Eklezyas 2
1 Mwen di nan kè mwen: Bon! Ann al pran plezi nou! Ann al mennen lavi dous! Men, mwen jwenn sa a tou, sa pa vo anyen!
I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure;” and behold, this also was vanity.
2 Ala bagay sòt se lè yon moun ap plede ri! Pran plezi, sa pa rapòte anyen!
I said of laughter, “It is foolishness;” and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”
3 Tèlman mwen t'ap chache gen konprann, mwen pran desizyon lage kò m' nan bwè bweson, nan viv tankou moun fou. Mwen di nan kè m': Ou pa janm konnen, se ka sa ki pi bon pou yon moun fè pandan de twa jou l'ap pase sou tè a.
I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.
4 Mwen fè gwo zafè: Mwen bati yon bann kay, mwen plante anpil jaden rezen.
I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.
5 Mwen fè jaden ak bèl lakou, mwen plante tout kalite pyebwa ki ka donnen ladan yo.
I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.
6 Mwen fouye basen pou m' pran dlo, konsa m'a ka wouze tout pyebwa yo.
I made myself pools of water, to water the forest where trees were grown.
7 Mwen achte fi kou gason pou sèvi m' esklav, san konte moun ki fèt esklav lakay mwen. Mwen te gen bèt ak zannimo pase tout moun ki janm viv nan lavil Jerizalèm.
I bought male servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem.
8 Mwen ranmase anpil bagay fèt an ajan ak an lò ansanm ak richès lòt chèf k'ap dirije nan pwovens yo. Mwen te gen moun pou chante pou mwen, fi kou gason. Mete sou sa, bagay gason pi renmen, mwen te gen fanm mezi mwen te bezwen.
I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men: musical instruments of all sorts.
9 Wi, pou grannèg mwen te grannèg, pi grannèg pase tout lòt moun ki janm viv nan lavil Jerizalèm. Men, mwen pa janm kite sa vire tèt mwen.
So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
10 Mwen te gen tou sa mwen te vle. Mwen pa janm refize tèt mwen ankenn plezi. Mwen te kontan wè tou sa mwen te travay fè. Se kè kontan sa a ki tout rekonpans mwen.
Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t keep from them. I didn’t withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour, and this was my portion from all my labour.
11 Apre sa, mwen kalkile sou tou sa m' te fè ak men m', sou tout traka mwen te bay kò m' pou m' te fè yo. Enben! Mwen jwenn sa pa t' vo anyen. Anyen pa rapòte anyen. Konsa, pa gen ankenn pwofi pou tou sa ou fè sou latè beni.
Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labour that I had laboured to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 Lè ou gade byen, kisa yon wa ka fè pase sa wa ki te anvan l' yo te fè? Apre sa, mwen pran kalkile sa sa vle di lè yon moun gen konprann, osinon lè yon moun sòt, ou ankò lè yon moun fou.
I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly; for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.
13 Mwen wè menm jan pito ou nan limyè pase ou nan fènwa, pito ou gen konprann pase ou pa genyen.
Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.
14 Moun ki gen konprann yo, se pa je pete klere yo ye. Moun ki pa gen konprann yo ap mache nan fènwa. Men, mwen konnen tou de ap fini menm jan.
The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.
15 Mwen di nan kè mwen: Sa ki rive moun fou yo ap rive m' tou. Nan kondisyon sa a, sa m' te bezwen gen tout konprann sa yo? Kisa sa ap pwofite m'? Mwen di nan kè m': Sa a tou, sa pa vo anyen!
Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.
16 Pesonn p'ap janm chonje moun ki gen konprann yo ni tou yo p'ap chonje moun sòt yo. Pi devan, n'ap bliye yo tout. Nou tout gen pou mouri, kit nou gen bon konprann kit nou sòt.
For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory forever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!
17 Se konsa lavi pa di m' anyen ankò. Tou sa mwen fè sou latè se traka li ban mwen. Paske anyen pa vo anyen, anyen pa rapòte anyen.
So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
18 Tout travay mwen te fè sou latè pa di m' anyen ankò, paske mwen konnen mwen gen pou m' kite yo pou sa k'ap vin dèyè.
I hated all my labour in which I laboured under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
19 Se ka yon moun lespri, se ka yon moun sòt. Pesonn pa konnen. Men, se pou li m'ap kite tou sa mwen te travay di fè ak lespri mwen. Sa a ankò, sa pa vo anyen.
Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labour in which I have laboured, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
20 Se konsa mwen vin konprann tout travay di mwen te fè sou latè p'ap rapòte m' anyen. Sa vin dekouraje m'.
Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour in which I had laboured under the sun.
21 Wi, yon nonm fè travay li avèk lespri, avèk konesans, avèk ladrès. Apre sa, se pou l' pati kite l' pou yon lòt ki pa leve ni lou ni lejè nan travay la. Sa a tou, sa pa vo anyen. Sa pa bon menm.
For there is a man whose labour is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not laboured for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 Ou travay di, ou pran kont tèt chaje ou, ou pa dòmi pou ou ka fè sa w'ap fè a. Apre sa, kisa sa rapòte ou?
For what does a man have of all his labour and of the striving of his heart, in which he labours under the sun?
23 Ou pase tout lavi ou nan lapenn, nan chagren. Menm lannwit lespri ou ap travay. Sa a tou, sa pa sèvi ou anyen.
For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
24 Pi bon bagay yon moun ka fè, se manje, se bwè, se jwi sa travay ou rapòte ou. Men la tou, mwen wè sa se travay Bondye.
There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
25 Paske, san Bondye, ki moun ki ka manje? Ki moun ki ka bwè.
For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?
26 Bondye bay moun ki fè l' plezi bon konprann, konesans ak kè kontan. Konsa tou, li fè mechan yo travay fè lajan sere pou l' ka bay moun ki fè l' plezi. La tou, sa pa vo anyen. Sa pa rapòte anyen.
For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
