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.

For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred [by] all [that is] before 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.

All [things come] alike to all: [there is] one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as [is] the good, so [is] the sinner; [and] he that sweareth, as [he] that feareth an oath.

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] an evil among all [things] that are done under the sun, that [there is] one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart while they live, and after that [they go] to the dead.

4 Obiara a ɔka ateasefo ho no wɔ anidaso, mpo ɔkraman a ɔte ase ye sen gyata a wawu.

For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living 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.

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

6 Wɔn dɔ, ɔtan ne ninkunu atu ayera dedaw; wonni hwee yɛ wɔ biribiara a esi wɔ owia yi ase mu.

Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any [thing] that is done under the sun.

7 Enti kɔ, fa anigye di wʼaduan, na fa ahosɛpɛw koma nom wo nsa, efisɛ saa bere yi na Onyankopɔn pene nea woyɛ so.

Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

8 Bere biara ma wʼadurade nyɛ fitaa na fa ngohuam sra wo tirim.

Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

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.

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that [is] thy portion in [this] life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

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)

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for [there is] no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (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 returned, and saw under the sun, that the race [is] not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

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.

For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so [are] the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

13 Bio, mihuu saa nimdeɛ ho nhwɛso yi wɔ owia yi ase ma mʼani gyee ho yiye:

This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it [seemed] great unto me:

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.

[There was] a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

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.

Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

16 Enti mekae se, “Nimdeɛ ye sen ahoɔden.” Nanso wobuu ohiani no nimdeɛ no animtiaa, na obiara ntie nʼasɛm bio.

Then said I, Wisdom [is] better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom [is] despised, and his words are not heard.

17 Ɛsɛ sɛ wotie onyansafo nsɛm a ɔka no brɛoo no na ɛnyɛ nkwaseafo sodifo nteɛteɛmu.

The words of wise [men are] heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

18 Nimdeɛ ye sen akode, nanso ɔdebɔneyɛni baako sɛe nnepa bebree.

Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.