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 feet when you go to a house of God, and draw near to hear rather than to give of fools the sacrifice, for they do not know they do 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.
Do not cause your mouth to hurry, and do not let your heart hurry to bring out a word before God, for God is in the heavens, and you on the earth, therefore let your words be few.
3 Adaeso fi adwennwen bebree mu ba, na nsɛm dodow da adi wɔ ɔkwasea kasa mu.
For the dream has come by abundance of business, and the voice of a fool by abundance of words.
4 Sɛ wohyɛ Onyankopɔn bɔ a, ntwentwɛn wo nan ase wɔ ho. Onni anigye wɔ nkwaseafo mu; enti di wo bɔhyɛ so.
When you vow a vow to God, do not delay to complete it, for there is no pleasure in fools; that which you vow—complete.
5 Sɛ woanhyɛ bɔ koraa a eye sen sɛ wobɛhyɛ bɔ na wunni so.
Better that you do not vow, than that you vow and do not complete.
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?
Do not permit your mouth to cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger that it [is] ignorance. Why is God angry because of your voice and has destroyed the work of your hands?
7 Adaeso ne nsɛnkeka bebree nka hwee. Enti suro Onyankopɔn.
For in the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound; but fear 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 oppression of the poor, and violent taking away of judgment and righteousness you see in a province, do not marvel at the matter, for a higher than the high is observing, and high ones [are] over them.
9 Wɔn nyinaa fa asase no so siade; na ɔhene no ankasa nya mfuw no so mfaso.
And the abundance of a land is for all. A king for a field is served.
10 Nea nʼani bere sika no nnya nea ɛdɔɔso da; na nea ɔpɛ ahonyade dodow no ani nsɔ nea onya. Eyi nso yɛ ahuhude.
Whoever is loving silver is not satisfied [with] silver, nor he who is in love with stores [with] increase. Even this [is] 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 multiplying of good have its consumers been multiplied, and what benefit [is] to its possessor except the sight of his eyes?
12 Ɔpaani da ma nʼani kum, sɛ wadidi amee, anaasɛ wammee, nanso ɔdefo ahonya dodow nti ontumi nna.
Sweet [is] the sleep of the laborer whether he eat little or much; and the sufficiency of the wealthy is not permitting him to sleep.
13 Mahu bɔne kɛse wɔ owia yi ase: wɔde ahode sie de haw ne wuranom,
There is a painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil.
14 anaasɛ ahode fa atoyerɛnkyɛm bi so hwere sɛ ɛbɛyɛ na wonya mma a wɔremmɛto hwee mfa.
And that wealth has been lost in an evil business, and he has begotten 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 out from the belly of his mother, naked he turns back to go as he came, and he does not take away anything of his labor, that goes 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 also [is] a painful evil, just as he came, so he goes, and what advantage [is] to him who labors for wind?
17 Ne nna nyinaa mu no, odidi a nʼanom nyɛ no dɛ, efisɛ abawpa, ateetee ne abufuw wɔ no so.
He also consumes all his days in darkness, and sadness, and wrath, and sickness abound.
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, that which I have seen: [It is] good, because beautiful, to eat, and to drink, and to see good in all one’s labor that he labors at under the sun, the number of the days of his life that 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.
Every man also to whom God has given wealth and riches, and has given him power to eat of it, and to accept his portion, and to rejoice in his labor, this is a gift of God.
20 Ɔntaa ntena ase nnwen ne nkwanna ho, efisɛ Onyankopɔn de koma mu anigye ama no.
For he does not much remember the days of his life, for God is answering through the joy of his heart.
