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 thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do 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 rash with thy month, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy 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 a dream cometh with a multitude of business; and a fool’s voice 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'.
When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou vowest.
5 Pito ou pa janm pwomèt Bondye w'ap fè kichòy pou li pase pou ou pwomèt, epi pou ou pa kenbe pwomès ou.
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest 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 thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine 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 [thus it cometh to pass] through the multitude of dreams and vanities and many words: but fear thou 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 thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there be higher than they.
9 Travay latè se yon avantaj pou tout moun, ata pou wa a. Se sou sa li konte tou.
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king [himself] is served by the 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 loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this also is 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.
When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, saving the beholding [of them] 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 labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the fulness of the rich will not suffer 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 a grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun, [namely], riches kept by the owner thereof 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 those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, 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 of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labour, which he may carry away 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 also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboureth for the wind?
17 Sa ki pi rèd la, nou pase tout lavi nou nan fènwa, nan lapenn, nan kè sere, nan maladi, nan fè kòlè.
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed and hath sickness 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, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour, wherein he laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this 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.
Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take 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; because God answereth [him] in the joy of his heart.
