Pwovèb 21
1 Kè a wa a se tankou kanal dlo nan men SENYÈ a; Li vire l kote Li vle.
Yahweh controls what kings do [MTY] [like] he controls how streams flow; he causes kings to do just what he wants them to do.
2 Chemen a yon moun bon nan pwòp zye li; men SENYÈ a peze kè yo.
People always think that what they do is right, but Yahweh judges our (motives/reasons [for doing things)] [MTY].
3 SENYÈ a pito ladwati ak lajistis plis pase sakrifis.
Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to Yahweh than [bringing] sacrifices [to him].
4 Zye ki leve wo ak kè ki plen ògèy; lanp a mechan yo se peche.
Being proud and arrogant [DOU] is [like] a lamp [MTY] [that guides] wicked people; being proud and arrogant characterizes (wicked people’s whole behavior/everything that wicked people do).
5 Plan a dilijan an mennen byen si, vè avantaj; men tout moun ki aji san reflechi va, san dout, vin pòv.
People who plan carefully will surely have plenty [of what they need]; those who act too quickly [to become rich] will become poor.
6 Ranmase anpil byen ak lang k ap bay manti se yon vapè k ap sove ale, k ap kouri dèyè lanmò.
Money that people acquire [by cheating others] by lying [MTY] to them will soon disappear [like] a mist, and doing that will [soon] lead to their death.
7 Vyolans a mechan yo va trennen yo fè yo pati, akoz yo refize aji ak jistis.
Wicked [people] refuse to do what is right/just, but they will be ruined because of the violent things [PRS] that they do.
8 Chemen a yon moun koupab kwochi; men pou sila ki san tach la, kondwit li dwat.
Guilty [people continually do what is evil; it is as though] [MET] they are walking on a crooked road; but righteous/innocent people [always] do what is right.
9 Li pi bon pou viv nan ti kwen sou twati a pase nan yon kay ak yon fanm k ap fè kont tout tan.
It is better to live in the corner of an attic/housetop [by yourself] than to live inside the house with a wife who is always nagging.
10 Nanm a mechan an vle mal; vwazen li an pa twouve gras nan zye l.
Wicked [people] [SYN] are always wanting [to do what is] evil; they never act mercifully toward anyone.
11 Lè mokè a vin pini, moun san konprann nan vin saj; men lè moun saj la enstwi, li resevwa konesans.
When those who ridicule [others] are punished, [even] those who do not have good sense [see that, and] they become wise, and when those who are wise are taught, they become wiser.
12 Lè sila ki dwat, pran an konsiderasyon kay mechan an, afè mechan an vin detwi nèt.
[God], the one [who is completely] righteous, knows [what happens inside] the houses of wicked [people], and [he will cause] those people to be completely ruined/destroyed.
13 Sila ki fèmen zòrèy li a kri aflije a, va vin kriye pou kont li, men li p ap jwenn repons.
There are people who refuse to listen when poor people cry out [for help]; [but some day] they themselves will cry out [for help], and no one will hear them.
14 Yon kado vèse an sekrè kalme fachez, e yon anba tab ki glise rive, bese gwo kòlè.
When someone is angry [with you], if you secretly give him a gift, he will stop being angry.
15 Aplike lajistis se yon plezi pou moun dwat; men se yon gwo laperèz pou malfektè inikite yo.
Good/Righteous [people] are happy when they [see others do] what is just/fair, but those who do what is evil are terrified [when they think about what may happen to them].
16 Yon nonm egare ki kite chemen bon konprann nan, va jwenn repo nan asanble mò yo.
Those who stop behaving like those who have good sense behave will [soon] discover that they have gone to the place where dead people are.
17 Sila ki renmen plezi, va vin pòv; sila ki renmen diven ak lwil, p ap janm rich.
Those who spend their money to buy (things that give them pleasure/things that cause them to feel happy) will become poor; those who love [to spend money to buy] wine and nice/fancy food [MTY] will never become rich.
18 Mechan an se yon ranson pou moun dwat yo; e sila ki fè trèt la pou sila ki kanpe janm.
Wicked [people] bring on themselves the sufferings that they were trying to cause righteous [people] to experience [DOU].
19 Li pi bon pou rete nan dezè pase viv ak yon fanm k ap agase moun tout tan.
It is better to live [alone] in a desert than [to live] with a wife who is [always] nagging and complaining.
20 Gen bèl trezò ak lwil nan abitasyon a moun saj la; men, moun san konprann nan vale tout.
Wise people have many valuable things in their houses, but foolish people [quickly] spend/waste [all their money].
21 Sila ki swiv ladwati ak fidelite a jwenn lavi, ladwati ak lonè.
Those who [always] try to act in a fair and kind way [toward others] will live [a long time] and be honored/respected.
22 Yon nonm saj monte sou miray vil pwisan, e fè tonbe sitadèl la ki te bay yo konfyans.
A wise army commander [helps his troops] climb over a wall [to attack] a city that is defended by a strong army, with the result that they are able to (get over/destroy) the high walls that their enemies trusted [would protect them].
23 Sila ki veye bouch li ak lang li pwoteje nanm li kont gwo twoub.
Those who are very careful about what they say [MTY] are [able to] avoid trouble.
24 Ògèy, Monte Tèt Wo, Mokè; men tit a sila ki aji nan ògèy ak ensolans yo.
Those who make fun of [everything that is good] are proud and conceited [DOU]; they [always] act in an inconsiderate way [toward others].
25 Se volonte a parese a ki fè l mouri, paske men li refize travay;
Lazy people, who refuse to work, [will] die [of hunger] because they [SYN] do not earn [money to buy food].
26 Gen moun tout lajounen kap anvi yon bagay, pandan moun dwat yo ap vèse bay san rete.
All during the day [wicked people] desire to obtain things, but righteous [people] have plenty, [with the result that] they [are able to] give things generously to others.
27 Sakrifis a mechan yo abominab; se konbyen anplis, lè l pote ak movèz fwa.
[Yahweh] detests the sacrifices that wicked [people] offer [to him]; [but he] detests it even more when they [think that they will escape being punished for] their evil deeds because of the sacrifices that they bring.
28 Yon fo temwen va peri; men sila ki koute verite a va pale ak letènite.
Those who tell lies in court will be punished; no one stops/silences witnesses who say what is truthful/reliable.
29 Moun mechan an afiche yon figi brav; men pou moun ladwati a, chemen li an sèten.
Wicked people pretend [that they know everything], but righteous people think carefully about [what will happen because of] what they do.
30 Nanpwen sajès, ni bon konprann, ni konsèy kont SENYÈ a.
[Thinking that we are] wise, and that we understand many things, and that we have good insight, does not help us if Yahweh is (acting against/not pleased with) us.
31 Cheval la prepare pou jou batay la; men viktwa a se nan men SENYÈ a.
We [can] get horses ready to fight in a battle, but Yahweh is the one who enables us to (win victories/defeat our enemies).
