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.

All these things have I considered in my heart, that I might carefully understand them: there are just men and wise men, and their works are in the hand of God: and yet man knoweth not whether he be worthy of love, or hatred:

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.

But all things are kept uncertain for the time to come, because all things equally happen to the just and to the wicked, to the good and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him that offereth victims, and to him that despiseth sacrifices. As the good is, so also is the sinner: as the perjured, so he also that sweareth truth.

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 a very great evil among all things that are done under the sun, that the same things happen to all men: whereby also the hearts of the children of men are filled with evil, and with contempt while they live, and afterwards they shall be brought down to hell. (questioned)

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

There is no man that liveth always, or that hopeth for this: 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 nothing more, neither have they a reward any more: 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 are all perished, neither have they any part in this world, and in the work 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 then, and eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with gladness: because thy works please God.

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

At all times let thy garments be white, and let not oil depart from thy head.

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.

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest, all the days of thy unsteady life, which are given to thee under the sun, all the time of thy vanity: for this is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherewith thou labourest 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)

Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly: for neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge shall be in hell, whither thou art hastening. (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 turned me to another thing, and I saw that under the sun, the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the learned, nor favour to the skillful: but time and chance in 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.

Man knoweth not his own end: but as fishes are taken with the hook, and as birds are caught with the snare, so men are taken in the evil time, when it shall suddenly come upon them.

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

This wisdom also I have seen under the sun, and it seemed to me to be very great:

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.

A little city, and few men in it: there came against it a great king, and invested it, and built bulwarks round about it, and the siege was perfect.

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.

Now there was found in it a man poor and wise, and he delivered the city by his wisdom, and no man afterward remembered that poor man.

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

And I said that wisdom is better than strength: how then is the wisdom of the poor man slighted, and his words 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 silence, more than the cry of a prince among fools.

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

Better is wisdom, than weapons of war: and he that shall offend in one, shall lose many good things.