Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than precious oil, and the day of death, than the day of birth.
Pito yo nonmen non ou anbyen pase pou yo pale sou kalite bon odè ou mete sou ou. Jou ou mouri a pi bon pase jou ou fèt la.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting. For that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart.
Pito ou ale nan yon kay kote ki gen lanmò pase pou ou ale nan yon kay kote y'ap fè fèt, paske tout moun gen pou mouri. Nou menm ki vivan, nou pa dwe janm bliye sa.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad.
Pito yon moun nan lapenn pase pou l' gen kè kontan. Lapenn rale figi ou, men l'ap louvri lespri ou.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Moun ki gen bon konprann toujou ap kalkile sou lanmò. Moun sòt toujou ap kalkile sou ki jan pou yo jwi lavi a.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of a wise man, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Pito ou tande yon moun ki gen bon konprann ap rale zòrèy ou pase pou ou tande moun sòt ap fè lwanj pou ou.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
Lè moun sòt ap ri, se tankou move chabon k'ap pete nan dife. Sa pa vo anyen.
7 Surely oppression makes the wise man foolish, and a bribe destroys the understanding.
Lè yon moun ki gen bon konprann ap sibi move trètman, sa ka fè l' pèdi tèt li. Lajan sou kote fè l' pèdi karaktè l'.
8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning of it. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Lè yon bagay ap fini li pi bon pase lè l'ap konmanse. Pito ou pran pasyans pase pou ou kite lògèy ap pouse ou.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
Pa fè kòlè fasil, paske se moun sòt ki renmen fache.
10 Say thou not, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? For thou do not inquire wisely concerning this.
Pa janm mande poukisa tan lontan te pi bon pase tan n'ap viv koulye a. Moun ki gen bon konprann p'ap mande bagay konsa.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, yea, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.
Sa bon pou moun gen bon konprann. Se tankou si ou te gen anpil byen. Se yon gwo avantaj pou tout moun k'ap viv sou latè.
12 For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense. But the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
Bon konprann pwoteje ou menm jan lajan ka fè l'. Men, avantaj yon moun genyen lè li gen konesans avèk bon konprann, sa l' konnen an ap fè l' viv.
13 Consider the work of God. For who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?
Gade travay Bondye! Ki moun ki ka drese sa Bondye kwochi?
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider. Yea, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.
Lè bagay ap mache byen pou ou, fè kè ou kontan. Lè malè tonbe sou ou, chonje ni yonn ni lòt se nan Bondye sa soti. Konsa, yon moun pa janm konnen sa k'ap vin apre l'.
15 All this I have seen in my days of vanity. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evil-doing.
Lavi n' sou latè pa vo anyen, se vre! Men mwen wè tout kalite bagay: Mwen wè moun debyen, atout yo mache dwat la, mouri mouri yo. Mwen wè mechan yo menm ap viv lontan pou fè mechanste.
16 Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise. Why should thou destroy thyself?
Pa chache twò bon, ni gen twòp lespri. Sa ou bezwen touye tèt ou fè?
17 Do not much wrong, nor be thou a fool. Why should thou die before thy time?
Men, pa twò mechan ni pa twò sòt. Poukisa pou ou ta mouri anvan lè ou?
18 It is good that thou should take hold of this, yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand. For he who fears God shall come forth from them all.
Evite fè eksè ni nan yon sans ni nan yon lòt. Si ou gen krentif pou Bondye, ou p'ap tonbe nan fè eksè.
19 Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city.
Sa konesans fè pou yon moun, dis grannèg pa ka fè l' pou yon lavil.
20 Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth that does good, and sins not.
Pa gen moun k'ap mache dwat sou latè ki ka di tou sa l'ap fè byen, li pa janm fè sa ki mal.
21 Also do not take heed to all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
Pa koute tou sa moun ap di. Konsa ou p'ap tande lè domestik ou ap pale ou mal.
22 For many times also thine own heart knows that thou thyself likewise have cursed others.
Paske ou menm tou, nan kè ou, ou konnen konbe fwa ou pale moun mal.
23 All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.
Mwen sèvi avèk bon konprann mwen pou m' fè tout esperyans sa yo nan lavi. Mwen di mwen ta renmen gen bon konprann. Men, mwen pa t' janm rive genyen l'.
24 That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
Lavi se yon mistè. Li tankou yon twou san fon. Ki moun ki ka rive konprann li?
25 I turned about, and my heart was set to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason of things, and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness.
Men, mwen pran san m' pou m' chache konnen, pou m' egzaminen tout bagay. Mwen te soti pou m' te konprann, pou m' te jwenn repons pou tout keksyon mwen t'ap poze tèt mwen, pou m' te rive konnen jan moun mechan yo pèdi tèt yo, jan moun sòt yo egare.
26 And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. He who pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her.
Mwen jwenn yon bagay ki pi rèd pase lanmò. Se fanm. Lè yo di yo renmen ou, se pèlen yo pare pou ou. Lè yo pase bra yo nan kou ou, se chenn yo pase nan kou ou. Yon moun ki fè Bondye plezi va chape anba men yo. Men, moun k'ap fè sa ki mal ap tonbe anba grif yo.
27 Behold, I have found this, says the Preacher, laying one thing to another, to find out the account,
Wi, men sa mwen menm filozòf la, mwen di: Antan m'ap chache konprann, lè mwen mete tou sa m' konnen yonn sou lòt, bout pou bout men sa mwen rive jwenn.
28 which my soul still seeks, but I have not found: among a thousand I have found one man, but among all those I have not found a woman.
M'ap chache yon lòt esplikasyon. Men mwen pa jwenn li. Sou mil gason mwen kontre, se yon sèl mwen jwenn ki gen konprann. Men pou fanm, mwen pa jwenn yonn menm.
29 Behold, this only I have found: That God made man upright, but they have sought out many contrivances.
Men sa ase mwen jwenn: Bondye kreye moun pou yo viv san pwoblèm, li mete yon chemen tou dwat devan yo, men se yo menm ki chache traka bay tèt yo.
