< Pwovèb 23 >

1 Lè ou chita sou tab ak yon ki gouvènè, konsidere byen sa ki devan ou.
When you take your seat at the feast with a ruler, give thought with care to what is before you;
2 Konsa, mete yon kouto sou gòj ou si ou se yon nonm ak gwo lanvi.
And put a knife to your throat, if you have a strong desire for food.
3 Pa dezire bon manje sa yo, paske se yon repa desepsyon.
Have no desire for his delicate food, for it is the bread of deceit.
4 Pa fatige kò ou pou jwenn richès; sispann reflechi sou sa.
Take no care to get wealth; let there be an end to your desire for money.
5 Depi ou mete zye ou sou li, l ale. Paske, anverite, li gen zèl kon yon èg k ap vole vè syèl yo.
Are your eyes lifted up to it? it is gone: for wealth takes to itself wings, like an eagle in flight up to heaven.
6 Pa manje pen a yon mesye ki chich, ni anvi bèl bagay li;
Do not take the food of him who has an evil eye, or have any desire for his delicate meat:
7 paske jan li panse nan tèt li a, se konsa li ye. Li di ou: “Manje e bwè!” Men kè li pa avè w.
For as the thoughts of his heart are, so is he: Take food and drink, he says to you; but his heart is not with you.
8 Ou va vomi mòso ke ou te manje a e gaspiye tout bèl pawòl ou yo.
The food which you have taken will come up again, and your pleasing words will be wasted.
9 Pa pale nan zòrèy a moun sòt, paske l ap meprize sajès a pawòl ou yo.
Say nothing in the hearing of a foolish man, for he will put no value on the wisdom of your words.
10 Pa deplase ansyen bòn nan, ni antre nan chan òfelen yo,
Do not let the landmark of the widow be moved, and do not go into the fields of those who have no father;
11 Paske Redanmtè yo a pwisan. Li va plede ka yo kont ou.
For their saviour is strong, and he will take up their cause against you.
12 Aplike kè ou a disiplin ak zòrèy ou a pawòl ki pote konesans.
Give your heart to teaching, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Pa ralanti disiplin sou yon timoun; malgre ou frape li ak yon baton, li p ap mouri.
Do not keep back training from the child: for even if you give him blows with the rod, it will not be death to him.
14 Ou va frape li ak baton pou delivre nanm li de sejou mò yo. (Sheol h7585)
Give him blows with the rod, and keep his soul safe from the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
15 Fis mwen an, si kè ou saj, pwòp kè m va kontan tou.
My son, if your heart becomes wise, I, even I, will be glad in heart;
16 Wi, jis anndan m va rejwi lè lèv ou pale sa ki dwat.
And my thoughts in me will be full of joy when your lips say right things.
17 Pa kite kè ou fè lanvi pechè yo, men viv nan lakrent SENYÈ a tout tan.
Have no envy of sinners in your heart, but keep in the fear of the Lord all through the day;
18 Anverite, gen davni, e espwa ou p ap anile.
For without doubt there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Koute, fis mwen an, vin saj pou dirije kè ou nan chemen an.
Give ear, my son, and be wise, guiding your heart in the right way.
20 Pa bwè twòp diven, ni fè voras nan manje vyann;
Do not be among those who give themselves to wine-drinking, or among those who make themselves full with meat:
21 paske sila ki bwè twòp la ak moun voras la va vin pòv; e dòmi nan zye a va fè l abiye ak vye twal chire.
For those who take delight in drink and feasting will come to be in need; and through love of sleep a man will be poorly clothed.
22 Koute papa ou ki te fè ou a, e pa meprize manman ou lè l vin granmoun.
Give ear to your father whose child you are, and do not keep honour from your mother when she is old.
23 Achte verite e pa vann li! Ranmase sajès, enstriksyon ak bon konprann.
Get for yourself that which is true, and do not let it go for money; get wisdom and teaching and good sense.
24 Papa a sila ki dwat la va rejwi anpil, e sila ki fè yon fis ki saj la va gen kè kontan nan li.
The father of the upright man will be glad, and he who has a wise child will have joy because of him.
25 Kite papa ou ak manman ou fè kè kontan; kite fanm ki te fè ou a, rejwi.
Let your father and your mother be glad, let her who gave you birth have joy.
26 Ban m kè ou, fis mwen an; kite zye ou fè kè kontan nan chemen mwen yo.
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes take delight in my ways.
27 Paske yon pwostitiye se yon fòs byen fon, e yon fanm adiltè se yon ti pwi etwat.
For a loose woman is a deep hollow, and a strange woman is a narrow water-hole.
28 Anverite, li kache veye tankou vòlè, pou l ogmante enfidelite pami lòm.
Yes, she is waiting secretly like a beast for its food, and deceit by her is increased among men.
29 Se kilès ki gen gwo pwoblèm? Se kilès ki gen tristès? Se kilès ki gen konfli? Se kilès kap plenyèn? Se kilès ki blese san rezon? Se kilès ki gen zye wouj?
Who says, Oh! who says, Ah! who has violent arguments, who has grief, who has wounds without cause, whose eyes are dark?
30 Sila ki mize sou diven nan, sila ki ale goute diven mele an.
Those who are seated late over the wine: those who go looking for mixed wine.
31 Pa gade diven an lè l wouj, lè l fè klè nan tas la, lè l desann byen dous.
Keep your eyes from looking on the wine when it is red, when its colour is bright in the cup, when it goes smoothly down:
32 Nan dènye moman an, li mòde tankou sèpan; li brile tankou bouch koulèv.
In the end, its bite is like that of a snake, its wound like the wound of a poison-snake.
33 Zye ou va wè bagay ki dwòl, e panse ou va twouble anpil.
Your eyes will see strange things, and you will say twisted things.
34 Ou va tankou yon moun ki kouche nan mitan lanmè, oswa tankou yon moun ki kouche sou ma batiman.
Yes, you will be like him who takes his rest on the sea, or on the top of a sail-support.
35 “Yo te frape m, men mwen pa t santi anyen! Yo te bat mwen, men mwen pa t konnen sa! Lè m leve, m ap chache pou m kab bwè ankò.”
They have overcome me, you will say, and I have no pain; they gave me blows without my feeling them: when will I be awake from my wine? I will go after it again.

< Pwovèb 23 >