Pwovèb 18
1 Moun k'ap viv apa se tèt li ase li konnen. Li move sou tout moun ki vle ba li bon konsèy.
Those who separate themselves [from other people] think [only] about those things that they are interested in; [if they would continually associate with] those who have good judgment/sense, they would constantly disagree/quarrel with them.
2 Moun sòt pa pran plezi l' nan chache konprann. Tou sa l'ap chache se fè moun konprann li gen lespri.
Foolish people do not want to understand [anything]; they only want to (express their [own] opinions/say what they think) [IDM].
3 Y'ap meprize moun k'ap fè mechanste. Moun ki pa fè respè tèt yo gen pou yo wont.
Whenever people do wicked things, others will despise them; when people do things that cause themselves to no [longer] be honored, they will be disgraced [also].
4 Pawòl moun ki gen konprann fon kou lanmè, fre tankou yon sous k'ap koule tout tan.
What wise people say is [like] a deep ocean [that you can never get to the bottom of] [MET], and it [refreshes us like water from] a rapidly flowing stream.
5 Sa pa bon pou ou pran pou moun mechan, ni pou ou enpoze yo rann moun inonsan jistis.
It is not good [for a judge] to decide matters in favor of those who (are guilty/have done wicked things) and to not do what is just for those who (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).
6 Depi moun sòt ap pale, se kont l'ap chache. Si ou koute pawòl nan bouch li, w'a ba l' kou.
When foolish people [SYN] start arguments, [it is as though] they [SYN] are requesting/inviting someone to flog/whip them.
7 Bouch moun sòt se kondannasyon li. Pawòl ki soti nan bouch li tounen pèlen pou li.
What foolish people [MTY] say causes them to be ruined; their [own] words are [like] a trap [MET] [that catches/seizes] them.
8 Tripotay dous nan zòrèy moun ki vle tande yo. Sa mache nan san yo.
[People enjoy listening to] what gossips say like [SIM] [they enjoy] tasty food; they [accept what gossips tell them like] [MET] they swallow tasty food.
9 Moun ki parese nan travay li se menmman parèyman ak moun k'ap defèt sa k'ap fèt.
People who are lazy while they work are [just as bad] as [IDM] those who destroy things.
10 Seyè a, se yon gwo ranpa byen solid. Se la moun k'ap mache dwat yo kouri al chache pwoteksyon.
Yahweh [MTY] is [like] a strong tower [MET]; righteous people [can] go to him and be safe [like they can run to a tower to be safe].
11 Pou moun rich yo, byen yo tankou yon ranpa byen solid. Yo mete nan tèt yo se sa k'ap pwoteje yo.
Rich people [are protected because they have] a lot of money [PRS] like a city is protected because it has a high wall surrounding it [SIM].
12 Lè w'ap fè awogans, yo pa lwen kraze ou. Lè ou fè kò ou piti, y'a fè lwanj ou.
Proud people are on the road to being ruined, but being humble leads to being honored.
13 Moun ki prese reponn san koute sa y'ap di l', se moun sòt li ye. Li gen pou l' wont.
Those who reply to someone before that person has finished speaking are foolish; doing that is disgraceful.
14 Lè yon moun anvi viv, sa ede l' anpil lè li malad. Men, si li dekouraje, ki moun ki ka remoute kouraj li?
A desire to [continue to] live can sustain someone when he is sick; if he loses that desire, he (cannot endure it/will become very discouraged) when he is sick [RHQ].
15 Yon moun lespri ap toujou chache gen plis konesans. Zòrèy moun ki gen bon konprann toujou pare pou l' ka konnen plis toujou.
Intelligent people [are always wanting to] learn more; wise people [SYN] are not content with what they already know.
16 Kado ou fè louvri chemen pou ou toupatou, ata chemen ki mennen lakay grannèg.
If you take a gift to an important person, that will open the way to allow you to talk to him.
17 Moun ki pale anvan nan tribinal toujou sanble li gen rezon. Lè lòt moun lan parèt, kat je kontre, manti kaba.
The first person to present his case in court seems right, but when (someone else/his opponent) begins to ask him questions, [it may become clear that what he said was not true].
18 Lè de grannèg gen kont, jij yo fè tiraj osò pou konnen kilès pou yo bay rezon.
If two influential/important people are arguing, [someone can] settle the matter by (casting lots/throwing marked stones to decide who is right).
19 Li pi fasil pou mete lapè nan yon gwo lavil pase pou ou rekonsilye de frè ki nan kont. Lè yo fache, kè yonn se pòt prizon pou lòt.
If you help relatives, they will [protect you] like [SIM] a strong wall [protects a city], but if you quarrel with them, [that will separate you from them] like bars on a city gate [separate the city from those who want to enter it] [MET].
20 Rekonpans yon moun chita sou sa ki soti nan bouch li.
People are happy when they hear others say [MTY] something that is good, [like] they are happy when they eat food that is good [MET].
21 Sa ou di ka lavi pou ou, li ka lanmò pou ou. Sa ou chwazi, se sa w'ap jwenn.
What you say can cause others to be killed or it can cause them to [continue to] live; [so] those who like [to talk a lot] must (accept the consequences/realize that what they say can cause much harm).
22 Lè yon nonm jwenn yon bon madanm, se yon bon bagay. Se yon gwo favè Seyè a fè l'.
If you marry a [good] woman, that is [like] finding a wonderful thing; [it shows that] Yahweh is pleased with you.
23 Lè yon pòv ap pale, li toujou nan tanpri souple. Men, moun rich toujou ap rele sou moun.
[It is necessary for] poor [people] to speak politely when they request [rich people to do something for them], but rich [people] reply very impolitely when poor people speak to them.
24 Gen zanmi se pran yo vin pran. Men, gen zanmi tou yo plis pase frè.
There are [some] people who [only] pretend to be friends [with us], but there are [some] friends who are more loyal than members of our families.
