Pwovèb 23
1 Lè ou chita sou tab ak yon ki gouvènè, konsidere byen sa ki devan ou.
When you sit to eat with a ruler, observe carefully 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 are a person who likes to eat a lot of food.
3 Pa dezire bon manje sa yo, paske se yon repa desepsyon.
Do not crave his delicacies, for it is the food of lies.
4 Pa fatige kò ou pou jwenn richès; sispann reflechi sou sa.
Do not work too hard to gain wealth; be wise enough to know when to stop.
5 Depi ou mete zye ou sou li, l ale. Paske, anverite, li gen zèl kon yon èg k ap vole vè syèl yo.
Will you let your eyes light upon it? It will be gone, for it will surely take up wings like an eagle and fly off to the sky.
6 Pa manje pen a yon mesye ki chich, ni anvi bèl bagay li;
Do not eat the food of one with an evil eye— and do not crave his delicacies,
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 he is the kind of man who counts the price of the food. “Eat 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.
You will vomit up the little you have eaten and you will have wasted your compliments.
9 Pa pale nan zòrèy a moun sòt, paske l ap meprize sajès a pawòl ou yo.
Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10 Pa deplase ansyen bòn nan, ni antre nan chan òfelen yo,
Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of orphans,
11 Paske Redanmtè yo a pwisan. Li va plede ka yo kont ou.
for their Redeemer is strong and he will plead their case against you.
12 Aplike kè ou a disiplin ak zòrèy ou a pawòl ki pote konesans.
Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
13 Pa ralanti disiplin sou yon timoun; malgre ou frape li ak yon baton, li p ap mouri.
Do not withhold instruction from a child, for if you discipline him, he will not die.
It is you who must beat him with the rod and save his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 Fis mwen an, si kè ou saj, pwòp kè m va kontan tou.
My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart also will be glad;
16 Wi, jis anndan m va rejwi lè lèv ou pale sa ki dwat.
my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
17 Pa kite kè ou fè lanvi pechè yo, men viv nan lakrent SENYÈ a tout tan.
Do not let your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of Yahweh all the day.
18 Anverite, gen davni, e espwa ou p ap anile.
Surely 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.
Hear—you!—my son, and be wise and direct your heart in the way.
20 Pa bwè twòp diven, ni fè voras nan manje vyann;
Do not associate with drunkards, or with gluttonous eaters of 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 the drunkard and the glutton become poor and slumber will clothe them with rags.
22 Koute papa ou ki te fè ou a, e pa meprize manman ou lè l vin granmoun.
Listen to your father who begot you and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Achte verite e pa vann li! Ranmase sajès, enstriksyon ak bon konprann.
Buy the truth, but do not sell it; buy wisdom, 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 the righteous person will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will be glad in 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 and let her who bore you rejoice.
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 observe my ways.
27 Paske yon pwostitiye se yon fòs byen fon, e yon fanm adiltè se yon ti pwi etwat.
For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an immoral woman is a narrow well.
28 Anverite, li kache veye tankou vòlè, pou l ogmante enfidelite pami lòm.
She lies in wait like a robber and she increases the number of the treacherous among humanity.
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 has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has fights? Who has complaining? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 Sila ki mize sou diven nan, sila ki ale goute diven mele an.
Those who linger over wine, those who try the mixed wine.
31 Pa gade diven an lè l wouj, lè l fè klè nan tas la, lè l desann byen dous.
Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
32 Nan dènye moman an, li mòde tankou sèpan; li brile tankou bouch koulèv.
In the last it bites like a serpent and it stings like an adder.
33 Zye ou va wè bagay ki dwòl, e panse ou va twouble anpil.
Your eyes will see strange things and your 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.
You will be as one who sleeps on the high seas or lies on 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 hit me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt. They beat me, but I did not feel it. When will I wake up? I will seek another drink.”
