Ɔsɛnkafoɔ 1 – ASCB & KJV

Asante Twi Contemporary Bible

Ɔsɛnkafoɔ 1:1-18

Biribiara Yɛ Adehuhuo

1Yeinom ne nsɛm a Ɔsɛnkafoɔ, ɔhene Dawid babarima a ɔyɛ ɔhene wɔ Yerusalem seɛ:

2“Ahuhudeɛ! Ahuhudeɛ!”

Ɔsɛnkafoɔ no na ɔseɛ.

“Ahuhudeɛ mu ahuhudeɛ

Biribiara yɛ ahuhudeɛ.”

3Ɛdeɛn na onipa nya firi nʼadwumayɛ nyinaa mu?

Deɛn na ɔnya firi deɛ enti ɔkum ne ho yɛ no awia so no?

4Awoɔ ntoatoasoɔ ba na ɛkɔ,

nanso asase tim hɔ daa.

5Owia pue na owia kɔtɔ,

na ɛyɛ ntɛm kɔ deɛ ɛpue firiiɛ hɔ.

6Mframa bɔ kɔ anafoɔ fam

na ɛdane hwɛ atifi fam;

ɛkyinkyini kɔ baabiara

na ɛsane bɔ fa ne kwan so.

7Nsubɔntene nyinaa tene kɔgu ɛpo mu,

nanso ɛpo nyɛ ma da.

Baabi a nsubɔntene no firie no

ɛhɔ na wɔsane kɔ bio.

8Biribiara yɛ ɔbrɛ

a ɛboro deɛ obi bɛka soɔ.

Ani nhwɛ adeɛ nwie da

na aso nso ntie nsɛm mma ɛmmu so da.

9Deɛ aba no bɛba bio,

deɛ wɔayɛ no, wɔbɛyɛ bio;

adeɛ foforɔ biara nni owia yi ase.

10Biribi wɔ hɔ a wɔbɛtumi aka wɔ ho sɛ:

“Hwɛ! Yei yɛ ade foforɔ” anaa?

Ɛwɔ hɔ dada firi tete nteredee;

ɛwɔ hɔ ansa na wɔwoo yɛn.

11Wɔnnkae tetefoɔ no,

na wɔn a wɔnnya nnwoo wɔn no nso

wɔn a wɔbɛdi wɔn akyi no

renkae wɔn.

Nimdeɛ Yɛ Ahuhudeɛ

12Me, Ɔsɛnkafoɔ, na meyɛ Israelhene wɔ Yerusalem. 13Metuu me ho sii hɔ sɛ mede nimdeɛ bɛsua ayɛ nhwehwɛmu wɔ biribiara a wɔyɛ no owia yi ase ho. Adesoa duruduru bɛn na Onyankopɔn de ato adasamma soɔ yi! 14Mahunu biribiara a wɔyɛ no owia yi ase; ne nyinaa nka hwee, ɛte sɛ deɛ obi de mmirika taa mframa.

15Deɛ akyea no, wɔntumi ntene;

na deɛ ɛnni hɔ no, wɔntumi nkan.

16Mekaa wɔ me ho sɛ, “Hwɛ, manyini na manya nimdeɛ bebree asene obiara a watena Yerusalem ahennwa so ansa na merebɛdi adeɛ. Manya nhunumu ne nimdeɛ mu osuahunu.” 17Afei, meyɛɛ mʼadwene sɛ mɛhwehwɛ na mate nimdeɛ ase, ɛne abɔdamsɛm ne nkwaseasɛm. Nanso mehunuu sɛ yei nso te sɛ deɛ obi di mmirika taa mframa.

18Nimdeɛ bebree de awerɛhoɔ na ɛba;

nyansa bebree de ahohiahia bebree ba.

King James Version

Ecclesiastes 1:1-18

1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. 3What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

4One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. 5The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.1.5 hasteth: Heb. panteth 6The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. 7All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.1.7 return…: Heb. return to go 8All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

9The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. 11There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

12¶ I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.1.13 to be…: or, to afflict them 14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 15That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.1.15 that which is wanting: Heb. defect 16I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.1.16 had…: Heb. had seen much 17And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. 18For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.