Pwovèb 3
1 Pitit mwen, pa janm bliye sa mwen moutre ou yo. Kenbe tou sa mwen di ou fè yo nan kè ou.
My son, do not forget what I have taught you. Keep my commands in your inner being,
2 Se yo k'ap fè ou viv lontan. Se yo k'ap fè ou viv ak kè poze.
because [if you obey them] you will live a long time and things will go well for you
3 Se pou ou toujou viv byen ak tout moun. Se pou ou toujou gen yon sèl pawòl. Mete pawòl mwen yo nan kou ou tankou yon kolye, kenbe yo nan kè ou pou ou pa janm bliye yo.
Always faithfully love others and (be faithful/do what you say that you will do); doing those things [will cause others to be pleased with you]; it will be as though you are wearing a beautiful necklace. Keep those things in your mind/inner being.
4 Si ou fè sa, Bondye va kontan avè ou, lèzòm va nonmen non ou an byen.
If you do, God and people will approve of you and think highly of you [MTY].
5 Mete tout konfyans ou nan Seyè a. Pa gade sou sa ou konnen.
Trust in Yahweh completely, and do not rely on what you yourself understand.
6 Toujou chonje Seyè a nan tou sa w'ap fè. Li menm, l'a moutre ou chemen pou ou pran.
Always allow him to lead you. If you do that, he will (show you the right path/direct your life).
7 Pa mete nan tèt ou ou gen plis konprann pase sa. Gen krentif pou Seyè a, refize fè sa ki mal.
Do not be proud of being wise. [Instead], revere Yahweh and turn away from doing evil.
8 Lè ou fè sa, se va tankou yon bon medikaman: W'a toujou gaya, ou p'ap janm soufri doulè.
If you do that, your body will be healthy/strong; it will be [like] medicine for you.
9 Fè wè jan ou gen respè pou Seyè a: ba li nan tou sa ou genyen, ofri l' premye donn ou rekòlte nan jaden ou.
Honor Yahweh by [what you do with] your money; and [by giving him] the first part of your harvest.
10 Lè ou fè sa, galata ou ap toujou chaje danre. Barik diven ou yo ap plen ra bouch.
If you do that, [you will have a good harvest]. Yahweh will fill your barns [with grain], and your vats/containers will be overflowing with [grape juice for making] wine.
11 Pitit mwen, lè Seyè a ap pini ou, pa betize ak sa. Lè l'ap korije ou, pa dekouraje.
My son, when Yahweh disciplines/corrects you, do not despise it, and if he rebukes you, do not resent it.
12 Paske Seyè a korije moun li renmen, menm jan yon papa korije pitit li renmen anpil la.
[I say that] because it is the people whom Yahweh loves that he corrects/reproves, [just] like parents correct/reprove their sons whom they love.
13 Ala bon sa bon pou moun ki gen konesans, pou moun ki rive gen bon konprann!
[Yahweh] is pleased with those who become wise and have good understanding.
14 Benefis l'ap rapòte pi bon pase sa lajan bay. Avantaj l'ap bay gen plis valè pase lò.
Being wise and having good understanding is worth more than silver, better than gold.
15 Sajès pi bon pase boul lò. Nanpwen anyen moun ta renmen genyen ki ka parèt devan li.
Being wise is more precious than (jewels/precious stones); there is nothing that you could desire [that would be as valuable] as wisdom.
16 Yon bò, bon konprann ap fè moun viv lontan. Yon lòt bò, l'ap bay richès, l'ap fè moun respekte ou.
On the one hand, wisdom [PRS] enables [you] to live a long life, and on the other hand, wisdom enables [you] to become rich and to be honored.
17 L'ap fè moun viv ak kè kontan. L'ap fè ou reyisi nan tou sa w'ap fè.
If [you] are wise, [your] life will be pleasant, and things will go well [for you].
18 Moun ki gen bon konprann jwenn lavi. Sa bon nèt pou moun ki gen bon konprann!
Wisdom is [like] a tree that gives long life to those who [eagerly] take hold of it, and [Yahweh] is pleased with those who hold onto it tightly.
19 Avèk bon konprann li, Bondye kreye latè. Avèk entèlijans li, li mete syèl la nan plas li.
By his wisdom Yahweh created the earth, and by his understanding he put everything in the skies.
20 Avèk konesans li, li fè larivyè yo koule. Li fè nwaj yo bay lapli sou latè.
By his knowledge [he caused] the water that was beneath the earth to burst forth, and he caused rain to fall from the clouds.
21 Pitit mwen, kenbe pye konesans ou, pa pèdi konprann ou. Pa janm kite anyen fè ou bliye yo.
My son, [always] keep doing things that are right and things that are smart. If you do that,
22 Y'ap ba ou lavi, y'ap fè lavi ou bèl tankou yon kolye ki pase nan kou ou.
you will live [many years] and be honored and respected {people will honor and respect you}.
23 W'a fè chemen ou nan lavi san ou pa pè anyen. Ou p'ap janm bite sou anyen.
If you do what is right and wise, you will [be able to] walk safely, and you will not (stumble/do things that are wrong) [MET].
24 Lè ou pral kouche, ou p'ap pè anyen. Lè w'a fin lonje kò ou, w'a dòmi nèt ale.
You will [be able to] lie down [at night] and not be afraid [of anything], and you will sleep peacefully.
25 Ou p'ap bezwen pè: malè p'ap rete konsa pou l' tonbe sou tèt ou. Ni tou, sa ki rive mechan yo p'ap rive ou.
You will not be afraid that something disastrous will happen to you or that storms that strike the wicked will strike you,
26 Paske se Seyè a ki tout espwa ou. Li p'ap kite ou pran nan pèlen.
because you will be confident that Yahweh [will take care of you]. He will not let your foot be caught in a trap/snare.
27 Pa refize fè byen pou moun ki nan nesesite, chak fwa ou santi ou ka fè sa.
If you are able to help people who deserve it, do not refuse to help them.
28 Si ou gen lajan sou ou, ou pa ka di frè parèy ou: Ale non! Tounen denmen. M'a ba ou kichòy!
If you are able to help someone you interact with, do not say, “Come back later; [perhaps] I can help you tomorrow.”
29 Moun k'ap viv ansanm avè ou, ki mete konfyans yo nan ou, pa manniganse anyen ki pou fè yo mal.
Do not make plans to harm those you interact with regularly, [because] they live near you, and they trust you.
30 Pa fè kabouyay san rezon ak yon moun san li pa janm fè ou anyen ki mal.
If someone has not harmed you, do not accuse him [by saying that he has harmed you].
31 Pa anvye sò mechan yo. Pa mete nan tèt ou pou ou fè tankou yo.
Do not envy people who [obtain things by] violent actions, and do not imitate/do what they do.
32 Paske Seyè a pa vle wè moun ki deprave. Men, li mete moun ki mache dwat yo nan tout sekrè l' yo.
[I say that] because Yahweh considers such people to be abominable/detestable; but he is a friend to [all] those who do what is right.
33 Madichon Bondye chita lakay mechan yo. Men, benediksyon l' ap kouvri kay moun ki mache dwat yo.
Yahweh curses the families [MTY] of those who are wicked, but he blesses the families of those who are good/righteous.
34 Moun k'ap pase moun nan betiz, Bondye ap pase yo nan betiz tou. Men, moun ki fè byen, l'ap moutre yo jan li renmen yo.
Yahweh makes fun of those who make fun [of others], but he kindly helps those who are humble.
35 Y'a fè lwanj moun ki gen bon konprann yo, men moun fou yo, se wont y'a wont.
Wise [people] will be honored {people will honor wise people}, but foolish people will be dishonored/disgraced.
