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 the day of death better than the day of one’s 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 go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, 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 by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
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 mirth.
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 hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear 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 as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7 Paske chantay ka fè yon nonm saj vin fou, e lajan anba tab fè kè vin konwonpi.
Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
8 Lè yon bagay fin fèt, li pi bon pase lè l te kòmanse a. Pasyans nan lespri pi bon pase awogans lespri a.
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Pa chofè kè ou pou vin fache; paske fache rete nan kè a moun ensanse.
Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
10 Pa di: “Poukisa jou lontan yo te pi bon pase jodi a”? Paske nanpwen sajès nan kesyon sa a.
Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.
11 Sajès ansanm ak eritaj bon, e se yon avantaj pou sila ki konn wè solèy yo.
Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for 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 is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13 Konsidere zèv Bondye yo, paske se kilès ki ka drese sa ke Li menm te koube?
Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight which he has made crooked?
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, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything 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.
All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
16 Pa fè eksè nan ladwati, ni pa vin twò saj. Poukisa ou ta detwi pwòp tèt ou?
Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Pa fè eksè nan mechanste, ni pa vin ensanse. Poukisa ou ta vle mouri avan lè ou?
Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. 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 that you should take hold of this. Yes, also don’t withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all.
19 Sajès ranfòse yon nonm saj plis pase dis gwo chèf ki nan yon vil.
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are 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 not a righteous man on earth who does good and doesn’t sin.
21 Anplis, pa pran a kè tout pawòl ki pale, sof ke ou ta tande sèvitè ou lè l ap bay ou madichon.
Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
22 Paske ou vin konprann ke ou menm tou anpil fwa konn bay moun madichon.
for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise 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 have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me.
24 Sa ki te konn egziste vin lwen, e se yon mistè menm. Se kilès ki ka dekouvri li?
That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
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 turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is 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.
I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.
27 “Gade byen, se sa mwen dekouvri,” predikatè a di: “Ajoute yon bagay a yon lòt pou twouve konprann.”
“Behold, I have found this,” says Kohelet, “to one 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.
which my soul still seeks, but I have not found. I have found one man amongst a thousand, but I have not found a woman amongst all those.
29 Men gade, se sèl sa mwen dekouvri; Bondye te fè lòm kanpe dwat, men yo chache anpil manèv pou vin koube.
Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”
