Eklezyas 2
1 Mwen te di nan tèt mwen: “Vini koulye a, mwen va teste ou ak plezi. Pou sa, fè kè ou kontan.” Epi sa osi se te vanite.
I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure;” and behold, this also was vanity.
2 Mwen te di de afè ri, “Sa se foli,” e de plezi, “Kisa l ap akonpli?”
I said of laughter, “It is foolishness;” and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”
3 Mwen te fè ankèt ak panse m kòman pou eksite kò m ak diven pandan panse m ap gide m ak sajès ak jan pou kenbe foli, jiskaske mwen ta kapab wè sa ki bon ki genyen pou fis a lòm yo fè anba syèl la pandan ti kras ane ke y ap viv yo.
I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.
4 Mwen te agrandi zèv mwen yo. Mwen te bati kay pou mwen; mwen te plante chan rezen pou mwen.
I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.
5 Mwen te fè jaden ak bèl plas pou tèt mwen e mwen te plante ladann yo tout kalite pye fwi.
I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.
6 Mwen te fè gwo basen dlo pou tèt mwen pou awoze yon forè bwa ki t ap grandi.
I made myself pools of water, to water the forest where trees were grown.
7 Mwen te achte esklav, ni mal ni femèl e mwen te genyen ki te fèt lakay mwen. Anplis mwen te genyen bann mouton avèk twoupo pi gran pase tout wa ki te Jérusalem avan m yo.
I bought male servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem.
8 Anplis, mwen te ranmase ajan ak lò pou pwòp tèt mwen ansanm ak trezò a wa yo ak pwovens pa yo. Mwen te founi pou pwòp tèt mwen chantè, ni mal, ni femèl, e tout plezi a lòm yo—anpil konkibin.
I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men: musical instruments of all sorts.
9 Epi mwen te vin gran, pi gran pase tout wa ki te avan m Jérusalem yo. Konsa, sajès mwen te kanpe avè m.
So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
10 Tout sa ke zye m te anvi, mwen pa t refize yo. Mwen pa t refize kè m okenn plezi li te vle, paske kè m te kontan akoz tout zèv mwen yo, e sa se te rekonpans pou tout travay mwen yo.
Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t keep from them. I didn’t withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.
11 Konsa, mwen te konsidere tout zèv men m te konn fè yo, avèk travay ke m te fòse fè yo, men gade byen, tout te vanite ak kouri dèyè van, e pa t gen okenn avantaj anba solèy la.
Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 Konsa mwen te vire konsidere sajès, afè moun ensanse menm ak foli; paske se kisa yon nonm ki swiv wa sila a ka fè, sinon sa ki te konn fèt deja?
I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly; for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.
13 Epi mwen te wè ke sajès toujou genyen sou vanite, tankou limyè genyen sou tenèb.
Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.
14 Zye a mesye saj la anndan tèt li; men moun ensanse a mache nan tenèb. Sepandan, mwen konnen ke se menm desten ki va rive yo tou de.
The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.
15 Konsa, mwen rive di tèt mwen: “Kon desten a moun ensanse a, se konsa l ap rive m. Alò, poukisa mwen te fòse fè anpil sajès?” Alò, pou sa mwen te di tèt mwen: “Sa, anplis, se vanite.”
Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.
16 Paske nanpwen okenn memwa k ap sonje nonm saj la, menm jan pou ensanse a, akoz nan tout jou k ap vini yo, tout moun va bliye yo nèt. Epi konsa, nonm saj la ak ensanse a mouri tou de!
For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory forever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!
17 Pou sa, mwen te rayi lavi, paske travay ki te fèt anba syèl la te yon doulè pou mwen; paske tout bagay se kòve ak kouri dèyè van.
So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
18 Konsa, mwen te rayi tout fwi a travay mwen yo, pou sila mwen te fè efò anba solèy la; paske mwen ap oblije kite li bay nonm nan k ap swiv mwen an.
I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
19 Epi se kilès ki konnen si li va saj, oswa moun fou? Malgre li va gen kontwòl sou tout fwi travay mwen. Pou sila mwen te fòse fè ak sajès yo, anba solèy la. Sa, anplis, se vanite.
Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
20 Pou sa, mwen te pèdi espwa nèt a tout fwi a zèv mwen pou sila mwen te travay anba solèy la.
Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.
21 Kote ki genyen yon nonm ki te travay ak sajès, konesans ak kapasite, alò, li va kite eritaj li a yon moun ki pa t travay pou yo. Sa osi se vanite ak yon gwo mal.
For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 Paske se kisa ke yon nonm jwenn pou tout travay li, nan efò ke li te fòse fè anba solèy la?
For what does a man have of all his labor and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?
23 Paske tout jou li yo, travay li plen ak doulè ak chagren; menm nan lannwit tèt li pa jwenn repo. Sa tou, se vanite.
For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
24 Nanpwen anyen pi bon pou yon nonm, ke manje, bwè, e di tèt li, ke travay li a bon. Sa a mwen konn wè tou, ke li sòti nan men Bondye.
There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
25 Paske se kilès ki ka manje, e kilès ki ka jwenn plezi li plis pase m?
For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?
26 Paske a yon nonm ki bon nan zye Bondye, Li te bay sajès, konesans ak lajwa; men a pechè a, Li te bay tach ranmase ak rasanble pou li kab bay a sila ki bon nan zye Bondye a. Sa anplis se vanite ak kouri dèyè van.
For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
