Ecclesiastes 2
1 So then I thought to myself, “Alright, let me examine pleasure and see how good that is.” But this too turned out to be something temporary that passes.
Mwen di nan kè mwen: Bon! Ann al pran plezi nou! Ann al mennen lavi dous! Men, mwen jwenn sa a tou, sa pa vo anyen!
2 I conclude that laughing your way through life is stupid, and pleasure—what use is that?
Ala bagay sòt se lè yon moun ap plede ri! Pran plezi, sa pa rapòte anyen!
3 Then I used my mind to examine the attraction of wine to my body. My mind still guiding me with wisdom, I took it until I acted like a fool, so that I might see whether this was good for people to do during their time here.
Tèlman mwen t'ap chache gen konprann, mwen pran desizyon lage kò m' nan bwè bweson, nan viv tankou moun fou. Mwen di nan kè m': Ou pa janm konnen, se ka sa ki pi bon pou yon moun fè pandan de twa jou l'ap pase sou tè a.
4 Then I tried great construction projects. I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.
Mwen fè gwo zafè: Mwen bati yon bann kay, mwen plante anpil jaden rezen.
5 I made for myself gardens and parks, planting them with all kinds of fruit trees.
Mwen fè jaden ak bèl lakou, mwen plante tout kalite pyebwa ki ka donnen ladan yo.
6 I constructed for myself reservoirs to water all these growing trees.
Mwen fouye basen pou m' pran dlo, konsa m'a ka wouze tout pyebwa yo.
7 I bought male and female slaves, and their children also belonged to me. I also owned many herds and flocks, more than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
Mwen achte fi kou gason pou sèvi m' esklav, san konte moun ki fèt esklav lakay mwen. Mwen te gen bèt ak zannimo pase tout moun ki janm viv nan lavil Jerizalèm.
8 I collected for myself great quantities of silver and gold, paid to me as tribute by kings and provinces. I brought in for myself male and female singers, and enjoyed many concubines—all a man could want!
Mwen ranmase anpil bagay fèt an ajan ak an lò ansanm ak richès lòt chèf k'ap dirije nan pwovens yo. Mwen te gen moun pou chante pou mwen, fi kou gason. Mete sou sa, bagay gason pi renmen, mwen te gen fanm mezi mwen te bezwen.
9 I became great—greater than anyone in Jerusalem before me. All the while my wisdom stayed with me.
Wi, pou grannèg mwen te grannèg, pi grannèg pase tout lòt moun ki janm viv nan lavil Jerizalèm. Men, mwen pa janm kite sa vire tèt mwen.
10 I didn't stop myself trying anything I wanted. Whatever I felt like enjoying, I did. I even enjoyed everything I had accomplished, a reward for all my work.
Mwen te gen tou sa mwen te vle. Mwen pa janm refize tèt mwen ankenn plezi. Mwen te kontan wè tou sa mwen te travay fè. Se kè kontan sa a ki tout rekonpans mwen.
11 But when I thought about what I had worked so hard to achieve, everything I'd done, it was so short-lived—as significant as someone trying to catch the wind. There really is no enduring benefit here on earth.
Apre sa, mwen kalkile sou tou sa m' te fè ak men m', sou tout traka mwen te bay kò m' pou m' te fè yo. Enben! Mwen jwenn sa pa t' vo anyen. Anyen pa rapòte anyen. Konsa, pa gen ankenn pwofi pou tou sa ou fè sou latè beni.
12 So I started to think about wisdom—and madness and foolishness. For what can anyone who comes after the king do that hasn't already been done?
Lè ou gade byen, kisa yon wa ka fè pase sa wa ki te anvan l' yo te fè? Apre sa, mwen pran kalkile sa sa vle di lè yon moun gen konprann, osinon lè yon moun sòt, ou ankò lè yon moun fou.
13 I recognized that wisdom is better than foolishness just as light is better than darkness.
Mwen wè menm jan pito ou nan limyè pase ou nan fènwa, pito ou gen konprann pase ou pa genyen.
14 The wise see where they're going, but fools walk in darkness. But I also realized that they all come to the same end.
Moun ki gen konprann yo, se pa je pete klere yo ye. Moun ki pa gen konprann yo ap mache nan fènwa. Men, mwen konnen tou de ap fini menm jan.
15 Then I thought to myself, “If I'm going to end up the same as a fool, what's the point of being so wise?” So I thought to myself, “This is also hard to understand!”
Mwen di nan kè mwen: Sa ki rive moun fou yo ap rive m' tou. Nan kondisyon sa a, sa m' te bezwen gen tout konprann sa yo? Kisa sa ap pwofite m'? Mwen di nan kè m': Sa a tou, sa pa vo anyen!
16 Nobody remembers the wise or the fool for very long—in the future everything will be forgotten. Whether wise or foolish, they both die.
Pesonn p'ap janm chonje moun ki gen konprann yo ni tou yo p'ap chonje moun sòt yo. Pi devan, n'ap bliye yo tout. Nou tout gen pou mouri, kit nou gen bon konprann kit nou sòt.
17 So I ended up feeling disgusted with life because everything that happens here on earth is so distressing. It's so incomprehensible, like trying to control the wind.
Se konsa lavi pa di m' anyen ankò. Tou sa mwen fè sou latè se traka li ban mwen. Paske anyen pa vo anyen, anyen pa rapòte anyen.
18 I even ended up hating what I had achieved here on earth because I have to hand it over to whoever comes after me.
Tout travay mwen te fè sou latè pa di m' anyen ankò, paske mwen konnen mwen gen pou m' kite yo pou sa k'ap vin dèyè.
19 And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will rule over everything I accomplished through my wisdom here on earth. This is just so frustrating, so hard to understand!
Se ka yon moun lespri, se ka yon moun sòt. Pesonn pa konnen. Men, se pou li m'ap kite tou sa mwen te travay di fè ak lespri mwen. Sa a ankò, sa pa vo anyen.
20 I decided to give up, my mind in despair over the significance of all my life's achievements.
Se konsa mwen vin konprann tout travay di mwen te fè sou latè p'ap rapòte m' anyen. Sa vin dekouraje m'.
21 For you can work wisely, knowledgably, and with skill—and who benefits? Someone who hasn't worked for it! This is both frustrating and totally unjust!
Wi, yon nonm fè travay li avèk lespri, avèk konesans, avèk ladrès. Apre sa, se pou l' pati kite l' pou yon lòt ki pa leve ni lou ni lejè nan travay la. Sa a tou, sa pa vo anyen. Sa pa bon menm.
22 What do you get here on earth for all your hard work and worry?
Ou travay di, ou pran kont tèt chaje ou, ou pa dòmi pou ou ka fè sa w'ap fè a. Apre sa, kisa sa rapòte ou?
23 Your working life is full of trouble and strife—even at night your thoughts keep you awake. This is tough to comprehend!
Ou pase tout lavi ou nan lapenn, nan chagren. Menm lannwit lespri ou ap travay. Sa a tou, sa pa sèvi ou anyen.
24 So what's the best thing to do? Eat, drink, and enjoy your work, recognizing as I did that these things are given to us by God,
Pi bon bagay yon moun ka fè, se manje, se bwè, se jwi sa travay ou rapòte ou. Men la tou, mwen wè sa se travay Bondye.
25 for who can eat or enjoy life apart from him?
Paske, san Bondye, ki moun ki ka manje? Ki moun ki ka bwè.
26 To those who are good, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But to the sinner God gives the task of gathering and collecting wealth, only to hand it over to someone who pleases God. This also shows how fleeting life is, and hard to understand—like trying to understand how the wind blows.
Bondye bay moun ki fè l' plezi bon konprann, konesans ak kè kontan. Konsa tou, li fè mechan yo travay fè lajan sere pou l' ka bay moun ki fè l' plezi. La tou, sa pa vo anyen. Sa pa rapòte anyen.
