Ecclesiastes 9
1 I had my mind consider all this. Wise and good people and everything they do are in God's hands. Love or hate—who knows what will happen to them?
Fa ireto dia nalatsako tato am-poko sady nodinihiko avokoa: ny marina sy ny hendry mbamin’ ny asany dia samy eo an-tànan’ Andriamanitra avokoa; ary koa, na ho fitiavana, na ho fankahalana, dia samy tsy fantatry ny olombelona; fa zavatra mbola ho avy aminy avokoa izany rehetra izany.
2 Yet we all share the same destiny—those who do right, those who do evil, the good, the religiously-observant and those that are not, those who sacrifice and those who don't. Those who do good are as those who sin, those who make vows to God are as those who don't.
Mitovy avokoa ny manjo ny olombelona rehetra; eny, zavatra iray ihany no manjo ny marina sy ny meloka, ny tsara fanahy sy ny madio ary ny tsy madio, ny mamono zavatra hatao fanatitra sy ny tsy mamono zavatra hatao fanatitra; mitovy ihany ny amin’ ny tsara fanahy sy ny amin’ ny mpanota, ary ny amin’ ny mianiana sy ny amin’ izay tsy sahy hianiana.
3 This is just so wrong—that everyone here on earth should suffer the same fate! On top of that, people's minds are filled with evil. They spend their lives thinking about stupid things, and then they die.
Izao no fahoriana amin’ izay rehetra atao atỳ ambanin’ ny masoandro: Zavatra iray ihany no manjo ny olombelona rehetra, sady feno ratsy ny fon’ ny zanak’ olombelona, ka fahadalana no ao am-pony amin’ ny andro iainany, ary nony afaka izany, dia ho any amin’ ny maty izy.
4 But the living still have hope—a live dog is better than a dead lion!
Fa izay rehetra isan’ ny velona dia mbola hantenaina; fa ny amboa velona no tsara noho ny liona maty.
5 The living are conscious of the fact that they're going to die, but the dead have no consciousness of anything. They don't receive any further benefit; they're forgotten.
Fa fantatry ny velona fa ho faty izy; fa ny maty kosa tsy mba mahalala na inona na inona, ary tsy manana valim-pitia intsony izy; fa hadino ny fahatsiarovana azy.
6 Their love, hate, and envy—it's all gone. They have no further part in anything that happens here on earth.
Na ny fitiavany, na ny fankahalany, na ny fialonany, dia samy efa levona ela sady tsy manana anjara intsony mandrakizay amin’ izay atao atỳ ambanin’ ny masoandro izy.
7 So go ahead and eat your food, and enjoy it. Drink your wine with a happy heart. That's what God intends that you should do.
Mandehana, hano amin’ ny fifaliana ny haninao, ary sotroy amin’ ny fo falifaly ny divainao, fa efa nankasitrahan’ Andriamanitra ela ny asanao.
8 Always wear smart clothes and look good.
Aoka ho fotsy mandrakariva ny fitafianao, ary aoka tsy ho diso menaka ny lohanao.
9 Enjoy life with the wife that you love—the one God gave you—during all the days of this brief life, all these passing days whose meaning is so hard to understand as you work here on earth.
Miravoravoa amin’ ny vady malalanao amin’ ny andronao rehetra mandalo foana, izay efa nomeny anao atỳ ambanin’ ny masoandro, dia ny andronao rehetra mandalo foana; fa izany no anjaranao amin’ ny andro iainanao sy amin’ ny fisasarana izay isasaranao atỳ ambanin’ ny masoandro.
10 Whatever you do, do it with all your strength, for when you go to the grave there's no more working or thinking, no more knowing or being wise. (Sheol h7585)
Izay rehetra azon’ ny tananao atao dia ataovy amin’ ny herinao; fa tsy misy asa, na hevitra, na fahalalana, na fahendrena, any amin’ ny fiainan-tsi-hita izay alehanao. (Sheol h7585)
11 I thought about other things that happen here on earth. Races are not always won by the fastest runner. Battles are not always decided by the strongest warrior. Also, the wise do not always have food, intelligent people do not always make money, and those who are clever do not always win favor. Time and chance affect all of them.
Ary hitako atỳ ambanin’ ny masoandro indray fa tsy ho an’ ny haingan-tongotra ny fihoarana, ary tsy ho an’ ny mahery ny ady, ary tsy ho an’ ny hendry ny hanina, ary tsy ho an’ ny mazava saina ny harena, ary tsy ho an’ ny manam-pahalalana ny fitia; fa ny fotoana sy ny sampona dia samy mahazo azy rehetra.
12 You can't predict when your end will come. Just like fish caught in a net, or birds caught in a trap, so people are suddenly caught by death when they least expect it.
Fa tsy fantatry ny olona ny androny; fa toy ny hazandrano azon’ ny harato fahitan-doza izy, ary toy ny voron-kely izay voan’ ny fandrika, dia voafandrika toy izany ny zanak’ olombelona amin’ ny andro mahory, raha mahavoa azy tampoka izany.
13 Here's another aspect of wisdom that impressed me about what happens here on earth.
Izao koa no fahendrena efa hitako tatỳ ambanin’ ny masoandro, ka dia nataoko ho lehibe izany:
14 Once there was a small town with only a few inhabitants. A powerful king came and besieged the town, building great earth ramps against its walls.
Nisy vohitra kely sady vitsy olona, dia avy ny mpanjaka lehibe anankiray ka namely sy nanao fahirano azy ary nanao manda lehibe hamelezany azy.
15 In that town lived a man who was wise, but poor. He saved the town by his wisdom. But no one remembered to thank that poor man.
Ary nisy lehilahy malahelo hendry hita teo, koa nahavonjy ny tanàna tamin’ ny fahendreny ralehilahy, nefa tsy nisy olona mba nahatsiahy ilay malahelo.
16 As I've always said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Yet the wisdom of that poor man was dismissed—people didn't pay attention to what he said.
Koa hoy izaho: Aleo fahendrena toy izay hery; kanjo hamavoina ny fahendren’ ny malahelo, ary ny teniny tsy mba henoina.
17 It's better to listen to the calm words of a wise person than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
Ny tenin’ ny hendry izay re amin’ ny mangingina dia mahery noho ny fitreron’ izay mpanapaka adala.
18 It's better to have wisdom than weapons of war; but a sinner can destroy a lot of good.
Aleo fahendrena toy izay fiadiana; ary ny mpanota iray mahasimba ny soa be.
