Ɔsɛnkafoɔ 2
1 Mekaa mʼakomam sɛ, “Afei bra, mede anigyeɛ bɛsɔ wo ahwɛ na yɛahunu deɛ ɛyɛ.” Nanso, ankɔsi hwee.
So then I thought to myself, “Alright, let me examine pleasure and see how good that is.” But this too turned out to be something temporary that passes.
2 Mekaa sɛ, “Ɔsereɛ yɛ nkwaseadeɛ. Na ɛdeɛn na anigyeɛ tumi yɛ?”
I conclude that laughing your way through life is stupid, and pleasure—what use is that?
3 Mepɛɛ sɛ mehunu deɛ ɛyɛ pa ara ma yɛn wɔ ɛberɛ tiawa a yɛwɔ wɔ asase yi so. Enti meyɛɛ mʼadwene sɛ mede nsã bɛsɛpɛ me ho na mahwehwɛ, ahunu nkwaseasɛm asekyerɛ, a mʼankasa deɛ, mennyɛ ɔkwasea.
Then I used my mind to examine the attraction of wine to my body. My mind still guiding me with wisdom, I took it until I acted like a fool, so that I might see whether this was good for people to do during their time here.
4 Mede me nsa hyɛɛ nnwuma akɛseɛ ase; mesisii adan yɛɛ bobe nturo.
Then I tried great construction projects. I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.
5 Meyɛɛ nturo ne ahomegyebea na meduaduaa nnuaba ahodoɔ bebree wɔ mu.
I made for myself gardens and parks, planting them with all kinds of fruit trees.
6 Mesisii nsukoraeɛ a mɛtwe nsuo afiri mu, de agugu nnua a ɛrenyini no so.
I constructed for myself reservoirs to water all these growing trees.
7 Metɔɔ nkoa ne mfenaa, na menyaa ebinom nso a wɔwoo wɔn wɔ me fie. Afei nso menyaa anantwie ne nnwan bebree sene obiara a wadi mʼanim wɔ Yerusalem.
I bought male and female slaves, and their children also belonged to me. I also owned many herds and flocks, more than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
8 Mepɛɛ dwetɛ ne sikakɔkɔɔ, gyegyee ahemfo ne amantam no ademudeɛ kaa ho. Mefaa mmarima ne mmaa nnwomtofoɔ, pɛɛ mmaa atenaeɛ nso; deɛ ɛyɛ ɔbarima akoma anigyedeɛ biara.
I collected for myself great quantities of silver and gold, paid to me as tribute by kings and provinces. I brought in for myself male and female singers, and enjoyed many concubines—all a man could want!
9 Megyee edin sene obiara a wadi mʼanim wɔ Yerusalem. Yeinom nyinaa mu no, me nimdeɛ kɔɔ so yɛɛ adwuma.
I became great—greater than anyone in Jerusalem before me. All the while my wisdom stayed with me.
10 Deɛ mʼani hwehwɛeɛ biara, mamfa ankame no; mansi mʼakoma anigyeɛ ho ɛkwan. Mʼakoma ani gyee me nnwuma nyinaa ho, na yei yɛ mʼadwumayɛ so akatua.
I didn't stop myself trying anything I wanted. Whatever I felt like enjoying, I did. I even enjoyed everything I had accomplished, a reward for all my work.
11 Nanso sɛ mehwɛ deɛ me nsa ayɛ nyinaa ne deɛ mabrɛ anya a, ne nyinaa nka hwee, ɛte sɛ deɛ wɔtu mmirika taa mframa. Mannya mfasoɔ biara wɔ owia yi ase.
But when I thought about what I had worked so hard to achieve, everything I'd done, it was so short-lived—as significant as someone trying to catch the wind. There really is no enduring benefit here on earth.
12 Mede mʼadwene kɔɔ nimdeɛ, abɔdamsɛm ne nkwaseasɛm so. Ɛdeɛn bio na deɛ wɔadi ɔhene adeɛ bɛtumi ayɛ asene deɛ wɔayɛ dada no?
So I started to think about wisdom—and madness and foolishness. For what can anyone who comes after the king do that hasn't already been done?
13 Mehunuu sɛ, nimdeɛ yɛ sene nkwaseasɛm, sɛdeɛ hann yɛ sene esum no.
I recognized that wisdom is better than foolishness just as light is better than darkness.
14 Onyansafoɔ ani wɔ ne tirim, na ɔkwasea deɛ, ɔnante esum mu; nanso mehunuu sɛ wɔn nyinaa hyɛberɛ yɛ pɛ.
The wise see where they're going, but fools walk in darkness. But I also realized that they all come to the same end.
15 Afei mesusuu mʼakomam sɛ, “Ɔkwasea hyɛberɛ bɛto me nso. Enti sɛ mehunu nyansa a, mfasoɔ bɛn na menya?” Mekaa wɔ mʼakomam sɛ, “Yei nso nka hwee.”
Then I thought to myself, “If I'm going to end up the same as a fool, what's the point of being so wise?” So I thought to myself, “This is also hard to understand!”
16 Te sɛ ɔkwasea no, ɔnyansafoɔ nso, wɔrenkae no daa; nna a ɛreba no mu, wɔrenkae wɔn baanu no. Te sɛ ɔkwasea no, onyansafoɔ nso bɛwu!
Nobody remembers the wise or the fool for very long—in the future everything will be forgotten. Whether wise or foolish, they both die.
17 Ɛno enti asetena fonoo me, na adwuma a yɛyɛ wɔ owia yi ase no haa me. Ne nyinaa yɛ ahuhudeɛ, te sɛ deɛ wɔtu mmirika taa mframa.
So I ended up feeling disgusted with life because everything that happens here on earth is so distressing. It's so incomprehensible, like trying to control the wind.
18 Mekyirii deɛ mayɛ adwuma apɛ nyinaa wɔ owia yi ase, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ megya hɔ ma deɛ ɔbɛdi mʼadeɛ.
I even ended up hating what I had achieved here on earth because I have to hand it over to whoever comes after me.
19 Na hwan na ɔnim sɛ onipa ko no bɛyɛ onyansafoɔ anaa ɔkwasea? Nanso deɛ mabiri me mogya ani apɛ wɔ owia yi ase nyinaa bɛkɔ ne nsam. Yei nso yɛ ahuhudeɛ.
And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will rule over everything I accomplished through my wisdom here on earth. This is just so frustrating, so hard to understand!
20 Enti mepaa aba wɔ owia yi ase adwumaden ho.
I decided to give up, my mind in despair over the significance of all my life's achievements.
21 Na onipa bɛfiri ne nimdeɛ, nyansa ne adwumayɛ ho nimdeɛ mu ayɛ nʼasɛdeɛ, na afei ɛsɛ sɛ ogya nʼadwumayɛ so aba ma obi a ɔnyɛɛ adwuma biara. Yei nso yɛ ahuhudeɛ, na ɛha adwene.
For you can work wisely, knowledgably, and with skill—and who benefits? Someone who hasn't worked for it! This is both frustrating and totally unjust!
22 Ɛdeɛn na onipa nya firi ne brɛ ne dadwene a ɔde yɛ adwuma wɔ owia yi ase mu?
What do you get here on earth for all your hard work and worry?
23 Ne nkwa nna nyinaa, nʼadwumayɛ yɛ ɔyea ne ɔhaw; anadwo mpo nʼadwene yɛ adwuma. Yei nso yɛ ahuhudeɛ.
Your working life is full of trouble and strife—even at night your thoughts keep you awake. This is tough to comprehend!
24 Biribiara nsene sɛ onipa bɛdidi na wanom na wanya ahomeka wɔ adwumayɛ mu. Yei nso mehunuu sɛ ɛfiri Onyankopɔn,
So what's the best thing to do? Eat, drink, and enjoy your work, recognizing as I did that these things are given to us by God,
25 ɛfiri sɛ ɛnyɛ ɔno a, anka hwan na ɔbɛtumi adidi anaasɛ ɔbɛnya ahomeka?
for who can eat or enjoy life apart from him?
26 Onipa a ɔsɔ Onyankopɔn ani no, ɔma no nimdeɛ, nyansa ne anigyeɛ, nanso omumuyɛfoɔ deɛ, ɔma ɔboaboa ahonyadeɛ ano ma deɛ ɔsɔ Onyankopɔn ani. Yei nso yɛ ahuhudeɛ, sɛdeɛ wɔde mmirikatuo taa mframa.
To those who are good, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But to the sinner God gives the task of gathering and collecting wealth, only to hand it over to someone who pleases God. This also shows how fleeting life is, and hard to understand—like trying to understand how the wind blows.
