Ɔsɛnkafoɔ 6
1 Mahunu bɔne foforɔ bi wɔ owia yi ase a ɛhyɛ nnipa so yie:
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is great on men:
2 Onyankopɔn ma onipa ahonyadeɛ, adenya ne animuonyam sɛdeɛ biribiara a nʼakoma pɛ no ɛmmɔ no, nanso Onyankopɔn amma no kwan sɛ ɔmfa nnye nʼani, na ɔhɔhoɔ mmom na ɔde gye nʼani. Yei yɛ ahuhudeɛ, ɔhaw a ɛyɛ yea.
[There is many] a man to whom God hath given riches, property, and honor, and nothing is wanting for his soul of all that he longeth for: yet God empowereth him not to eat thereof, but a stranger will consume it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
3 Onipa bɛtumi anya mma ɔha na wanyini akyɛre; nanso ne mfeɛ dodoɔ yi akyi no, nʼahonya no amma nʼani annye, na ne sie nso anyɛ fɛ a, ɔpɔn ba ho wɔ mfasoɔ sene no.
If a man were to beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years were many, and his soul were not satisfied with what is good, and he have not had even a burial: then do I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.
4 Ne ba no yɛ adehunu, esum mu na ɔkorɔ, na esum akata ne din so.
For in vanity it came, and in darkness it departeth, and with darkness will its name be covered.
5 Ɛwom sɛ wanhunu owia na ɔnnim hwee deɛ, nanso ɔbɛnya ahomegyeɛ bebree sene deɛ saa ɔbarima no bɛnya.
Moreover it never saw the sun, and knew nothing: this hath more rest than the other.
6 Mpo sɛ ɔtena ase mfeɛ apem mmɔho na wammfa nʼahonyadeɛ annye nʼani a, wɔn nyinaa nkɔ faako anaa?
Yea, though he were to live a thousand years twice told, and had not seen any good— doth not every one go to one place?
7 Onipa brɛ nyinaa yɛ nʼano ntia, nanso nʼakɔnnɔdeɛ mmee no da.
All the toil of a man is for his mouth; and yet is his desire never filled.
8 Na ɛdeɛn na onyansafoɔ wɔ de sene ɔkwasea? Sɛ ohiani yɛ nʼakwan yie wɔ afoforɔ anim a mfasoɔ bɛn na ɔbɛnya?
For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk [properly] before the living?
9 Deɛ aniwa hunu no yɛ sene deɛ akɔnnɔ kyini hwehwɛ. Yei nso yɛ ahuhudeɛ. Ɛte sɛ wotaa mframa.
Better is what one seeth with the eyes than the wandering of the desire. Also this is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
10 Deɛ ɛwɔ hɔ biara, wɔato edin dada, na sɛdeɛ onipa teɛ nso, wɔnim dada; onipa biara rentumi ne deɛ ɔwɔ ahoɔden sene noɔ nnye yei ho akyinnyeɛ.
That which hath been is already called by its name, and it is known that he is a man: and he is not able to contend with him that is mightier than he.
11 Nsɛm dɔɔso a, emu aba yɛ kakraa bi, na ɛho wɔ mfasoɔ ma onipa anaa?
For there are many things that increase vanity: what advantage [cometh thence] for man?
12 Na hwan na ɔnim deɛ ɛyɛ ma onipa wɔ ne nkwanna kakra bi a ɛyɛ ahuhudeɛ na ɔfa mu kɔ sɛ sunsumma no? Hwan na ɔbɛtumi aka deɛ ɛbɛsi wɔ owia yi ase akyerɛ no ɛberɛ a ɔkorɔ no.
For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, the number of the days of his vain life, that he should spend them as a shadow? for who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?
