Ɔsɛnkafoɔ 1
1 Yeinom ne nsɛm a Ɔsɛnkafoɔ, ɔhene Dawid babarima a ɔyɛ ɔhene wɔ Yerusalem seɛ:
These are the words of the Teacher, the descendant of David and king in Jerusalem.
2 “Ahuhudeɛ! Ahuhudeɛ!” Ɔsɛnkafoɔ no na ɔseɛ. “Ahuhudeɛ mu ahuhudeɛ Biribiara yɛ ahuhudeɛ.”
The Teacher says this. “Like a vapor of mist, like a breeze in the wind, everything vanishes, leaving many questions.
3 Ɛdeɛn na onipa nya firi nʼadwumayɛ nyinaa mu? Deɛn na ɔnya firi deɛ enti ɔkum ne ho yɛ no awia so no?
What profit does mankind gain from all the work that they labor at under the sun?
4 Awoɔ ntoatoasoɔ ba na ɛkɔ, nanso asase tim hɔ daa.
One generation goes, and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5 Owia pue na owia kɔtɔ, na ɛyɛ ntɛm kɔ deɛ ɛpue firiiɛ hɔ.
The sun rises, and it goes down and hurries back to the place where it rises again.
6 Mframa bɔ kɔ anafoɔ fam na ɛdane hwɛ atifi fam; ɛkyinkyini kɔ baabiara na ɛsane bɔ fa ne kwan so.
The wind blows south and circles around to the north, always going around along its pathway and coming back again.
7 Nsubɔntene nyinaa tene kɔgu ɛpo mu, nanso ɛpo nyɛ ma da. Baabi a nsubɔntene no firie no ɛhɔ na wɔsane kɔ bio.
All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea is never full. To the place where the rivers go, there they go again.
8 Biribiara yɛ ɔbrɛ a ɛboro deɛ obi bɛka soɔ. Ani nhwɛ adeɛ nwie da na aso nso ntie nsɛm mma ɛmmu so da.
Everything becomes wearisome, and no one can explain it. The eye is not satisfied by what it sees, nor is the ear fulfilled by what it hears.
9 Deɛ aba no bɛba bio, deɛ wɔayɛ no, wɔbɛyɛ bio; adeɛ foforɔ biara nni owia yi ase.
Whatever has been is what will be, and whatever has been done is what will be done. There is nothing new under the sun.
10 Biribi wɔ hɔ a wɔbɛtumi aka wɔ ho sɛ: “Hwɛ! Yei yɛ ade foforɔ” anaa? Ɛwɔ hɔ dada firi tete nteredee; ɛwɔ hɔ ansa na wɔwoo yɛn.
Is there anything about which it may be said, 'Look, this is new'? Whatever exists has already existed for a long time, during ages which came long before us.
11 Wɔnnkae tetefoɔ no, na wɔn a wɔnnya nnwoo wɔn no nso wɔn a wɔbɛdi wɔn akyi no renkae wɔn.
No one seems to remember the things that happened in ancient times, and the things that happened much later and that will happen in the future will not likely be remembered either.”
12 Me, Ɔsɛnkafoɔ, na meyɛ Israelhene wɔ Yerusalem.
I am the Teacher, and I have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 Metuu me ho sii hɔ sɛ mede nimdeɛ bɛsua ayɛ nhwehwɛmu wɔ biribiara a wɔyɛ no owia yi ase ho. Adesoa duruduru bɛn na Onyankopɔn de ato adasamma soɔ yi!
I applied my mind to study and to search out by wisdom everything that is done under heaven. That search is a burdensome task that God has given to the children of mankind to be busy with.
14 Mahunu biribiara a wɔyɛ no owia yi ase; ne nyinaa nka hwee, ɛte sɛ deɛ obi de mmirika taa mframa.
I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun, and look, they all amount to vapor and chasing the wind.
15 Deɛ akyea no, wɔntumi ntene; na deɛ ɛnni hɔ no, wɔntumi nkan.
The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!
16 Mekaa wɔ me ho sɛ, “Hwɛ, manyini na manya nimdeɛ bebree asene obiara a watena Yerusalem ahennwa so ansa na merebɛdi adeɛ. Manya nhunumu ne nimdeɛ mu osuahunu.”
I have spoken to my heart saying, “Look, I have acquired greater wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My mind has seen great wisdom and knowledge.”
17 Afei, meyɛɛ mʼadwene sɛ mɛhwehwɛ na mate nimdeɛ ase, ɛne abɔdamsɛm ne nkwaseasɛm. Nanso mehunuu sɛ yei nso te sɛ deɛ obi di mmirika taa mframa.
So I applied my heart to know wisdom and also madness and folly. I came to understand that this also was an attempt to shepherd the wind.
18 Nimdeɛ bebree de awerɛhoɔ na ɛba; nyansa bebree de ahohiahia bebree ba.
For in the abundance of wisdom there is much frustration, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
