Ecclesiastes 9
1 I have drawn all these things through my heart, so that I might carefully understand. There are just men as well as wise men, and their works are in the hand of God. And yet a man does not know so much as whether he is worthy of love or of hatred.
Mwen kalkile anpil sou bagay sa yo. Mwen repase bagay sa yo byen repase nan tèt mwen. Mwen wè se Bondye k'ap dirije lavi tout moun, ni moun ki gen bon konprann, ni moun ki mache dwat yo. Li kontwole tou sa y'ap fè, kit yo renmen, kit yo rayi. Pesonn pa konn anyen sou sa k'ap tann yo pi devan.
2 But all things in the future remain uncertain, because all things happen equally to the just and to the impious, to the good and to the bad, to the pure and to the impure, to those who offer sacrifices and to those who despise sacrifices. As the good are, so also are sinners. As those who commit perjury are, so also are those who swear to the truth.
Se menm sò a ki gen pou rive tout moun, ni mechan an, ni moun ki mache dwat la, bon an kou move a, moun ki kenbe pye Bondye a kou moun ki pa kenbe pye Bondye a, moun ki ofri bèt pou touye pou Bondye kou moun ki pa ofri bèt pou Bondye. Konsa, yon moun debyen pa pi bon pase moun k'ap fè sa ki mal la. Moun ki fè sèman pa pi mal pase moun ki pè fè sèman.
3 This is a very great burden among all things that are done under the sun: that the same things happen to everyone. And when the hearts of the sons of men are filled with malice and contempt in their lives, afterwards they shall be dragged down to hell. (questioned)
Se menm sò a pou tout moun. Sa tou, tankou tout lòt bagay ki rive sou latè, se yon malè. Se konsa, moun pase tout lavi yo ak mechanste nan kè yo, y'ap kite lide moun fou travay nan tèt yo, epi yo rete konsa yo mouri.
4 There is no one who lives forever, or who even has confidence in this regard. A living dog is better than a dead lion.
Men, toutotan yon moun vivan toujou gen espwa pou li. Yon chen vivan miyò pase yon lyon mouri.
5 For the living know that they themselves will die, yet truly the dead know nothing anymore, nor do they have any recompense. For the memory of them is forgotten.
Wi. Moun vivan yo konnen yo gen pou yo mouri. Men moun mouri yo pa konn anyen. Yo pa bezwen tann anyen ankò pou sa yo fè. Talè konsa tout moun bliye yo.
6 Likewise, love and hatred and envy have all perished together, nor have they any place in this age and in the work which is done under the sun.
Tout santiman yo te gen nan kè yo pou moun yo te renmen, pou moun yo te rayi, pou bagay yo te anvi, tou sa disparèt avèk yo. Yo p'ap janm patisipe nan anyen k'ap fèt sou latè ankò.
7 So then, go and eat your bread with rejoicing, and drink your wine with gladness. For your works are pleasing to God.
Ale non, monchè, manje manje ou ak kè kontan, bwè diven ou san kè sote. Bondye deja dakò ak tou sa w'ap fè.
8 Let your garments be white at all times, and let not oil be absent from your head.
Se pou rad anwo ou toujou byen pwòp, tèt ou toujou byen penyen ak lwil santi bon.
9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your uncertain life which have been given to you under the sun, during all the time of your vanity. For this is your portion in life and in your labor, with which you labor under the sun.
Jwi lavi avèk fanm ou renmen an, pandan tout jou w'ap viv lavi ki pa vo anyen an, lavi Bondye ba ou pou viv sou latè a. Jwi tout jou sa yo ki yonn pa vo lòt, paske se sèlman sa ki pou ou nan lavi a, apre tout traka ou bay tèt ou pou fè travay ou sou latè.
10 Whatever your hand is able to do, do it earnestly. For neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge will exist in death, toward which you are hurrying. (Sheol h7585)
Tou sa ou jwenn pou ou fè, fè l' ak tout fòs ou. Paske, kote ou prale a, nan peyi kote mò yo ye a, nanpwen travay pou ou fè, pa gen lide ki pou mache nan tèt ou, pa gen konesans, pa gen bon konprann. (Sheol h7585)
11 I turned myself toward another thing, and I saw that under the sun, the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor wealth to the learned, nor grace to the skillful: but there is a time and an end for all these things.
Yon lòt bagay mwen wè ankò sou latè, se pa toujou moun ki konn kouri ki genyen nan kous, se pa toujou vanyan gason ki genyen nan lagè. Yon moun ki gen konprann pa toujou gen manje pou l' manje, yon moun ki gen lespri pa toujou gen anpil byen. Moun ki gen kapasite pa toujou jwenn gwo pozisyon. Chans ak malchans la pou tout moun.
12 Man does not know his own end. But, just as fish are caught with a hook, and birds are captured with a snare, so are men seized in the evil time, when it will suddenly overwhelm them.
Moun pa konnen lè lè yo ap rive. Tankou pwason ki pran nan senn, tankou zwezo ki pran nan pèlen, se konsa moun pran tou lè yon malè sèk tonbe sou yo.
13 This wisdom, likewise, I have seen under the sun, and I have examined it intensely.
Men yon lòt bagay mwen te wè ankò: Se yon bèl egzanp ki moutre sa bon konprann ka fè pou moun.
14 There was a small city, with a few men in it. There came against it a great king, who surrounded it, and built fortifications all around it, and the blockade was completed.
Vwala se te yon ti bouk tou piti ki pa t' gen anpil moun ladan l'. Yon gran wa vin atake l' ak yon gwo lame. Li sènen bouk la toupatou, li fè pare yon bann bagay pou kraze miray ranpa bouk la.
15 And there was found within it, a poor and wise man, and he freed the city through his wisdom, and nothing was recorded afterward of that poor man.
Te gen yon nonm nan bouk la ki te gen lespri, men se te yon pòv malere. Se li ki te sove bouk la avèk konesans li. Apre sa, tout moun bliye l'.
16 And so, I declared that wisdom is better than strength. But how is it, then, that the wisdom of the poor man is treated with contempt, and his words are not heeded?
Mwen te toujou di: Konesans pi bon pase gwo kouraj, men yo meprize konesans moun ki pòv. Yo p'ap koute yo lè y'ap pale.
17 The words of the wise are heard in silence, more so than the outcry of a prince among the foolish.
Pito ou koute pawòl yon moun ki gen konprann ap di ou tou dousman pase pawòl chèf k'ap rele byen fò nan mitan yon bann moun sòt.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war. And whoever offends in one thing, shall lose many good things.
Konesans pi bon pase tout zam pou fè lagè. Men, fòt yon sèl moun ka fè anpil byen pèdi tou.
