Ɔsɛnkafo 5
1 Sɛ wokɔ Onyankopɔn fi a, hwɛ wʼanammɔntu yiye. Bɛn no na tie no sen sɛ wobɛbɔ nkwaseafo afɔre, wɔn a wonnim mfomso a wɔyɛ no.
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not understand that they are doing what is wrong.
2 Mpɛ ntɛm nkasa. Mpere wo ho wɔ wo koma mu sɛ wobɛka asɛm bi wɔ Onyankopɔn anim. Onyankopɔn te ɔsoro na wo de, wowɔ asase so, enti ma wo nsɛm nyɛ kakraa bi.
Do not be too quick to speak with your mouth, and do not let your heart be too quick to bring any matter up before God. God is in heaven, but you are on earth, so let your words be few.
3 Adaeso fi adwennwen bebree mu ba, na nsɛm dodow da adi wɔ ɔkwasea kasa mu.
If you have too many things to do and worry about, you will probably have bad dreams. The more words you speak, the more foolish things you will probably say.
4 Sɛ wohyɛ Onyankopɔn bɔ a, ntwentwɛn wo nan ase wɔ ho. Onni anigye wɔ nkwaseafo mu; enti di wo bɔhyɛ so.
When you make a vow to God, do not delay to do it, for God has no pleasure in fools. Do what you vow you will do.
5 Sɛ woanhyɛ bɔ koraa a eye sen sɛ wobɛhyɛ bɔ na wunni so.
It is better not to make a vow than to make one that you do not carry out.
6 Mma wʼano mfa wo nkɔ bɔne mu. Nyi wʼano nkyerɛ asɔredan mu somfo se, “Me bɔhyɛ no yɛ mfomso.” Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ Onyankopɔn bo fuw nea woka na ɔsɛe wo nsa ano adwuma?
Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin. Do not say to the priest's messenger, “That vow was a mistake.” Why make God angry by vowing falsely, provoking God to destroy the work of your hands?
7 Adaeso ne nsɛnkeka bebree nka hwee. Enti suro Onyankopɔn.
For in many dreams, as in many words, there is meaningless vapor. So fear God.
8 Sɛ wuhu ohiani a wɔhyɛ ne so wɔ ɔmansin bi mu, na atɛntrenee ne ahofadi abɔ no a, mma eyinom nyɛ wo nwonwa, efisɛ nea ɔso sen no hwɛ no so, na nea ɔso sen wɔn baanu no nso hwɛ wɔn so.
When you see the poor being oppressed and robbed of just and right treatment in your province, do not be astonished as if no one knows, because there are people in power who watch those under them, and there are even higher ones over them.
9 Wɔn nyinaa fa asase no so siade; na ɔhene no ankasa nya mfuw no so mfaso.
In addition, the produce of the land is for everyone, and the king himself takes produce from the fields.
10 Nea nʼani bere sika no nnya nea ɛdɔɔso da; na nea ɔpɛ ahonyade dodow no ani nsɔ nea onya. Eyi nso yɛ ahuhude.
Anyone who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, and anyone who loves wealth always wants more. This, too, is vapor.
11 Adetɔnnne bu so a, saa ara na atɔfo no nso dɔɔso. Na mfaso bɛn na nea ɛwɔ no no nya sen sɛ ɔde nʼani bɛhwɛ?
As prosperity increases, so also do the people who consume it. What advantage in wealth is there to the owner except to watch it with his eyes?
12 Ɔpaani da ma nʼani kum, sɛ wadidi amee, anaasɛ wammee, nanso ɔdefo ahonya dodow nti ontumi nna.
The sleep of a working man is sweet, whether he eats little or a lot, but the wealth of a rich person does not allow him to sleep well.
13 Mahu bɔne kɛse wɔ owia yi ase: wɔde ahode sie de haw ne wuranom,
There is an evil that I have seen under the sun: riches hoarded by the owner, resulting in his own misery.
14 anaasɛ ahode fa atoyerɛnkyɛm bi so hwere sɛ ɛbɛyɛ na wonya mma a wɔremmɛto hwee mfa.
When the rich man loses his wealth through bad luck, his own son, one whom he has fathered, is left with nothing in his hands.
15 Adagyaw na onipa de fi ne na yafunu mu bae, na sɛnea ɔbae no, saa ara na ɔbɛkɔ. Ɔremfa nʼadwumayɛ so mfaso biara a obetumi akita wɔ ne nsa mu no nkɔ.
As a man comes from his mother's womb, so also he will leave naked. He can take none of the fruits of his labor in his hand.
16 Eyi nso yɛ ɔhaw kɛse: Sɛnea onipa ba no, saa ara na ɔkɔ, na mfaso bɛn na onya wɔ bere a ɔyɛ adwuma ma mframa?
Another evil is that as a person comes, so he goes away. So what profit is there for him who works for the wind?
17 Ne nna nyinaa mu no, odidi a nʼanom nyɛ no dɛ, efisɛ abawpa, ateetee ne abufuw wɔ no so.
During his days he eats with darkness and is greatly distressed with sickness and anger.
18 Afei mihuu sɛ eye ma onipa sɛ obedidi na wanom na wama nʼani agye nʼadwumaden ho wɔ owia yi ase, wɔ mmere kakra a Onyankopɔn de ama no yi mu, efisɛ eyi ne ne kyɛfa.
Look, what I have seen to be good and suitable is to eat and drink and to enjoy the gain from all our work, as we labor under the sun during the days of this life that God has given us. For this is man's assignment.
19 Nea ɛka ho ne sɛ, sɛ Onyankopɔn ma onipa bi ahonyade ne adenya, na onya ahotɔ, de anigye yɛ nʼadwuma, na ohu sɛ ne kyɛfa ne no a, ɔnkae sɛ ɛyɛ Onyankopɔn akyɛde.
Anyone to whom God has given riches and wealth and the ability to receive his share and rejoice in his work—this is a gift from God.
20 Ɔntaa ntena ase nnwen ne nkwanna ho, efisɛ Onyankopɔn de koma mu anigye ama no.
For he does not call to mind very often the days of his life, because God makes him keep busy with the things that he enjoys doing.
