Pwovèb 28
1 Mechan yo pa bezwen moun dèyè yo pou yo kouri. Men, moun ki mache dwat yo brav tankou lyon.
Wicked [people] run away [even] when no one is pursuing them, but righteous/good [people are not afraid]; they are as brave as lions.
2 Lè nan yon peyi moun ap fè sa ki mal, chak jou gen yon lòt chèf. Men avèk yon moun ki gen konprann, ki konnen sa l'ap fè, gouvènman an ap kanpe pou lontan.
When [the people of] a nation sin, they will have one ruler after another; but when their leaders are wise and have good sense, their government will last for a long time.
3 Yon pòv k'ap peze pi pòv pase l', se tankou yon gwo lapli ki gate tout jaden nèt.
A poor person who oppresses [other] poor [people] is [like] [MET] a very heavy/hard rain that [destroys the crops], with the result that there is no food [for people to eat].
4 Moun ki pa respekte lalwa bay mechan yo pye sou moun. Men, moun ki fè sa lalwa mande, se moun ki pran pozisyon kont mechan yo.
Those who reject/disobey [God’s] laws always speak well of wicked [people]; but those who obey [God’s] laws [always] oppose what wicked people do.
5 Mechan yo pa konnen sa ki rele jistis. Men, moun k'ap sèvi Seyè a konprann tout bagay.
Evil people do not understand what it means to act justly, but those who try to obey/worship Yahweh understand that very well.
6 Pito ou pòv men ou serye, pase pou ou rich men ou vòlè.
It is better to be honest [even] though you are poor than to be dishonest [even] though you are rich.
7 Yon jenn gason ki fè tou sa lalwa mande, se pitit ki gen lespri. Men, moun ki fè zanmi ak vakabon se yon wont pou papa l'.
Young people who obey the laws are wise [IDM]; parents whose children associate with those who (carouse/go to wild parties) are humiliated/disgraced because of what their children do.
8 Moun ki vin rich nan prete moun lajan, nan bay kout ponya, se anpile y'ap anpile lajan pou moun ki konn pran ka malere.
When people become very rich by charging very high interest [DOU], their money will [eventually] go to someone who does kind things for the poor.
9 Lè ou refize fè sa lalwa mande ou fè a, ata lapriyè w'ap fè a p'ap fè Bondye plezi.
If people do not obey [MTY] [God’s] laws, [God] (detests their prayers/considers that their prayers stink).
10 Lè yon moun chache pran tèt yon nonm serye pou fè l' fè sa ki mal, se li menm k'ap pran nan pèlen an. Men moun serye a va jwenn bon rekonpans.
Those who cause honest/good [people] to do what is evil will fall into their own pits/traps, but good things will happen to those who (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).
11 Yon nonm rich mete nan tèt li li gen bon konprann. Men, yon pòv ki gen lespri ap dekouvri l'.
[Many] rich people think that they are wise, but poor people who have good sense will find out whether rich people really are wise or not.
12 Lè se moun k'ap fè sa ki dwat ki rive chèf, se fèt pou tout moun. Men, lè se mechan an ki rive chèf, tout moun al kache.
When righteous/good [people] (succeed/win [elections]), everyone (celebrates/is happy); but when wicked [people win], everyone hides [because they are afraid of what the wicked people will do].
13 Moun k'ap kache peche p'ap janm wè zafè yo mache. Men, Bondye va gen pitye pou moun ki rekonèt peche yo, pou moun ki chanje lavi yo.
Those who refuse to confess/admit their sins will not prosper, but [God] acts mercifully/kindly toward those who confess their sins and turn away from their sinful behavior.
14 Ala bon sa bon pou moun ki toujou gen krentif pou Bondye! Men, moun k'ap fè tèt di ak Bondye ap wè malè tonbe sou yo.
[God] is pleased with those who always revere him, but those who are stubborn [IDM] will experience disasters.
15 Yon chèf malveyan se tankou lyon ki move, tankou lous ki grangou. Pòv malere san sekou devan yo.
Wicked people who [mistreat] poor people whom they rule are [as dangerous to them as] [SIM] a lion roaring [at them] or a bear springing up [to attack them].
16 Lè yon chèf pa gen konprann, l'ap peze moun, l'ap fè mechanste. Men, moun ki pa vle wè moun k'ap vòlò ap gouvènen lontan.
Rulers who do not have good sense cruelly oppress [the people they rule], but rulers who do not want to become rich by cheating/deceiving [people] will live (OR, rule) for a long time.
17 Lè yon moun touye yon lòt, konsyans li boulvèse l', l'ap kouri chache lanmò. Piga pesonn chache kenbe l'.
Those who are guilty of murdering [MTY] another person will (be fugitives/keep running away) until they die; do not help them to escape.
18 Malè p'ap rive moun k'ap mennen yon lavi san repwòch. Men, moun ki pa serye, k'ap mache pye gaye, y'ap rete konsa, y'ap tonbe.
Those who [continually] do what is right will be safe/protected, but those who are dishonest will [suddenly] be ruined.
19 Yon moun ki travay di nan jaden l' ap jwenn kont manje pou l' manje. Men, moun k'ap fè bagay ki p'ap sèvi anyen ap toujou pòv.
Farmers who work [hard] in their fields will [produce good crops and always] have plenty of food [to eat], but those who spend all their time (on useless projects/doing things that do not benefit anyone) will become very poor.
20 Yon nonm ki serye nan sa l'ap fè ap jwenn anpil benediksyon. Men, yo p'ap manke pini moun k'ap prese pou l' rich.
[God] will greatly bless those who (are trustworthy/always do what they say that they will do), but he will certainly punish [LIT] those who try to become rich quickly.
21 Sa pa bon pou gade moun sou figi. Men, pou nenpòt ti kraze kòb, yon jij ka fè betiz.
It is not good [for judges] to decide matters unfairly/unjustly, but [some] people will do what is wrong [even] if they receive [only] a very small bribe [HYP] [for doing it].
22 Moun ki anvi tout toujou ap prese pou yo rich. Yo pa wè grangou k'ap tann yo pi devan.
Selfish people [IDM] are very eager to become rich quickly; they do not realize that they will [soon] become poor.
23 Lè ou rale zòrèy yon moun, pita l'ap gen plis konsiderasyon pou ou pase pou moun k'ap achte figi l'.
Those who rebuke someone will be appreciated/thanked more than those who [say nice things to others merely] to (flatter them/cause them to feel good).
24 Moun k'ap vòlò papa l' ak manman l', epi k'ap di nan kè l': Se pa anyen sa, li menmman parèyman ak moun k'ap mache brize.
Anyone who steals things from his father or his mother and says “That is not sinful” is as bad as a bandit.
25 Moun ki anvi tout pou yo ap toujou nan kont. Men, moun ki mete konfyans yo nan Seyè a p'ap janm manke anyen.
Greedy people cause trouble/strife; those who trust in Yahweh will prosper [IDM].
26 Moun ki gen konfyans nan pwòp tèt yo, se moun fou yo ye. Men, moun ki fè sa li konnen li dwe fè a ap sove.
Those who believe that what they think [is always right] are foolish; those who act wisely will (escape danger/be safe).
27 Moun ki bay pòv p'ap janm manke anyen. Men, moun ki fè tankou li pa wè pòv yo chaje ak madichon.
Those who give things to poor [people] will not become poor, but many [people] will curse those who refuse to help [IDM] poor people.
28 Lè se mechan ki rive chèf, tout moun al kache. Men, tonbe mechan yo tonbe, moun k'ap mache dwat yo kanpe ankò.
When wicked [people] become rulers, people hide [because they are afraid of what those wicked people will do]; but when wicked people are no longer rulers, good/righteous [people will] become the rulers.
