Ɔsɛnkafoɔ 8
1 Hwan na ɔte sɛ onyansafoɔ? Hwan na ɔnim sɛdeɛ nneɛma teɛ? Nimdeɛ te nnipa anim na ɛbrɛ ne denyɛ ase.
The wisdom of a man shines in his countenance, and even the expression of a most powerful man will change.
2 Mese: Di ɔhene ɔhyɛ nsɛm so, ɛfiri sɛ wokaa ntam wɔ Onyankopɔn anim.
I heed the mouth of the king, and the commandment of an oath to God.
3 Mpɛ ntɛm mfiri ɔhene anim. Nnyina mu mma obi asɛm a ɛnyɛ dɛ, na onii no anyɛ deɛ ɔpɛ biara.
You should not hastily withdraw from his presence, nor should you remain in an evil work. For all that pleases him, he will do.
4 Esiane sɛ ɔhene asɛm boro obiara deɛ so enti, hwan na ɔbɛtumi aka akyerɛ no sɛ: “Ɛdeɛn na woreyɛ yi?”
And his word is filled with authority. Neither is anyone able to say to him: “Why are you acting this way?”
5 Deɛ ɔdi ne nhyɛ nsɛm so no renkɔ ɔhaw biara mu, na nyansa akoma bɛhunu ɛberɛ a ɛsɛ, ne ne kwan.
Whoever keeps the commandment will not experience evil. The heart of a wise man understands the time to respond.
6 Adeyɛ biara wɔ ne ɛberɛ a ɛfata ne ɛkwan a wɔfa so yɛ, nanso onipa haw hyɛ no so bebree.
For every matter, there is a time and an opportunity, as well as many difficulties, for man.
7 Esiane sɛ obiara nnim daakye asɛm enti, hwan na ɔbɛtumi akyerɛ no deɛ ɛreba?
For he is ignorant of the past, and he is able to know nothing of the future by means of a messenger.
8 Obiara nni mframa so tumi na waboa ano; saa ara na obiara nni ne wuda so tumi. Na sɛdeɛ wɔmma obiara nkɔ ahomegyeɛ wɔ ɔko berɛ mu no, saa ara na amumuyɛ rennyaa wɔn a wɔdi amumuyɛsɛm.
It is not in the power of a man to prohibit the spirit, nor does he have authority over the day of death, nor is he permitted to rest when war breaks out, and neither will impiety save the impious.
9 Mehunuu yeinom nyinaa ɛberɛ a medwenee nneɛma a wɔyɛ wɔ owia yi ase ho. Ɛberɛ bi wɔ hɔ a onipa hyɛ afoforɔ so ma ɛdane ɔhaw ma no.
I have considered all these things, and I have applied my heart to all the works which are being done under the sun. Sometimes one man rules over another to his own harm.
10 Bio, mehunuu sɛ wɔasie amumuyɛfoɔ, wɔn a anka wɔdi akɔneaba wɔ kronkronbea hɔ de gye nkamfo wɔ kuropɔn a wɔyɛɛ saa no mu. Yei nso yɛ ahuhudeɛ.
I have seen the impious buried. These same, while they were still living, were in the holy place, and they were praised in the city as workers of justice. But this, too, is emptiness.
11 Sɛ bɔne bi ho asotwe amma ntɛm a, nnipa dwene nhyehyɛeɛ a wɔde yɛ bɔne ho.
For the sons of men perpetrate evils without any fear, because judgment is not pronounced quickly against the evil.
12 Ɛwom sɛ omumuyɛfoɔ bi yɛ bɔne mpɛn ɔha nanso ɔtena ase kyɛ, nanso menim sɛ ɛbɛsi wɔn a wɔsuro Onyankopɔn no yie, wɔn a wɔdi Onyankopɔn ni no.
But although a sinner may do evil of himself one hundred times, and by patience still endure, I realize that it will be well with those who fear God, who revere his face.
13 Nanso ɛsiane sɛ amumuyɛfoɔ nsuro Onyankopɔn enti, ɛrensi wɔn yie na wɔn nna renware sɛ sunsumma.
So, may it not go well with the impious, and may his days not be prolonged. And let those who do not fear the face of the Lord pass away like a shadow.
14 Adeɛ bi nso a ɛyɛ ahuhudeɛ a ɛsi wɔ asase so, ɛne sɛ, ateneneefoɔ bi nya akatua a ɛfata amumuyɛfoɔ, na amumuyɛfoɔ bi nya akatua a ɛfata ateneneefoɔ. Yei nso, mese ɛyɛ ahuhudeɛ.
There is also another vanity, which is done upon the earth. There are the just, to whom evils happen, as though they had done the works of the impious. And there are the impious, who are very secure, as though they possess the deeds of the just. But this, too, I judge to be a very great vanity.
15 Enti mekamfo ewiase mu anigyeɛ, ɛfiri sɛ biribiara nni owia yi ase a ɛyɛ ma onipa sene sɛ ɔbɛdidi, anom ama nʼani agye. Na afei ɔbɛnya anigyeɛ wɔ nʼadwumayɛ mu wɔ nna a Onyankopɔn ama no wɔ owia yi ase nyinaa.
And so, I praised rejoicing, because there was no good for a man under the sun, except to eat and drink, and to be cheerful, and because he may take nothing with him from his labor in the days of his life, which God has given to him under the sun.
16 Ɛberɛ a mepɛ sɛ mɛte nimdeɛ ase ne ɔbrɛ adwuma a onipa yɛ wɔ asase so a ɔnna awia anaa anadwo no,
And I applied my heart, so that I might know wisdom, and so that I might understand a disturbance that turns upon the earth: it is a man, who takes no sleep with his eyes, day and night.
17 mehunuu deɛ Onyankopɔn ayɛ nyinaa. Obiara rentumi nte deɛ ɛkɔ so wɔ owia yi ase no ase. Ne mmɔdemmɔ nyinaa akyi, onipa rentumi nhunu asekyerɛ da. Sɛ mpo onyansafoɔ bi ka sɛ ɔnim a, ɔrentumi nte aseɛ yie da.
And I understood that man is able to find no explanation for all those works of God which are done under the sun. And so, the more that he labors to seek, so much the less does he find. Yes, even if a wise man were to claim that he knows, he would not be able to discover it.
