Pwovèb 26
1 Tankou lanèj nan sezon chalè a, tankou lapli nan sezon rekòlt, se konsa respè pa merite rive sou yon moun ensanse.
Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
2 Tankou yon ti zwazo k ap sove ale, tankou yon ti iwondèl nan vòl li, se konsa yon madichon san koz p ap poze.
Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
3 Yon fwèt se pou chwal la, yon brid pou bourik la, ak baton pou do a moun ensanse a.
It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
4 Pa reponn yon moun ensanse selon foli li, oswa ou va vin tankou li.
If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
5 Reponn yon moun ensanse selon foli li merite, pou l pa vin saj nan pwòp zye li.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Li koupe pwòp pye li, e bwè vyolans, ki voye yon mesaj pa men a moun ensanse a.
Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
7 Tankou janm ki initil pou moun bwate a, se konsa yon pwovèb nan bouch a moun ensanse.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Tankou yon moun ki mare wòch anndan fistibal se konsa sila ki bay respè a moun ensanse a.
Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
9 Tankou yon pikan ki tonbe nan men yon moun k ap bwè gwòg, se konsa yon pwovèb nan bouch a moun ki ensanse.
If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
10 Tankou moun ak banza k ap blese tout moun, se konsa sila ki anplwaye moun ensanse a, ak sila ki anplwaye sila k ap pase pa aza a.
A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
11 Tankou yon chen ki retounen nan vomi li, se konsa yon moun ensanse kap repete foli li.
A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
12 Èske ou wè yon moun ki saj nan pwòp zye li? Gen plis espwa pou moun fou pase li menm.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
13 Parese a di: “Gen yon lyon nan lari a! Yon lyon nan plas la!”
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Tankou pòt la vire sou gon li, se konsa parese a sou kabann li.
A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
15 Parese a fouye men l nan plato a; men l twò fatige pou fè l ankò rive nan bouch li.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
16 Parese a pi saj nan pwòp zye li pase sèt moun ki kab reponn ak bon konprann.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Tankou yon moun ki pran yon chen pa zòrèy, se konsa sila k ap pase pa aza a, pou l gaye nan goumen ki pa apatyen a li menm nan.
Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
18 Tankou yon moun fou k ap jete bwa dife, flèch ak lanmò,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 se konsa nonm ki tronpe vwazen li an pou di: “Èske se pa blag mwen t ap fè?”
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Akoz mank bwa, dife a etenn; lè ti koze sispann, rayisman vin kalme.
If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
21 Tankou chabon tou limen anvè sann cho, ak bwa anvè dife, se konsa yon moun tchenpwèt chofe pwoblèm pou limen konfli.
[Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
22 Pawòl a moun k ap chichote nan zòrèy moun nan, vin tankou bèl ti mòso delika. Yo desann rive jis nan pati pi fon kò a.
People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
23 Tankou veso ki fèt ak tè ki kouvri ak yon kouch ajan, se konsa lèv ki brile ak yon kè ki mechan.
People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
24 Yon nonm malonèt, kache sa pou l pa parèt sou lèv li; men nan kè l, li fè depo desepsyon.
Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
25 Lè l pale byen dous, pa kwè l; paske, gen sèt abominasyon nan kè l.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Malgre rayisman kouvri kò l ak riz, mechanste li va devwale devan asanble a.
They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
27 Sila ki fouye fòs la va tonbe ladann, e sila ki woule wòch la, sou li menm l ap retounen.
Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
28 Yon lang ki bay manti, rayi sila li kraze yo, e zèv a lang flatè a se dega.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
