Ɔsɛnkafoɔ 5
1 Sɛ wokɔ Onyankopɔn fie a, hwɛ wʼanammɔntuo yie. Bɛn no na tie no sene sɛ wobɛbɔ nkwaseafoɔ afɔdeɛ, wɔn a wɔnnim mfomsoɔ a wɔyɛ no.
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
2 Mpɛ ntɛm nkasa, mma wʼakoma ho mpere no sɛ ɔbɛka asɛm bi wɔ Onyankopɔn anim. Onyankopɔn te ɔsoro na wo deɛ, wo wɔ asase so, enti ma wo nsɛm nyɛ kakraa bi.
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3 Sɛdeɛ adaeɛsoɔ firi adwendwene bebree mu ba no, saa ara na ɔkwasea kasa tentene teɛ.
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by a multitude of words.
4 Sɛ wohyɛ Onyankopɔn bɔ a, ntwentwɛn wo nan ase wɔ ho. Ɔnni anigyeɛ wɔ nkwaseafoɔ mu; enti di wo bɔhyɛ so.
When thou vowest a vow to God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
5 Sɛ woanhyɛ bɔ koraa a, ɛyɛ sene sɛ wobɛhyɛ bɔ na wonni so.
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6 Mma wʼano mfa wo nkɔ bɔne mu. Nyi wʼano nkyerɛ asɔredan mu ɔsomfoɔ sɛ, “Me bɔhyɛ no yɛ mfomsoɔ.” Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ Onyankopɔn bo fu deɛ woka na ɔsɛe wo nsa ano adwuma?
Permit not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: why should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
7 Adaeɛso ne nsɛm keka bebree nka hwee. Enti suro Onyankopɔn.
For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also many vanities: but fear thou God.
8 Sɛ wohunu ohiani a wɔhyɛ ne so wɔ ɔmansin bi mu, na atɛntenenee ne ahofadie abɔ no a, mma yeinom nyɛ wo nwanwa ɛfiri sɛ, deɛ ɔso sene no hwɛ ne so, na deɛ ɔso sene wɔn baanu no nso hwɛ wɔn so.
If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, wonder not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there are higher than they.
9 Asase no so siadeɛ wɔ ɛso nnipa nyinaa, na ɔhene no ankasa na ɔnya mfuo no so mfasodeɛ.
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
10 Deɛ nʼani bere sika no nnya deɛ ɛdɔɔso da; na deɛ ɔpɛ ahonyadeɛ dodoɔ no ani nsɔ deɛ ɔnya. Yei nso yɛ ahuhudeɛ.
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
11 Adetɔndeɛ bu so a, saa ara na atɔfoɔ no nso dɔɔso. Na mfasoɔ bɛn na deɛ ɛwɔ noɔ no nya sene sɛ ɔde nʼani bɛhwɛ?
When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners of them, except the beholding of them with their eyes?
12 Ɔpaani da ma nʼani kum, sɛ wadidi amee anaasɛ wammee, nanso ɔdefoɔ ahonya dodoɔ enti ɔntumi nna.
The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eateth little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.
13 Ɔhaw kɛseɛ bi a mahunu no wɔ owia yi ase nie: sɛ wɔboaboa ahonyadeɛ ano de ha ne wura,
There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners of them to their hurt.
14 anaasɛ ɔbɛhwere ahonyadeɛ wɔ amanehunu mu a enti sɛ ɔnya ɔbabarima bi a hwee nni hɔ a wɔde bɛgya no.
But those riches perish by evil labour: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
15 Adagya na onipa de firi ne maame yafunu mu baeɛ, na sɛdeɛ ɔbaeɛ no, saa ara na ɔbɛkorɔ. Ɔmmfa nʼadwumayɛ so mfasodeɛ biara a ɔbɛtumi akuta wɔ ne nsa mu nkɔ.
As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
16 Yei nso yɛ ɔhaw kɛseɛ: Sɛdeɛ onipa ba no, saa ara na ɔkorɔ, na mfasoɔ bɛn na ɔnya wɔ ɛberɛ a ɔyɛ adwuma ma mframa?
And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
17 Ne nna nyinaa mu no, ɔdidi a, nʼanom nyɛ no dɛ ɛfiri sɛ abamubuo, ateeteeɛ ne abufuo wɔ no so.
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
18 Afei mehunuu sɛ ɛyɛ ma onipa sɛ ɔbɛdidi na wanom na wama nʼani agye nʼadwumaden ho wɔ owia yi ase, wɔ mmerɛ kakra a Onyankopɔn de ama no yi mu, ɛfiri sɛ yei ne ne kyɛfa.
Behold that which I have seen: it is good and proper for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
19 Deɛ ɛka ho ne sɛ, sɛ Onyankopɔn ma onipa bi ahonyadeɛ ne adenya, na ɔnya ahotɔ, de anigyeɛ yɛ nʼadwuma, na ɔhunu sɛ ne kyɛfa ne no a, ɔnnkae sɛ ɛyɛ Onyankopɔn akyɛdeɛ.
Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
20 Ɔnntaa ntena ase nnwene ne nkwa nna ho, ɛfiri sɛ Onyankopɔn de akoma mu anigyeɛ ama no.
For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
