Eklezyas 7
1 Pito yo nonmen non ou anbyen pase pou yo pale sou kalite bon odè ou mete sou ou. Jou ou mouri a pi bon pase jou ou fèt la.
A good name is better than good oil; and the day of death than the day of birth.
2 Pito ou ale nan yon kay kote ki gen lanmò pase pou ou ale nan yon kay kote y'ap fè fèt, paske tout moun gen pou mouri. Nou menm ki vivan, nou pa dwe janm bliye sa.
[It is] better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the banquet house: since this is the end of every man; and the living man will apply good [warning] to his heart.
3 Pito yon moun nan lapenn pase pou l' gen kè kontan. Lapenn rale figi ou, men l'ap louvri lespri ou.
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart will be made better.
4 Moun ki gen bon konprann toujou ap kalkile sou lanmò. Moun sòt toujou ap kalkile sou ki jan pou yo jwi lavi a.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 Pito ou tande yon moun ki gen bon konprann ap rale zòrèy ou pase pou ou tande moun sòt ap fè lwanj pou ou.
[It is] better to hear a reproof of a wise man, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 Lè moun sòt ap ri, se tankou move chabon k'ap pete nan dife. Sa pa vo anyen.
As the sound of thorns under a cauldron, so is the laughter of fools: this is also vanity.
7 Lè yon moun ki gen bon konprann ap sibi move trètman, sa ka fè l' pèdi tèt li. Lajan sou kote fè l' pèdi karaktè l'.
for oppression makes a wise man mad, and destroys his noble heart.
8 Lè yon bagay ap fini li pi bon pase lè l'ap konmanse. Pito ou pran pasyans pase pou ou kite lògèy ap pouse ou.
The end of a matter is better than the beginning thereof: the patient is better than the high-minded.
9 Pa fè kòlè fasil, paske se moun sòt ki renmen fache.
Be not hasty in your spirit to be angry: for anger will rest in the bosom of fools.
10 Pa janm mande poukisa tan lontan te pi bon pase tan n'ap viv koulye a. Moun ki gen bon konprann p'ap mande bagay konsa.
Say not, What has happened, that the former days were better than these? for you do not enquire in wisdom concerning this.
11 Sa bon pou moun gen bon konprann. Se tankou si ou te gen anpil byen. Se yon gwo avantaj pou tout moun k'ap viv sou latè.
Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and [there is] an advantage [by it] to them that see the sun.
12 Bon konprann pwoteje ou menm jan lajan ka fè l'. Men, avantaj yon moun genyen lè li gen konesans avèk bon konprann, sa l' konnen an ap fè l' viv.
For wisdom in its shadow is as the shadow of silver: and the excellence of the knowledge of wisdom will give life to him that has it.
13 Gade travay Bondye! Ki moun ki ka drese sa Bondye kwochi?
Behold the works of God: for who shall be able to straighten him whom God has made crooked?
14 Lè bagay ap mache byen pou ou, fè kè ou kontan. Lè malè tonbe sou ou, chonje ni yonn ni lòt se nan Bondye sa soti. Konsa, yon moun pa janm konnen sa k'ap vin apre l'.
In the day of prosperity live joyfully, and consider in the day of adversity: consider, [I say], God also has caused the one to agree with the other for [this] reason, that man should find nothing after him.
15 Lavi n' sou latè pa vo anyen, se vre! Men mwen wè tout kalite bagay: Mwen wè moun debyen, atout yo mache dwat la, mouri mouri yo. Mwen wè mechan yo menm ap viv lontan pou fè mechanste.
I have seen all things in the days of my vanity: there is a just man perishing in his justice, and there is an ungodly man remaining in his wickedness.
16 Pa chache twò bon, ni gen twòp lespri. Sa ou bezwen touye tèt ou fè?
Be not very just; neither be very wise: lest you be confounded.
17 Men, pa twò mechan ni pa twò sòt. Poukisa pou ou ta mouri anvan lè ou?
Be not very wicked; and be not stubborn: lest you should die before your time.
18 Evite fè eksè ni nan yon sans ni nan yon lòt. Si ou gen krentif pou Bondye, ou p'ap tonbe nan fè eksè.
It is well for you to hold fast by this; also by this defile not your hand: for to them that fear God all things shall come forth [well].
19 Sa konesans fè pou yon moun, dis grannèg pa ka fè l' pou yon lavil.
Wisdom will help the wise man more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
20 Pa gen moun k'ap mache dwat sou latè ki ka di tou sa l'ap fè byen, li pa janm fè sa ki mal.
For there is not a righteous man in the earth, who will do good, and not sin
21 Pa koute tou sa moun ap di. Konsa ou p'ap tande lè domestik ou ap pale ou mal.
Also take no heed to all the words which ungodly men shall speak; lest you hear your servant cursing you.
22 Paske ou menm tou, nan kè ou, ou konnen konbe fwa ou pale moun mal.
For many times he shall trespass against you, and repeatedly shall he afflict your heart; for thus also have you cursed others.
23 Mwen sèvi avèk bon konprann mwen pou m' fè tout esperyans sa yo nan lavi. Mwen di mwen ta renmen gen bon konprann. Men, mwen pa t' janm rive genyen l'.
All these things have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24 Lavi se yon mistè. Li tankou yon twou san fon. Ki moun ki ka rive konprann li?
[That which is] far beyond what was, and a great depth, who shall find it out?
25 Men, mwen pran san m' pou m' chache konnen, pou m' egzaminen tout bagay. Mwen te soti pou m' te konprann, pou m' te jwenn repons pou tout keksyon mwen t'ap poze tèt mwen, pou m' te rive konnen jan moun mechan yo pèdi tèt yo, jan moun sòt yo egare.
I and my heart went round about to know, and to examine, and to seek wisdom, and the account [of things], and to know the folly and trouble and madness of the ungodly man.
26 Mwen jwenn yon bagay ki pi rèd pase lanmò. Se fanm. Lè yo di yo renmen ou, se pèlen yo pare pou ou. Lè yo pase bra yo nan kou ou, se chenn yo pase nan kou ou. Yon moun ki fè Bondye plezi va chape anba men yo. Men, moun k'ap fè sa ki mal ap tonbe anba grif yo.
And I find her [to be], and I will pronounce [to be] more bitter than death the woman which is a snare, and her heart nets, [who has] a band in her hands: [he that is] good in the sight of God shall be delivered from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
27 Wi, men sa mwen menm filozòf la, mwen di: Antan m'ap chache konprann, lè mwen mete tou sa m' konnen yonn sou lòt, bout pou bout men sa mwen rive jwenn.
Behold, this have I found, said the Preacher, [seeking] by one at a time to find out the account,
28 M'ap chache yon lòt esplikasyon. Men mwen pa jwenn li. Sou mil gason mwen kontre, se yon sèl mwen jwenn ki gen konprann. Men pou fanm, mwen pa jwenn yonn menm.
which my soul sought after, but I found not: for I have found one man of a thousand; but a woman in all these I have not found.
29 Men sa ase mwen jwenn: Bondye kreye moun pou yo viv san pwoblèm, li mete yon chemen tou dwat devan yo, men se yo menm ki chache traka bay tèt yo.
But, behold, this have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many devices.
