1Kae wo Bɔfoɔ
wɔ wo mmeranteberɛ mu,
ansa na nnabɔne no aba
na mfeɛ a wobɛka sɛ,
“Menni mu anigyeɛ biara” no reba,
2ansa na owia ne hann,
ɔsrane ne nsoromma aduru sum,
na omununkum asane aba osutɔ akyi.
3Ɛberɛ a efie no awɛmfoɔ ho popo,
na mmarima ahoɔdenfoɔ akom,
ɛberɛ a ayamfoɔ agyae adwumayɛ, sɛ wɔsua enti
na wɔn a wɔhwɛ mpoma mu no ani so ayɛ kusuu;
4ɛberɛ a wɔatoto abɔntene no apono mu
na ayammeeɛ nnyegyeeɛ ano abrɛ ase;
ɛberɛ a nnipa te nnomaa su na wɔanyane,
nanso wɔn nnwontoɔ ano brɛ ase;
5ɛberɛ a nnipa suro ɛsoro kɔ
ne mmɔntene so amanenyasɛm;
ɛberɛ a sorɔno dua bɛgu nhyerɛnne
na abɛbɛ wea korɔ
na nkatedeɛ ho adwodwoɔ.
Afei onipa kɔ ne daa homeɛ mu
na agyaadwotwafoɔ tu gu mmɔntene so.
6Kae no, ansa na dwetɛ ahoma no ate,
anaasɛ sikakɔkɔɔ ayowaa no abɔ;
ansa na sukuruwa no abobɔ wɔ asutene ho,
anaasɛ asubura so nkyimiiɛ abubu,
7na dɔteɛ sane kɔ asase a ɛfiri mu baeɛ,
na honhom no tu kɔ Onyankopɔn a ɔde maeɛ no nkyɛn.
8“Ahuhudeɛ mu ahuhudeɛ” ɔsɛnkafoɔ no na ɔseɛ.
“Biribiara yɛ ahuhudeɛ!”
Asɛm No Awieeɛ
9Ɔsɛnkafoɔ no yɛ onyansafoɔ na ɔde nimdeɛ maa nnipa nso. Ɔdweneeɛ na ɔyɛɛ nhwehwɛmu na ɔbubuu mmɛ bebree. 10Ɔsɛnkafoɔ no hwehwɛɛ sɛ ɔbɛnya nsɛm a ɛfata, na deɛ ɔtwerɛeɛ no yɛ pɛ na ɛyɛ nokorɛ nso.
11Anyansafoɔ nsɛm te sɛ anantwikafoɔ mpea. Wɔn nsɛm a wɔaboa ano te sɛ nnadewa a wɔde abobɔ dua mu ma akɔ mu yie. Saa nsɛm yi nyinaa firi Odwanhwɛfoɔ baako nkyɛn. 12Mebɔ wo kɔkɔ sɛ twe wo ho firi biribiara a ɛka yeinom ho, me babarima.
Nwoma bebrebe atwerɛ nni awieeɛ, na ne sua pii no ma honam yɛ mmerɛ.
13Afei ne nyinaa atɔ asom;
nsɛm no awieeɛ nie:
Suro Onyankopɔn na di nʼahyɛdeɛ so,
na onipa asɛdeɛ nyinaa nie.
14Onyankopɔn bɛbu adeyɛ biara atɛn,
deɛ wɔayɛ asie nso ka ho,
sɛ ɛyɛ papa anaa bɔne.
1Remember your Creator.
Remember him while you are still young.
Think about him before your times of trouble come.
The years will come when you will say,
“I don’t find any pleasure in them.”
2That’s when the sunlight will become dark.
The moon and the stars will also grow dark.
And the clouds will return after it rains.
3Remember your Creator before those who guard the house tremble with old age.
That’s when strong men will be bent over.
The women who grind grain will stop because there are so few of them left.
Those who look through the windows won’t be able to see very well.
4Remember your Creator before the front doors are closed.
That’s when the sound of grinding will fade away.
Old people will rise up when they hear birds singing.
But they will barely hear any of their songs.
5Remember your Creator before you become afraid of places that are too high.
You will also be terrified because of danger in the streets.
Remember your Creator before the almond trees have buds on them.
That’s when grasshoppers will drag themselves along.
Old people will lose their desire.
That’s when people will go to their dark homes in the grave.
And those who mourn for the dead will walk around in the streets.
6Remember your Creator before the silver cord is cut.
Remember him before the golden bowl is broken.
The wheel will be broken at the well.
The pitcher will be smashed at the spring.
7Remember your Creator before you return to the dust you came from.
Remember him before your spirit goes back to God who gave it.
8“Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Nothing has any meaning.”
Have Respect for God and Obey His Commandments
9The Teacher was wise. He gave knowledge to people. He tried out many proverbs. He thought about them carefully. Then he wrote them down in order. 10He did his best to find just the right words. And what he wrote was honest and true.
11The sayings of those who are wise move people to take action. Their collected sayings are like nails pounded in firm and deep. These sayings are given to us by one shepherd. 12My son, be careful not to pay attention to anything added to them.
Books will never stop being written. Too much studying makes people tired.
13Everything has now been heard.
And here’s the final thing I want to say.
Have respect for God and obey his commandments.
This is what he expects of all human beings.
14God will judge everything people do.
That includes everything they try to hide.
He’ll judge everything, whether it’s good or evil.
