Pwovèb 20
1 Diven se yon mokè, e bwason fò fè goumen rive nan tenten; nenpòt moun ki vin sou pa li, pa saj.
Drinking a lot of wine or [other] strong drinks causes people to start fighting; it is foolish to become drunk/intoxicated.
2 Laperèz a wa a se tankou gwo vwa lyon k ap rele fò; sila ki fè l fache va pèdi lavi l.
Being afraid of a king when he is angry is like [SIM] being afraid of a lion when it growls/roars; if you cause the king to become angry, he may execute you.
3 Rete lwen konfli ak rayisman, e ou va gen respe; alò, nenpòt moun ensanse ka fè yon kont.
[People] respect those who stay away from disputes/arguments; foolish people [love to] quarrel.
4 Parese a pa laboure tè nan sezon otòn; akoz sa li mande charite pandan rekòlt la, e li p ap gen anyen.
[If] a lazy man does not plow [his fields at the right/proper time], he will look for [crops] at harvest [time], but there will be nothing there.
5 Yon plan nan kè moun se tankou dlo fon; men yon nonm ak bon konprann rale l fè l sòti.
[Just] as it is difficult to bring up water from a deep well, it is difficult to know what people are thinking, but someone who has good sense/insight will be able to find out what people are thinking.
6 Gen anpil moun ki pwomèt fidelite; men kibò pou jwenn yon nonm onèt?
Many people proclaim that they can be trusted [to do what they say that they will do], but it is very difficult to find [RHQ] someone who can really be trusted.
7 Yon nonm dwat ki mache nan entegrite l; A la beni fis ki vini apre li yo beni!
If parents conduct their lives as they should, [God] blesses their children (OR, their children are very happy/fortunate).
8 Yon wa ki chita sou twòn lajistis fè tout mal sove ale ak pwòp zye l.
A king who sits on his throne to judge people can [easily] [MTY] find out what things that people have done are good and what things are evil.
9 Se kilès ki kapab di: “Mwen te netwaye kè m; mwen vin pirifye de tout peche m?”
There is no one [RHQ] who can truthfully say, “I do not know of any wrong things that I have done; I have (gotten rid of all my sinful behavior/quit doing what is sinful).”
10 Balans ki pa ojis ak mezi ki pa ojis; tou de abominab a SENYÈ a.
Yahweh detests people who use weights that are not right and measures that are not correct.
11 Menm yon ti moun se rekonnet pa zèv li yo; si li aji byen e si kondwit li dwat.
Even children show by what they do whether they are good or not; they show whether (what they do/their behavior) is honest and right [or not].
12 Zòrèy ki tande ak zye ki wè; se SENYÈ a ki te fè tou de.
Two of the things that Yahweh has created [for us] are ears to hear things and eyes to see things.
13 Pa renmen dòmi, sinon ou va vin malere; ouvri zye ou e ou va satisfè ak manje.
If you want to sleep [all the time], you will become poor; if you stay awake [and work], you will have plenty of food.
14 “Pa bon, pa bon”, di sila k ap achte a; men lè l fè wout li, li pale kè l kontan.
People [look at things that they are about] to buy, [and in order to get it for a lower price sometimes they] say, “(It is no good/It is poor quality),” but [after they buy it], they go and boast [about having bought it for a cheap price].
15 Gen lò ak tout kalite bijou; men lèv plèn konesans se pi bèl bagay.
Gold and precious stones are [valuable], but wise words [MTY] are more valuable.
16 Lè l sèvi garanti pou yon enkoni, pran manto li; epi pou fanm andeyò a, fè papye pwose vèbal pou sa li pwomèt la.
If you foolishly promise to a stranger that you will pay what he owes if he is unable to pay it [DOU], [you deserve to] have someone take your coat from you.
17 Pen kòn twouve nan bay manti dous; men pita, bouch la plen gravye.
People [may] think that food that they acquire by doing what is dishonest will taste very good, but later [they will not enjoy what they have done any more than they would enjoy] eating gravel/sand.
18 Fè tout plan ak konsiltasyon; fè lagè ak konsèy saj.
When people give you good advice, [if you do what they suggest], your plans will succeed; so be sure to get good advice from wise people before you start fighting a war.
19 Sila ki difame moun devwale sekrè; pou sa a, pa asosye ou ak moun ki mache bouch ouvri.
Those who go around telling gossip are [always] telling secrets to [others]; so stay away from people who foolishly talk [too much].
20 Sila ki modi papa li oswa manman li an, lanp li va etenn nan tan fènwa.
If someone curses his father or his mother, his life will be ended, [just] like a lamp is extinguished.
21 Yon eritaj ranmase vit nan kòmansman a, p ap beni nan lafen.
If you very quickly take the property that your parents promise will be yours after they die, you will not receive any good/blessing from it.
22 Pa di: “M ap rekonpanse mechanste”; tann SENYÈ a, e Li va sove ou.
Do not say, “I will do evil to those who do evil to me;” wait for Yahweh [to do something about it], and he will (help you/[do what is right]).
23 Pwa ki pa ojis ak mezi ki pa ojis; tou de abominab a SENYÈ a.
Yahweh detests [those who use] dishonest scales and weights that are not accurate/correct.
24 Pa a yon nonm regle pa SENYÈ a; konsa, kijan yon nonm kab vin konprann chemen li?
Yahweh is the one who has decided what will happen to us, so (how can we (understand/know) what will happen before it happens?/we humans certainly cannot (understand/know) what will happen before it happens.) [RHQ]
25 Se yon pèlen pou yon nonm ta di avèk enpridans: “Sa sen!” e aprè ve yo fèt, pou fè ankèt.
You should think carefully before you solemnly promise to dedicate something to God, because later you might be sorry you have promised to do it.
26 Yon wa ki saj va vannen mechan yo e fè wou moulen pase anwo yo.
Wise kings find out [MET] which people have done what is wrong, and they punish them very severely [IDM].
27 Lespri a lòm se lanp SENYÈ a, ki chache pati ki pi entim nan li yo.
Our consciences are [like] lamps that Yahweh [has given to us to enable us to know what we are thinking] [MET]; they reveal what is hidden deep in our (minds/inner beings).
28 Fidelite ak verite prezève wa a, e ladwati bay twòn li an soutyen.
Kings will continue to rule as long as they faithfully love their people and are loyal to them and as long as they rule righteously/fairly.
29 Glwa a jèn yo se fòs yo, e lonè a granmoun yo se cheve blan yo.
We honor/admire young people because they are strong, but we respect [MTY] old people more because they are wise.
30 Kout fwèt ki blese fè disparèt mechanste; li frape rive nan pati pi fon yo.
When we are beaten or whipped, it [can] cause us to quit doing what is evil in our lives; when someone wounds us [by punishing us], it [can] cause our behavior to become good.
