Mpitoriteny 7
1 Tsara ny laza soa noho ny menaka manitra; ary ny andro ahaterahana tsy mahaleo ny andro ahafatesana.
A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
2 Tsara ny mankamin’ ny trano misy fisaonana noho ny mankamin’ ny trano misy fanasana; fa ho amin’ iny no hiafaran’ ny olombelona rehetra, ary ny velona handatsaka am-po izany.
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 Tsara ny alahelo noho ny hehy; fa na dia malahelo aza ny tarehy, mety tsara ihany ny fo.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.
4 Ny fon’ ny hendry dia ao amin’ ny trano misy fisaonana; fa ny fon’ ny adala kosa dia ao amin’ ny trano misy fifaliana.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
5 Tsara ny mihaino ny anatra mafy ataon’ ny hendry noho ny mihaino ny hiran’ ny adala.
It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
6 Toy ny firefodrefotry ny tsilo eo ambanin’ ny vilany, dia tahaka izany ny fihomehezan’ ny adala; zava-poana koa izany.
For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.
7 Fa ny fampahoriana dia mahavery saina ny hendry; ary ny kolikoly mahasimba ny fo.
Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Tsara ny iafaran’ ny raharaha noho ny iandohany; tsara ny mahari-po noho ny miavanavom-panahy.
The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.
9 Aoka tsy halaky tezitra ny fanahinao; fa ny fahatezerana mitoetra ao an-tratran’ ny adala.
Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
10 Aza manao hoe: Ahoana no nahatsara ny andro taloha noho ny ankehitriny? fa tsy avy amin’ ny fahendrena no anontanianao izany.
Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this.
11 Tsara tahaka ny lova ny fahendrena, sady zava-mahasoa ho an’ izay mahita masoandro izany.
Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.
12 Fa fialokalofana ny fahendrena, ary fialokalofana ny vola; ary ny mahatsara ny fahalalana dia izao: Maharo ny ain’ ny manana azy ny fahendrena.
For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.
13 Saino ny asan’ Andriamanitra; fa iza moa no mahahitsy izay nataony ho meloka?
Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?
14 Amin’ ny andro mahafaly dia mifalia; ary amin’ ny andro mahory mieritrereta; fa nampitanandrifin’ Andriamanitra ireo, mba tsy hahitan’ ny olona akory izay ho avy any aoriany.
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 Izao rehetra izao dia efa hitako tamin’ ny androko mandalo foana: misy marina maty amin’ ny hamarinany; ary misy meloka ela velona amin’ ny haratsiany.
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 Aza marina loatra, ary aza miseho ho hendry loatra; nahoana noho simbanao ny tenanao?
Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Aza ratsy loatra ianao, ary aza adala; nahoana no ho faty ianao, raha tsy efa tonga ny andronao?
Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
18 Tsara raha mitana iroa ianao, nefa aza mampiala ny tananao amin’ itsy; fa izay matahotra an’ Andriamanitra dia ho afaka amin’ izany rehetra izany.
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 Ny fahendrena no maharo ny hendry mihoatra noho ny mpanapaka folo ao an-tanàna.
Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
20 Fa tsy misy olona marina ambonin’ ny tany izay manao tsara ka tsy manota.
Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
21 Aza mihainohaino ny teny rehetra tenenina, fandrao handre ny mpanomponao manozona anao ianao;
Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.
22 fa fantatry ny fonao fa na dia ny tenanao aza dia mba efa nanozona ny sasany matetika ihany koa.
For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
23 Izany rehetra izany dia notsapaiko tamin’ ny fahendrena. Hoy izaho: Ho hendry aho; kanjo lavitra ahy izany.
All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.
24 Eny, izay rehetra lavitra sady lalina dia lalina, iza no mahatakatra azy?
What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?
25 Nitodika aho, ka nampiasaiko ny foko hahalala sy handinika ary hitady fahendrena sy izay anton-javatra ary hahafantatra ny faharatsiana ho fahadalana, ary ny fahadalana ho fahaverezan-tsaina;
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 ka hitako fa mangidy noho ny fahafatesana ny vehivavy, izay fandrika sy harato ny fony, sady famatorana ny tànany; nefa izay ankasitrahan’ Andriamanitra dia ho afa-mandositra azy, fa ny mpanota ihany no ho azony.
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 Indro, izany no hitako, hoy Mpitoriteny, raha nandinidinika ny zavatra tsirairay aho mba hahitana izay antony.
“Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.
28 Izay notadiaviko koa, fa tsy hitako, dia izao: lehilahy iray no hitako ho marina tao amin’ ny arivo; fa tao amin’ ny vehivavy arivo dia tsy nisy hitako na dia iray akory aza.
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 Indro, izao ihany no hitako: nataon’ Andriamanitra mahitsy ny olona, kanjo namorona sain-kafa maro izy.
Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made men upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
