Eklezyas 9
1 Paske, tout sa mwen te pote kon fado nan kè m pou eksplike li; ke moun dwat yo, moun saj yo, avèk tout zèv yo nan men Bondye. Lòm pa konnen si se lanmou, oswa rayisman; nenpòt bagay kapab tann li.
For all this I laid to my heart and [indeed] to investigate all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; man knoweth neither love nor hatred: all is before them.
2 Se menm bagay la pou tout moun. Gen yon sèl desten pou moun dwat yo ak mechan yo; pou bon an, pou moun san tach la, ak pou enpi a; pou sila ki ofri sakrifis ak sila ki pa ofri sakrifis la. Tankou sila ki dwat ak pechè a menm jan; tankou sila ki fè sèman an, se konsa sila ki refize sèmante a ye.
All things [come] alike to all: one event to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
3 Men yon mal nan tout sa ki konn fèt anba solèy la, ke gen menm desten an pou tout moun. Anplis, kè a fis a lòm yo plen mechanste, e foli rete nan kè yo pandan tout lavi yo. Apre, yo ale kote mò yo.
This is an evil among all that is done under the sun, that one thing befalleth all: yea, also the heart of the children of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live; and after that, [they have to go] to the dead.
4 Paske, nenpòt moun ki jwenn ansanm ak lòt vivan yo gen espwa; anverite, yon chen vivan pi bon pase yon lyon ki mouri.
For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 Paske vivan yo konnen ke y ap mouri; men mò yo pa konnen anyen; ni yo pa jwenn rekonpans ankò, paske memwa yo fin bliye nèt.
For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Anverite, lanmou yo, rayisman yo, ak fòs kouraj yo deja fin mouri, e yo pa gen pati ankò nan tout sa ki fèt anba solèy la.
Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy is already perished; neither have they any more for ever a portion in all that is done under the sun.
7 Ale manje pen ou ak kè kontan e bwè diven ak kè plen ak jwa; paske Bondye deja pran plezi nan sa ou fè a.
Go, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works.
8 Kite tout vètman ou yo rete blan tout tan, e pa kite lwil la manke sou tèt ou.
Let thy garments be always white, and let not thy head lack oil.
9 Fè rejwisans lavi ou ak fanm ke ou renmen pandan tout jou kout lavi ou ke Li te bay ou anba solèy la. Paske sa se rekonpans ou nan lavi ak nan travay di ou konn fè anba solèy la.
Enjoy life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity; for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherein thou art labouring under the sun.
10 Nenpòt sa ke men ou jwenn pou fè, fè l ak tout kouraj ou. Paske pa gen aktivite, ni plan, ni konesans, ni sajès nan Sejou mò kote ou prale a. (Sheol h7585)
Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest. (Sheol h7585)
11 Anplis, mwen te wè anba solèy la ke kous la pa pou moun ki rapid la, ni batay la pa pou gwo gèrye yo, ni pen pou saj la, ni richès a sila ki byen konprann nan, ni favè a moun abil; paske tan avèk jan tout bagay dewoule vin genyen yo tout.
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to the intelligent, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
12 Anplis, lòm pa konnen lè li tankou pwason ki kenbe nan yon filè mechan an, o zwazo ki kenbe nan pèlen an. Se konsa fis a lòm yo sezi nan yon move moman. Epi lanmò an tonbe sou yo sibitman.
For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are taken with the snare, like them are the children of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
13 Sa osi, mwen te vin konprann kon sajès anba solèy la, e li te etone panse m.
This also have I seen as wisdom under the sun, and it was great unto me.
14 Te gen yon ti vil ak kèk grenn moun ladann. Yon gran wa te parèt sou li, te antoure li, e te konstwi zam syèj kont li.
There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and encompassed it, and built great bulwarks against it:
15 Men te twouve ladann yon malere byen saj; li te delivre vil la avèk sajès li. Men pa t gen pèsòn ki te sonje moun malere sila a.
and there was found in it a poor wise man, who by his wisdom delivered the city; but no man remembered that poor man.
16 Konsa mwen te di: “Sajès pi bon pase pwisans.” Men sajès a malere a meprize, e pou pawòl li, pèsòn pa tande yo.
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength; but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
17 Pawòl a saj k ap koute lè tout bagay kalm pi bon pase vwa chèf k ap rele fò nan mitan moun ensanse.
The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
18 Sajès pi bon ke zam lagè; men yon sèl pechè detwi anpil ki bon.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.
