Pwovèb 23
1 Lè chèf envite ou manje sou menm tab ak li, pa janm bliye ki moun li ye.
When you sit to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you,
2 Si ou se yon moun ki gen bon lapeti, kontwole bouch ou.
and put a knife to your throat if you are a person who likes to eat a lot of food.
3 Pa pote lanvi sou bon ti manje l'ap ofri ou yo. Se ka yon pèlen li tann pou ou.
Do not crave his delicacies, for it is the food of lies.
4 Pa touye tèt ou ap kouri dèyè lajan pou ou vin rich. Wete lide ou sou sa.
Do not work too hard to gain wealth; be wise enough to know when to stop.
5 Paske, anvan ou bat je ou, li gen tan disparèt. Ou ta di lajan gen zèl. Li rete konsa, li vole, li ale.
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.
6 Pa chita pou ou manje sou menm tab ak moun ki tikoulout. Pa pote lanvi sou manje l'ap ofri ou.
Do not eat the food of one with an evil eye— and do not crave his delicacies,
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.
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.
8 W'a vonmi tou sa ou te manje a. Tout bèl pawòl ou te di l' yo p'ap sèvi ou anyen.
You will vomit up the little you have eaten and you will have wasted your compliments.
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 speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10 Pa janm deplase bòn tè kote yo te ye depi lontan an. Pa antre sou jaden ki pou timoun san papa.
Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of orphans,
11 Se Bondye k'ap defann yo, li gen anpil pouvwa. L'a plede kòz yo kont ou.
for their Redeemer is strong and he will plead their case 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.
Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
13 Ou pa bezwen pè bat yon timoun. Yon bèl kal, sa p'ap touye l'.
Do not withhold instruction from a child, for if you discipline him, he will not die.
It is you who must beat him with the rod and save his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 Pitit mwen, si ou gen bon konprann, mwen p'ap manke kontan.
My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart also will be glad;
16 M'a kontan anpil lè m'a tande bon pawòl k'ap soti nan bouch ou.
my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
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 let your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of Yahweh all the day.
18 Paske gen denmen. Se pa pou gremesi w'ap tann sa w'ap tann lan.
Surely there is a future and your hope will not be cut off.
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.
Hear—you!—my son, and be wise and direct your heart in the way.
20 Pa fè zanmi avèk moun k'ap bwè twòp, ak moun k'ap fè safte.
Do not associate with drunkards, or with gluttonous eaters of meat,
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.
for the drunkard and the glutton become poor and slumber will clothe them with rags.
22 Pitit mwen, koute papa ou ki fè ou. Pa meprize manman ou lè li fin granmoun.
Listen to your father who begot you and do not despise 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.
Buy the truth, but do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
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.
The father of the righteous person will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will be glad in him.
25 Fè kè papa ou ak manman ou kontan. Fè kè manman ki fè ou la kontan.
Let your father and your mother be glad and let her who bore you rejoice.
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, give me your heart and let your eyes observe my ways.
27 Fanm jennès se tankou yon twou pèlen, fanm adiltè se tankou yon pi jis jis.
For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an immoral woman is a narrow well.
28 Tankou vòlò, y'ap pare pèlen pou ou. Yo fè anpil gason pèdi tèt yo.
She lies in wait like a robber and she increases the number of the treacherous among humanity.
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?
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has fights? Who has complaining? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 Se moun k'ap bwè twòp gwòg, moun k'ap kouri dèyè tranpe.
Those who linger over wine, those who try the mixed wine.
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 at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
32 Men, pita ou santi se tankou yon move sèpan ki mòde ou, yon sèpan aspik ki pike ou.
In the last it bites like a serpent and it stings like an adder.
33 W'ap wè tout bagay ap vire devan je ou, w'ap depale.
Your eyes will see strange things and your heart will utter perverse things.
34 W'ap santi tankou si ou te sou lanmè: w'ap tankou si ou te sou tèt yon ma batiman.
You will be as one who sleeps on the high seas or lies on the top of a mast.
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.
“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.”
