Ɔsɛnkafo 5
1 Sɛ wokɔ Onyankopɔn fi a, hwɛ wʼanammɔntu yiye. Bɛn no na tie no sen sɛ wobɛbɔ nkwaseafo afɔre, wɔn a wonnim mfomso a wɔyɛ no.
Keep your foot, whenever you go to the house of God; and [when you are] near to hear, let your sacrifice [be] better than the gift of fools: for they know not that they are doing evil.
2 Mpɛ ntɛm nkasa. Mpere wo ho wɔ wo koma mu sɛ wobɛka asɛm bi wɔ Onyankopɔn anim. Onyankopɔn te ɔsoro na wo de, wowɔ asase so, enti ma wo nsɛm nyɛ kakraa bi.
Be not hasty with your mouth, and let not your heart be swift to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven above, and you upon earth: therefore let your words be few.
3 Adaeso fi adwennwen bebree mu ba, na nsɛm dodow da adi wɔ ɔkwasea kasa mu.
For through the multitude of trial a dream comes; and a fool's voice is with a multitude of words.
4 Sɛ wohyɛ Onyankopɔn bɔ a, ntwentwɛn wo nan ase wɔ ho. Onni anigye wɔ nkwaseafo mu; enti di wo bɔhyɛ so.
Whenever you shall vow a vow to God, defer not to pay it; for [he has] no pleasure in fools: pay you therefore whatever you shall have vowed.
5 Sɛ woanhyɛ bɔ koraa a eye sen sɛ wobɛhyɛ bɔ na wunni so.
[It is] better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.
6 Mma wʼano mfa wo nkɔ bɔne mu. Nyi wʼano nkyerɛ asɔredan mu somfo se, “Me bɔhyɛ no yɛ mfomso.” Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ Onyankopɔn bo fuw nea woka na ɔsɛe wo nsa ano adwuma?
Suffer not your mouth to lead your flesh to sin; and say not in the presence of God, It was an error: lest God be angry at your voice, and destroy the works of your hands.
7 Adaeso ne nsɛnkeka bebree nka hwee. Enti suro Onyankopɔn.
For [there is evil] in a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words: but fear you God.
8 Sɛ wuhu ohiani a wɔhyɛ ne so wɔ ɔmansin bi mu, na atɛntrenee ne ahofadi abɔ no a, mma eyinom nyɛ wo nwonwa, efisɛ nea ɔso sen no hwɛ no so, na nea ɔso sen wɔn baanu no nso hwɛ wɔn so.
If you should see the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of judgement and of justice in the land, wonder not at the matter: for [there is] a high one to watch over him that is high, and high ones over them.
9 Wɔn nyinaa fa asase no so siade; na ɔhene no ankasa nya mfuw no so mfaso.
Also the abundance of the earth is for every one: the king [is dependent on] the tilled field.
10 Nea nʼani bere sika no nnya nea ɛdɔɔso da; na nea ɔpɛ ahonyade dodow no ani nsɔ nea onya. Eyi nso yɛ ahuhude.
He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver: and who has loved gain, in the abundance thereof? this is also vanity.
11 Adetɔnnne bu so a, saa ara na atɔfo no nso dɔɔso. Na mfaso bɛn na nea ɛwɔ no no nya sen sɛ ɔde nʼani bɛhwɛ?
In the multitude of good they are increased that eat it: and what virtue has the owner, but the right of beholding [it] with his eyes?
12 Ɔpaani da ma nʼani kum, sɛ wadidi amee, anaasɛ wammee, nanso ɔdefo ahonya dodow nti ontumi nna.
The sleep of a servant is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but to one who is satiated with wealth, there is none that suffers him to sleep.
13 Mahu bɔne kɛse wɔ owia yi ase: wɔde ahode sie de haw ne wuranom,
There is an infirmity which I have seen under the sun, [namely], wealth kept for its owner to his hurt.
14 anaasɛ ahode fa atoyerɛnkyɛm bi so hwere sɛ ɛbɛyɛ na wonya mma a wɔremmɛto hwee mfa.
And that wealth shall perish in an evil trouble: and [the man] begets a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
15 Adagyaw na onipa de fi ne na yafunu mu bae, na sɛnea ɔbae no, saa ara na ɔbɛkɔ. Ɔremfa nʼadwumayɛ so mfaso biara a obetumi akita wɔ ne nsa mu no nkɔ.
As he came forth naked from his mother's womb, he shall return back as he came, and he shall receive nothing for his labour, that it should go [with him] in his hand.
16 Eyi nso yɛ ɔhaw kɛse: Sɛnea onipa ba no, saa ara na ɔkɔ, na mfaso bɛn na onya wɔ bere a ɔyɛ adwuma ma mframa?
And this is also an evil infirmity: for as he came, so also shall he return: and what is his gain, for which he vainly labours?
17 Ne nna nyinaa mu no, odidi a nʼanom nyɛ no dɛ, efisɛ abawpa, ateetee ne abufuw wɔ no so.
Yes, all his days are in darkness, and in mourning, and much sorrow, and infirmity, and wrath.
18 Afei mihuu sɛ eye ma onipa sɛ obedidi na wanom na wama nʼani agye nʼadwumaden ho wɔ owia yi ase, wɔ mmere kakra a Onyankopɔn de ama no yi mu, efisɛ eyi ne ne kyɛfa.
Behold, I have seen good, that it is a fine thing [for a man] to eat and to drink, and to see good in all his labour in which he may labour under the sun, [all] the number of the days of his life which God has given to him: for it is his portion.
19 Nea ɛka ho ne sɛ, sɛ Onyankopɔn ma onipa bi ahonyade ne adenya, na onya ahotɔ, de anigye yɛ nʼadwuma, na ohu sɛ ne kyɛfa ne no a, ɔnkae sɛ ɛyɛ Onyankopɔn akyɛde.
Yes, and [as for] every man to whom God has given wealth and possessions, and has given him power to eat thereof, and to receive his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
20 Ɔntaa ntena ase nnwen ne nkwanna ho, efisɛ Onyankopɔn de koma mu anigye ama no.
For he shall not much remember the days of his life; for God troubles him in the mirth of his heart.
