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 I gave my mind to all this, even to search out all this, that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God, and yet neither his love nor hatred doth any man know. 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 [[cometh to them]] as to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, 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 things which take place under the sun, that there is one event to all; therefore also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and afterward they go down 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 who is there that is excepted? With 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 any thing, and there is no more to them any advantage, for their memory 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 now perished; neither have they a portion any more for ever in any thing which taketh place 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 thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a cheerful heart; for long since hath God been pleased with 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 fragrant oil be wanting upon thy head.
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 thy vain life which he hath given thee under the sun, all thy vain days. For this is thy portion in life, and in thy labor with which thou weariest thyself 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 it with thy might! For there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the under-world, 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 turned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of knowledge; but time and chance happen 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 knoweth not his time. As fishes that are taken in a destructive net, and as birds that are caught in a snare, so are the sons of men snared in a time of distress, 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; even wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to 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 a great king came against it, and besieged 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.
Now there was found within it a wise poor man; and he, by his wisdom, delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same 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;” and yet 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 quiet words of the wise are sooner heard than the shouting of a foolish ruler.
18 Sajès pi bon ke zam lagè; men yon sèl pechè detwi anpil ki bon.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war. But one offender destroyeth much good.
