Ɔsɛnkafoɔ 8
1 Hwan na ɔte sɛ onyansafoɔ? Hwan na ɔnim sɛdeɛ nneɛma teɛ? Nimdeɛ te nnipa anim na ɛbrɛ ne denyɛ ase.
Who [is] as the wise [man]? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.
2 Mese: Di ɔhene ɔhyɛ nsɛm so, ɛfiri sɛ wokaa ntam wɔ Onyankopɔn anim.
I [counsel thee] to keep the king’s commandment, and [that] in regard of the oath of God.
3 Mpɛ ntɛm mfiri ɔhene anim. Nnyina mu mma obi asɛm a ɛnyɛ dɛ, na onii no anyɛ deɛ ɔpɛ biara.
Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
4 Esiane sɛ ɔhene asɛm boro obiara deɛ so enti, hwan na ɔbɛtumi aka akyerɛ no sɛ: “Ɛdeɛn na woreyɛ yi?”
Where the word of a king [is, there is] power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
5 Deɛ ɔdi ne nhyɛ nsɛm so no renkɔ ɔhaw biara mu, na nyansa akoma bɛhunu ɛberɛ a ɛsɛ, ne ne kwan.
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.
6 Adeyɛ biara wɔ ne ɛberɛ a ɛfata ne ɛkwan a wɔfa so yɛ, nanso onipa haw hyɛ no so bebree.
Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man [is] great upon him.
7 Esiane sɛ obiara nnim daakye asɛm enti, hwan na ɔbɛtumi akyerɛ no deɛ ɛreba?
For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?
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.
[There is] no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither [hath he] power in the day of death: and [there is] no discharge in [that] war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.
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.
All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: [there is] a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.
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.
And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this [is] also vanity.
11 Sɛ bɔne bi ho asotwe amma ntɛm a, nnipa dwene nhyehyɛeɛ a wɔde yɛ bɔne ho.
Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do 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.
Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his [days] be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
13 Nanso ɛsiane sɛ amumuyɛfoɔ nsuro Onyankopɔn enti, ɛrensi wɔn yie na wɔn nna renware sɛ sunsumma.
But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong [his] days, [which are] as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
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 a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just [men], unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked [men], to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also [is] 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.
Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth 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,
When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also [there is that] neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes: )
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.
Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek [it] out, yet he shall not find [it; ] yea further; though a wise [man] think to know [it], yet shall he not be able to find [it].
