< Pwovèb 4 >

1 Tande, O fis yo, enstriksyon a yon papa, e fè atansyon pou ou kab reyisi jwenn bon konprann,
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know intelligence;
2 Paske mwen bay ou bon konsèy; pa abandone enstriksyon mwen.
for I give you good doctrine: forsake ye not my law.
3 Lè m te yon jenn timoun ak papa m, byen jenn e sèl fis devan zye a manman m,
For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.
4 Alò, li te enstwi mwen e te di mwen: “Kite kè ou kenbe fèm a pawòl mwen; kenbe lòd mwen yo pou ou viv.
And he taught me, and said unto me, Let thy heart retain my words; keep my commandments and live.
5 Vin ranmase sajès! Ranmase bon konprann! Pa bliye, ni pa vire kite pawòl a bouch mwen yo.
Get wisdom, get intelligence: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6 Pa abandone li e li va pwoteje ou; renmen li e li va veye sou ou.
Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee; love her, and she shall preserve thee.
7 Men sa ki kòmansman sajès la: Ranmase sajès! Epi avèk sa ou rasanble a, chache bon konprann.
The beginning of wisdom [is], Get wisdom; and with all thy getting get intelligence.
8 Mete valè li wo e li va fè ou leve; li va bay ou onè si ou anbrase l.
Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her.
9 Li va poze sou tèt ou yon kouwòn lagras; li va prezante ou avèk yon kouwòn byen bèl.”
She shall give to thy head a garland of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow upon thee.
10 Tande, fis mwen an, vin dakò ak pawòl mwen yo, e lane lavi ou yo va vin byen long.
Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.
11 Mwen te dirije ou nan chemen sajès la; mwen te kondwi ou nan pa ladwati yo.
I will teach thee in the way of wisdom, I will lead thee in paths of uprightness.
12 Lè ou mache, pa ou yo p ap jennen; epi si ou kouri, ou p ap glise tonbe.
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Pran enstriksyon; pa lage menm. Pwoteje li paske li se lavi ou.
Take fast hold of instruction, let [her] not go: keep her, for she is thy life.
14 Pa antre nan chemen mechan yo, e pa avanse nan vwa malfektè yo.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men]:
15 Evite li, pa pase kote li; vire kite li e ale byen lwen.
avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away.
16 Paske, yo p ap kab dòmi si yo pa fè mal; epi dòmi vin vòlè soti nan zye yo si yo pa fè lòt glise tonbe.
For they sleep not except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused [some] to fall.
17 Paske yo manje pen a malveyan yo e bwè diven vyolans.
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
18 Men pa a moun dwat yo se tankou limyè granmmaten ki briye pi fò e pi fò jiskaske li vin fè jou nèt.
But the path of the righteous is as the shining light, going on and brightening until the day be fully come.
19 Chemen mechan yo tankou tenèb; yo pa konnen sou kisa pou yo tonbe.
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
20 Fis mwen an, prete atansyon a pawòl mwen yo; panche zòrèy ou vè diskou mwen yo.
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21 Pa kite yo vin disparèt devan zye ou; kenbe yo nan fon kè ou.
Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
22 Paske yo se lavi a sila ki jwenn yo, ak lasante a tout kò yo.
For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
23 Veye sou kè ou ak tout dilijans; paske de li, sous lavi yo koule.
Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Mete lwen de ou yon bouch manti e mete tout pawòl foub byen lwen ou.
Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.
25 Kite zye ou gade tou dwat devan e kite vizyon ou konsantre devan nèt.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Veye wout pye ou konn pran e tout chemen ou yo va byen etabli.
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.
27 Pa vire ni adwat ni agoch; fè pye ou vire kite mal.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.

< Pwovèb 4 >