¹For all this I laid to my heart and [indeed] to investigate all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; man knoweth neither love nor hatred: all is before them.

¹Fa ireto dia nalatsako tato am-poko sady nodinihiko avokoa: ny marina sy ny hendry mbamin'ny asany dia samy eo an-tànan'Andriamanitra avokoa; ary koa, na ho fitiavana, na ho fankahalana, dia samy tsy fantatry ny olombelona; fa zavatra mbola ho avy aminy avokoa izany rehetra izany.

²All things [come] alike to all: one event to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

²Mitovy avokoa ny manjo ny olombelona rehetra; eny, zavatra iray ihany no manjo ny marina sy ny meloka, ny tsara fanahy sy ny madio ary ny tsy madio, ny mamono zavatra hatao fanatitra sy ny tsy mamono zavatra hatao fanatitra; mitovy ihany ny amin'ny tsara fanahy sy ny amin'ny mpanota, ary ny amin'ny mianiana sy ny amin'izay tsy sahy hianiana.

³This is an evil among all that is done under the sun, that one thing befalleth all: yea, also the heart of the children of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live; and after that, [they have to go] to the dead.

³Izao no fahoriana amin'izay rehetra atao atỳ ambanin'ny masoandro: Zavatra iray ihany no manjo ny olombelona rehetra, sady feno ratsy ny fon'ny zanak'olombelona, ka fahadalana no ao am-pony amin'ny andro iainany, ary nony afaka izany, dia ho any amin'ny maty izy.

⁴For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

⁴Fa izay rehetra isan'ny velona dia mbola hantenaina; fa ny amboa velona no tsara noho ny liona maty.[Na: Fa iza no ho afaka? Ny amin'ny velona rehetra dia mbola misy hantenaina]

⁵For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.

⁵Fa fantatry ny velona fa ho faty izy; fa ny maty kosa tsy mba mahalala na inona na inona, ary tsy manana valim-pitia intsony izy; fa hadino ny fahatsiarovana azy.

⁶Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy is already perished; neither have they any more for ever a portion in all that is done under the sun.

⁶Na ny fitiavany, na ny fankahalany, na ny fialonany, dia samy efa levona ela sady tsy manana anjara intsony mandrakizay amin'izay atao atỳ ambanin'ny masoandro izy.

⁷Go, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works.

⁷Mandehana, hano amin'ny fifaliana ny haninao, ary sotroy amin'ny fo falifaly ny divainao, fa efa nankasitrahan'Andriamanitra ela ny asanao.

⁸Let thy garments be always white, and let not thy head lack oil.

⁸Aoka ho fotsy mandrakariva ny fitafianao, ary aoka tsy ho diso menaka ny lohanao.

⁹Enjoy life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity; for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherein thou art labouring under the sun.

⁹Miravoravoa amin'ny vady malalanao amin'ny andronao rehetra mandalo foana, izay efa nomeny anao atỳ ambanin'ny masoandro, dia ny andronao rehetra mandalo foana; fa izany no anjaranao amin'ny andro iainanao sy amin'ny fisasarana izay isasaranao atỳ ambanin'ny masoandro.

¹⁰Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.

¹⁰Izay rehetra azon'ny tananao atao dia ataovy amin'ny herinao; fa tsy misy asa, na hevitra, na fahalalana, na fahendrena, any amin'ny fiainan-tsi-hita izay alehanao.[Heb. Sheola]

¹¹I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to the intelligent, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

¹¹[Ny fihoaran'ny fahendrena noho ny hery] Ary hitako atỳ ambanin'ny masoandro indray fa tsy ho an'ny haingan-tongotra ny fihoarana, ary tsy ho an'ny mahery ny ady, ary tsy ho an'ny hendry ny hanina, ary tsy ho an'ny mazava saina ny harena, ary tsy ho an'ny manam-pahalalana ny fitia; fa ny fotoana sy ny sampona dia samy mahazo azy rehetra.

¹²For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are taken with the snare, like them are the children of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

¹²Fa tsy fantatry ny olona ny androny; fa toy ny hazandrano azon'ny harato fahitan-doza izy, ary toy ny voron-kely izay voan'ny fandrika, dia voafandrika toy izany ny zanak'olombelona amin'ny andro mahory, raha mahavoa azy tampoka izany.

¹³This also have I seen as wisdom under the sun, and it was great unto me.

¹³Izao koa no fahendrena efa hitako tatỳ ambanin'ny masoandro, ka dia nataoko ho lehibe izany:

¹⁴There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and encompassed it, and built great bulwarks against it:

¹⁴Nisy vohitra kely sady vitsy olona, dia avy ny mpanjaka lehibe anankiray ka namely sy nanao fahirano azy ary nanao manda lehibe hamelezany azy.

¹⁵and there was found in it a poor wise man, who by his wisdom delivered the city; but no man remembered that poor man.

¹⁵Ary nisy lehilahy malahelo hendry hita teo, koa nahavonjy ny tanàna tamin'ny fahendreny ralehilahy, nefa tsy nisy olona mba nahatsiahy ilay malahelo.

¹⁶Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength; but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

¹⁶Koa hoy izaho: Aleo fahendrena toy izay hery; kanjo hamavoina ny fahendren'ny malahelo, ary ny teniny tsy mba henoina.

¹⁷The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

¹⁷[Ohabolana samy hafa ny amin'ny tsi-fitovian'ny fahendrena sy ny fahadalana, ary ny amin'ny fanaovan-tsoa sy ny fahazotoana ary ny fahamarinana] Ny tenin'ny hendry izay re amin'ny mangingina dia mahery noho ny fitreron'izay mpanapaka adala.Aleo fahendrena toy izay fiadiana; ary ny mpanota iray mahasimba ny soa be.

¹⁸Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.

¹⁸Aleo fahendrena toy izay fiadiana; ary ny mpanota iray mahasimba ny soa be.