Eklezyas 5
1 Gade byen ki jan w'ap mete pye ou lakay Bondye a. Pito ou ale la pou ou ka aprann kichòy pase pou ou al ofri bèt pou touye pou Bondye tankou moun san konprann sa yo ki pa konn sa ki byen ak sa ki mal.
Guard your steps when you go to God’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don’t know that they do evil.
2 Fè tèt ou travay anvan ou louvri bouch ou pale. Pa prese fè ankenn pwomès bay Bondye. Bondye, se nan syèl li ye, ou menm ou sou latè. Pa di plis pase sa ou dwe di a.
Don’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
3 Plis ou kite bagay chaje tèt ou, se plis ou ka fè move rèv. Plis ou pale anpil, se plis ou ka di pawòl ki pa fè sans menm.
For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words.
4 Lè ou fè yon pwomès bay Bondye, pa mize fè sa ou pwomèt fè a. Bondye pa nan jwèt ak moun ki san konprann. Sa ou pwomèt fè a, fè l'.
When you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.
5 Pito ou pa janm pwomèt Bondye w'ap fè kichòy pou li pase pou ou pwomèt, epi pou ou pa kenbe pwomès ou.
It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.
6 Pa kite pawòl ki soti nan bouch ou fè ou fè peche. Apre sa pou ou al di reprezantan Bondye a: O wi, se chape bouch mwen chape. Poukisa pou ou ta fè Bondye fache sou ou? Poukisa pou ou ta fè Bondye detwi travay ou fè ak men ou?
Don’t allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don’t protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
7 Tout rèv w'ap plede fè yo, tout pawòl w'ap plede di yo p'ap sèvi ou anyen. Se krentif pou ou toujou genyen pou Bondye.
For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words; but you must fear God.
8 Ou pa bezwen sezi lè ou wè nan yon peyi, chèf ap peze pòv malere. Yo refize rann yo jistis, yo derefize defann dwa inonsan yo. Chak chèf gen yon gwo chèf dèyè l'. Lèfini yo tou de gen yon pi gwo chèf ankò dèyè yo.
If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter, for one official is eyed by a higher one, and there are officials over them.
9 Travay latè se yon avantaj pou tout moun, ata pou wa a. Se sou sa li konte tou.
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.
10 Si ou renmen lajan, ou p'ap janm fin gen ase. Si w'ap kouri dèyè richès, plis ou genyen, se plis ou anvi genyen toujou. Sa tou, sa pa vo anyen.
He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.
11 Plis ou gen lajan, se plis bouch w'ap gen pou bay manje. Sèl benefis ou jwenn nan tou sa, se wè w'a wè ou rich.
When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes?
12 Yon travayè te mèt manje kont li, li te mèt pa manje kont li, l'ap toujou byen dòmi lannwit. Men, moun rich yo, yo sitèlman genyen, yo pase nwit yo blanch ak kè sote.
The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.
13 Men mwen wè sou latè yon bagay ki fè lapenn anpil: Moun sere lajan epi sa vire mal pou yo.
There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.
14 Yon malè pase, tout lajan an pèdi. Li vin fè yon pitit, li pa gen anyen pou l' ba li.
Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand.
15 Li soti toutouni nan vant manman l', konsa tou l'ap tounen san anyen anba tè. Pa gen anyen nan tou sa li travay fè li ka pran pote ale ak li.
As he came out of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
16 Wi, sa se bagay ki pou fann kè nou ak lapenn: Jan nou vini an, se konsa nou prale. Nou travay, men sa p'ap rapòte nou anyen.
This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labours for the wind?
17 Sa ki pi rèd la, nou pase tout lavi nou nan fènwa, nan lapenn, nan kè sere, nan maladi, nan fè kòlè.
All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.
18 Men sa mwen jwenn ankò: Pi bon bagay yon moun ka fè sou latè, se manje, se bwè, se jwi sa li travay di fè a, pandan de twa jou Bondye ba li pou li viv la. Men, se sa ase ki pou yon moun nan lavi.
Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour, in which he labours under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.
19 Si Bondye bay yon moun richès ak byen, se pou li jwi yo, se pou l' di Bondye mèsi, se pou l' jwi tou sa li travay fè. Sa se kado Bondye ba li.
Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour—this is the gift of God.
20 Li pa bezwen chonje jan lavi a kout, paske Bondye ba li kont bagay pou l' fè pou fè kè l' kontan.
For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life, because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.
