Proverbs 23
1 When thou sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently him who is before thee,
Lè chèf envite ou manje sou menm tab ak li, pa janm bliye ki moun li ye.
2 and put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to appetite.
Si ou se yon moun ki gen bon lapeti, kontwole bouch ou.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
Pa pote lanvi sou bon ti manje l'ap ofri ou yo. Se ka yon pèlen li tann pou ou.
4 Weary not thyself to be rich. Out of thine own wisdom, cease.
Pa touye tèt ou ap kouri dèyè lajan pou ou vin rich. Wete lide ou sou sa.
5 Will thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For it certainly makes itself wings, like an eagle that flies toward heaven.
Paske, anvan ou bat je ou, li gen tan disparèt. Ou ta di lajan gen zèl. Li rete konsa, li vole, li ale.
6 Eat thou not the bread of an evil eye, nor desire thou his dainties.
Pa chita pou ou manje sou menm tab ak moun ki tikoulout. Pa pote lanvi sou manje l'ap ofri ou.
7 For as he thinks within himself, so is he. Eat and drink, he says to thee, but his heart is not with thee.
Li chich ata ak tèt pa li, ale wè avè ou. L'ap di ou: Manje non, monchè! Bwè non! Men se pa ak tout kè li l'ap di ou sa.
8 The morsel which thou have eaten thou shall vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
W'a vonmi tou sa ou te manje a. Tout bèl pawòl ou te di l' yo p'ap sèvi ou anyen.
9 Speak not in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Pa chache fè yon moun san konprann konprann anyen. Li p'ap tande anyen nan sa w'ap di l' la. Lèfini, l'ap meprize ou met sou li.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark. And enter not into the fields of the fatherless,
Pa janm deplase bòn tè kote yo te ye depi lontan an. Pa antre sou jaden ki pou timoun san papa.
11 for their Redeemer is strong. He will plead their cause against thee.
Se Bondye k'ap defann yo, li gen anpil pouvwa. L'a plede kòz yo kont ou.
12 Apply thy heart to instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Mete tèt ou an plas lè y'ap moutre ou kichòy. Louvri zòrèy ou lè yon moun ki gen konesans ap pale.
13 Withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Ou pa bezwen pè bat yon timoun. Yon bèl kal, sa p'ap touye l'.
Okontrè, si ou bat li, w'a sove nanm li pou l' pa mouri. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine.
Pitit mwen, si ou gen bon konprann, mwen p'ap manke kontan.
16 Yea, my heart will rejoice when thy lips speak right things.
M'a kontan anpil lè m'a tande bon pawòl k'ap soti nan bouch ou.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of Jehovah all the day long.
Pa pote lanvi sou moun k'ap fè sa ki mal. Nan tou sa w'ap fè, toujou gen krentif pou Bondye.
18 For surely there is a reward, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
Paske gen denmen. Se pa pou gremesi w'ap tann sa w'ap tann lan.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
Louvri zòrèy ou, gason mwen, pou ou ka gen bon konprann, pou ou ka mache dwat. Kalkile byen kote w'ap mete pye ou, pou ou ka mache dwat.
20 Be not among winebibbers, among gluttonous eaters of flesh.
Pa fè zanmi avèk moun k'ap bwè twòp, ak moun k'ap fè safte.
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
Paske moun k'ap fè metye bwè ak moun ki afre ap vin pòv. Si ou pase tout tan ou ap dòmi, talè konsa w'ap mache yon men devan yon men dèyè.
22 Hearken to thy father who begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Pitit mwen, koute papa ou ki fè ou. Pa meprize manman ou lè li fin granmoun.
23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it, yea, wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Verite, konesans, lespri ak bon konprann, se bagay ou mèt peye chè pou ou genyen. Men, pa janm vann sa.
24 The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise son will have joy of him.
Papa ki gen yon pitit k'ap mache dwat ap toujou kontan. Manman ki fè yon pitit ki gen bon konprann ap toujou gen kè kontan.
25 Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her who bore thee rejoice.
Fè kè papa ou ak manman ou kontan. Fè kè manman ki fè ou la kontan.
26 My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes delight in my ways.
Pitit mwen, louvri zòrèy ou pou tande sa m'ap di ou. Louvri je ou byen pou ou wè jan m'ap viv.
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch, and an interloping woman is a narrow pit.
Fanm jennès se tankou yon twou pèlen, fanm adiltè se tankou yon pi jis jis.
28 Yea, she lies in wait as a robber, and increases the treacherous among men.
Tankou vòlò, y'ap pare pèlen pou ou. Yo fè anpil gason pèdi tèt yo.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
Ki moun ki nan tèt chaje, ki nan lapenn? Ki moun ki toujou nan kont, ki tou tan ap plenyen? Ki moun k'ap pran kou san rezon, ki gen je yo tou wouj?
30 Those who tarry long at the wine. Those who go to seek out mixed wine.
Se moun k'ap bwè twòp gwòg, moun k'ap kouri dèyè tranpe.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
Pa kite bweson pran nanm ou, ou te mèt wè jan li bèl, jan li klè nan vè a. Lè ou bwè l', li desann dous nan gòj ou.
32 At the end it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.
Men, pita ou santi se tankou yon move sèpan ki mòde ou, yon sèpan aspik ki pike ou.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter perverse things.
W'ap wè tout bagay ap vire devan je ou, w'ap depale.
34 Yea, thou shall be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he who lies upon the top of a mast.
W'ap santi tankou si ou te sou lanmè: w'ap tankou si ou te sou tèt yon ma batiman.
35 They have stricken me, thou shall say, and I was not hurt. They have beaten me, and I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
Lè sa a w'a di: Gen lè yo bat mwen, mwen pa santi sa. Gen lè yo te ban m' kou, mwen pa konn sa. Kilè m'a leve la a? Mwen ta pran yon ti kou ankò.
