Ɔsɛnkafoɔ 2
1 Mekaa mʼakomam sɛ, “Afei bra, mede anigyeɛ bɛsɔ wo ahwɛ na yɛahunu deɛ ɛyɛ.” Nanso, ankɔsi hwee.
I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth: therefore enjoy pleasure;" and look, this also was vanity.
2 Mekaa sɛ, “Ɔsereɛ yɛ nkwaseadeɛ. Na ɛdeɛn na anigyeɛ tumi yɛ?”
I said of laughter, "It is foolishness;" and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"
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.
I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.
4 Mede me nsa hyɛɛ nnwuma akɛseɛ ase; mesisii adan yɛɛ bobe nturo.
I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.
5 Meyɛɛ nturo ne ahomegyebea na meduaduaa nnuaba ahodoɔ bebree wɔ mu.
I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.
6 Mesisii nsukoraeɛ a mɛtwe nsuo afiri mu, de agugu nnua a ɛrenyini no so.
I made myself pools of water, to water from it the forest where trees were reared.
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 servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem;
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 also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
9 Megyee edin sene obiara a wadi mʼanim wɔ Yerusalem. Yeinom nyinaa mu no, me nimdeɛ kɔɔ so yɛɛ adwuma.
So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained 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.
Whatever my eyes desired, I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.
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.
Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and look, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 Mede mʼadwene kɔɔ nimdeɛ, abɔdamsɛm ne nkwaseasɛm so. Ɛdeɛn bio na deɛ wɔadi ɔhene adeɛ bɛtumi ayɛ asene deɛ wɔayɛ dada no?
I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly. For what can the man who comes after the king do? Just that which he has already done.
13 Mehunuu sɛ, nimdeɛ yɛ sene nkwaseasɛm, sɛdeɛ hann yɛ sene esum no.
Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.
14 Onyansafoɔ ani wɔ ne tirim, na ɔkwasea deɛ, ɔnante esum mu; nanso mehunuu sɛ wɔn nyinaa hyɛberɛ yɛ pɛ.
The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.
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 said I in my heart, "As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?" Then said I in my heart that this also is vanity.
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!
For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory for ever, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool.
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 hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
18 Mekyirii deɛ mayɛ adwuma apɛ nyinaa wɔ owia yi ase, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ megya hɔ ma deɛ ɔbɛdi mʼadeɛ.
I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who 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.
Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
20 Enti mepaa aba wɔ owia yi ase adwumaden ho.
Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.
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 there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 Ɛdeɛn na onipa nya firi ne brɛ ne dadwene a ɔde yɛ adwuma wɔ owia yi ase mu?
For what has a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?
23 Ne nkwa nna nyinaa, nʼadwumayɛ yɛ ɔyea ne ɔhaw; anadwo mpo nʼadwene yɛ adwuma. Yei nso yɛ ahuhudeɛ.
For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
24 Biribiara nsene sɛ onipa bɛdidi na wanom na wanya ahomeka wɔ adwumayɛ mu. Yei nso mehunuu sɛ ɛfiri Onyankopɔn,
There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
25 ɛfiri sɛ ɛnyɛ ɔno a, anka hwan na ɔbɛtumi adidi anaasɛ ɔbɛnya ahomeka?
For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, 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.
For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
