Ɔsɛnkafoɔ 9

1 Enti medwenee yeinom nyinaa ho na mehunuu sɛ ateneneefoɔ, anyansafoɔ ne deɛ wɔyɛ wɔ Onyankopɔn nsam; nanso obiara nnim sɛ ɔdɔ anaasɛ ɔtan retwɛn no.

For all this I laid to my heart and [indeed] to investigate all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; man knoweth neither love nor hatred: all is before them.

2 Wɔn nyinaa hyɛberɛ yɛ baako; ateneneefoɔ ne amumuyɛfoɔ, nnipa pa ne nnipa bɔne, wɔn a wɔn ho teɛ ne wɔn a wɔn ho nteɛ, wɔn a wɔbɔ afɔdeɛ ne wɔn a wɔmmɔ. Sɛdeɛ ɛte ma onipa pa no, saa ara na ɛte ma ɔbɔnefoɔ; sɛdeɛ ɛte ma wɔn a wɔka ntam no, saa ara na ɛte ma wɔn a wɔsuro sɛ wɔbɛka ntam.

All things [come] alike to all: one event to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

3 Yei ne bɔne a ɛwɔ biribiara a ɛsi wɔ owia yi ase mu. Hyɛberɛ baako ba yɛn nyinaa so. Deɛ ɛka ho ne sɛ, bɔne ahyɛ nnipa akoma mu ma na abɔdamsɛm wɔ wɔn akoma mu ɛberɛ a wɔwɔ nkwa mu, na akyire no, wɔkɔka awufoɔ ho.

This is an evil among all that is done under the sun, that one thing befalleth all: yea, also the heart of the children of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live; and after that, [they have to go] to the dead.

4 Obiara a ɔka ateasefoɔ ho no wɔ anidasoɔ, mpo ɔkraman a ɔte ase yɛ sene gyata a wawuo.

For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 Na ateasefoɔ nim sɛ wɔbɛwu, nanso awufoɔ nnim hwee; wɔnni akatua biara bio, na wɔn ho nkaeɛ mpo ayera.

For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.

6 Wɔn dɔ, ɔtan ne ninkunu atu ayera dada; wɔnni hwee yɛ wɔ biribiara a ɛsi wɔ owia yi ase mu.

Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy is already perished; neither have they any more for ever a portion in all that is done under the sun.

7 Enti kɔ, fa anigyeɛ di wʼaduane, na fa ahosɛpɛ akoma nom wo nsã, ɛfiri sɛ saa ɛberɛ yi na Onyankopɔn pene deɛ woyɛ so.

Go, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works.

8 Ɛberɛ biara ma wʼaduradeɛ nyɛ fitaa na fa ngohwam sra wo tirim.

Let thy garments be always white, and let not thy head lack oil.

9 Wo ne wo yere monnye mo ani, ɔbaa a wo dɔ noɔ no, wɔ nna a ɛnka hwee a Onyankopɔn de ama mo wɔ owia yi ase, mo ahuhudeɛ nna no. Ɛfiri sɛ ɛyɛ mo kyɛfa wɔ mo nkwa nna mu, ne mo adwumaden wɔ owia yi ase.

Enjoy life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity; for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherein thou art labouring under the sun.

10 Deɛ wo nsa bɛso mu biara, fa wʼahoɔden nyinaa yɛ, ɛfiri sɛ damena a wɔrekɔ mu no, adwumayɛ, adwendwene, nhunumu ne nimdeɛ nni hɔ. (Sheol h7585)

Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest. (Sheol h7585)

11 Mehunuu biribi foforɔ wɔ owia yi ase: Mmirikakansie nni hɔ mma deɛ ne ho yɛ herɛ anaasɛ ɔko nni hɔ mma ɔhoɔdenfoɔ, aduane mma onyansafoɔ nkyɛn anaasɛ ahonya nnkɔ nhunumufoɔ hɔ na adom nnkɔ animdefoɔ nkyɛn; nanso berɛ ne akwannya wɔ hɔ ma wɔn nyinaa.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to the intelligent, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

12 Bio, onipa biara nnim dɔn ko a ne berɛ bɛso: Sɛdeɛ asau tumi kyere mpataa, ne sɛdeɛ afidie yi nnomaa no saa ara na mmerɛ bɔne to nnipa wɔ ɛberɛ a wɔn ani nni wɔn ho so.

For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are taken with the snare, like them are the children of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

13 Bio, mehunuu saa nimdeɛ ho nhwɛsoɔ yi wɔ owia yi ase ma ɛtɔɔ me so yie:

This also have I seen as wisdom under the sun, and it was great unto me.

14 Ɛberɛ bi na kuropɔn ketewa bi wɔ hɔ a emu nnipa yɛ kakraa bi. Ɔhene bi a ɔwɔ tumi to hyɛɛ kuropɔn yi so. Ɔtwaa ho hyiaeɛ na ɔsisii mpie akɛseɛ tiaa no.

There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and encompassed it, and built great bulwarks against it:

15 Na ohiani bi a ɔnim nyansa wɔ kuropɔn no mu, na ɔnam ne nimdeɛ so gyee kuropɔn no sii hɔ. Nanso obiara ankae saa ohiani no.

and there was found in it a poor wise man, who by his wisdom delivered the city; but no man remembered that poor man.

16 Enti mekaa sɛ, “Nimdeɛ yɛ sene ahoɔden.” Nanso wɔbuu ohiani no nimdeɛ no animtiaa, na obiara ntie nʼasɛm bio.

Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength; but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

17 Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtie onyansafoɔ nsɛm a ɔka no brɛoo no na ɛnyɛ nkwaseafoɔ sodifoɔ nteateam.

The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

18 Nimdeɛ yɛ sene akodeɛ, nanso ɔdebɔneyɛfoɔ baako sɛe nnepa bebree.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.