Eklezyas 4
1 Konsa, mwen te gade ankò sou tout zèv k ap oprime moun anba solèy la. Epi gade byen, mwen te wè dlo nan zye a oprime yo, e yo pa t jwenn pèsòn pou bay yo soulajman. Sou kote a sila ki t ap oprime yo, te gen gwo pouvwa; men, yo pa t jwenn pèsòn pou bay yo soulajman.
I thought some more about all the suffering that people are caused to experience on the earth [MTY]. I saw the tears of people who were (oppressed/treated cruelly) and who had no one to comfort/encourage them. Those who oppressed them had power, and there was absolutely no one who was able to comfort those who were being oppressed.
2 Pou sa, mwen te felisite tout sila ki fin mouri deja yo, olye sila k ap viv yo.
[So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.
3 Men pi beni pase tou de nan yo se sila ki pa t janm egziste a, ki pa t wè tout mechanste ki konn fèt anba solèy la.
And those who have not been born yet are more fortunate than those who are still alive and those who have died, [because] those who have not been born have not seen all the evil things that are done on the earth.
4 Mwen konn wè tout zèv ak tout metye ki konn fèt, fèt akoz lanvi antre yon nonm ak vwazen li. Sa anplis se vanite ak fè lachas dèyè van.
I also thought about all the hard work that people do and the skills that they have. And I thought about how they compete with each other because they are envious of others, [and I concluded that] this also is something that is not accomplishing anything useful, [like] chasing the wind.
5 Moun ensanse a pliye men l e manje pwòp chè li.
Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
6 Yon men plen repo se miyò ke de ponyèt plen travay k ap fè kòve dèyè van an.
[So I say], “It is better to be content with not having much money, than to work very hard and try to get a lot of money, which is [as useless as] chasing the wind.”
7 Konsa mwen te gade ankò sou vanite anba solèy la.
I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
8 Te gen yon sèten mesye san fanmi ki pa t genyen ni fis, ni frè. Sepandan, nan travay li, pa t gen repo menm. Anverite, zye li pa t janm satisfè ak richès, men li pa t janm kon mande: “Epi pou ki moun m ap travay e prive tèt mwen de plezi konsa?” Sa, anplis se vanite, e sa se yon kòve ki plen doulè.
There are men who live alone; they do not have a wife or children or any brothers living with them; every day they work [very hard], without stopping, to get a lot of money, but they are never satisfied with the things that they have. They never ask [themselves], “Why am I working very hard to earn more money? Why am I not doing things that would cause me to be happy?” What they do also seems senseless.
9 De moun pi bon pase yon sèl, paske y ap jwenn bon benefis pou travay yo.
Having someone [work] with you is better than being by yourself [all the time]. If you have a friend, he can help you to do your work.
10 Paske si youn nan yo ta tonbe, lòt la va leve pare li. Men malè a sila ki tonbe lè nanpwen lòt pou fè l leve a.
If you fall down, he can help you get up again. But if you fall down when you are alone, it will be difficult for you, because there will be no one to help you stand up.
11 Anplis, si de moun kouche ansanm, youn chofe lòt; men ki jan yon sèl moun ta ka chofe?
Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
12 Anplis, si youn ka venk sila ki sèl la, de ka reziste ak li; epi yon kòd fèt ak twa fil ap mal pou chire.
Someone who is alone can easily be attacked and defeated by another person, but two people can help each other and (resist/defend themselves against) someone who attacks them. [Three people can defend themselves even more easily], [like] a rope that is made from three cords is harder to break [than a rope made from two cords].
13 Yon jennjan ki malere men ki gen sajès, miyò pase yon ansyen wa ki ensanse, e ki pa konn resevwa konsèy.
A young man who is poor but wise is a better person than a foolish old king who refuses to pay attention when people try to give him good advice.
14 Paske li te sòti nan prizon pou vin wa, malgre li te fèt malere nan wayòm li an.
It is possible for a young man like that to succeed and some day become king, even if his parents were poor or even if he was in prison some of the time.
15 Mwen te wè tout sa k ap viv anba solèy la kouri bò kote dezyèm jennjan ki ranplase li an.
But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
16 Pèp la p ap janm fini; tout moun ki te avan yo, ni sila k ap vini pita yo p ap kontan avèk li. Anverite, sa osi se vanite ak kouri dèyè van.
Large crowds of people crowd around him. But after a few years, they will reject him, [too]. So it is all senseless, [like] chasing after the wind.
