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 thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that 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.
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3 Adaeso fi adwennwen bebree mu ba, na nsɛm dodow da adi wɔ ɔkwasea kasa mu.
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by 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.
When thou vowest a vow to God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
5 Sɛ woanhyɛ bɔ koraa a eye sen sɛ wobɛhyɛ bɔ na wunni so.
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest 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?
Permit not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: why should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
7 Adaeso ne nsɛnkeka bebree nka hwee. Enti suro Onyankopɔn.
For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also many vanities: but fear thou 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 thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, wonder not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there are higher than they.
9 Wɔn nyinaa fa asase no so siade; na ɔhene no ankasa nya mfuw no so mfaso.
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the 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 loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: 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?
When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners of them, except the beholding of them with their eyes?
12 Ɔpaani da ma nʼani kum, sɛ wadidi amee, anaasɛ wammee, nanso ɔdefo ahonya dodow nti ontumi nna.
The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eateth little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.
13 Mahu bɔne kɛse wɔ owia yi ase: wɔde ahode sie de haw ne wuranom,
There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners of them to their hurt.
14 anaasɛ ahode fa atoyerɛnkyɛm bi so hwere sɛ ɛbɛyɛ na wonya mma a wɔremmɛto hwee mfa.
But those riches perish by evil labour: and he begetteth 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 of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away 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 grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
17 Ne nna nyinaa mu no, odidi a nʼanom nyɛ no dɛ, efisɛ abawpa, ateetee ne abufuw wɔ no so.
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
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 and proper for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth 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 hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat of it, and to take 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; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
