Proverbs 17
1 It is better [to eat] a dry piece [of bread] and not have strife/quarrels than to have a big feast in a house where [everyone] is quarreling.
Pito ou manje yon grenn bannann chèch ak kè poze pase pou ou fè gwo fèt nan mitan dezagreman.
2 A slave who acts wisely will [some day] be the boss of his master’s disgraceful son and when his master dies, the slave will receive part of his master’s possessions.
Yon esklav ki gen konprann va chèf sou yon pitit ki fè papa l' wont. L'a jwenn pa l' nan eritaj papa a tankou tout pitit.
3 [Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and Yahweh [similarly] examines people’s inner beings [to see if they are pure].
Se dife sèl ki ka fè ou konnen si lò osinon ajan ou genyen an se bon kalite. Konsa tou, se Seyè a sèl ki konnen sa ki nan kè moun.
4 Those who do what is evil pay attention to people who say [MTY] what is evil, and liars pay attention to [other people’s] lies.
Mechan yo toujou prèt pou koute moun k'ap di move pawòl. Zòrèy mantò yo toujou louvri pou koute moun k'ap bay manti.
5 Those who make fun of poor [people] insult God, the one who made the poor [people], [and] those who are happy when [someone else has] troubles will certainly be punished [LIT] [by God].
Lè w'ap pase yon pòv malere nan betiz, se Bondye ki fè l' la w'ap derespekte. Moun ki kontan lè malè rive yon lòt, Bondye ap pini l'.
6 Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
Pitit pitit se rekonpans granmoun. Manman ak papa se kontantman pitit.
7 Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
Yon moun sòt pa ka di anyen ki bon. Konsa tou, yon moun serye pa nan bay manti.
8 People think that a bribe is like a magic stone [to persuade someone to do what they want him to do]; they think that because of the bribe, that person will do whatever they want him to do.
Moun ki sèvi ak lajan pou pran tèt moun konprann lajan se wanga. Yo kwè se pou yo reyisi nan tou sa y'ap fè.
9 If you want people to like/love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they do to you. If you continue to remind them about those wrong things, they will no longer be your friends.
Si ou vle moun renmen ou, padonnen lè yo fè ou mal. Si w'ap mache repete bagay moun fè ki mal, w'ap mete zanmi dozado.
10 Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
Lè ou fè yon moun ki gen konprann repwòch, sa touche kè l'. Men, ata san kout baton p'ap chanje yon moun sòt.
11 [Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
Mechan toujou ap fè rebelyon, men y'a voye yon sanmanman regle avè l'.
12 A mother bear whose cubs have been taken away from her is dangerous, but it is more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish.
Pito ou kontre ak yon manman lous k'ap chache pitit li pase pou ou tonbe sou yon moun fou foli moute.
13 If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
Si ou aji mal avèk moun ki fè ou byen, malè ap toujou rive lakay ou.
14 Starting a quarrel is like allowing water to start to leak out of a dam; they both need to be stopped before they get worse.
Lè yon kont pete, se tankou dlo ki kase dig kannal. Anvan batay mete pye, chape kò ou.
15 There are two things that Yahweh hates: (Condemning innocent [people]/Saying that people who have done nothing wrong must be punished), and declaring that people who have done wicked things should not be punished.
Se de kalite moun Seyè a pa ka sipòte: moun k'ap kondannen inonsan ak moun k'ap pran pou mechan yo.
16 It is useless to allow foolish people [RHQ] to try to become wise by paying for it, because they do not have enough good sense to become wise.
Yon moun sòt te mèt gen kont lajan nan men l', li p'ap janm ka gen konesans. Li pa gen konprann.
17 Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
Yon bon zanmi p'ap janm trayi. Jou malè l'ap tankou yon frè pou ou.
18 [If someone borrows money from another person], it is foolish for you to promise [IDM] that you will pay the money back if that other person is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed.
Fòk yon moun pèdi tèt li nèt pou l' garanti dèt yon lòt moun.
19 Those who like to sin [also] like to cause strife/trouble; [and] those who build fancy doors in their houses [to show that they are very wealthy] (OR, speak proudly) are inviting disaster.
Moun ki renmen chache kont renmen fè sa ki mal. Moun k'ap pale avèk awogans, se moun k'ap mache ak sèkèy yo anba bra yo.
20 Those who (have perverse minds/are always thinking about doing evil things) will not prosper, and disasters will happen to those who always tell lies.
Yon moun ki pa gen bon lide nan tèt li p'ap janm gen kè kontan. Moun ki gen move lang ap toujou nan traka.
21 Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
Se lapenn pou yon papa ki fè yon pitit ki san konprann. Papa yon pitit sòt p'ap janm gen kè kontan.
22 Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
Kè kontan bay lasante. Men, lè ou kagou, w'ap deperi sou pye.
23 Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
Malveyan pran lajan nan men moun pou enpoze jistis fèt.
24 Those who have good sense determine to do what is wise, but foolish people are always thinking about many different things [and never decide what they should do].
Yon moun ki gen bon konprann toujou ap chache konesans. Men, moun sòt pa konn sa li vle.
25 Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
Yon timoun ki san konprann, se chagren pou papa l', se gwo lapenn pou manman l' ki fè l'.
26 It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
Se pa jistis pou inonsan peye pou koupab. Pa gen jistis lè yo bat moun ki pa fè mal.
27 Those who have good sense do not talk a lot, and those who (control their tempers/keep themselves from becoming very angry) are [truly] wise.
Moun ki gen konesans pa nan pale anpil. Moun ki rete dousman se moun ki gen konprann.
28 People [may] think that foolish people who do not say anything are wise; if foolish people (do not say anything/keep their mouths shut), others will think that they are [very] intelligent.
Moun ki gen lespri pa janm cho pou pale. Men moun sòt, lè yo rete ak bouch yo fèmen, yo pase pou moun ki gen konprann.
