¹A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

¹[Ohabolana samy hafa ny amin'ny mahasoa ny olombelona] Tsara ny laza soa noho ny menaka manitra; ary ny andro ahaterahana tsy mahaleo ny andro ahafatesana.

²It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.

²Tsara ny mankamin'ny trano misy fisaonana noho ny mankamin'ny trano misy fanasana; fa ho amin'iny no hiafaran'ny olombelona rehetra, ary ny velona handatsaka am-po izany.

³Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

³Tsara ny alahelo noho ny hehy; fa na dia malahelo aza ny tarehy, mety tsara ihany ny fo.[Na: faly]

⁴The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.

⁴Ny fon'ny hendry dia ao amin'ny trano misy fisaonana; fa ny fon'ny adala kosa dia ao amin'ny trano misy fifaliana.

⁵It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.

⁵Tsara ny mihaino ny anatra mafy ataon'ny hendry noho ny mihaino ny hiran'ny adala.

⁶For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.

⁶Toy ny firefodrefotry ny tsilo eo ambanin'ny vilany, dia tahaka izany ny fihomehezan'ny adala; zava-poana koa izany.

⁷Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.

⁷Fa ny fampahoriana dia mahavery saina ny hendry; ary ny kolikoly mahasimba ny fo.

⁸Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.

⁸Tsara ny iafaran'ny raharaha noho ny iandohany; tsara ny mahari-po noho ny miavanavom-panahy.

⁹Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.

⁹Aoka tsy halaky tezitra ny fanahinao; fa ny fahatezerana mitoetra ao an-tratran'ny adala.

¹⁰Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

¹⁰Aza manao hoe: Ahoana no nahatsara ny andro taloha noho ny ankehitriny? fa tsy avy amin'ny fahendrena no anontanianao izany.

¹¹Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.

¹¹Tsara tahaka ny lova ny fahendrena, sady zava-mahasoa ho an'izay mahita masoandro izany.

¹²For wisdom is a defence [as] money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, [that] wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.

¹²Fa fialokalofana ny fahendrena, ary fialokalofana ny vola; ary ny mahatsara ny fahalalana dia izao: Maharo ny ain'ny manana azy ny fahendrena.

¹³Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?

¹³Saino ny asan'Andriamanitra; fa iza moa no mahahitsy izay nataony ho meloka?

¹⁴In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing [of what shall be] after him.

¹⁴Amin'ny andro mahafaly dia mifalia; ary amin'ny andro mahory mieritrereta; fa nampitanandrifin'Andriamanitra ireo, mba tsy hahitan'ny olona akory izay ho avy any aoriany.

¹⁵All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous [man] that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his days] by his wickedness.

¹⁵Izao rehetra izao dia efa hitako tamin'ny androko mandalo foana: misy marina maty amin'ny hamarinany; ary misy meloka ela velona amin'ny haratsiany.

¹⁶Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

¹⁶Aza marina loatra, ary aza miseho ho hendry loatra; nahoana noho simbanao ny tenanao?

¹⁷Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

¹⁷Aza ratsy loatra ianao, ary aza adala; nahoana no ho faty ianao, raha tsy efa tonga ny andronao?

¹⁸It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.

¹⁸Tsara raha mitana iroa ianao, nefa aza mampiala ny tananao amin'itsy; fa izay matahotra an'Andriamanitra dia ho afaka amin'izany rehetra izany.

¹⁹Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.

¹⁹Ny fahendrena no maharo ny hendry mihoatra noho ny mpanapaka folo ao an-tanàna.

²⁰Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.

²⁰Fa tsy misy olona marina ambonin'ny tany izay manao tsara ka tsy manota.

²¹Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.

²¹Aza mihainohaino ny teny rehetra tenenina, fandrao handre ny mpanomponao manozona anao ianao;

²²For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

²²fa fantatry ny fonao fa na dia ny tenanao aza dia mba efa nanozona ny sasany matetika ihany koa.

²³All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

²³Izany rehetra izany dia notsapaiko tamin'ny fahendrena. Hoy izaho: Ho hendry aho; kanjo lavitra ahy izany.

²⁴Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?

²⁴Eny, izay rehetra lavitra sady lalina dia lalina, iza no mahatakatra azy?

²⁵I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;

²⁵Nitodika aho, ka nampiasaiko ny foko hahalala sy handinika ary hitady fahendrena sy izay anton-javatra ary hahafantatra ny faharatsiana ho fahadalana, ary ny fahadalana ho fahaverezan-tsaina;

²⁶and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.

²⁶ka hitako fa mangidy noho ny fahafatesana ny vehivavy, izay fandrika sy harato ny fony, sady famatorana ny tànany; nefa izay ankasitrahan'Andriamanitra dia ho afa-mandositra azy, fa ny mpanota ihany no ho azony.

²⁷See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;

²⁷Indro, izany no hitako, hoy Mpitoriteny, raha nandinidinika ny zavatra tsirairay aho mba hahitana izay antony.

²⁸which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.

²⁸Izay notadiaviko koa, fa tsy hitako, dia izao: lehilahy iray no hitako ho marina tao amin'ny arivo; fa tao amin'ny vehivavy arivo dia tsy nisy hitako na dia iray akory aza.[Heb. teo amin'ireo dia tsy nisy vehivavy hitako,etc]Indro, izao ihany no hitako: nataon'Andriamanitra mahitsy ny olona, kanjo namorona sain-kafa maro izy.

²⁹Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.

²⁹Indro, izao ihany no hitako: nataon'Andriamanitra mahitsy ny olona, kanjo namorona sain-kafa maro izy.