< Pwovèb 22 >
1 Pito yo nonmen non ou an byen pase pou ou gen anpil richès. Pito moun gen anpil konsiderasyon pou ou pase pou ou gen anpil lajan ak anpil lò.
(Having a good reputation/Being honored by people) is better than having a lot of money; being well respected is better than having plenty of gold or silver [DOU].
2 Pa gen diferans ant moun rich ak moun pòv, paske tou de se kreyati Bondye yo ye.
There is one thing that is true about both rich people and poor people: Yahweh is the one who created all of them.
3 Moun ki gen konprann, lè li wè malè ap vin sou li, li wete kò l'. Men, moun sòt pote lestonmak li bay, epi se li ki peye sa.
Those who have good sense realize [that there is something] dangerous ahead, and they avoid it; those who do not have good sense just keep going and later they will suffer because of doing that.
4 Soumèt ou devan Bondye, gen krentif pou li: W'a gen richès, y'a nonmen non ou, w'a viv lontan.
The reward that Yahweh gives to those who are humble and who revere him is that he causes them to be rich and honored and to live for a long time.
5 Moun ki mache kwochi jwenn pikan ak pèlen sou wout yo. Si ou renmen lavi, pa fè menm wout ak yo.
Because of the things that wicked people do, [they have difficulties/troubles] that will be like thorns and traps on the roads that they walk on [MET]; people who are careful/cautious will be able to stay away from those difficulties.
6 Bay yon timoun prensip li dwe swiv. Jouk li mouri, li p'ap janm bliye l'.
If you train/teach children to do what is right, all during their life they will act/behave in that manner.
7 Moun rich ap donminen sou moun pòv. Lè ou prete lajan nan men yon moun, ou tounen timoun devan pòt li.
Rich people rule over poor people harshly, and those who borrow money become like slaves [MET] of the people who lend [money to them].
8 Lè ou simen lenjistis, ou rekòlte malè. Ou rete konsa sak te fè ou gen gwo kòlèt la disparèt.
[If you plant corn or rice, corn or rice will grow]; [similarly], if you act unjustly, you will have disasters [MET]; and if you try to harm/oppress people [because you are angry with them], you will not be able to harm them.
9 Bondye beni moun ki gen bon kè, paske lè moun ki gen bon kè wè yon pòv, yo separe sa yo genyen an avè l'.
[God] will bless those who are generous [IDM], those who give some of their food to poor [people].
10 Mete moun k'ap pase lòt moun nan betiz la deyò, lamenm tout kont, tout joure ap sispann.
If you get rid of those who make fun of [everything that is good], there will no more arguing or quarreling or insulting [other people].
11 Moun ki pa gen move lide dèyè tèt yo epi ki gen bon pawòl nan bouch yo ap gen wa a pou zanmi yo. Men, Bondye renmen moun ki sensè.
If you always act sincerely [IDM] and always speak kindly, the king will be your friend.
12 Seyè a pwoteje moun k'ap di verite. Men, li fè moun k'ap bay manti yo wont.
Yahweh [SYN] (watches over/takes care of) [those who have] good understanding/sense, but he ruins the plans/affairs of those who always try to deceive others.
13 Parese rete chita lakay li, li di si li soti bèt nan bwa va manje l' nan lari a.
Lazy people [remain in their houses]; they say, “A lion might attack me if I go out into the street [to go to work]!”
14 Pawòl fanm adiltè se gwo pèlen. Lè Seyè a move sou yon moun, moun lan ap pran nan pèlen sa a.
What (wives who commit adultery/immoral women) say [to men] [MTY] is [like] a deep pit [MET] [into which those men fall]; those with whom Yahweh is angry will fall into that pit.
15 Timoun toujou ap fè move bagay. Men, fwèt ap fè yo pa rekonmanse ankò.
Children [SYN] naturally do things that are foolish, but if you punish/spank them [PRS], they [will] (stop doing foolish things/learn to behave as they should).
16 Lè w'ap peze yon pòv malere se lespri l' w'ap louvri. Lè w'ap fè moun rich kado, se pòv w'ap fè l' pòv.
Those who oppress poor [people] in order to become rich, and those who give [a bribe] to rich [people in order that the rich people will do a favor for them], will just lose their money.
17 Louvri zòrèy ou, koute pawòl moun ki gen bon konprann yo. Chache konprann sa m'ap moutre ou la a.
[Now] listen [MTY] to what wise [people] have said; think carefully about what I am teaching you.
18 L'a bon pou ou toujou kenbe yo nan kè ou, pou yo ka toujou anba lang ou.
It will be good to (keep these things in your minds/always remember them), because if you do that, you will be able to quote/recite them [to others].
19 Koulye a, mwen pral moutre ou tout pawòl sa yo, ou menm tou, pou ou ka mete konfyans ou nan Seyè a.
[I want you to] trust in Yahweh, and that is the reason that I am telling them to you, now.
20 Depi lontan, mwen te ekri bon pawòl sa yo pou ou. W'a jwenn anpil bon konsèy ak konesans ladan yo.
I have written [RHQ] 30 (sayings/things that wise people have said) from which you will receive good advice and you will be able you to know [many good/useful things].
21 Y'a fè ou konnen verite a jan li ye a. Konsa, w'a pote bon repons bay moun ki te voye ou la. Men yo:
From them, you will learn what is right and what is true, in order that you will be able to bring back a good report to those who sent you [to school] (OR, give a good answer [to those who ask you questions]).
22 Pa pran ti sa pòv la genyen an paske se pòv li ye. Pa pwofite sou ti malere yo nan tribinal.
[It is easy to] rob poor [people] who are helpless [and cannot defend themselves, but] never [do that]; and do not oppress in court those who are needy/afflicted,
23 Se Seyè a ki va plede kòz yo pou yo. L'a touye moun ki vòlò malere sa yo.
because Yahweh will speak to defend them, and he will punish those who steal things from others—by causing them to die.
24 Pa fè zanmi ak moun ki ankòlè fasil. Pa mache ak moun ki gen san wo.
Do not become friends with those who often become angry, and do not associate with those who cannot control their temper/anger,
25 W'a pran move mès yo. W'a rale malè sou ou.
because you might start to act like they do and not be able to stop doing that.
26 Pa pwomèt pou ou reskonsab dèt yon lòt moun fè.
If someone borrows money, do not be one of those who promises to pay what that person owes he cannot pay it back,
27 Si ou pa ka peye, y'a sezi ata kabann anba do ou.
because if you cannot pay it back, people will surely [RHQ] [come and] take away [everything you own], even your bed.
28 Pa janm deplase bòn tè kote granmoun lontan te mete yo.
Do not [steal some of your neighbors’ land by] removing the boundary lines/markers that your ancestors placed/set.
29 Moutre m' yon nonm ki gen ladrès nan sa l'ap fè. Se moun konsa k'ap rive travay ak chèf. Li pa pral travay ak moun ki pa anyen.
Know/Learn [RHQ] this about those who do their work very skillfully: They will quit working for ordinary people and will start working for kings [because the kings will want people like that to work for them].