Eklezyas 7
1 Pito yo nonmen non ou anbyen pase pou yo pale sou kalite bon odè ou mete sou ou. Jou ou mouri a pi bon pase jou ou fèt la.
A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one's birth.
2 Pito ou ale nan yon kay kote ki gen lanmò pase pou ou ale nan yon kay kote y'ap fè fèt, paske tout moun gen pou mouri. Nou menm ki vivan, nou pa dwe janm bliye sa.
It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.
3 Pito yon moun nan lapenn pase pou l' gen kè kontan. Lapenn rale figi ou, men l'ap louvri lespri ou.
Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
4 Moun ki gen bon konprann toujou ap kalkile sou lanmò. Moun sòt toujou ap kalkile sou ki jan pou yo jwi lavi a.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 Pito ou tande yon moun ki gen bon konprann ap rale zòrèy ou pase pou ou tande moun sòt ap fè lwanj pou ou.
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 Lè moun sòt ap ri, se tankou move chabon k'ap pete nan dife. Sa pa vo anyen.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7 Lè yon moun ki gen bon konprann ap sibi move trètman, sa ka fè l' pèdi tèt li. Lajan sou kote fè l' pèdi karaktè l'.
Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
8 Lè yon bagay ap fini li pi bon pase lè l'ap konmanse. Pito ou pran pasyans pase pou ou kite lògèy ap pouse ou.
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Pa fè kòlè fasil, paske se moun sòt ki renmen fache.
Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
10 Pa janm mande poukisa tan lontan te pi bon pase tan n'ap viv koulye a. Moun ki gen bon konprann p'ap mande bagay konsa.
Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For you do not ask wisely about this.
11 Sa bon pou moun gen bon konprann. Se tankou si ou te gen anpil byen. Se yon gwo avantaj pou tout moun k'ap viv sou latè.
Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.
12 Bon konprann pwoteje ou menm jan lajan ka fè l'. Men, avantaj yon moun genyen lè li gen konesans avèk bon konprann, sa l' konnen an ap fè l' viv.
For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13 Gade travay Bondye! Ki moun ki ka drese sa Bondye kwochi?
Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?
14 Lè bagay ap mache byen pou ou, fè kè ou kontan. Lè malè tonbe sou ou, chonje ni yonn ni lòt se nan Bondye sa soti. Konsa, yon moun pa janm konnen sa k'ap vin apre l'.
In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.
15 Lavi n' sou latè pa vo anyen, se vre! Men mwen wè tout kalite bagay: Mwen wè moun debyen, atout yo mache dwat la, mouri mouri yo. Mwen wè mechan yo menm ap viv lontan pou fè mechanste.
All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
16 Pa chache twò bon, ni gen twòp lespri. Sa ou bezwen touye tèt ou fè?
Do not be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Men, pa twò mechan ni pa twò sòt. Poukisa pou ou ta mouri anvan lè ou?
Do not be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?
18 Evite fè eksè ni nan yon sans ni nan yon lòt. Si ou gen krentif pou Bondye, ou p'ap tonbe nan fè eksè.
It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also from that do not withdraw your hand; for he who fears God will come forth from them all.
19 Sa konesans fè pou yon moun, dis grannèg pa ka fè l' pou yon lavil.
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
20 Pa gen moun k'ap mache dwat sou latè ki ka di tou sa l'ap fè byen, li pa janm fè sa ki mal.
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn't sin.
21 Pa koute tou sa moun ap di. Konsa ou p'ap tande lè domestik ou ap pale ou mal.
Also do not take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
22 Paske ou menm tou, nan kè ou, ou konnen konbe fwa ou pale moun mal.
for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
23 Mwen sèvi avèk bon konprann mwen pou m' fè tout esperyans sa yo nan lavi. Mwen di mwen ta renmen gen bon konprann. Men, mwen pa t' janm rive genyen l'.
All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, "I will be wise;" but it was far from me.
24 Lavi se yon mistè. Li tankou yon twou san fon. Ki moun ki ka rive konprann li?
That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
25 Men, mwen pran san m' pou m' chache konnen, pou m' egzaminen tout bagay. Mwen te soti pou m' te konprann, pou m' te jwenn repons pou tout keksyon mwen t'ap poze tèt mwen, pou m' te rive konnen jan moun mechan yo pèdi tèt yo, jan moun sòt yo egare.
I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.
26 Mwen jwenn yon bagay ki pi rèd pase lanmò. Se fanm. Lè yo di yo renmen ou, se pèlen yo pare pou ou. Lè yo pase bra yo nan kou ou, se chenn yo pase nan kou ou. Yon moun ki fè Bondye plezi va chape anba men yo. Men, moun k'ap fè sa ki mal ap tonbe anba grif yo.
I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.
27 Wi, men sa mwen menm filozòf la, mwen di: Antan m'ap chache konprann, lè mwen mete tou sa m' konnen yonn sou lòt, bout pou bout men sa mwen rive jwenn.
Look, this have I found, says the Preacher, one to another, to find out the scheme;
28 M'ap chache yon lòt esplikasyon. Men mwen pa jwenn li. Sou mil gason mwen kontre, se yon sèl mwen jwenn ki gen konprann. Men pou fanm, mwen pa jwenn yonn menm.
which my soul still seeks; but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
29 Men sa ase mwen jwenn: Bondye kreye moun pou yo viv san pwoblèm, li mete yon chemen tou dwat devan yo, men se yo menm ki chache traka bay tèt yo.
Look, this only have I found, that God made humankind upright, but they search for many schemes.
