< Ecclesiastes 9 >
1 For all this I laid to my heart and [indeed] to investigate all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; man knoweth neither love nor hatred: all is before them.
Mwen kalkile anpil sou bagay sa yo. Mwen repase bagay sa yo byen repase nan tèt mwen. Mwen wè se Bondye k'ap dirije lavi tout moun, ni moun ki gen bon konprann, ni moun ki mache dwat yo. Li kontwole tou sa y'ap fè, kit yo renmen, kit yo rayi. Pesonn pa konn anyen sou sa k'ap tann yo pi devan.
2 All things [come] alike to all: 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; he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
Se menm sò a ki gen pou rive tout moun, ni mechan an, ni moun ki mache dwat la, bon an kou move a, moun ki kenbe pye Bondye a kou moun ki pa kenbe pye Bondye a, moun ki ofri bèt pou touye pou Bondye kou moun ki pa ofri bèt pou Bondye. Konsa, yon moun debyen pa pi bon pase moun k'ap fè sa ki mal la. Moun ki fè sèman pa pi mal pase moun ki pè fè sèman.
3 This is an evil among all that is done under the sun, that one thing befalleth all: yea, also the heart of the children of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live; and after that, [they have to go] to the dead.
Se menm sò a pou tout moun. Sa tou, tankou tout lòt bagay ki rive sou latè, se yon malè. Se konsa, moun pase tout lavi yo ak mechanste nan kè yo, y'ap kite lide moun fou travay nan tèt yo, epi yo rete konsa yo mouri.
4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
Men, toutotan yon moun vivan toujou gen espwa pou li. Yon chen vivan miyò pase yon lyon mouri.
5 For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.
Wi. Moun vivan yo konnen yo gen pou yo mouri. Men moun mouri yo pa konn anyen. Yo pa bezwen tann anyen ankò pou sa yo fè. Talè konsa tout moun bliye yo.
6 Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy is already perished; neither have they any more for ever a portion in all that is done under the sun.
Tout santiman yo te gen nan kè yo pou moun yo te renmen, pou moun yo te rayi, pou bagay yo te anvi, tou sa disparèt avèk yo. Yo p'ap janm patisipe nan anyen k'ap fèt sou latè ankò.
7 Go, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works.
Ale non, monchè, manje manje ou ak kè kontan, bwè diven ou san kè sote. Bondye deja dakò ak tou sa w'ap fè.
8 Let thy garments be always white, and let not thy head lack oil.
Se pou rad anwo ou toujou byen pwòp, tèt ou toujou byen penyen ak lwil santi bon.
9 Enjoy life 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 life, and in thy labour wherein thou art labouring under the sun.
Jwi lavi avèk fanm ou renmen an, pandan tout jou w'ap viv lavi ki pa vo anyen an, lavi Bondye ba ou pou viv sou latè a. Jwi tout jou sa yo ki yonn pa vo lòt, paske se sèlman sa ki pou ou nan lavi a, apre tout traka ou bay tèt ou pou fè travay ou sou latè.
10 Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest. (Sheol )
Tou sa ou jwenn pou ou fè, fè l' ak tout fòs ou. Paske, kote ou prale a, nan peyi kote mò yo ye a, nanpwen travay pou ou fè, pa gen lide ki pou mache nan tèt ou, pa gen konesans, pa gen bon konprann. (Sheol )
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 the intelligent, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Yon lòt bagay mwen wè ankò sou latè, se pa toujou moun ki konn kouri ki genyen nan kous, se pa toujou vanyan gason ki genyen nan lagè. Yon moun ki gen konprann pa toujou gen manje pou l' manje, yon moun ki gen lespri pa toujou gen anpil byen. Moun ki gen kapasite pa toujou jwenn gwo pozisyon. Chans ak malchans la pou tout moun.
12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are taken with the snare, like them are the children of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
Moun pa konnen lè lè yo ap rive. Tankou pwason ki pran nan senn, tankou zwezo ki pran nan pèlen, se konsa moun pran tou lè yon malè sèk tonbe sou yo.
13 This also have I seen as wisdom under the sun, and it was great unto me.
Men yon lòt bagay mwen te wè ankò: Se yon bèl egzanp ki moutre sa bon konprann ka fè pou moun.
14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and encompassed it, and built great bulwarks against it:
Vwala se te yon ti bouk tou piti ki pa t' gen anpil moun ladan l'. Yon gran wa vin atake l' ak yon gwo lame. Li sènen bouk la toupatou, li fè pare yon bann bagay pou kraze miray ranpa bouk la.
15 and there was found in it a poor wise man, who by his wisdom delivered the city; but no man remembered that poor man.
Te gen yon nonm nan bouk la ki te gen lespri, men se te yon pòv malere. Se li ki te sove bouk la avèk konesans li. Apre sa, tout moun bliye l'.
16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength; but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Mwen te toujou di: Konesans pi bon pase gwo kouraj, men yo meprize konesans moun ki pòv. Yo p'ap koute yo lè y'ap pale.
17 The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
Pito ou koute pawòl yon moun ki gen konprann ap di ou tou dousman pase pawòl chèf k'ap rele byen fò nan mitan yon bann moun sòt.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.
Konesans pi bon pase tout zam pou fè lagè. Men, fòt yon sèl moun ka fè anpil byen pèdi tou.