Eklezyas 12
1 Pandan ou jenn gason an, pa janm bliye Bondye ki te kreye ou la, anvan jou malè yo rive sou ou, anvan lè a rive pou ou di: Mwen pa jwenn ankenn plezi nan lavi.
And remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, of which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
2 Lè sa a, limyè solèy la, lalin lan ak zetwal yo ap parèt twoub twoub devan je ou. Syèl la pa janm klè. Lapli poko fin tonbe, tan an gen tan mare ankò.
before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;
3 Lè sa a, bra ou yo ki te konn pwoteje ou ap tranble. Janm ou yo ki enganm koulye a ap febli. Ou p'ap gen dan pou kraze manje. Je ou yo ap twò fèb pou wè klè.
in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows are darkened,
4 De twou zòrèy ou yo ap bouche, ou p'ap tande sa k'ap pase nan lari. Ata gwo bri moulen ki toupre ou la, w'a tande l' tou piti piti. Moun te mèt ap chante bò kote ou, w'ap tande vwa yo lwen lwen. Lè sa a, depi pipirit konmanse chante, nou gen tan leve.
and the doors are shut toward the street; when the sound of the grinding is subdued, and they rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;
5 W'ap pè moute sou bagay ki twò wo pou ou pa gen tèt vire. Menm mache nan granchemen ap yon danje pou ou. Tout cheve nan tèt ou ap vin blan, w'ap pèdi fòs kouray ou. Pa gen anyen ki ka fè l' tounen ankò. W'ap desann nan dènye kay kote ou pral rete pou tou tan an. Lè sa a, moun ap mache rele nan tout lari.
they are also afraid of what is high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond is despised, and the grasshopper is a burden, and the caper-berry is without effect; (for man goeth to his age-long home, and the mourners go about the streets; )
6 Wi, pa janm bliye Bondye ki fè ou la anvan ti chenn an ajan an detache sot tonbe, anvan bòl an lò a tonbe kraze, anvan kalbas dlo a kraze miyèt moso, anvan so a kase.
— before the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be shattered at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the cistern;
7 Lè sa a, kò nou pral tounen pousyè latè jan l' te ye anvan an. Souf nou menm ap tounen jwenn Bondye ki te ban nou l' lan.
and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who gave it.
8 Lavi pa vo anyen. Lavi pa sèvi anyen. Filozòf la di: Anyen pa vo anyen.
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher: all is vanity.
9 Men, paske filozòf la te gen bon konprann, li pa janm sispann moutre pèp la tou sa li te konnen. Li egzaminen anpil pwovèb, li etidye yo, li pran san li pou li sanble yo.
And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, and sought out, [and] set in order many proverbs.
10 Li pran san li pou li jwenn pawòl ki pou fè moun plezi. Men nan tou sa li ekri, li bay verite a jan li wè l' la.
The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words; and that which was written is upright, words of truth.
11 Pawòl moun ki gen konprann tankou baton yo sèvi pou djige bèf kabwa. Liv pwovèb yo tankou yon seri klou yo kloure yonn kot lòt. Men se yon sèl mèt ki bay yo, se Bondye.
The words of the wise are as goads, and the collections [of them] as nails fastened in: they are given from one shepherd.
12 Pitit mwen, men sa pou ou fè: Pran leson sou bagay sa yo. Si pou yo ta ekri anpil liv, yo pa ta janm fini. Lè ou etidye twòp, sa fè kè ou fè ou mal.
And besides, my son, be warned by them: of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 Apre tout pawòl sa yo, se yon sèl bagay pou m' di nan sa: Gen krentif pou Bondye. Fè tou sa li mande ou fè yo. Se pou sa ase Bondye te kreye moun.
Let us hear the end of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole of man.
14 Paske Bondye ap jije tou sa n'ap fè, kit yo bon, kit yo pa bon, ata bagay nou fè an kachèt.
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.
