Eklezyas 5
1 Gade byen ki jan w'ap mete pye ou lakay Bondye a. Pito ou ale la pou ou ka aprann kichòy pase pou ou al ofri bèt pou touye pou Bondye tankou moun san konprann sa yo ki pa konn sa ki byen ak sa ki mal.
Keep your foot, whenever you go to the house of God; and [when you are] near to hear, let your sacrifice [be] better than the gift of fools: for they know not that they are doing evil.
2 Fè tèt ou travay anvan ou louvri bouch ou pale. Pa prese fè ankenn pwomès bay Bondye. Bondye, se nan syèl li ye, ou menm ou sou latè. Pa di plis pase sa ou dwe di a.
Be not hasty with your mouth, and let not your heart be swift to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven above, and you upon earth: therefore let your words be few.
3 Plis ou kite bagay chaje tèt ou, se plis ou ka fè move rèv. Plis ou pale anpil, se plis ou ka di pawòl ki pa fè sans menm.
For through the multitude of trial a dream comes; and a fool's voice is with a multitude of words.
4 Lè ou fè yon pwomès bay Bondye, pa mize fè sa ou pwomèt fè a. Bondye pa nan jwèt ak moun ki san konprann. Sa ou pwomèt fè a, fè l'.
Whenever you shall vow a vow to God, defer not to pay it; for [he has] no pleasure in fools: pay you therefore whatever you shall have vowed.
5 Pito ou pa janm pwomèt Bondye w'ap fè kichòy pou li pase pou ou pwomèt, epi pou ou pa kenbe pwomès ou.
[It is] better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.
6 Pa kite pawòl ki soti nan bouch ou fè ou fè peche. Apre sa pou ou al di reprezantan Bondye a: O wi, se chape bouch mwen chape. Poukisa pou ou ta fè Bondye fache sou ou? Poukisa pou ou ta fè Bondye detwi travay ou fè ak men ou?
Suffer not your mouth to lead your flesh to sin; and say not in the presence of God, It was an error: lest God be angry at your voice, and destroy the works of your hands.
7 Tout rèv w'ap plede fè yo, tout pawòl w'ap plede di yo p'ap sèvi ou anyen. Se krentif pou ou toujou genyen pou Bondye.
For [there is evil] in a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words: but fear you God.
8 Ou pa bezwen sezi lè ou wè nan yon peyi, chèf ap peze pòv malere. Yo refize rann yo jistis, yo derefize defann dwa inonsan yo. Chak chèf gen yon gwo chèf dèyè l'. Lèfini yo tou de gen yon pi gwo chèf ankò dèyè yo.
If you should see the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of judgement and of justice in the land, wonder not at the matter: for [there is] a high one to watch over him that is high, and high ones over them.
9 Travay latè se yon avantaj pou tout moun, ata pou wa a. Se sou sa li konte tou.
Also the abundance of the earth is for every one: the king [is dependent on] the tilled field.
10 Si ou renmen lajan, ou p'ap janm fin gen ase. Si w'ap kouri dèyè richès, plis ou genyen, se plis ou anvi genyen toujou. Sa tou, sa pa vo anyen.
He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver: and who has loved gain, in the abundance thereof? this is also vanity.
11 Plis ou gen lajan, se plis bouch w'ap gen pou bay manje. Sèl benefis ou jwenn nan tou sa, se wè w'a wè ou rich.
In the multitude of good they are increased that eat it: and what virtue has the owner, but the right of beholding [it] with his eyes?
12 Yon travayè te mèt manje kont li, li te mèt pa manje kont li, l'ap toujou byen dòmi lannwit. Men, moun rich yo, yo sitèlman genyen, yo pase nwit yo blanch ak kè sote.
The sleep of a servant is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but to one who is satiated with wealth, there is none that suffers him to sleep.
13 Men mwen wè sou latè yon bagay ki fè lapenn anpil: Moun sere lajan epi sa vire mal pou yo.
There is an infirmity which I have seen under the sun, [namely], wealth kept for its owner to his hurt.
14 Yon malè pase, tout lajan an pèdi. Li vin fè yon pitit, li pa gen anyen pou l' ba li.
And that wealth shall perish in an evil trouble: and [the man] begets a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
15 Li soti toutouni nan vant manman l', konsa tou l'ap tounen san anyen anba tè. Pa gen anyen nan tou sa li travay fè li ka pran pote ale ak li.
As he came forth naked from his mother's womb, he shall return back as he came, and he shall receive nothing for his labour, that it should go [with him] in his hand.
16 Wi, sa se bagay ki pou fann kè nou ak lapenn: Jan nou vini an, se konsa nou prale. Nou travay, men sa p'ap rapòte nou anyen.
And this is also an evil infirmity: for as he came, so also shall he return: and what is his gain, for which he vainly labours?
17 Sa ki pi rèd la, nou pase tout lavi nou nan fènwa, nan lapenn, nan kè sere, nan maladi, nan fè kòlè.
Yes, all his days are in darkness, and in mourning, and much sorrow, and infirmity, and wrath.
18 Men sa mwen jwenn ankò: Pi bon bagay yon moun ka fè sou latè, se manje, se bwè, se jwi sa li travay di fè a, pandan de twa jou Bondye ba li pou li viv la. Men, se sa ase ki pou yon moun nan lavi.
Behold, I have seen good, that it is a fine thing [for a man] to eat and to drink, and to see good in all his labour in which he may labour under the sun, [all] the number of the days of his life which God has given to him: for it is his portion.
19 Si Bondye bay yon moun richès ak byen, se pou li jwi yo, se pou l' di Bondye mèsi, se pou l' jwi tou sa li travay fè. Sa se kado Bondye ba li.
Yes, and [as for] every man to whom God has given wealth and possessions, and has given him power to eat thereof, and to receive his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
20 Li pa bezwen chonje jan lavi a kout, paske Bondye ba li kont bagay pou l' fè pou fè kè l' kontan.
For he shall not much remember the days of his life; for God troubles him in the mirth of his heart.
