Eklezyas 10
1 Mouch mouri bay lwil pafen yon move odè; Se konsa yon ti kras foli gen pouvwa pou depase sajès ak respè.
Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: [and] a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly.
2 Kè a yon moun saj mennen li adwat, men kè a moun san konprann nan mennen l agoch.
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
3 Menm lè ensanse a mache nan lari li manke bon tèt. Li montre tout moun ke se moun fou li ye.
Yea, and whenever a fool walks by the way, his heart will fail him, and all that he thinks of is folly.
4 Si kòlè a wa a vin monte kont ou, pa abandone pozisyon ou; paske rete kalm ka evite gwo ofans.
If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for soothing will put an end to great offences.
5 Gen yon mal mwen konn wè anba solèy la, tankou yon fot ki sòti nan sila k ap gouvène a——
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler.
6 Foli plase nan anpil kote byen wo pandan rich yo chita kote ki ba.
The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one.
7 Mwen konn wè esklav ki monte sou cheval ak prens k ap mache atè tankou esklav.
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth.
8 Sila ki fouye fè yon twou ka byen tonbe ladann, e yon sèpan ka mòde gèrye a ki kraze yon miray.
He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.
9 Sila ki taye wòch yo ka blese ladann, e sila ki fann gwo bout bwa a kapab an danje.
He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby.
10 Si rach la pa gen tay, e li pa file pwent li; alò, li va egzije plis fòs. Avantaj a sajès se reyisi!
If the axe-head should fall off, then the man troubles his countenance, and he must put forth more strength: and [in that case] skill is of no advantage to a man.
11 Si sèpan an mòde avan li vin chame, nanpwen pwofi.
If a serpent bite when there is no [charmer's] whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer.
12 Pawòl ki soti nan bouch sila ki saj la plen ak gras, men pawòl a moun ensanse a fin manje l nèt;
The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up.
13 Kòmansman diskou ensanse a se foli, e fen diskou li se plen mechanste ak betiz.
The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness.
14 Malgre tout sa, moun ensanse a ogmante pawòl li yo. Pèsòn pa konnen sa ki va rive, e kilès kab di li sa ki va rive apre li.
A fool moreover multiplies words: man knows not what has been, nor what will be: who shall tell him what will come after him?
15 Zèv a moun ensanse a tèlman fatige l, ke li pa konnen kijan pou li rive nan vil la.
The labour of fools will afflict them, [as that of one] who knows not to go to the city.
16 Malè a ou menm, O peyi ki gen jenn ti gason kon wa; ak prens yo k ap fè fèt granmaten.
Woe to thee, O city, whose king is young, and thy princes eat in the morning!
17 Beni se ou menm, O peyi ki gen yon fis byen prepare kon wa a ak prens ki manje nan pwòp lè yo, pou bay fòs, e non pou fè banbòch vin sou.
Blessed art thou, O land, whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes shall eat seasonably, for strength, and shall not be ashamed.
18 Akoz parès ak neglijans, twati a vin pann, e nan enpridans kay la vin koule.
By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: and by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces.
19 Yon gwo tab manje fèt pou yo rejwi yo, diven pou fè kè kontan; epi lajan se repons pou tout bagay.
Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine and oil that the living should rejoice: but to money all things will humbly yield obedience.
20 Anplis, nan chanm a kouche ou, pa bay wa a madichon; e nan chanm a kouche ou, pa bay yon moun rich madichon. Paske yon zwazo syèl la ka pote bri a, e sa ki gen zèl yo ka fè yo konnen bagay la.
Even in thy conscience, curse not the king; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry thy voice, and that which has wings shall report thy speech.
