Ecclesiastes 4

1 And I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors was power, and they had no comforter.

Apre sa, mwen gade tout lenjistis k'ap fèt sou latè. Dlo ap koule konsa nan je moun y'ap maltrete yo. Pa gen pesonn pou ede yo. Moun k'ap maltrete yo gen lafòs avèk yo. Pesonn pa ka fè anyen pou yo.

2 Then I praised the dead who are already dead more than the living who are yet alive;

Mwen wè sò moun mouri yo miyò pase sò moun vivan yo.

3 and more fortunate than both is he who hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

Men, gen yon lòt moun ankò ki pi bon pase yo tou de: Se moun ki pa t' janm fèt la, paske li pa janm wè move zak k'ap fèt sou tè a.

4 And I saw all labour, and all success of work, that it is man's jealousy of his neighbour. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

Mwen vin wè tout travay di lèzòm ap travay di a, tout bèl bagay y'ap reyalize nan lavi a, se paske yonn vle gen plis pase lòt. Men, sa tou, sa pa vo anyen, sa pa rapòte anyen.

5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

Pawòl la di: Moun sòt rete san fè anyen, yo pito grangou.

6 Better is a handful with quietness, than both hands full with labour and pursuit of the wind.

Men, pito ou pran ti repo ou tanzantan ak kè poze pase pou ou touye tèt ou ap travay di, lèfini pou sa pa rapòte anyen.

7 And I returned and saw vanity under the sun.

Mwen wè yon lòt bagay nan lavi a ki pa vo anyen ankò.

8 There is one [alone] and without a second; also he hath neither son nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour, neither is his eye satisfied with riches, and [he saith not], For whom then am I labouring, and depriving my soul of good? This also is vanity and a grievous occupation.

Se te yon nonm ki t'ap viv pou kont li, san zanmi. Li pa t' gen pitit gason, li pa t' gen frè. Li travay san pran souf. Li pa t' janm gen ase. Pou ki moun li t'ap travay di konsa, san bay tèt li yon ti plezi? Li pa t' janm gen tan pou mande tèt li sa. Sa a tou, sa pa vo anyen, se pa yon bon jan pou moun viv.

9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

Lè ou gen yon lòt moun avèk ou, li pi bon pase lè ou pou kont ou, paske ansanm nou bay pi bon rannman nan travay nou.

10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and who hath not another to lift him up!

Si yonn tonbe, lòt la va ba l' men pou l' leve. Men, malè pou moun k'ap viv pou kont li! Si l' tonbe, p'ap gen moun pou ba l' men.

11 Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one alone be warm?

Konsa tou, lè fè frèt, si yo kouche ansanm, yonn va chofe lòt. Men, si li pou kont li, ki jan pou l' fè chofe kò l'?

12 And if a [man] overpower the one, the two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Kote dezòm ka kenbe tèt ak yon moun k'ap atake yo, yon sèl p'ap kapab. Yon kòd trese an twa pa fasil pou kase.

13 Better is a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth no more how to be admonished.

-(we vèsè pwochen)

14 For out of the prison-house he came forth to reign, although he was born poor in his kingdom.

Yon nonm ka soti nan mizè pou l' rive chèf nan peyi l'. Ou ankò li ka soti nan prizon epi yo mete l' chèf pou gouvènen. Pito ou annafè ak yon ti moun ki pòv men ki gen lespri pase pou ou annafè ak yon wa ki fin granmoun, ki fin gaga, ki pa ka pran konsèy.

15 I saw all the living that walk under the sun, with the child, the second, that should stand up in his stead.

Mwen kalkile, mwen gade tout moun k'ap viv sou latè, mwen di nan mitan tout moun sa yo gen jenn gason ki pral pran plas wa a.

16 [There is] no end of all the people, of all that stood before them; those however that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after the wind.

Ou pa ka konte kantite moun yon wa ka gouvènen, kantite moun yon wa ka dirije. Men lè l' mouri, pesonn p'ap chonje di l' mèsi pou sa li te fè pou yo. Tou sa pa vo anyen. Sa pa rapòte anyen.