Proverbs 23

When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:

Lè chèf envite ou manje sou menm tab ak li, pa janm bliye ki moun li ye.

And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.

Si ou se yon moun ki gen bon lapeti, kontwole bouch ou.

Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.

Pa pote lanvi sou bon ti manje l'ap ofri ou yo. Se ka yon pèlen li tann pou ou.

Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

Pa touye tèt ou ap kouri dèyè lajan pou ou vin rich. Wete lide ou sou sa.

Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

Paske, anvan ou bat je ou, li gen tan disparèt. Ou ta di lajan gen zèl. Li rete konsa, li vole, li ale.

Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:

Pa chita pou ou manje sou menm tab ak moun ki tikoulout. Pa pote lanvi sou manje l'ap ofri ou.

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

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.

The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

W'a vonmi tou sa ou te manje a. Tout bèl pawòl ou te di l' yo p'ap sèvi ou anyen.

Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

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.

Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:

Pa janm deplase bòn tè kote yo te ye depi lontan an. Pa antre sou jaden ki pou timoun san papa.

For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.

Se Bondye k'ap defann yo, li gen anpil pouvwa. L'a plede kòz yo kont ou.

Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.

Mete tèt ou an plas lè y'ap moutre ou kichòy. Louvri zòrèy ou lè yon moun ki gen konesans ap pale.

Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.

Ou pa bezwen pè bat yon timoun. Yon bèl kal, sa p'ap touye l'.

Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

Okontrè, si ou bat li, w'a sove nanm li pou l' pa mouri.

My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.

Pitit mwen, si ou gen bon konprann, mwen p'ap manke kontan.

Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.

M'a kontan anpil lè m'a tande bon pawòl k'ap soti nan bouch ou.

Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

Pa pote lanvi sou moun k'ap fè sa ki mal. Nan tou sa w'ap fè, toujou gen krentif pou Bondye.

For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

Paske gen denmen. Se pa pou gremesi w'ap tann sa w'ap tann lan.

Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

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.

Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:

Pa fè zanmi avèk moun k'ap bwè twòp, ak moun k'ap fè safte.

For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

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.

Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

Pitit mwen, koute papa ou ki fè ou. Pa meprize manman ou lè li fin granmoun.

Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

Verite, konesans, lespri ak bon konprann, se bagay ou mèt peye chè pou ou genyen. Men, pa janm vann sa.

The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

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.

Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.

Fè kè papa ou ak manman ou kontan. Fè kè manman ki fè ou la kontan.

My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

Pitit mwen, louvri zòrèy ou pou tande sa m'ap di ou. Louvri je ou byen pou ou wè jan m'ap viv.

For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

Fanm jennès se tankou yon twou pèlen, fanm adiltè se tankou yon pi jis jis.

She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.

Tankou vòlò, y'ap pare pèlen pou ou. Yo fè anpil gason pèdi tèt yo.

Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

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?

They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

Se moun k'ap bwè twòp gwòg, moun k'ap kouri dèyè tranpe.

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

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.

At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

Men, pita ou santi se tankou yon move sèpan ki mòde ou, yon sèpan aspik ki pike ou.

Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

W'ap wè tout bagay ap vire devan je ou, w'ap depale.

Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

W'ap santi tankou si ou te sou lanmè: w'ap tankou si ou te sou tèt yon ma batiman.

They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

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.