Pwovèb 4
1 Pitit mwen yo, koute yon papa lè l'ap ban nou bon levasyon. Louvri zòrèy nou pou nou ka gen konprann.
My children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.
2 Pa janm bliye anyen nan sa m'ap moutre nou la a: Se bon konsèy m'ap ban nou.
What I am teaching you is good, so do not turn away from it.
3 Lè mwen te timoun piti lakay papa m', lè sa a mwen te sèl pitit manman mwen.
When I was a young boy, loved by my mother,
4 Papa m' t'ap moutre m' anpil bagay. Li te konn di m': Kenbe pawòl mwen nan kè ou. Fè sa m'ap di ou fè, konsa w'a viv.
my father told me, “Remember my words; if you obey my commandments, you will live [a long time].
5 Chache gen konesans ak bon konprann. Pa janm bliye sa m'ap di ou la a. Pa vire do ba yo.
Obtain wisdom and understanding, and (do not abandon/hold fast to) [LIT] what I have taught you.
6 Pa lage konesans ou. L'a toujou pwoteje ou. renmen l', li p'ap kite anyen rive ou.
Do not turn away from wisdom, because if you are wise, you will be protected [from all evil/danger]. If you love wisdom, wisdom [PRS] will guard you.
7 Chache gen konesans, se premye bagay yon nonm lespri dwe fè. Nenpòt kisa ou ka genyen, bay li pou ou vin gen konprann.
The most important thing that you can do is to get wisdom. Even if you obtain many other things, the best thing is to know what things are wise.
8 renmen konesans, l'ap fè ou mache tèt wo. Kenbe l', pa lage l'. L'a fè yo respekte ou.
If you consider being wise to be very valuable, [people] will think very highly of you. If you cling to wisdom [like you would cling to a woman you love], [many people] will honor you.
9 Se va yon bèl bagay pou ou, tankou yon kouwòn sou tèt ou. Se va yon lwanj pou ou kote ou pase.
If you become wise, that will for you be [like] a beautiful wreath that is put {someone puts} on your head; it will be [like] a king’s glorious crown.” [That is what my father told me].
10 Koute sa m'ap di ou, pitit mwen. Pa bliye sa m'ap moutre ou la a, konsa w'a viv lontan.
[So now I say], “My son, heed what I say. If you do that, you will live a [good] long life.
11 Mwen moutre ou jan pou ou viv ak bon konprann. Mwen fè ou konnen jan pou ou mache dwat.
I am teaching you the way to live wisely; I am showing you how to act justly [toward others].
12 Lè w'ap viv avèk bon konprann, anyen p'ap bare wout ou. Ou mèt ap kouri, ou p'ap janm bite sou anyen.
If you live wisely, when you decide to do something, you will succeed [LIT].
13 Pa janm bliye sa yo te moutre ou, kenbe l' fèm. Pa kite l' chape anba men ou, se tout lavi ou.
Hold fast to the things I have taught you to do, and do not let them go. Guard them, because they [will be the source of a good] life.
14 Pa fè menm chemen ak mechan yo. Pa swiv egzanp moun ki deprave yo.
Do not do the things that wicked people do; [do not behave like they do]; do not even walk on the roads that evil [people] walk on [MET].
15 Pa fè sa, pa pran chemen sa yo menm. Refize fè tankou yo, fè chemen pa ou.
Stay away from those roads; turn aside and walk on other roads;
16 Mechan yo p'ap dòmi toutotan yo pa fè sa ki mal. Dòmi pa ka pran yo si yo pa rive fè sa yo vle fè a.
because evil people cannot sleep if they have not done some evil deed [on that day]. They cannot rest if they have not harmed someone.
17 Se nan fè mechanste yo jwenn manje pou yo manje. Se nan fè moun mal yo jwenn diven pou yo bwè.
What they eat and what they drink are things that they have obtained by acting wickedly and violently.”
18 Chemen moun k'ap mache dwat yo tankou solèy k'ap leve. Chak lè, l'ap vin pi klere jouk li fin jou nèt.
The behavior of good/righteous [people] is like the light [that begins to shine] at dawn and then [continues to] shine brighter until the brightest time of day.
19 Chemen moun mechan yo fè nwa kou lannwit. Yo pa ka wè sou kisa y'ap bite.
[But] the behavior of wicked [people] is like deep/thick darkness. [Because it is very dark], they cannot see the things that cause them to stumble.
20 Pitit mwen, louvri lespri ou pou ou konprann byen sa m'ap di ou la a. Louvri zòrèy ou pou ou koute pawòl k'ap soti nan bouch mwen.
My son, pay attention to what I am saying. Listen to my words carefully.
21 Pa janm kite yo soti devan je ou. Kenbe yo nan kè ou. Pa janm bliye yo.
Keep them close to you; let them penetrate your inner being,
22 Se lavi pou moun ki jwenn yo. Se lasante pou tout moun ki konprann yo.
because you will have [PRS] [a good] life and [good] health if you [search for them and] find them.
23 Pase tout lòt bagay, veye byen lide k'ap travay nan tèt ou, paske se yo k'ap di ou ki jan pou ou viv.
It is very important that you be careful about what you think, because what you think controls [MET] the things that you do.
24 Pa janm kite manti soti nan bouch ou, ni move pawòl, ni mo deplase.
Do not say anything that deceives [others] and never say what is not true.
25 Gade dwat devan ou. Kenbe je ou fikse sou chemen ki dwat devan ou lan.
Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you, and do not turn aside.
26 Chache konnen byen sa w'ap fè. Konsa, tou sa w'ap fè ap mache byen pou ou.
Plan carefully where you will go and what you will do, and then stay on that road. Then what you do will be right.
27 Pa vire ni adwat ni agoch. Pa lage kò ou nan fè sa ki mal.
Do not leave the straight road by turning to the left or to the right. [Do only what is right] and keep yourself from [doing what is] evil.
