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 precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's 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 house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.
3 Pito yon moun nan lapenn pase pou l' gen kè kontan. Lapenn rale figi ou, men l'ap louvri lespri ou.
Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is 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 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 for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than 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.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is 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'.
Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the 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.
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.
9 Pa fè kòlè fasil, paske se moun sòt ki renmen fache.
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth 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, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely 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 as good as an inheritance, and profitable 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 is a defence [as] money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, [that] wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.
13 Gade travay Bondye! Ki moun ki ka drese sa Bondye kwochi?
Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath 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 enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing [of what shall be] 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.
All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous [man] that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his days] by his wickedness.
16 Pa chache twò bon, ni gen twòp lespri. Sa ou bezwen touye tèt ou fè?
Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
17 Men, pa twò mechan ni pa twò sòt. Poukisa pou ou ta mouri anvan lè ou?
Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy 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 good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.
19 Sa konesans fè pou yon moun, dis grannèg pa ka fè l' pou yon lavil.
Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a 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.
Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
21 Pa koute tou sa moun ap di. Konsa ou p'ap tande lè domestik ou ap pale ou mal.
Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
22 Paske ou menm tou, nan kè ou, ou konnen konbe fwa ou pale moun mal.
For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast 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 this have I tried by 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?
Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will 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 turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;
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 found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape 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.
See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;
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 yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I 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.
Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
