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 costly perfume, and the day of death is better than the 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 go to a house of mourning than to a house of feasting, for mourning comes to all people at the end of life, so living people must take this to heart.
3 Tsara ny alahelo noho ny hehy; fa na dia malahelo aza ny tarehy, mety tsara ihany ny fo.
Grief is better than laughter, for after sadness of face comes gladness of 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 feasting.
5 Tsara ny mihaino ny anatra mafy ataon’ ny hendry noho ny mihaino ny hiran’ ny adala.
It is better to listen to the rebuke of the wise 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 burning under a pot, so also is the laughter of fools. This, too, is vapor.
7 Fa ny fampahoriana dia mahavery saina ny hendry; ary ny kolikoly mahasimba ny fo.
Extortion certainly makes a wise man foolish, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Tsara ny iafaran’ ny raharaha noho ny iandohany; tsara ny mahari-po noho ny miavanavom-panahy.
Better is the end of a matter than the beginning; and the people patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit.
9 Aoka tsy halaky tezitra ny fanahinao; fa ny fahatezerana mitoetra ao an-tratran’ ny adala.
Do not be quick to anger in your spirit, for anger resides in the hearts of fools.
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 days of old better than these?” For it is not because of wisdom that you ask this question.
11 Tsara tahaka ny lova ny fahendrena, sady zava-mahasoa ho an’ izay mahita masoandro izany.
Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good. 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 provides protection as money can provide protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to whoever has it.
13 Saino ny asan’ Andriamanitra; fa iza moa no mahahitsy izay nataony ho meloka?
Consider the deeds of God: Who can straighten out anything he has made crooked?
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.
When times are good, live happily in that good, but when times are bad, consider this: God has allowed both to exist side by side. For this reason, no one will find out anything that is coming 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.
I have seen many things in my meaningless days. There are righteous people who perish in spite of their righteousness, and there are wicked people who live a long life in spite of their evil.
16 Aza marina loatra, ary aza miseho ho hendry loatra; nahoana noho simbanao ny tenanao?
Do not be self-righteous, wise in your own eyes. 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 too wicked or foolish. 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 that you should take hold of this wisdom, and that you should not let go of righteousness. For the person who fears God will meet all his obligations.
19 Ny fahendrena no maharo ny hendry mihoatra noho ny mpanapaka folo ao an-tanàna.
Wisdom is powerful in the wise man, more than ten rulers in a city.
20 Fa tsy misy olona marina ambonin’ ny tany izay manao tsara ka tsy manota.
There is not a 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 listen to every word that is spoken, because you might hear your servant curse you.
22 fa fantatry ny fonao fa na dia ny tenanao aza dia mba efa nanozona ny sasany matetika ihany koa.
Similarly, you know yourself that in your own heart you have often cursed others.
23 Izany rehetra izany dia notsapaiko tamin’ ny fahendrena. Hoy izaho: Ho hendry aho; kanjo lavitra ahy izany.
All this have I proven by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was more than I could be.
24 Eny, izay rehetra lavitra sady lalina dia lalina, iza no mahatakatra azy?
Wisdom is far off and very deep. Who can find 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 turned my heart to learn and examine and seek wisdom and the explanations of reality, and to understand that evil is stupid and that folly is 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.
I found that more bitter than death is any woman whose heart is full of snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be taken by her.
27 Indro, izany no hitako, hoy Mpitoriteny, raha nandinidinika ny zavatra tsirairay aho mba hahitana izay antony.
“Consider what I have discovered,” says the Teacher. “I have been adding one discovery to another in order to find an explanation of reality.
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.
This is what I am still looking for, but I have not found it. I did find one righteous man among a thousand, but a woman among all those I did not find.
29 Indro, izao ihany no hitako: nataon’ Andriamanitra mahitsy ny olona, kanjo namorona sain-kafa maro izy.
I have discovered only this: That God created humanity upright, but they have gone away looking for many difficulties.”
