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.
Guard your steps when you go to God’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don’t know 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.
Don’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
3 Sɛdeɛ adaeɛsoɔ firi adwendwene bebree mu ba no, saa ara na ɔkwasea kasa tentene teɛ.
For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with 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 you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.
5 Sɛ woanhyɛ bɔ koraa a, ɛyɛ sene sɛ wobɛhyɛ bɔ na wonni so.
It is better that you should not vow, than that you should 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?
Don’t allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don’t protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
7 Adaeɛso ne nsɛm keka bebree nka hwee. Enti suro Onyankopɔn.
For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words; but you must fear 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 you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter, for one official is eyed by a higher one, and there are officials over them.
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 profits from 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 who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is 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, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his 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 eats 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: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.
14 anaasɛ ɔbɛhwere ahonyadeɛ wɔ amanehunu mu a enti sɛ ɔnya ɔbabarima bi a hwee nni hɔ a wɔde bɛgya no.
Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, 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 out of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for 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?
This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labours 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 he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.
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 to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour, in which he labours under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this 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 has given riches and wealth, and has 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 often reflect on the days of his life, because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.
