Pwovèb 25
1 Men kèk lòt pwovèb wa Salomon. Se moun nan palè Ezekyas, wa peyi Jida a, ki te kouche yo sou papye.
Also these are Proverbs of Solomon, that men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed: —
2 Bondye konnen lè pou l' kite nou konprann, se sa ki fè pouvwa li. Wa yo toujou ap chache konprann, se sa ki fè moun respekte yo.
The honour of God [is] to hide a thing, And the honour of kings to search out a matter.
3 Menm jan ou pa konnen wotè syèl la ak fondè tè a, se konsa tou ou pa ka konnen sa k'ap pase nan tèt yon wa.
The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings — [are] unsearchable.
4 Wete tout vye kras ki nan ajan an. Efèv la ap ba ou yon bèl travay byen fèt.
Take away dross from silver, And a vessel for the refiner goeth forth,
5 Wete tout mechan bò kote wa a, gouvènman l' lan ap chita byen chita. p'ap gen lenjistis.
Take away the wicked before a king, And established in righteousness is his throne.
6 Pa fè grandizè devan wa a. Pa chita nan plas grannèg yo.
Honour not thyself before a king, And in the place of the great stand not.
7 Pito yo di ou moute pi wo, pase pou yo fè ou bay plas la, pou ou ta wont devan chèf la.
For better [that] he hath said to thee, 'Come thou up hither,' Than [that] he humble thee before a noble, Whom thine eyes have seen.
8 Sa ou wè ak je ou, pa prese al rapòte l' lajistis. Si apre sa, yon lòt temwen kanpe pou demanti ou, lè sa a kisa ou va fè?
Go not forth to strive, haste, turn, What dost thou in its latter end, When thy neighbour causeth thee to blush?
9 Lè ou gen kont ak yon moun, regle zafè nou san nou pa mete lòt moun ladan li. Pa mete sekrè l' deyò.
Thy cause plead with thy neighbour, And the secret counsel of another reveal not,
10 Paske, lè moun konnen ou pa ka kenbe sekrè, y'a fè ou wont. Y'a ba ou move non.
Lest the hearer put thee to shame, And thine evil report turn not back.
11 Lè ou bay bon pawòl ki tonbe daplon se tankou yon moso lò byen travay yo plake sou yon moso ajan.
Apples of gold in imagery of silver, [Is] the word spoken at its fit times.
12 Lè yon moun ki gen bon konprann rale zòrèy moun ki gen tande, se tankou zanno ak kolye ki fèt ak bon lò ou mete sou ou.
A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, [Is] the wise reprover to an attentive ear.
13 Yon komisyonè ki p'ap twonpe moun ki voye l' la, se tankou yon bon vè dlo byen fre w'ap bwè nan mitan chalè rekòt. L'ap remoute kouraj mèt li.
As a vessel of snow in a day of harvest, [So is] a faithful ambassador to those sending him, And the soul of his masters he refresheth.
14 Moun ki toujou ap pwomèt san yo pa janm kenbe pwomès yo, se tankou nwaj ak van ki pa janm pote lapli.
Clouds and wind, and rain there is none, [Is] a man boasting himself in a false gift.
15 Lè ou pa fè kòlè fasil, ou jwenn jwen pou fè chèf la kwè sa ou vle. Konsa tou, ak pawòl dous, w'ap kraze tout antrav ou ta ka jwenn sou chemen ou.
By long-suffering is a ruler persuaded, And a soft tongue breaketh a bone.
16 Lè ou jwenn siwo myèl, bwè kantite ou ka bwè. Si ou pran twòp, l'a fè kè ou plen, l'a fè ou vonmi.
Honey thou hast found — eat thy sufficiency, Lest thou be satiated [with] it, and hast vomited it.
17 Konsa tou, pa al rann vizit twò dri lakay zanmi ou, pou li pa bouke avè ou, pou l' pa rayi ou.
Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house, Lest he be satiated [with] thee, and have hated thee.
18 Yon moun k'ap mache bay manti sou moun, se tankou yon makak chaplèt, yon nepe, yon flèch byen pwenti. Li ka touye ou.
A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, [Is] the man testifying against his neighbour a false testimony.
19 Jou malè, si ou mete konfyans ou sou moun trèt, se tankou si ou vle mòde ak dan pouri, osinon kouri sou pye foule.
A bad tooth, and a tottering foot, [Is] the confidence of the treacherous in a day of adversity.
20 Chante mereng pou yon moun ki nan lapenn, se tankou moun ki wete tout rad sou li nan fredi, se tankou si ou prije sitwon sou yon malenng.
Whoso is taking away a garment in a cold day, [Is as] vinegar on nitre, And a singer of songs on a sad heart.
21 Si lènmi ou grangou, ba li manje. Si li swaf dlo, ba li dlo pou l' bwè.
If he who is hating thee doth hunger, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirst, cause him to drink water.
22 Lè sa a, w'a fè l' wont anpil. Seyè a va rekonpanse ou.
For coals thou art putting on his head, And Jehovah giveth recompense to thee.
23 Tripotaj fè moun fè kòlè, menm jan nòde bay lapli.
A north wind bringeth forth rain, And a secret tongue — indignant faces.
24 Pito ou viv pou kont ou nan yon kwen galata pase pou w'ap viv nan yon kay ansanm ak yon fanm k'ap chache kont tout tan.
Better to sit on a corner of a roof, Than [with] a woman of contentions, and a house of company.
25 Lè ou resevwa yon bon nouvèl ki soti nan peyi Jida, se tankou yon vè dlo fre pou yon moun ki sot moute mòn.
[As] cold waters for a weary soul, So [is] a good report from a far country.
26 Lè yon moun ki mache dwat kite yon mechan pran tèt li, se tankou yon sous dlo moun mache ladan l', se tankou yon pi yo sal.
A spring troubled, and a fountain corrupt, [Is] the righteous falling before the wicked.
27 Twòp siwo myèl pa bon pou lasante. Konsa tou, pa chache pou moun nonmen non ou twòp.
The eating of much honey is not good, Nor a searching out of one's own honour — honour.
28 Si ou pa kapab kontwole kòlè ou, ou tankou yon lavil san ranpa. Y'ap anvayi l' fasil. Y'ap mete men sou ou fasil.
A city broken down without walls, [Is] a man without restraint over his spirit!
