Eklezyas 12
1 Pandan ou jenn gason an, pa janm bliye Bondye ki te kreye ou la, anvan jou malè yo rive sou ou, anvan lè a rive pou ou di: Mwen pa jwenn ankenn plezi nan lavi.
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the time of affliction arrives and the years draw near, about which you will say, “These do not please me.”
2 Lè sa a, limyè solèy la, lalin lan ak zetwal yo ap parèt twoub twoub devan je ou. Syèl la pa janm klè. Lapli poko fin tonbe, tan an gen tan mare ankò.
Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain,
3 Lè sa a, bra ou yo ki te konn pwoteje ou ap tranble. Janm ou yo ki enganm koulye a ap febli. Ou p'ap gen dan pou kraze manje. Je ou yo ap twò fèb pou wè klè.
when the guardians of the house will tremble, and the strongest men will waver, and those who grind grain will be idle, except for a small number, and those who look through the keyholes will be darkened.
4 De twou zòrèy ou yo ap bouche, ou p'ap tande sa k'ap pase nan lari. Ata gwo bri moulen ki toupre ou la, w'a tande l' tou piti piti. Moun te mèt ap chante bò kote ou, w'ap tande vwa yo lwen lwen. Lè sa a, depi pipirit konmanse chante, nou gen tan leve.
And they will close the doors to the street, when the voice of he who grinds the grain will be humbled, and they will be disturbed at the sound of a flying thing, and all the daughters of song shall become deaf.
5 W'ap pè moute sou bagay ki twò wo pou ou pa gen tèt vire. Menm mache nan granchemen ap yon danje pou ou. Tout cheve nan tèt ou ap vin blan, w'ap pèdi fòs kouray ou. Pa gen anyen ki ka fè l' tounen ankò. W'ap desann nan dènye kay kote ou pral rete pou tou tan an. Lè sa a, moun ap mache rele nan tout lari.
Likewise, they will fear the things above them, and they will dread the way. The almond tree will flourish; the locust will be fattened; and the caper plant will be scattered, because man shall go into the house of his eternity, and the mourners shall wander around in the street.
6 Wi, pa janm bliye Bondye ki fè ou la anvan ti chenn an ajan an detache sot tonbe, anvan bòl an lò a tonbe kraze, anvan kalbas dlo a kraze miyèt moso, anvan so a kase.
Before the silver cord is broken, and the golden band pulls away, and the pitcher is crushed over the fountain, and the wheel is broken above the cistern,
7 Lè sa a, kò nou pral tounen pousyè latè jan l' te ye anvan an. Souf nou menm ap tounen jwenn Bondye ki te ban nou l' lan.
and the dust returns to its earth, from which it was, and the spirit returns to God, who granted it.
8 Lavi pa vo anyen. Lavi pa sèvi anyen. Filozòf la di: Anyen pa vo anyen.
Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all is vanity!
9 Men, paske filozòf la te gen bon konprann, li pa janm sispann moutre pèp la tou sa li te konnen. Li egzaminen anpil pwovèb, li etidye yo, li pran san li pou li sanble yo.
And since Ecclesiastes was very wise, he taught the people, and he described what he had accomplished. And while searching, he composed many parables.
10 Li pran san li pou li jwenn pawòl ki pou fè moun plezi. Men nan tou sa li ekri, li bay verite a jan li wè l' la.
He sought useful words, and he wrote most righteous words, which were full of truth.
11 Pawòl moun ki gen konprann tankou baton yo sèvi pou djige bèf kabwa. Liv pwovèb yo tankou yon seri klou yo kloure yonn kot lòt. Men se yon sèl mèt ki bay yo, se Bondye.
The words of the wise are like a goad, and like nails deeply fastened, which, through the counsel of teachers, are set forth by one pastor.
12 Pitit mwen, men sa pou ou fè: Pran leson sou bagay sa yo. Si pou yo ta ekri anpil liv, yo pa ta janm fini. Lè ou etidye twòp, sa fè kè ou fè ou mal.
You should require no more than this, my son. For there is no end to the making of many books. And excessive study is an affliction to the flesh.
13 Apre tout pawòl sa yo, se yon sèl bagay pou m' di nan sa: Gen krentif pou Bondye. Fè tou sa li mande ou fè yo. Se pou sa ase Bondye te kreye moun.
Let us all listen together to the end of the discourse. Fear God, and observe his commandments. This is everything for man.
14 Paske Bondye ap jije tou sa n'ap fè, kit yo bon, kit yo pa bon, ata bagay nou fè an kachèt.
And so, for all that is done and for each error, God will bring judgment: whether it was good or evil.
