Pwovèb 23
1 Lè ou chita sou tab ak yon ki gouvènè, konsidere byen sa ki devan ou.
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider well what is before thee;
2 Konsa, mete yon kouto sou gòj ou si ou se yon nonm ak gwo lanvi.
For thou wilt put a knife to thy throat, If thou art a man given to appetite!
3 Pa dezire bon manje sa yo, paske se yon repa desepsyon.
Long not for his dainties. For they are deceitful meat.
4 Pa fatige kò ou pou jwenn richès; sispann reflechi sou sa.
Toil not to become rich; Cease from this, thy wisdom.
5 Depi ou mete zye ou sou li, l ale. Paske, anverite, li gen zèl kon yon èg k ap vole vè syèl yo.
Wilt thou let thine eyes fly toward them? They are gone! For riches truly make to themselves wings; They fly away like the eagle toward heaven.
6 Pa manje pen a yon mesye ki chich, ni anvi bèl bagay li;
Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, And long not for his dainties;
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 he thinketh in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.
8 Ou va vomi mòso ke ou te manje a e gaspiye tout bèl pawòl ou yo.
The morsel, which thou hast eaten, thou shalt vomit up; And thou wilt have thrown away thy sweet words.
9 Pa pale nan zòrèy a moun sòt, paske l ap meprize sajès a pawòl ou yo.
Speak not in the ears of a fool; For he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Pa deplase ansyen bòn nan, ni antre nan chan òfelen yo,
Remove not the ancient landmark, And enter not into the fields of the fatherless!
11 Paske Redanmtè yo a pwisan. Li va plede ka yo kont ou.
For their avenger is mighty; He will maintain their cause against thee.
12 Aplike kè ou a disiplin ak zòrèy ou a pawòl ki pote konesans.
Apply thy heart to instruction, And thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Pa ralanti disiplin sou yon timoun; malgre ou frape li ak yon baton, li p ap mouri.
Withhold not correction from a child; If thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Beat him thyself with the rod, And thou shalt rescue him from the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
15 Fis mwen an, si kè ou saj, pwòp kè m va kontan tou.
My son, if thy heart be wise, My heart shall rejoice, even mine;
16 Wi, jis anndan m va rejwi lè lèv ou pale sa ki dwat.
Yea, my reins shall exult, When thy lips speak right things.
17 Pa kite kè ou fè lanvi pechè yo, men viv nan lakrent SENYÈ a tout tan.
Let not thy heart envy sinners, But continue thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long;
18 Anverite, gen davni, e espwa ou p ap anile.
For surely there shall be a reward, And thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19 Koute, fis mwen an, vin saj pou dirije kè ou nan chemen an.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise; And let thy heart go forward in the way!
20 Pa bwè twòp diven, ni fè voras nan manje vyann;
Be not thou among winebibbers, And riotous eaters of flesh;
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 the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
22 Koute papa ou ki te fè ou a, e pa meprize manman ou lè l vin granmoun.
Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Achte verite e pa vann li! Ranmase sajès, enstriksyon ak bon konprann.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; Buy wisdom and instruction and understanding.
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 a righteous man shall greatly rejoice; Yea, he who begetteth a wise child shall have joy in him.
25 Kite papa ou ak manman ou fè kè kontan; kite fanm ki te fè ou a, rejwi.
Let thy father and thy mother have joy; Yea, let her that bore thee rejoice!
26 Ban m kè ou, fis mwen an; kite zye ou fè kè kontan nan chemen mwen yo.
My son, give me thy heart, And let thine eyes observe my ways!
27 Paske yon pwostitiye se yon fòs byen fon, e yon fanm adiltè se yon ti pwi etwat.
For a harlot is a deep ditch; Yea, a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 Anverite, li kache veye tankou vòlè, pou l ogmante enfidelite pami lòm.
Like a robber she lieth in wait, And increaseth the treacherous 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 hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who anxiety? Who wounds without cause? Who dimness of eyes?
30 Sila ki mize sou diven nan, sila ki ale goute diven mele an.
They that tarry long at the wine; They that go in to seek mixed wine.
31 Pa gade diven an lè l wouj, lè l fè klè nan tas la, lè l desann byen dous.
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, When it sparkleth in the cup, When it goeth down smoothly.
32 Nan dènye moman an, li mòde tankou sèpan; li brile tankou bouch koulèv.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder.
33 Zye ou va wè bagay ki dwòl, e panse ou va twouble anpil.
Thine eyes will look upon strange women, And thy heart will utter perverse things.
34 Ou va tankou yon moun ki kouche nan mitan lanmè, oswa tankou yon moun ki kouche sou ma batiman.
Yea, thou shalt be as one that lieth down in the midst of the sea, And as one that lieth down upon the top of a mast.
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 stricken me [[shalt thou say]], —I suffered no pain! They have beaten me, —I felt it not! When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
