Eklezyas 11
1 Fè byen san gad dèyè. Yon lè konsa, w'a jwenn rekonpans ou.
Give generously to others [some of] the money [MET] that you have; if you do that, later you will get back an equal amount.
2 Separe sa ou genyen ak mezi moun ou kapab, paske ou pa janm konnen ki malè ki ka rive ou sou latè.
Share some of what you have with (seven or eight/several) [others], because you do not know when you will experience a disaster, [and if you give some of what you have to others], [when you experience that disaster, they will kindly help you].
3 Depi nwaj yo plen dlo, se pou lapli tonbe sou latè. Lè yon pyebwa tonbe, kit li tonbe sou bò nò, kit li tonbe sou bò sid, kote l' tonbe a, se la pou li rete.
[It is always true that] when clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth. [Similarly], wherever a tree falls on the ground, that is where it will remain.
4 Si w'ap gade sou van, ou p'ap janm plante. Si w'ap gade sou nwaj, ou p'ap janm ranmase rekòt.
If farmers see in what direction the wind is blowing, they will know whether it is wise at that time to plant things or not. [It is also true that] if farmers look at the clouds [and see that they are blowing from the west, which means that it will probably rain, ] they will not [try to] harvest their crops on that day.
5 Menm jan ou pa konnen ni kote van an soti ni kote li prale, menm jan an tou ou pa konnen ki jan zo timoun fè fòme nan vant fanm ansent. Se konsa tou ou pa ka konprann travay Bondye, li menm ki fè tout bagay.
We do not know where the wind comes from or where it goes, and we do not know how bodies are formed in women’s wombs. Similarly [SIM], God is the one who made everything, and we cannot [fully] understand what God does.
6 Nan maten, plante jaden ou. Aswè rive, plante jaden ou ankò. Ou pa janm konnen kilès nan de yo ap bay plis rannman. Ou pa janm konnen si tou de p'ap pran, si tou de p'ap bay menm rannman.
[Start] planting your seeds in the morning, and do not stop planting them until the evening, because you do not know which ones will grow better, the ones you plant in the morning or the ones you plant later in the day, or whether both will grow well.
7 Ala bon bagay se fè klè! Sa bon nèt lè ou wè solèy.
It is very delightful to be alive and see [MTY] the sun [rise every morning].
8 Di Bondye mèsi pou chak lanne li mete sou lavi ou. Ou te mèt viv lontan, pa bliye tan ou pral pase lè ou fin mouri a long anpil. Tou sa ki vin apre pa vo anyen.
[Even] if people live for many years, they should enjoy all of them. But they should not forget that [some day they will die] and then they will never be able to see any light again, and we do not know what will happen to us after we die.
9 menm, jenn gason, pwofite jennès nou. Fè kè nou kontan pandan tout tan nou jenn gason toujou. Fè tou sa nou ta vle fè, tou sa nou anvi fè. Men pa bliye Bondye gen pou mande nou kont pou tou sa nou fè.
You young people, be happy while you are still young. Enjoy [IDM] doing the things that you want to do. But do not forget that [some day] God will judge you concerning all the things that you do.
10 Pa kite lapenn chita nan kè nou. Pa kite anyen fè nou soufri nan kò nou. Ou p'ap rete jenn gason ak cheve nwa tou tan.
[So when you are young] [MTY], do not worry about anything, and do not pay attention to the pains that you have in your body, because we will not remain young and strong forever.
