Mpitoriteny 7
1 Ambone’ ty fahosotse sarotse ty tahinañe soa; naho ty androm-pihomahañe, ta ty andro nisamahañe.
A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth.
2 Hàmake t’ie mb’an-traño fandalàñe ta te mb’añ’anjomba fisabadidahañe, fa izay ty figadoña’ ze kila ondaty, ee te hapo’ ty veloñe an-tro’e ao izay.
It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.
3 Ambone’ ty fiankahafañe ty haemberañe; fa mete ho fale ty arofo ndra te lonjetse ty laharañe.
Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
4 Añ-anjombam-pandalàñe ao ty arofo’ o mahihitseo, le an-trañom-piankahafañe ao ty tro’ o dagolao.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 Hàmake t’ie mijanjiñe ty fañendaha’ ty mahihitse, ta te mitsanoñe ty sabo’ o mineñeo.
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 Hambañe ami’ty fipipiham-patike ambane’ valàñe eo, ty fitohafa’ i dagola; hakoahañe ka izay.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7 Toe mampinè’ ty mahihitse ty famorekekeañe, vaho mamorek’ arofo ty vokàñe.
Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
8 Ambone’ ty fifotoran-draha ty figadoña’e, le ambone’ ty troke misenge ty arofo mahaliñe.
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Ko malisa ho viñetse añ’arofo irehe, amy te mimoneñe am-banian-dagola ao ty habosehañe.
Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
10 Ko manao ty hoe, Ino ty nahasoa o andro taoloo te amo henanekeo? toe tsy aman-kihitse i ontane’o zay.
Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.
11 Raha soa te mitraoke an-kihitse ty lova, toe tombo’ o mahaisake i androio.
Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.
12 Manahake ty fañarova’ ty vara ty fañambena’ i hihitsey; fe ty hasoa’ o hilalao, arova’ i hihitsey ty fiai’ o manañ’ azeo.
For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13 Haraharao ty fitoloñan’ Añahare; ia ty mahay mañity ty nimengoha’e.
Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight which he has made crooked?
14 Mifalea añ’andro vokatse, vaho mitsakorea añ’andron-kankàñe; songa nanoen’ Añahare itoy naho iroy, soa tsy ho oni’ ondaty ndra inoñ’ inoñe amo hanonjohy azeo.
In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.
15 Hene nitreako amo haveloko koakey; eo t’indaty vaño mihomak’ amy havantaña’ey, eo ka ty lo-tsereke mañalava andro amy haratia’ey.
All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
16 Ko loho vantañe; ko losore’o ty hihitse; Ino ty hampiantoa’o ty vata’o?
Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Ko loho tsereheñe, naho ko manao gege; ino ty hivetraha’o aolo’ ty andro’o?
Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?
18 Soa re te fahara’o iroy, vaho tsy asita’o itoy, fa horihe’ ty mañeveñe aman’ Añahare i roe rey.
It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also don’t withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all.
19 Mampaozatse ty mahihitse ambone’ ty mpifehe folo an-drova ao, ty hihitse.
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
20 Fa toe tsitantane t’indaty vañoñe mitolon-kavantañañe le lia’e tsy mandilatse.
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and doesn’t sin.
21 Aa le ko loho haoñe’o ze fonga enta saontsieñe, tsy mone ho janji’o mamatse azo ty mpitoro’o;
Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
22 amy te beteke, fohi’ ty vata’o te ihe namatse ty ila’e.
for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
23 Fa hene nitsoheako an-kihitse, le hoe iraho: Ho paiako ty hihitse, fe nihànkañe amako.
All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me.
24 Tsietoitane añe naho miheotse o raha fa nifetsakeo, ia ty hahatendreke aze?
That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
25 Natoliko ty troko handrèndreke naho hitsikarake vaho hikodebe ty hihitse naho ty lengo’ o rahao, naho ty hahafohinako ty haratia’ ty hadagolàñe, vaho ty hanè’ o hagegeañeo;
I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.
26 le nitreako te mafaitse te ami’ty havilasy ty rakemba amam-pandrike, ie harato ty tro’e, naho silisilim-pandrohizañe o taña’eo; hiponiora’ ty mahafale an’ Andrianañahare; fe ho tsepahe’e ty mpanan-tahiñe.
I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.
27 Ingo, itoy ty nitreako, hoe ty mpañoke, ie tovoñañe ami’ty raha raike ty ila’e, hamoliliañ’ aze;
“Behold, I have found this,” says Kohelet, “to one another, to find an explanation
28 ie nitolom-pipay ty troko, fe mbe mboe tsy naharendreke; fa nahatrea ondaty raik’ ami’ty arivo iraho, fe tsy nahatrea rakemba raik’ amy rezay iaby.
which my soul still seeks, but I have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all those.
29 Inao, te zao avao ty nitreako, te nanoen’ Añahare mahity t’indaty, f’ie mikitro-draha maro.
Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”
