Mpitoriteny 5
1 Tandremo ny tongotrao, raha mankao an-tranon’ Andriamanitra ianao; fa ny manatona hihaino no tsara noho ny fanateran’ ny adala fanatitra; fa tsy fantatr’ ireny ho manao ratsy izy.
When you enter God’s temple, you should be sure to listen carefully. Doing that is better than offering sacrifices to God [and then not obeying him], which is foolish.
2 Aza haingam-bava, ary aza malaky manonona teny eo anatrehan’ Andriamanitra ny fonao; fa Andriamanitra dia any an-danitra ary ianao etỳ an-tany, koa aoka ho vitsy ny teninao.
Think carefully before you speak [MTY] or before you promise God that you will do something [IDM]. [Do not forget that] God is in heaven [and he is all-powerful] and you are here on the earth, so think carefully before you [make any promises to God].
3 Fa ny haben’ ny fisasarana no mahatonga ny nofy; ary ny haben’ ny teny no isehoan’ ny rediredin’ ny adala.
If you are continually thinking [and worrying] about things, you will have bad dreams about them and not rest [well]. And the more you talk, the more likely it will be that you will say things that are foolish.
4 Raha mivoady amin’ Andriamanitra ianao, aza manao ampitso lava: fa tsy ankasitrahany ny adala; koa efao ny voadinao.
When you solemnly promise God that you will do something, do not be foolish by delaying in doing it, because God is not pleased with foolish people. Do [all] the things that you promise God that you will do.
5 Aleo tsy mivoady toy izay mivoady ka tsy mahefa.
It is better to not promise [anything] than to promise to do something, and [then] not doing it.
6 Aza avela hahatonga heloka amin’ ny tenanao ny vavanao; ary aza manao eo imason’ ny anjely hoe: Niteny tsy nahy aho; nahoana no ho tezitra amin’ ny teninao Andriamanitra ka hanimba ny asan’ ny tananao?
Do not sin by promising to do something and then not doing it. And [when you promise God to do something and do not do it], do not say to God’s priest that it was a mistake for you to promise to do that. If you do that, God will certainly [RHQ] become very angry with you, and he will take from you everything that you [SYN] have worked to acquire.
7 Fa amin’ ny haben’ ny nofy dia misy zava-poana; ary toy izany koa ny haben’ ny teny, fa Andriamanitra no atahory.
Promising to do something and not doing it is like [SIM] a dream that has no value; instead, revere God [by doing what you promised him that you would do].
8 Raha hitanao ny fampahoriana ny malahelo sy ny famadihana ny fitsarana sy ny rariny amin’ ny tany, dia aza gaga amin’ izany; fa misy ambony kokoa mibanjina ny ambony, ary mbola misy ambony noho ireo indray aza.
Do not be surprised if you see poor [people] being (oppressed/treated cruelly) [by powerful/influential people], or if you see judges making unjust decisions throughout the land. [That happens] because the people who do that are supervised [and cheated by] more important officials [DOU],
9 Fa na dia izany rehetra izany aza, dia mahasoa ny tany ny fisian’ ny mpanjaka amin’ izay tany volena.
and even the king forces the people to give him some of the crops that they harvest.
10 Izay tia vola tsy hety ho voky vola; ary izay fatra-pitia harena be tsy hety ho vokin’ ny fitomboan-karena; fa zava-poana koa izany.
Everyone who tries to [get as much] money as they can will never think that they have enough. They will never be satisfied with the money that they have. That also is senseless.
11 Raha mitombo ny fananana, dia mitombo koa ny mpihinana azy; ary inona no soa azon’ ny tompony, afa-tsy ny mijery maso azy fotsiny ihany?
The more money that we have, the more people want us to spend our money to buy things for them. So people who have a lot of money do not [RHQ] benefit from it; they see [MTY] it when they get it, but it soon (disappears/is completely spent).
12 Mamy ny torimason’ ny mpiasa, na homan-kely na homam-be izy; fa ny haben’ ny ananan’ ny manan-karena kosa no tsy ahitany tory.
Those who work hard sleep peacefully [at night], even if they do not have much food to eat. But rich [people] do not sleep well, because [they worry] about their money.
13 Misy ratsy mahory efa hitako atỳ ambanin’ ny masoandro, dia harena tehirizin’ ny tompony, nefa mampidi-doza amin’ ny tenany;
I have seen [another] terrible thing that happens here on the earth [MTY]: People save [up all] their money and become rich, [but] they are not helped by saving a lot of money,
14 sady levona izany harena izany noho ny loza manjo; ary miteraka zazalahy ralehilahy nefa tsy misy na inona na inona eny an-tànany,
[because] something happens that causes their money to be gone, and when they die, there is no money for their children to get/inherit.
15 Toy ny nivoahany mitanjaka avy tany an-kibon-dreniny, dia toy izay nihaviany ihany no hiverenany; ary tsy hisy na inona na inona ho entin’ ny tànany ho valin’ ny fisasarany.
When we are born, we do not bring anything with us, and when we die, we take nothing with us from all that we have earned by our working hard.
16 Dia ratsy mahory koa izany, fa toy izay nihaviany indrindra no handehanany; ary inona no soa azony noho ny nisasarany ho an’ ny rivotra?
That also seems senseless. People bring nothing [into the world when they are born], and they leave [this world] taking nothing with them. They have worked hard, but they receive no lasting benefit [MET].
17 Ary koa, homa-maizina amin’ ny androny rehetra izy sady manana alahelo be sy fahoriana ary fahasosorana.
[Furthermore, rich people] are always miserable [MET] and sad, and depressed/discouraged and often sick and (resentful/thinking that what has happened to them is unfair).
18 Indro, efa hitako izay soa sy izay tsara, dia ny mihinana sy misotro ary mifaly amin’ ny fisasarana rehetra izay isasaran’ ny olona atỳ ambanin’ ny masoandro amin’ izay andro vitsy iainany omen’ Andriamanitra azy; fa izany no anjarany.
So, the best thing for people to do here on the earth during the few years that God allows them to be alive is to eat and drink and to enjoy their work, because those are the things that God has given to them.
19 Ary koa, ny olona rehetra izay omen’ Andriamanitra vola aman-karena sady omeny fahefana hihinanany azy sy hahazoany ny anjarany sy hifaliany amin’ ny fisasarana, dia fanomezan’ Andriamanitra izany.
If people are rich and have a lot of possessions, and are able to (enjoy/be happy with) the things that they have and to enjoy their work, those things are [also] gifts from God.
20 Fa tsy hahatsiaro loatra ny andro niainany izy, satria ny fahafinaretan’ ny fony no avalin’ Andriamanitra azy.
Those people do not worry much about [everything that has happened] during the time that they have been alive, because God enables them to be happy doing everything that they do.
