Eklezyas 5
1 Veye pa ou yo pandan w ap desann lakay Bondye a, e vin toupre pou koute olye ofri sakrifis a moun ensanse yo. Paske yo pa konnen ke se mal y ap fè.
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil.
2 Pa fè vit avèk pawòl ou, ni kouri twò vit pou soulve yon refleksyon devan prezans Bondye. Paske Bondye nan syèl la, e ou sou tè a; pou sa pa kite pawòl ou yo vin anpil.
Be not rash with thy month, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3 Paske rèv la vin akonpli ak anpil travay; e vwa a yon moun ensanse, ak anpil pawòl.
For a dream cometh with a multitude of business; and a fool’s voice with a multitude of words.
4 Lè ou fè yon ve a Bondye, pa fè reta pou peye l; paske li pa pran plezi nan moun ki plen foli. Peye sa ou te pwomèt la!
When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou vowest.
5 Li pi bon pou pa fè ve pase fè yon ve pou pa peye l.
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6 Pa kite pawòl ou yo fè ou fè peche, e pa di nan prezans a mesaje Bondye a ke ou te mal pale. Poukisa Bondye ta dwe vin fache akoz vwa ou, e detwi tout zèv men ou yo?
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
7 Paske nan fè anpil rèv ak nan anpil pawòl, gen yon gwo vid. Pito gen lakrent Bondye.
For [thus it cometh to pass] through the multitude of dreams and vanities and many words: but fear thou God.
8 Si ou wè malere a vin oprime e pa gen lajistis nan pwovens yo, pa sezi lè ou wè l. Paske gen chèf sou chèf, e gen chèf pi wo sou yo.
If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there be higher than they.
9 Apre tout bagay, yon wa ki kiltive latè se yon avantaj pou peyi a.
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king [himself] is served by the field.
10 Sila ki renmen lajan an p ap satisfè ak lajan; ni sila ki renmen richès la ak sa li reyisi. Sa anplis se vanite.
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this also is vanity.
11 Lè bon bagay ogmante, sila ki manje yo ogmante. Konsa, pa gen lòt avantaj pou mèt yo, sof ke kanpe veye?
When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, saving the beholding [of them] with his eyes?
12 Dòmi a ouvriye a dous, kit li manje piti oswa anpil; men vant plen a moun rich la p ap kite l dòmi.
The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
13 Gen yon gwo mechanste ke m konn wè anba solèy la: richès sere pa mèt li jiskaske li rive donmaje pwòp tèt li.
There is a grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun, [namely], riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:
14 Lè richès sa yo te pèdi akoz yon move envestiman, e li vin papa a yon fis; alò, nanpwen anyen pou ba li.
and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.
15 Kon li soti nan vant manman li toutouni an; se konsa li va retounen jan li te sòti a. Li p ap pote anyen nan men l kon fwi travay li.
As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
16 Sa anplis se yon gwo malè—menm jan yon nonm fèt la, se konsa l ap mouri. Alò, kote avantaj pou sila k ap travay di nan van an?
And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboureth for the wind?
17 Pandan tout lavi li, li manje nan tenèb ak gwo chagren, maladi ak kòlè.
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed and hath sickness and wrath.
18 Men sa mwen konn wè ki bon e ki pwòp pou moun fè a: manje, bwè e fè kè kontan nan tout travay ke li fè anba solèy la, pandan ti tan kout ke Bondye ba li a. Paske se sa ki rekonpans li.
Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour, wherein he laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion.
19 Anplis, menm jan pou tout moun ke Bondye te bay richès ak byen yo, anplis Li te bay li kapasite pou manje ladann yo e rejwi nan travay li. Sa se don Bondye a.
Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
20 Konsa, se pa souvan ke moun nan va konsidere ane lavi li yo, paske Bondye kenbe l okipe tout tan ak rejwisans kè li.
For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth [him] in the joy of his heart.
