1For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.9.1 I considered…: Heb. I gave, or, set to my heart 2All things come alike to all: there is 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; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. 3This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
4¶ For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
7¶ Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. 8Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment. 9Live joyfully 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 this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.9.9 Live…: Heb. See, or, Enjoy life 10Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
11¶ 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 men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. 12For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
13¶ This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: 14There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: 15Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 17The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
Nkrabea A Ɛwɔ Hɔ Ma Yɛn Nyinaa
1Enti medwenee eyinom nyinaa ho na mihuu sɛ atreneefo, anyansafo ne nea wɔyɛ wɔ Onyankopɔn nsam; nanso obiara nnim sɛ ɔdɔ anaasɛ ɔtan retwɛn no. 2Wɔn nyinaa nkrabea yɛ baako; atreneefo ne amumɔyɛfo, nnipa pa ne nnipa bɔne, wɔn a wɔn ho tew ne wɔn a wɔn ho ntew, wɔn a wɔbɔ afɔre ne wɔn a wɔmmɔ.
Sɛnea ɛte ma onipa pa no,
saa ara na ɛte ma ɔbɔnefo;
sɛnea ɛte ma wɔn a wɔka ntam no,
saa ara na ɛte ma wɔn a wosuro sɛ wɔbɛka ntam.
3Eyi ne bɔne a ɛwɔ biribiara a esi wɔ owia yi ase mu. Nkrabeakoro ba yɛn nyinaa so. Nea ɛka ho ne sɛ, bɔne ahyɛ nnipa koma mu ma na adammɔ nsɛm wɔ wɔn koma mu, bere a wɔwɔ nkwa mu, na akyiri no wɔkɔka awufo ho. 4Obiara a ɔka ateasefo ho no wɔ anidaso, mpo ɔkraman a ɔte ase ye sen gyata a wawu.
5Na ateasefo nim sɛ wobewu,
nanso awufo nnim hwee;
wonni akatua biara bio,
na wɔn ho nkae mpo ayera.
6Wɔn dɔ, ɔtan
ne ninkunu atu ayera dedaw;
wonni hwee yɛ wɔ
biribiara a esi wɔ owia yi ase mu.
7Enti kɔ, fa anigye di wʼaduan, na fa ahosɛpɛw koma nom wo nsa, efisɛ saa bere yi na Onyankopɔn pene nea woyɛ so. 8Bere biara ma wʼadurade nyɛ fitaa na fa ngohuam sra wo tirim. 9Wo ne wo yere, munnye mo ani, ɔbea a wodɔ no no, wɔ nna a ɛnka hwee a Onyankopɔn de ama mo wɔ owia yi ase, mo ahuhude nna no. Efisɛ ɛyɛ mo kyɛfa wɔ mo nkwanna mu, ne mo adwumaden wɔ owia yi ase. 10Nea wo nsa bɛso so biara, fa wʼahoɔden nyinaa yɛ, efisɛ ɔda a wɔrekɔ mu no, adwumayɛ, adwennwene, nhumu ne nimdeɛ nni hɔ.
11Mihuu biribi foforo wɔ owia yi ase:
Mmirikakansi nni hɔ mma nea ne ho yɛ hare
anaasɛ ɔko nni hɔ mma ɔhoɔdenfo,
aduan mma onyansafo nkyɛn
anaasɛ ahonya nnkɔ nhumufo hɔ,
na adom nnkɔ nimdefo nkyɛn;
nanso bere ne akwannya wɔ hɔ ma wɔn nyinaa.
12Bio, onipa biara nnim dɔn ko a ne bere bɛso:
Sɛnea asau buma mpataa,
ne sɛnea afiri yi nnomaa no
saa ara na mmere bɔne to nnipa
wɔ bere a wɔn ani nni wɔn ho so.
Nimdeɛ Ye Sen Nkwaseasɛm
13Bio, mihuu saa nimdeɛ ho nhwɛso yi wɔ owia yi ase ma mʼani gyee ho yiye: 14Bere bi na kuropɔn ketewa bi wɔ hɔ a mu nnipa yɛ kakraa bi. Ɔhene bi a ɔwɔ tumi tow hyɛɛ kuropɔn yi so, otwaa ho hyiae na osisii mpie akɛse tiaa no. 15Na ohiani bi a onim nyansa wɔ kuropɔn no mu, na ɔnam ne nimdeɛ so gyee kuropɔn no sii hɔ. Nanso obiara ankae saa ohiani no. 16Enti mekae se, “Nimdeɛ ye sen ahoɔden.” Nanso wobuu ohiani no nimdeɛ no animtiaa, na obiara ntie nʼasɛm bio.
17Ɛsɛ sɛ wotie onyansafo nsɛm a ɔka no brɛoo no
na ɛnyɛ nkwaseafo sodifo nteɛteɛmu.
18Nimdeɛ ye sen akode,
nanso ɔdebɔneyɛni baako sɛe nnepa bebree.
