Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness
1Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:
I saw the tears of the oppressed—
and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
and they have no comforter.
2And I declared that the dead,
who had already died,
are happier than the living,
who are still alive.
3But better than both
is the one who has never been born,
who has not seen the evil
that is done under the sun.
4And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
5Fools fold their hands
and ruin themselves.
6Better one handful with tranquillity
than two handfuls with toil
and chasing after the wind.
7Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:
8There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!
9Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
10If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
11Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Advancement Is Meaningless
13Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. 14The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. 16There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Nhyɛsoɔ, Adwumaden, Ankonam
1Bio, mehwɛ mehunuu nhyɛsoɔ a ɛrekɔ so wɔ owia yi ase:
Mehunuu wɔn a wɔredi wɔn nya no nisuo
na wɔnni ɔwerɛkyekyefoɔ biara;
tumi no wɔ wɔn nhyɛsofoɔ no nsam
na wɔnni ɔwerɛkyekyefoɔ biara.
2Na mekaa sɛ: Awufoɔ a
wɔawuwu dada no
ani gye sene ateasefoɔ;
wɔn a wɔda so wɔ nkwa mu no.
3Na deɛ ɔyɛ sene baanu yi
ne deɛ ɔnnya mmaeɛ,
deɛ ɔnnya nhunuu bɔne a
wɔyɛ wɔ owia yi ase.
4Na mehunuu sɛ adwumayɛ mu ɔbrɛ ne deɛ onipa tumi yɛ nyinaa nnyinasoɔ ne sɛ, nʼani bere ne yɔnko. Yei nso yɛ ahuhudeɛ, mmirika a wɔtu taa mframa.
5Ɔkwasea bobɔ ne nsa gu ne ho
na ɔsɛe ne ho.
6Nsa ma baako a asomdwoeɛ wɔ mu
yɛ sene nsa ma mmienu a ɔbrɛ bata ho.
Ɛte sɛ deɛ wotaa mframa.
7Afei nso mehunuu biribi a ɛnka hwee wɔ owia yi ase:
8Na ɔbarima bi wɔ hɔ a ɔyɛ ankonam;
ɔnni ɔbabarima anaa onuabarima.
Nʼadwumaden amma nʼawieeɛ da,
nanso nʼani ansɔ nʼahonya.
Ɔbisaa ne ho sɛ, “Na hwan na merebrɛ ama no,
na adɛn enti na mede anigyeɛ kame me kra?”
Yei nso yɛ ahuhudeɛ,
ɛyɛ ɔhaw kwa.
9Baanu yɛ sene ɔbaakofoɔ,
ɛfiri sɛ wɔnya wɔn adwumayɛ so mfasoɔ a ɛsɔ ani:
10Sɛ ɔbaako hwe ase a
ne yɔnko bɛtumi aboa no.
Nanso onipa a ɔhwe ase a
ɔnni ɔboafoɔ no yɛ mmɔbɔ.
11Bio, sɛ baanu da bɔ mu a, wɔka wɔn ho hye.
Na ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na ɔkɔntenkorɔ aka ne ho hye?
12Ɔbaakofoɔ deɛ, wɔbɛtumi aka no ahyɛ
nanso baanu tumi pere wɔn ti.
Homa a wɔawɔ no mmɛsa no, wɔntumi ntete mu ntɛm.
Ɛkankɔ Yɛ Adehunu
13Ɔbabunu nyansafoɔ a ɔdi hia yɛ sene ɔhene akɔkoraa a ɔyɛ kwasea na ɔntie kɔkɔbɔ bio. 14Ebia na ɔbabunu no firi nneduafie na ɔbɛdii adeɛ anaasɛ wɔwoo no too ohia mu wɔ adehyeɛ abusua mu. 15Mehunuu sɛ wɔn a wɔtenaa ase na wɔnantee owia yi ase nyinaa dii ɔbabunu no akyi, deɛ ɔdii ɔhene no adeɛ no. 16Nnipa dɔm a wɔntumi nkane wɔn dii nʼakyi. Nanso nkyirimma no ani annye ne ho. Yei nso yɛ ahuhudeɛ, ɛte sɛ wotaa mframa.
