ kɔɔ so yɛɛ adwuma.
So I became great, and increased, more than any one who had been before me in Jerusalem, —moreover, 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, nothing that mine eyes asked, withheld I from them, —I did not keep back my heart from any gladness, for, my heart, obtained gladness out of all my toil, and so, this, was my portion, out of all my toil.
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.
When, I, looked upon all my works, which my hands had made, and on my toil, whereon I had toilsomely wrought, then lo! all, was vanity, and feeding on wind, 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?
Thus turned, I, to look at wisdom, and madness and folly, —for what can the man [do more] who cometh after the king? [save] that which, already, men have done.
13 Mihuu sɛ nimdeɛ ye sen nkwaseasɛm, sɛnea hann yɛ sen sum no.
Then saw, I, that wisdom doth excel 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.
As for the wise man, his eyes, are in his head, whereas, the dullard, in darkness, doth walk, —but, I myself, knew that, one destiny, 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 dullard, even to me, will it happen, but wherefore, then, became, I, wise to excess? Therefore spake I, in my heart, Even this, 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 a wise man, more than of a dullard, unto times age-abiding, —seeing that, already, in the days to come, all hath been forgotten, how then cometh it that the wise man dieth equally with the dullard?
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, for, a vexation unto me, was the work which was done under the sun, —for, all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
18 Mikyii nea mayɛ adwuma apɛ nyinaa wɔ owia yi ase, efisɛ ɛsɛ sɛ migyaw hɔ ma nea obedi mʼade.
Therefore hated, I, all my toil, wherein I was toiling, under the sun, —in that I should leave it for the man who should come 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 could know whether a, wise man, he would be or a foolish, and yet he would lord it over all my toil, wherein I had toiled and wherein I had acted wisely, under the sun, —even this, was vanity.
20 Enti mepaa abaw wɔ owia yi ase adwumaden ho.
Then resolved I, to give my heart over to despair, —concerning all the toil, wherein I had toiled, 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 here is a man, whose toil hath been with wisdom and with knowledge and with skill, —yet, to a man who hath not toiled therein, shall he leave it as his portion, even this, was vanity and a great vexation.
22 Dɛn na onipa nya fi ne brɛ ne dadwen a ɔde yɛ adwuma wɔ owia yi ase mu?
For what hath the man for all his toil, and for the striving of his heart, —wherein, he himself, toiled 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 pains, and, vexatious, is his employment, even in the night, his heart lieth not down, —even this, was, vanity.
24 Biribiara nsen sɛ onipa bedidi na wanom na wanya ahotɔ wɔ adwumayɛ mu. Eyi nso mihuu sɛ efi Onyankopɔn,
There was nothing more blessed for Man [than] that he should eat and drink, and see his desireth for blessedness in his toil, —even this, saw, I myself, that, from the hand of God, it was.
25 efisɛ ɛnyɛ ɔno a anka hena na obetumi adidi anaasɛ obenya ahotɔ?
For who could eat and who could enjoy, so well as 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, to a man who is good before him, hath he given wisdom and knowledge and gladness, —whereas, to the sinner, he hath given employment, to gather and heap up, to give to one who is good before God, even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
