Proverbs 23
1 When you sit to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you,
Lè chèf envite ou manje sou menm tab ak li, pa janm bliye ki moun li ye.
2 and put a knife to your throat if you are a person who likes to eat a lot of food.
Si ou se yon moun ki gen bon lapeti, kontwole bouch ou.
3 Do not crave his delicacies, for it is the food of lies.
Pa pote lanvi sou bon ti manje l'ap ofri ou yo. Se ka yon pèlen li tann pou ou.
4 Do not work too hard to gain wealth; be wise enough to know when to stop.
Pa touye tèt ou ap kouri dèyè lajan pou ou vin rich. Wete lide ou sou sa.
5 Will you let your eyes light upon it? It will be gone, for it will surely take up wings like an eagle and fly off to the sky.
Paske, anvan ou bat je ou, li gen tan disparèt. Ou ta di lajan gen zèl. Li rete konsa, li vole, li ale.
6 Do not eat the food of one with an evil eye— and do not crave his delicacies,
Pa chita pou ou manje sou menm tab ak moun ki tikoulout. Pa pote lanvi sou manje l'ap ofri ou.
7 for he is the kind of man who counts the price of the food. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
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 You will vomit up the little you have eaten and you will have wasted your compliments.
W'a vonmi tou sa ou te manje a. Tout bèl pawòl ou te di l' yo p'ap sèvi ou anyen.
9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your 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 Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of orphans,
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 and he will plead their case against you.
Se Bondye k'ap defann yo, li gen anpil pouvwa. L'a plede kòz yo kont ou.
12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to 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 Do not withhold instruction from a child, for if you discipline him, 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 your heart is wise, then my heart also will be glad;
Pitit mwen, si ou gen bon konprann, mwen p'ap manke kontan.
16 my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
M'a kontan anpil lè m'a tande bon pawòl k'ap soti nan bouch ou.
17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of Yahweh all the day.
Pa pote lanvi sou moun k'ap fè sa ki mal. Nan tou sa w'ap fè, toujou gen krentif pou Bondye.
18 Surely there is a future and your hope will not be cut off.
Paske gen denmen. Se pa pou gremesi w'ap tann sa w'ap tann lan.
19 Hear—you!—my son, and be wise and direct your 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 Do not associate with drunkards, or with gluttonous eaters of meat,
Pa fè zanmi avèk moun k'ap bwè twòp, ak moun k'ap fè safte.
21 for the drunkard and the glutton become poor and slumber will clothe them 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 Listen to your father who begot you and do not despise your 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, but do not sell it; buy wisdom, 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 the righteous person will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will be glad in 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 your father and your mother be glad and let her who bore you rejoice.
Fè kè papa ou ak manman ou kontan. Fè kè manman ki fè ou la kontan.
26 My son, give me your heart and let your eyes observe 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 prostitute is a deep pit, and an immoral woman is a narrow well.
Fanm jennès se tankou yon twou pèlen, fanm adiltè se tankou yon pi jis jis.
28 She lies in wait like a robber and she increases the number of the treacherous among humanity.
Tankou vòlò, y'ap pare pèlen pou ou. Yo fè anpil gason pèdi tèt yo.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has fights? Who has complaining? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has bloodshot 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 linger over wine, those who try the mixed wine.
Se moun k'ap bwè twòp gwòg, moun k'ap kouri dèyè tranpe.
31 Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and 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 In the last it bites like a serpent and it stings like an adder.
Men, pita ou santi se tankou yon move sèpan ki mòde ou, yon sèpan aspik ki pike ou.
33 Your eyes will see strange things and your heart will utter perverse things.
W'ap wè tout bagay ap vire devan je ou, w'ap depale.
34 You will be as one who sleeps on the high seas or lies on 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 hit me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt. They beat me, but I did not feel it. When will I wake up? I will seek another drink.”
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.
