Pwovèb 23
1 Lè chèf envite ou manje sou menm tab ak li, pa janm bliye ki moun li ye.
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
2 Si ou se yon moun ki gen bon lapeti, kontwole bouch ou.
For thou puttest a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man of a craving desire.
3 Pa pote lanvi sou bon ti manje l'ap ofri ou yo. Se ka yon pèlen li tann pou ou.
Do not long for his savory meats; they are deceitful food.
4 Pa touye tèt ou ap kouri dèyè lajan pou ou vin rich. Wete lide ou sou sa.
Fatigue thyself not to become rich; because thou hast understanding, forbear.
5 Paske, anvan ou bat je ou, li gen tan disparèt. Ou ta di lajan gen zèl. Li rete konsa, li vole, li ale.
When thou lettest merely thy eyes fly over it, it is no more: for it will ever make itself wings: like an eagle will it fly toward heaven.
6 Pa chita pou ou manje sou menm tab ak moun ki tikoulout. Pa pote lanvi sou manje l'ap ofri ou.
Eat not the bread of a man with an evil eye, and do not long for his savory meats;
7 Li chich ata ak tèt pa li, ale wè avè ou. L'ap di ou: Manje non, monchè! Bwè non! Men se pa ak tout kè li l'ap di ou sa.
For as though there were a division in his soul, so doth he act: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 W'a vonmi tou sa ou te manje a. Tout bèl pawòl ou te di l' yo p'ap sèvi ou anyen.
Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou spit out, and thou hast wasted thy pleasant words.
9 Pa chache fè yon moun san konprann konprann anyen. Li p'ap tande anyen nan sa w'ap di l' la. Lèfini, l'ap meprize ou met sou li.
Speak not before the ears of a fool; for he will despise the intelligence of thy words.
10 Pa janm deplase bòn tè kote yo te ye depi lontan an. Pa antre sou jaden ki pou timoun san papa.
Remove not the ancient landmark, and into the fields of the fatherless must thou not enter;
11 Se Bondye k'ap defann yo, li gen anpil pouvwa. L'a plede kòz yo kont ou.
For their redeemer is strong; he will indeed plead their cause with thee.
12 Mete tèt ou an plas lè y'ap moutre ou kichòy. Louvri zòrèy ou lè yon moun ki gen konesans ap pale.
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thy ears to the sayings of knowledge.
13 Ou pa bezwen pè bat yon timoun. Yon bèl kal, sa p'ap touye l'.
Withhold not from a lad correction; for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Thou wilt indeed beat him with the rod; but thou wilt deliver his soul from perdition. (Sheol h7585)
15 Pitit mwen, si ou gen bon konprann, mwen p'ap manke kontan.
My son, If thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16 M'a kontan anpil lè m'a tande bon pawòl k'ap soti nan bouch ou.
And my reins shall exult when thy lips speak what is equitable.
17 Pa pote lanvi sou moun k'ap fè sa ki mal. Nan tou sa w'ap fè, toujou gen krentif pou Bondye.
Let not thy heart be envious against sinners; but [remain] in the fear of the lord all the time.
18 Paske gen denmen. Se pa pou gremesi w'ap tann sa w'ap tann lan.
For surely there is a future, and thy hope will not be cut off.
19 Louvri zòrèy ou, gason mwen, pou ou ka gen bon konprann, pou ou ka mache dwat. Kalkile byen kote w'ap mete pye ou, pou ou ka mache dwat.
Hear thou, my son, and become wise, and guide thy heart on the right way.
20 Pa fè zanmi avèk moun k'ap bwè twòp, ak moun k'ap fè safte.
Be not among those that drink wine immoderately, among those that over-indulge in eating flesh:
21 Paske moun k'ap fè metye bwè ak moun ki afre ap vin pòv. Si ou pase tout tan ou ap dòmi, talè konsa w'ap mache yon men devan yon men dèyè.
For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth a man in rags.
22 Pitit mwen, koute papa ou ki fè ou. Pa meprize manman ou lè li fin granmoun.
Hearken unto thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother although she be old.
23 Verite, konesans, lespri ak bon konprann, se bagay ou mèt peye chè pou ou genyen. Men, pa janm vann sa.
Buy the truth and sell it not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 Papa ki gen yon pitit k'ap mache dwat ap toujou kontan. Manman ki fè yon pitit ki gen bon konprann ap toujou gen kè kontan.
The father of the righteous will be greatly glad, and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy through him.
25 Fè kè papa ou ak manman ou kontan. Fè kè manman ki fè ou la kontan.
Let [then] thy father and thy mother rejoice, and let her that hath born thee be glad.
26 Pitit mwen, louvri zòrèy ou pou tande sa m'ap di ou. Louvri je ou byen pou ou wè jan m'ap viv.
Give, my son, thy heart unto me, and let thy eyes watch my ways.
27 Fanm jennès se tankou yon twou pèlen, fanm adiltè se tankou yon pi jis jis.
For a harlot is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow well.
28 Tankou vòlò, y'ap pare pèlen pou ou. Yo fè anpil gason pèdi tèt yo.
She also lieth in wait like a robber, and she increaseth the treacherous among men.
29 Ki moun ki nan tèt chaje, ki nan lapenn? Ki moun ki toujou nan kont, ki tou tan ap plenyen? Ki moun k'ap pran kou san rezon, ki gen je yo tou wouj?
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath quarrels? who hath complaints? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 Se moun k'ap bwè twòp gwòg, moun k'ap kouri dèyè tranpe.
They that tarry late over the wine: they that come to seek for mixed drink.
31 Pa kite bweson pran nanm ou, ou te mèt wè jan li bèl, jan li klè nan vè a. Lè ou bwè l', li desann dous nan gòj ou.
Do not look on the wine when it looketh red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it glideth down so readily.
32 Men, pita ou santi se tankou yon move sèpan ki mòde ou, yon sèpan aspik ki pike ou.
At the last it will bite like a serpent, and like a basilisk will it sting.
33 W'ap wè tout bagay ap vire devan je ou, w'ap depale.
Thy eyes will see strange forms, and thy heart will speak perverse things.
34 W'ap santi tankou si ou te sou lanmè: w'ap tankou si ou te sou tèt yon ma batiman.
And thou wilt be like one that lieth down in the heart of the sea, or as he that lieth on the top of a mast.
35 Lè sa a w'a di: Gen lè yo bat mwen, mwen pa santi sa. Gen lè yo te ban m' kou, mwen pa konn sa. Kilè m'a leve la a? Mwen ta pran yon ti kou ankò.
“They smote me, [but] I suffered no pain; they struck me hard, [but] I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will continue to seek it again.”
