Pwovèb 23
1 Lè chèf envite ou manje sou menm tab ak li, pa janm bliye ki moun li ye.
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Thou considerest diligently that which [is] before thee,
2 Si ou se yon moun ki gen bon lapeti, kontwole bouch ou.
And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou [art] a man of appetite.
3 Pa pote lanvi sou bon ti manje l'ap ofri ou yo. Se ka yon pèlen li tann pou ou.
Have no desire to his dainties, seeing it [is] lying food.
4 Pa touye tèt ou ap kouri dèyè lajan pou ou vin rich. Wete lide ou sou sa.
Labour not to make wealth, From thine own understanding cease, Dost thou cause thine eyes to fly upon it? Then it is not.
5 Paske, anvan ou bat je ou, li gen tan disparèt. Ou ta di lajan gen zèl. Li rete konsa, li vole, li ale.
For wealth maketh to itself wings, As an eagle it flieth to the heavens.
6 Pa chita pou ou manje sou menm tab ak moun ki tikoulout. Pa pote lanvi sou manje l'ap ofri ou.
Eat not the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his dainties,
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 as he hath thought in his soul, so [is] he, 'Eat and drink,' saith he to thee, And his heart [is] not with thee.
8 W'a vonmi tou sa ou te manje a. Tout bèl pawòl ou te di l' yo p'ap sèvi ou anyen.
Thy morsel thou hast eaten thou dost vomit up, And hast marred thy words that [are] sweet.
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.
In the ears of a fool speak not, For he treadeth on the wisdom of thy words.
10 Pa janm deplase bòn tè kote yo te ye depi lontan an. Pa antre sou jaden ki pou timoun san papa.
Remove not a border of olden times, And into fields of the fatherless enter not,
11 Se Bondye k'ap defann yo, li gen anpil pouvwa. L'a plede kòz yo kont ou.
For their Redeemer [is] strong, He doth plead their cause with thee.
12 Mete tèt ou an plas lè y'ap moutre ou kichòy. Louvri zòrèy ou lè yon moun ki gen konesans ap pale.
Bring in to instruction thy heart, And thine ear to sayings of knowledge.
13 Ou pa bezwen pè bat yon timoun. Yon bèl kal, sa p'ap touye l'.
Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not.
Thou with a rod smitest him, And his soul from Sheol thou deliverest. (Sheol h7585)
15 Pitit mwen, si ou gen bon konprann, mwen p'ap manke kontan.
My son, if thy heart hath been wise, My heart rejoiceth, even mine,
16 M'a kontan anpil lè m'a tande bon pawòl k'ap soti nan bouch ou.
And my reins exult when thy lips speak uprightly.
17 Pa pote lanvi sou moun k'ap fè sa ki mal. Nan tou sa w'ap fè, toujou gen krentif pou Bondye.
Let not thy heart be envious at sinners, But — in the fear of Jehovah all the day.
18 Paske gen denmen. Se pa pou gremesi w'ap tann sa w'ap tann lan.
For, is there a posterity? Then thy hope is not 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 thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart,
20 Pa fè zanmi avèk moun k'ap bwè twòp, ak moun k'ap fè safte.
Be not thou among quaffers of wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
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 quaffer and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clotheth with rags.
22 Pitit mwen, koute papa ou ki fè ou. Pa meprize manman ou lè li fin granmoun.
Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.
23 Verite, konesans, lespri ak bon konprann, se bagay ou mèt peye chè pou ou genyen. Men, pa janm vann sa.
Truth buy, and sell not, Wisdom, and 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 rejoiceth greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoiceth in him.
25 Fè kè papa ou ak manman ou kontan. Fè kè manman ki fè ou la kontan.
Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful.
26 Pitit mwen, louvri zòrèy ou pou tande sa m'ap di ou. Louvri je ou byen pou ou wè jan m'ap viv.
Give, my son, thy heart to me, And let thine eyes watch my ways.
27 Fanm jennès se tankou yon twou pèlen, fanm adiltè se tankou yon pi jis jis.
For a harlot [is] a deep ditch, And a strange woman [is] a strait pit.
28 Tankou vòlò, y'ap pare pèlen pou ou. Yo fè anpil gason pèdi tèt yo.
She also, as catching prey, lieth in wait, And the treacherous among men she increaseth.
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 hath woe? who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? who hath plaint? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?
30 Se moun k'ap bwè twòp gwòg, moun k'ap kouri dèyè tranpe.
Those tarrying by the wine, Those going in to search out 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.
See not wine when it showeth itself red, When it giveth in the cup its colour, It goeth up and down through the upright.
32 Men, pita ou santi se tankou yon move sèpan ki mòde ou, yon sèpan aspik ki pike ou.
Its latter end — as a serpent it biteth, And as a basilisk it stingeth.
33 W'ap wè tout bagay ap vire devan je ou, w'ap depale.
Thine eyes see strange women, And thy heart speaketh perverse things.
34 W'ap santi tankou si ou te sou lanmè: w'ap tankou si ou te sou tèt yon ma batiman.
And thou hast been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down 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 smote me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake — I seek it yet again!'
