Ɔsɛnkafo 9
1 Enti medwenee eyinom nyinaa ho na mihuu sɛ atreneefo, anyansafo ne nea wɔyɛ wɔ Onyankopɔn nsam; nanso obiara nnim sɛ ɔdɔ anaasɛ ɔtan retwɛn no.
I had my mind consider all this. Wise and good people and everything they do are in God's hands. Love or hate—who knows what will happen to them?
2 Wɔn nyinaa nkrabea yɛ baako; atreneefo ne amumɔyɛfo, nnipa pa ne nnipa bɔne, wɔn a wɔn ho tew ne wɔn a wɔn ho ntew, wɔn a wɔbɔ afɔre ne wɔn a wɔmmɔ. Sɛnea ɛte ma onipa pa no, saa ara na ɛte ma ɔbɔnefo; sɛnea ɛte ma wɔn a wɔka ntam no, saa ara na ɛte ma wɔn a wosuro sɛ wɔbɛka ntam.
Yet we all share the same destiny—those who do right, those who do evil, the good, the religiously-observant and those that are not, those who sacrifice and those who don't. Those who do good are as those who sin, those who make vows to God are as those who don't.
3 Eyi ne bɔne a ɛwɔ biribiara a esi wɔ owia yi ase mu. Nkrabeakoro ba yɛn nyinaa so. Nea ɛka ho ne sɛ, bɔne ahyɛ nnipa koma mu ma na adammɔ nsɛm wɔ wɔn koma mu, bere a wɔwɔ nkwa mu, na akyiri no wɔkɔka awufo ho.
This is just so wrong—that everyone here on earth should suffer the same fate! On top of that, people's minds are filled with evil. They spend their lives thinking about stupid things, and then they die.
4 Obiara a ɔka ateasefo ho no wɔ anidaso, mpo ɔkraman a ɔte ase ye sen gyata a wawu.
But the living still have hope—a live dog is better than a dead lion!
5 Na ateasefo nim sɛ wobewu, nanso awufo nnim hwee; wonni akatua biara bio, na wɔn ho nkae mpo ayera.
The living are conscious of the fact that they're going to die, but the dead have no consciousness of anything. They don't receive any further benefit; they're forgotten.
6 Wɔn dɔ, ɔtan ne ninkunu atu ayera dedaw; wonni hwee yɛ wɔ biribiara a esi wɔ owia yi ase mu.
Their love, hate, and envy—it's all gone. They have no further part in anything that happens here on earth.
7 Enti kɔ, fa anigye di wʼaduan, na fa ahosɛpɛw koma nom wo nsa, efisɛ saa bere yi na Onyankopɔn pene nea woyɛ so.
So go ahead and eat your food, and enjoy it. Drink your wine with a happy heart. That's what God intends that you should do.
8 Bere biara ma wʼadurade nyɛ fitaa na fa ngohuam sra wo tirim.
Always wear smart clothes and look good.
9 Wo ne wo yere, munnye mo ani, ɔbea a wodɔ no no, wɔ nna a ɛnka hwee a Onyankopɔn de ama mo wɔ owia yi ase, mo ahuhude nna no. Efisɛ ɛyɛ mo kyɛfa wɔ mo nkwanna mu, ne mo adwumaden wɔ owia yi ase.
Enjoy life with the wife that you love—the one God gave you—during all the days of this brief life, all these passing days whose meaning is so hard to understand as you work here on earth.
10 Nea wo nsa bɛso so biara, fa wʼahoɔden nyinaa yɛ, efisɛ ɔda a wɔrekɔ mu no, adwumayɛ, adwennwene, nhumu ne nimdeɛ nni hɔ. (Sheol h7585)
Whatever you do, do it with all your strength, for when you go to the grave there's no more working or thinking, no more knowing or being wise. (Sheol h7585)
11 Mihuu biribi foforo wɔ owia yi ase: Mmirikakansi nni hɔ mma nea ne ho yɛ hare anaasɛ ɔko nni hɔ mma ɔhoɔdenfo, aduan mma onyansafo nkyɛn anaasɛ ahonya nnkɔ nhumufo hɔ, na adom nnkɔ nimdefo nkyɛn; nanso bere ne akwannya wɔ hɔ ma wɔn nyinaa.
I thought about other things that happen here on earth. Races are not always won by the fastest runner. Battles are not always decided by the strongest warrior. Also, the wise do not always have food, intelligent people do not always make money, and those who are clever do not always win favor. Time and chance affect all of them.
12 Bio, onipa biara nnim dɔn ko a ne bere bɛso: Sɛnea asau buma mpataa, ne sɛnea afiri yi nnomaa no saa ara na mmere bɔne to nnipa wɔ bere a wɔn ani nni wɔn ho so.
You can't predict when your end will come. Just like fish caught in a net, or birds caught in a trap, so people are suddenly caught by death when they least expect it.
13 Bio, mihuu saa nimdeɛ ho nhwɛso yi wɔ owia yi ase ma mʼani gyee ho yiye:
Here's another aspect of wisdom that impressed me about what happens here on earth.
14 Bere bi na kuropɔn ketewa bi wɔ hɔ a mu nnipa yɛ kakraa bi. Ɔhene bi a ɔwɔ tumi tow hyɛɛ kuropɔn yi so, otwaa ho hyiae na osisii mpie akɛse tiaa no.
Once there was a small town with only a few inhabitants. A powerful king came and besieged the town, building great earth ramps against its walls.
15 Na ohiani bi a onim nyansa wɔ kuropɔn no mu, na ɔnam ne nimdeɛ so gyee kuropɔn no sii hɔ. Nanso obiara ankae saa ohiani no.
In that town lived a man who was wise, but poor. He saved the town by his wisdom. But no one remembered to thank that poor man.
16 Enti mekae se, “Nimdeɛ ye sen ahoɔden.” Nanso wobuu ohiani no nimdeɛ no animtiaa, na obiara ntie nʼasɛm bio.
As I've always said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Yet the wisdom of that poor man was dismissed—people didn't pay attention to what he said.
17 Ɛsɛ sɛ wotie onyansafo nsɛm a ɔka no brɛoo no na ɛnyɛ nkwaseafo sodifo nteɛteɛmu.
It's better to listen to the calm words of a wise person than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
18 Nimdeɛ ye sen akode, nanso ɔdebɔneyɛni baako sɛe nnepa bebree.
It's better to have wisdom than weapons of war; but a sinner can destroy a lot of good.
