Ecclesiastes 10
1 [A few] dead flies in [a bottle of] perfume cause [all] the perfume to stink. Similarly [SIM], a small amount of acting foolishly can have a greater effect than acting wisely.
Mouch mouri gate tout boutèy odè. Yo fè l' santi. Konsa tou, yon sèl ti betiz ka fè tout gwo konesans ou pase pou anyen. Sa ka fè moun pa respekte ou ankò.
2 If people think sensibly, it will lead them to do what is right; if they think foolishly, it causes them to do what is wrong.
Kè yon moun ki gen konprann toujou panche pou fè sa ki byen, men kè moun sòt toujou panche pou fè sa ki mal.
3 Even while foolish people walk along the road, they show that they do not have good sense; they show everyone that they are not wise.
Menm lè moun sòt ap mache nan lari, li egare, li fè tout moun wè se moun sòt li ye.
4 Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
Si chèf ou move sou ou, pa prese vire do ou ale. Si ou rete dousman, sa ka evite ou anpil malè.
5 There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
Men yon lòt move bagay mwen wè ankò sou latè, lèfini se chèf yo ki lakòz sa.
6 They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
Yo pran moun sòt mete yo nan gwo pozisyon, epi yo kite moun ki chaje ak konesans anba.
7 They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
Mwen wè esklav ap karakole sou chwal yo, epi chèf yo menm k'ap mache apye tankou esklav.
8 [It is possible that] those who dig pits will fall into one of those pits. [It is possible that] someone who tears down a wall will be bitten by a snake [that is in that wall].
Si ou fouye yon pi, se ou menm ki va tonbe ladan l'. Si ou kraze yon miray, se ou menm sèpan va mòde.
9 If you work in a quarry, [it is possible that] a stone [will fall on you and] injure you. [It is possible that] men who split logs will be injured by one of those logs.
Si w'ap koupe wòch karyann, w'a blese. Si w'ap fann bwa, malè ka rive ou.
10 If your axe is not sharp [DOU], you will need to work harder [to cut down a tree], but by being wise, you will succeed.
Si dan rach ou pa koupe, si ou pa file l', ou gen pou travay pi rèd lè w'ap sèvi avè l'. Men bon konprann ap fè ou reyisi nan sa w'ap fè.
11 If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
Ou te mèt konn chame sèpan, sa p'ap sèvi ou anyen si ou kite l' gen tan mòde ou.
12 Wise people say [MTY] what is sensible, and because of that, people honor them; but foolish people are destroyed by what they say [MTY].
Pawòl ki soti nan bouch yon moun ki gen konprann sèvi yon lwanj pou li. Men pawòl nan bouch moun sòt ap lakòz lanmò yo.
13 When foolish people start to talk, they say things that are foolish, and they end by saying things that are both wicked and foolish.
Lè yo konmanse pale, se betiz y'ap di. Men lè y'ap fini, se pawòl moun fou nèt y'ap di.
14 They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
Moun sòt renmen pale anpil. Pesonn pa konnen sa k'ap rive denmen. Pesonn pa ka di nou sa k'ap rive apre nou mouri.
15 Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
Moun sòt touye tèt li nan travay, li bliye chimen kay li.
16 Terrible things will happen to the people of a nation whose ruler is a foolish young man, and whose [other] leaders continually eat, all day long, every day.
Ala malè pou yon peyi lè li gen yon timoun alatèt li, lè chèf li yo tonbe nan manje depi granmaten.
17 [But] a nation will prosper if its ruler is from a (noble/well-educated) family, and if its [other] leaders feast [only] at the proper times, and [if they eat and drink only] to be strong, not to become drunk.
Men, ala bon sa bon pou yon peyi lè wa a se moun ki soti nan bon ras, lè chèf li yo manje lè pou yo manje pou yo ka jwenn fòs, epi ki pa lage kò yo nan banbòch.
18 Some men are very lazy [and do not repair the rafters], with the result that the rafters sag [and collapse]; and if they do not repair the roof, water will leak into the house [when it rains].
Lè yon moun twò parese pou l' repare kay li, twati a ap koule, fetay la ap tonbe.
19 Eating food and drinking wine causes us to laugh and be happy, [but] we are able to enjoy those things only if we have money [to buy them].
Yo fè resepsyon pou yo pran plezi yo, yo bwè diven pou fè kè yo kontan, men se lajan ki penmèt yo fè tou sa.
20 Do not even think about cursing the king, or cursing rich [people, even] when you are [alone] in your bedroom, because [it is possible that] a little bird will hear [what you are saying], [and] tell those people what you said [about them].
Pa kritike yon wa, pa menm nan kè ou. Pa kritike rich yo, pa menm anndan chanm ou. Paske raje gen zòrèy.
