Pwovèb 23
1 Lè chèf envite ou manje sou menm tab ak li, pa janm bliye ki moun li ye.
When you sit down to eat a meal with a (government official/king), think carefully about what (OR, who) is in front of you.
2 Si ou se yon moun ki gen bon lapeti, kontwole bouch ou.
[Even] if you (have a big appetite/want to eat a lot of food), restrain yourself.
3 Pa pote lanvi sou bon ti manje l'ap ofri ou yo. Se ka yon pèlen li tann pou ou.
Do not want to eat [a lot of] his fine food, because he may be trying to trick you.
4 Pa touye tèt ou ap kouri dèyè lajan pou ou vin rich. Wete lide ou sou sa.
Do not [cause yourself to become very tired by] working very hard to become rich; be wise and stop doing that,
5 Paske, anvan ou bat je ou, li gen tan disparèt. Ou ta di lajan gen zèl. Li rete konsa, li vole, li ale.
because as soon as you look [MTY] at [all the money that you have acquired], it will be gone; it will [disappear as if it] suddenly grew wings [SIM] and flew up into the sky like an eagle.
6 Pa chita pou ou manje sou menm tab ak moun ki tikoulout. Pa pote lanvi sou manje l'ap ofri ou.
[If] someone who is stingy [invites you to a meal], do not eat [a lot of] his fine food,
7 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.
because he will be thinking about how much [the food cost that you are eating]. He [will] say to you, “Eat and drink all that you want!”, but that is not what he [will] really be thinking.
8 W'a vonmi tou sa ou te manje a. Tout bèl pawòl ou te di l' yo p'ap sèvi ou anyen.
[When you realize what he is really thinking, it will cause you to want to] vomit what you have eaten; and your kind words [telling him that you are enjoying the meal] will be wasted.
9 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.
(Do not [waste time by]/It is useless) talking to foolish people; they will [only] despise the wise things that you say.
10 Pa janm deplase bòn tè kote yo te ye depi lontan an. Pa antre sou jaden ki pou timoun san papa.
Do not [steal someone’s property by] removing a boundary marker that has been there for a long time, and do not take for yourself the land that belongs to orphans,
11 Se Bondye k'ap defann yo, li gen anpil pouvwa. L'a plede kòz yo kont ou.
because Yahweh is strong, and he is [like] a relative that has the responsibility to defend them, he will [stand up in court and] argue for them and against you.
12 Mete tèt ou an plas lè y'ap moutre ou kichòy. Louvri zòrèy ou lè yon moun ki gen konesans ap pale.
Pay attention to what [your teachers] teach you, and try to learn from the wise things that they say.
13 Ou pa bezwen pè bat yon timoun. Yon bèl kal, sa p'ap touye l'.
Do not refuse to discipline your children; if you punish/spank them, it will not cause them to die,
and it may save them from [going to] the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
15 Pitit mwen, si ou gen bon konprann, mwen p'ap manke kontan.
My son/child, if you [SYN] become wise, I [SYN] will be very happy.
16 M'a kontan anpil lè m'a tande bon pawòl k'ap soti nan bouch ou.
I [SYN] will rejoice when I hear you [SYN] say what is right/wise.
17 Pa pote lanvi sou moun k'ap fè sa ki mal. Nan tou sa w'ap fè, toujou gen krentif pou Bondye.
Do not envy sinful people; instead, revere Yahweh all of your life.
18 Paske gen denmen. Se pa pou gremesi w'ap tann sa w'ap tann lan.
[If you do that], you will be happy in the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do.
19 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.
My son/child, listen carefully to me and become wise, and think about (all that you do/your behavior).
20 Pa fè zanmi avèk moun k'ap bwè twòp, ak moun k'ap fè safte.
Do not associate with those who drink a lot of (wine/strong drink) or with those who (are gluttons/eat more than they should),
21 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.
because drunkards and gluttons will become poor; and if all that you do is eat and sleep, you will [soon] (be wearing rags/not have any money to buy clothes).
22 Pitit mwen, koute papa ou ki fè ou. Pa meprize manman ou lè li fin granmoun.
Pay attention to what your father tells you, and (do not neglect/take care of) [LIT] your mother when she is old.
23 Verite, konesans, lespri ak bon konprann, se bagay ou mèt peye chè pou ou genyen. Men, pa janm vann sa.
Try to know/learn what is wise, and get good instruction and understanding; and do not throw those things away.
24 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.
Righteous [children] will cause their parents to be very happy; those whose children are wise are proud of them.
25 Fè kè papa ou ak manman ou kontan. Fè kè manman ki fè ou la kontan.
[Do what will] cause your father to be glad and enable your mother [also] to be happy.
26 Pitit mwen, louvri zòrèy ou pou tande sa m'ap di ou. Louvri je ou byen pou ou wè jan m'ap viv.
My son, heed what I say to you, and allow what I do to be an example for you.
27 Fanm jennès se tankou yon twou pèlen, fanm adiltè se tankou yon pi jis jis.
Prostitutes and immoral women [DOU] are [like] [MET] a deep pit or a well [that you may fall into].
28 Tankou vòlò, y'ap pare pèlen pou ou. Yo fè anpil gason pèdi tèt yo.
They wait [for you] like robbers [SIM], and they cause many men to (be unfaithful to/have sex with women who are not) their wives.
29 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?
I will tell you [RHQ] what kind of people are always miserable and sad. I will tell you [RHQ] which people are always causing arguments/quarrels and who are always complaining. I will tell you [RHQ] who are injured in fights and whose eyes are always red/bloodshot.
30 Se moun k'ap bwè twòp gwòg, moun k'ap kouri dèyè tranpe.
[It is] those who drink a lot of wine, who try drinking other kinds of strong drinks.
31 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.
Do not look with pleasure at red wine that looks nice, and which sparkles when it is [poured out] into cups, and which tastes good as you drink it,
32 Men, pita ou santi se tankou yon move sèpan ki mòde ou, yon sèpan aspik ki pike ou.
because the next morning [you will feel like] you have been bitten by a poisonous snake [DOU].
33 W'ap wè tout bagay ap vire devan je ou, w'ap depale.
You [SYN] will [think that you are] seeing strange/weird things, and you [SYN] will not be able to think clearly or speak clearly.
34 W'ap santi tankou si ou te sou lanmè: w'ap tankou si ou te sou tèt yon ma batiman.
You will think you are in a ship that is tossing on the sea; you be like [SIM] someone who is trying to sleep when the ship is rolling from one side to the other.
35 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.
You will say, “[I think that] someone struck me, but he did not hurt me; he hit me, but I did not feel it. When will I (wake up/feel normal again) in order that I can drink some more wine?”
