Eklezyas 7
1 Yon bon non pi bon pase yon pomad swa, e jou mouri pi bon pase jou nou te ne a.
A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
2 Li pi bon pou ale nan kay k ap fè dèy pase nan kay k ap fè fèt; paske se konsa ke chak moun va fini, e sila ki vivan an pran sa a kè.
It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart.
3 Tristès pi bon pase ri; paske lè figi moun nan tris, kè la vin pi bon.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.
4 Panse a saj la anndan lakay k ap fè dèy; men panse a san konprann nan kay plezi.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
5 Li pi bon pou koute repwòch a yon nonm saj pase pou yon moun ta koute chanson a moun san konprann yo.
It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
6 Paske tankou bwa pikan sèch pete nan dife; se konsa lè yon nonm ensanse ap ri; epi sa anplis se vanite.
For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.
7 Paske chantay ka fè yon nonm saj vin fou, e lajan anba tab fè kè vin konwonpi.
Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Lè yon bagay fin fèt, li pi bon pase lè l te kòmanse a. Pasyans nan lespri pi bon pase awogans lespri a.
The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.
9 Pa chofè kè ou pou vin fache; paske fache rete nan kè a moun ensanse.
Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
10 Pa di: “Poukisa jou lontan yo te pi bon pase jodi a”? Paske nanpwen sajès nan kesyon sa a.
Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this.
11 Sajès ansanm ak eritaj bon, e se yon avantaj pou sila ki konn wè solèy yo.
Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.
12 Paske sajès se yon pwotèj, menm ke lajan se yon pwotèj la; men avantaj a bon konprann nan se ke sajès va prezève lavi a sila ki genyen l.
For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.
13 Konsidere zèv Bondye yo, paske se kilès ki ka drese sa ke Li menm te koube?
Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?
14 Nan jou bonè yo fè kè kontan; men nan jou malè yo, reflechi—Bondye te fè tou de pou lòm pa dekouvri anyen nan sa k ap swiv li.
In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider this: God has made one of these along with the other, so that a man cannot discover anything that will come after him.
15 Mwen te wè tout bagay pandan tout jou vanite mwen yo; gen yon nonm dwat ki mouri nan ladwati, ak yon nonm mechan ki fè vi li long ak mechanste li a.
In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.
16 Pa fè eksè nan ladwati, ni pa vin twò saj. Poukisa ou ta detwi pwòp tèt ou?
Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Pa fè eksè nan mechanste, ni pa vin ensanse. Poukisa ou ta vle mouri avan lè ou?
Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
18 Li bon pou ou ta kenbe pran yon bagay san ou pa lage lòt la; paske sila ki gen lakrent Bondye a ap vini ak tou de.
It is good to grasp the one and not let the other slip from your hand. For he who fears God will follow both warnings.
19 Sajès ranfòse yon nonm saj plis pase dis gwo chèf ki nan yon vil.
Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
20 Anverite, nanpwen yon moun dwat sou latè ki fè sa ki bon tout tan, e ki pa janm peche.
Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
21 Anplis, pa pran a kè tout pawòl ki pale, sof ke ou ta tande sèvitè ou lè l ap bay ou madichon.
Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.
22 Paske ou vin konprann ke ou menm tou anpil fwa konn bay moun madichon.
For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
23 Mwen te tante fè tout sa ak sajès e mwen te di: “Mwen va saj”, men sa te chape lwen mwen.
All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.
24 Sa ki te konn egziste vin lwen, e se yon mistè menm. Se kilès ki ka dekouvri li?
What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?
25 Mwen te dirije panse m pou konnen; pou fè ankèt e chache sajès avèk rezon, e pou konnen mechanste se foli; e foli menm rive fè moun fou.
I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.
26 Epi mwen te dekouvri pi anmè pase mouri, kè a fanm ki fè pèlen an. Men li yo se tankou chenn. Yon moun ki plè Bondye va chape anba men l, men pechè a va vin kaptire anba l.
And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared.
27 “Gade byen, se sa mwen dekouvri,” predikatè a di: “Ajoute yon bagay a yon lòt pou twouve konprann.”
“Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.
28 Sou sila m toujou ap chache a, men m poko jwenn; mwen te twouve yon nonm pami mil, men mwen pa t jwenn fanm pami tout sa yo.
While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.
29 Men gade, se sèl sa mwen dekouvri; Bondye te fè lòm kanpe dwat, men yo chache anpil manèv pou vin koube.
Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made men upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
