Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than costly perfume, and the day of death is better than the day of birth.
Yon bon non pi bon pase yon pomad swa, e jou mouri pi bon pase jou nou te ne a.
2 It is better to go to a house of mourning than to a house of feasting, for mourning comes to all people at the end of life, so living people must take this to heart.
Li pi bon pou ale nan kay k ap fè dèy pase nan kay k ap fè fèt; paske se konsa ke chak moun va fini, e sila ki vivan an pran sa a kè.
3 Grief is better than laughter, for after sadness of face comes gladness of heart.
Tristès pi bon pase ri; paske lè figi moun nan tris, kè la vin pi bon.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of feasting.
Panse a saj la anndan lakay k ap fè dèy; men panse a san konprann nan kay plezi.
5 It is better to listen to the rebuke of the wise than to listen to the song of fools.
Li pi bon pou koute repwòch a yon nonm saj pase pou yon moun ta koute chanson a moun san konprann yo.
6 For like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so also is the laughter of fools. This, too, is vapor.
Paske tankou bwa pikan sèch pete nan dife; se konsa lè yon nonm ensanse ap ri; epi sa anplis se vanite.
7 Extortion certainly makes a wise man foolish, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
Paske chantay ka fè yon nonm saj vin fou, e lajan anba tab fè kè vin konwonpi.
8 Better is the end of a matter than the beginning; and the people patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit.
Lè yon bagay fin fèt, li pi bon pase lè l te kòmanse a. Pasyans nan lespri pi bon pase awogans lespri a.
9 Do not be quick to anger in your spirit, for anger resides in the hearts of fools.
Pa chofè kè ou pou vin fache; paske fache rete nan kè a moun ensanse.
10 Do not say, “Why were the days of old better than these?” For it is not because of wisdom that you ask this question.
Pa di: “Poukisa jou lontan yo te pi bon pase jodi a”? Paske nanpwen sajès nan kesyon sa a.
11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good. It benefits those who see the sun.
Sajès ansanm ak eritaj bon, e se yon avantaj pou sila ki konn wè solèy yo.
12 For wisdom provides protection as money can provide protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to whoever has it.
Paske sajès se yon pwotèj, menm ke lajan se yon pwotèj la; men avantaj a bon konprann nan se ke sajès va prezève lavi a sila ki genyen l.
13 Consider the deeds of God: Who can straighten out anything he has made crooked?
Konsidere zèv Bondye yo, paske se kilès ki ka drese sa ke Li menm te koube?
14 When times are good, live happily in that good, but when times are bad, consider this: God has allowed both to exist side by side. For this reason, no one will find out anything that is coming after him.
Nan jou bonè yo fè kè kontan; men nan jou malè yo, reflechi—Bondye te fè tou de pou lòm pa dekouvri anyen nan sa k ap swiv li.
15 I have seen many things in my meaningless days. There are righteous people who perish in spite of their righteousness, and there are wicked people who live a long life in spite of their evil.
Mwen te wè tout bagay pandan tout jou vanite mwen yo; gen yon nonm dwat ki mouri nan ladwati, ak yon nonm mechan ki fè vi li long ak mechanste li a.
16 Do not be self-righteous, wise in your own eyes. Why should you destroy yourself?
Pa fè eksè nan ladwati, ni pa vin twò saj. Poukisa ou ta detwi pwòp tèt ou?
17 Do not be too wicked or foolish. Why should you die before your time?
Pa fè eksè nan mechanste, ni pa vin ensanse. Poukisa ou ta vle mouri avan lè ou?
18 It is good that you should take hold of this wisdom, and that you should not let go of righteousness. For the person who fears God will meet all his obligations.
Li bon pou ou ta kenbe pran yon bagay san ou pa lage lòt la; paske sila ki gen lakrent Bondye a ap vini ak tou de.
19 Wisdom is powerful in the wise man, more than ten rulers in a city.
Sajès ranfòse yon nonm saj plis pase dis gwo chèf ki nan yon vil.
20 There is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
Anverite, nanpwen yon moun dwat sou latè ki fè sa ki bon tout tan, e ki pa janm peche.
21 Do not listen to every word that is spoken, because you might hear your servant curse you.
Anplis, pa pran a kè tout pawòl ki pale, sof ke ou ta tande sèvitè ou lè l ap bay ou madichon.
22 Similarly, you know yourself that in your own heart you have often cursed others.
Paske ou vin konprann ke ou menm tou anpil fwa konn bay moun madichon.
23 All this have I proven by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was more than I could be.
Mwen te tante fè tout sa ak sajès e mwen te di: “Mwen va saj”, men sa te chape lwen mwen.
24 Wisdom is far off and very deep. Who can find it?
Sa ki te konn egziste vin lwen, e se yon mistè menm. Se kilès ki ka dekouvri li?
25 I turned my heart to learn and examine and seek wisdom and the explanations of reality, and to understand that evil is stupid and that folly is madness.
Mwen te dirije panse m pou konnen; pou fè ankèt e chache sajès avèk rezon, e pou konnen mechanste se foli; e foli menm rive fè moun fou.
26 I found that more bitter than death is any woman whose heart is full of snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be taken by her.
Epi mwen te dekouvri pi anmè pase mouri, kè a fanm ki fè pèlen an. Men li yo se tankou chenn. Yon moun ki plè Bondye va chape anba men l, men pechè a va vin kaptire anba l.
27 “Consider what I have discovered,” says the Teacher. “I have been adding one discovery to another in order to find an explanation of reality.
“Gade byen, se sa mwen dekouvri,” predikatè a di: “Ajoute yon bagay a yon lòt pou twouve konprann.”
28 This is what I am still looking for, but I have not found it. I did find one righteous man among a thousand, but a woman among all those I did not find.
Sou sila m toujou ap chache a, men m poko jwenn; mwen te twouve yon nonm pami mil, men mwen pa t jwenn fanm pami tout sa yo.
29 I have discovered only this: That God created humanity upright, but they have gone away looking for many difficulties.”
Men gade, se sèl sa mwen dekouvri; Bondye te fè lòm kanpe dwat, men yo chache anpil manèv pou vin koube.
