Eklezyas 3
1 Gen yon lè apwente pou tout bagay. Epi gen yon tan pou chak sa ki rive anba syèl la—
For everything there is a fixed time, and a time for every business under the sun.
2 Yon tan pou ne, yon tan pou mouri; yon tan pou plante, ak yon tan pou dechouke sa ki plante a.
A time for birth and a time for death; a time for planting and a time for uprooting;
3 Yon tan pou touye e yon tan pou geri; yon tan pou demoli e yon tan pou bati.
A time to put to death and a time to make well; a time for pulling down and a time for building up;
4 Yon tan pou kriye e yon tan pou ri; yon tan pou fè dèy e yon tan pou danse.
A time for weeping and a time for laughing; a time for sorrow and a time for dancing;
5 Yon tan pou voye wòch e yon tan pou ranmase wòch; yon tan pou anbrase e yon tan pou evite anbrase.
A time to take stones away and a time to get stones together; a time for kissing and a time to keep from kissing;
6 Yon tan pou chache e yon tan pou pèdi. Yon tan pou konsève, e yon tan pou jete.
A time for search and a time for loss; a time to keep and a time to give away;
7 Yon tan pou chire e yon tan pou koude; yon tan pou rete an silans e yon tan pou pale.
A time for undoing and a time for stitching; a time for keeping quiet and a time for talk;
8 Yon tan pou fè lanmou e yon tan pou rayisman; yon tan pou fè lagè e yon tan pou fè lapè.
A time for love and a time for hate; a time for war and a time for peace.
9 Ki avantaj ouvriye a genyen nan tout efò ke li fè yo?
What profit has the worker in the work which he does?
10 Mwen te wè tach ke Bondye te bay a fis a lòm yo, avèk sila yo okipe tèt yo.
I saw the work which God has put on the sons of man.
11 Li te fè tout bagay bon nan tan li. Anplis, Li te mete letènite nan kè yo, pou ke lòm pa ka fin konprann travay Bondye te fè a soti nan kòmansman jis rive nan lafen.
He has made everything right in its time; but he has made their hearts without knowledge, so that man is unable to see the works of God, from the first to the last.
12 Mwen konnen ke pa gen pi bon bagay pou yo ta fè pase rejwi e fè byen pandan yo gen lavi a.
I am certain that there is nothing better for a man than to be glad, and to do good while life is in him.
13 Anplis, pou tout moun ki manje ak bwè yo wè bonte Bondye nan tout travay li yo—se don Bondye sa ye.
And for every man to take food and drink, and have joy in all his work, is a reward from God.
14 Mwen konnen ke tout sa Bondye fè va dire pou tout tan. Nanpwen anyen pou mete sou li e nanpwen anyen pou retire sou li, paske Bondye te tèlman travay pou lòm ta gen lakrent Li.
I am certain that whatever God does will be for ever. No addition may be made to it, nothing may be taken from it; and God has done it so that man may be in fear before him.
15 Sa ki egziste, te la deja e sa ki va ye, te ye deja. Konsa, Bondye chache jwenn sa ki fin pase.
Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past.
16 Anplis, mwen te wè anba solèy la ke nan plas lajistis gen mechanste; e nan plas ladwati gen mechanste.
And again, I saw under the sun, in the place of the judges, that evil was there; and in the place of righteousness, that evil was there.
17 Mwen te di a pwòp tèt mwen: “Bondye va jije ni sila ki dwat la, ni sila ki mechan an,” paske gen yon tan pou chak zèv ak chak bagay.
I said in my heart, God will be judge of the good and of the bad; because a time for every purpose and for every work has been fixed by him.
18 Mwen te di pwòp tèt mwen selon fis a lòm yo: “Anverite, Bondye te fè yo pase a leprèv pou yo ta wè ke se tankou bèt ke yo ye.”
I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, so that God may put them to the test and that they may see themselves as beasts.
19 Paske desten a fis a lòm yo ak desten a bèt yo se menm. Tankou youn mouri, konsa lòt la mouri. Anverite, yo tout gen menm souf la, e nanpwen avantaj pou lòm sou bèt yo, paske tout se vanite.
Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose.
20 Tout ale menm kote. Tout te sòti nan pousyè a, e tout ap retounen nan pousyè a.
All go to one place, all are of the dust, and all will be turned to dust again.
21 Se kilès ki ka konnen ke souf a lòm monte anwo e souf a bèt yo desann anba tè?
Who is certain that the spirit of the sons of men goes up to heaven, or that the spirit of the beasts goes down to the earth?
22 Mwen te wè ke nanpwen anyen ki pi bon pou lòm ta fè pase fè kè kontan nan tout sa li fè, paske se konsa sò a tonbe pou li. Paske se kilès ki ka fè l wè sa ki va vin rive apre li?
So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work — because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?
