19 Better a poor person who lives with integrity(A)
than someone who has deceitful lips and is a fool.

Even zeal is not good without knowledge,(B)
and the one who acts hastily[a] sins.(C)

A person’s own foolishness leads him astray,
yet his heart rages against the Lord.(D)

Wealth attracts many friends,(E)
but a poor person is separated from his friend.

A false witness will not go unpunished,(F)
and one who utters lies will not escape.(G)

Many seek a ruler’s favor,(H)
and everyone is a friend of one who gives gifts.(I)

All the brothers of a poor person hate him;(J)
how much more do his friends
keep their distance from him!
He may pursue them with words,(K)
but they are not there.[b]

The one who acquires good sense[c] loves himself;
one who safeguards understanding finds success.(L)

A false witness will not go unpunished,
and one who utters lies perishes.(M)

10 Luxury is not appropriate for a fool(N)
how much less for a slave to rule over princes!(O)

11 A person’s insight gives him patience,(P)
and his virtue is to overlook an offense.(Q)

12 A king’s rage is like the roaring of a lion,(R)
but his favor is like dew on the grass.(S)

13 A foolish son is his father’s ruin,(T)
and a wife’s nagging is an endless dripping.(U)

14 A house and wealth are inherited from fathers,(V)
but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

15 Laziness induces deep sleep,
and a lazy person will go hungry.(W)

16 The one who keeps commands preserves himself;(X)
one who disregards[d] his ways will die.(Y)

17 Kindness to the poor is a loan to the Lord,(Z)
and he will give a reward to the lender.[e](AA)

18 Discipline your son while there is hope;
don’t set your heart on being the cause of his death.[f](AB)

19 A person with intense anger bears the penalty;
if you rescue him, you’ll have to do it again.(AC)

20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction
so that you may be wise later in life.[g](AD)

21 Many plans are in a person’s heart,
but the Lord’s decree will prevail.(AE)

22 What is desirable in a person is his fidelity;
better to be a poor person than a liar.(AF)

23 The fear of the Lord leads to life;
one will sleep at night[h] without danger.(AG)

24 The slacker buries his hand in the bowl;
he doesn’t even bring it back to his mouth!(AH)

25 Strike a mocker, and the inexperienced learn a lesson;(AI)
rebuke the discerning, and he gains knowledge.(AJ)

26 The one who plunders his father and evicts his mother
is a disgraceful and shameful son.

27 If you stop listening to correction, my son,
you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28 A worthless witness mocks justice,
and a wicked mouth swallows iniquity.(AK)

29 Judgments are prepared for mockers,
and beatings for the backs of fools.(AL)

Footnotes

  1. 19:2 Lit who is hasty with feet
  2. 19:7 Hb uncertain
  3. 19:8 Lit acquires a heart
  4. 19:16 Or despises, or treats lightly
  5. 19:17 Lit to him
  6. 19:18 Lit don’t lift up your soul to his death
  7. 19:20 Lit in your end
  8. 19:23 Lit will spend the night satisfied

19 ¶ Pito ou pòv men ou se nèg serye pase pou w'ap bay manti epi pou ou sòt met sou li.

¶ Sa pa bon pou ou prese fè anyen san ou pa konprann sa w'ap fè. Si ou pa gen pasyans, ou ka nan pwoblèm.

¶ Se sotiz yon nonm ki fini avè l'. Apre sa, li konprann pou l' fache sou Bondye.

¶ Lè ou gen lajan, ou toujou gen zanmi. Men lè ou pòv, dènye zanmi vire do ba ou.

¶ Lè yon moun ap sèvi temwen nan tribinal, si li fè manti, yo gen pou yo pini l'. Pa gen rechap pou moun k'ap bay manti.

¶ Anpil moun ap achte figi grannèg. Tout moun vle zanmi moun k'ap bay favè.

Lè ou pòv, ata frè ou pa vle wè ou. Ou pa bezwen mande si zanmi p'ap lage ou! Tout chache w'ap chache pale ak yo, yo pa okipe ou!

¶ Si ou renmen tèt ou, chache gen konprann. Pa bliye sa ou te aprann, zafè ou va mache byen.

¶ Lè yon moun ap sèvi temwen nan tribinal, si li fè manti, yo gen pou yo pini l'. Moun k'ap bay manti gen pou mouri.

10 ¶ Yon moun ki san konprann pa fèt pou gen tout bagay, ni yon esklav pa fèt pou chèf sou grannèg.

11 ¶ Yon moun ki gen bon konprann pa fè kòlè fasil. Tout kalite li, se pa okipe moun ki fè mal.

12 ¶ Lè yon wa ankòlè, se tankou yon lyon k'ap gwonde. Men, favè yon chèf se tankou lapli sou jaden.

13 ¶ Yon pitit ki san konprann se yon malè pou papa l'. Yon fanm ki toujou ap chache kont, se yon goutyè k'ap degoute dlo san rete.

14 ¶ Kay ak lajan, se byen manman ak papa ka mouri kite pou ou. Men, yon fanm ki gen konprann, se Seyè a ase ki ka fè ou jwenn sa.

15 ¶ Parès fè je ou toujou lou. Moun ki rete san fè anyen ap rete grangou.

16 ¶ Moun ki fè sa Bondye mande ap viv lontan. Moun ki pa mache jan Bondye vle l' l'a pa lwen mouri.

17 ¶ Lè ou bay pòv lacharite, se Bondye ou prete. Se li menm ki va renmèt ou sa.

18 ¶ Korije pitit ou yo lè yo piti toujou. Men, pa bat yo jouk ou touye yo.

19 ¶ Moun ki gen san wo ap peye konsekans zak li yo. Si ou wete l' nan move pa a yon fwa, w'ap blije fè l' pou li tout tan.

20 ¶ Koute konsèy y'ap ba ou. Louvri zòrèy ou pou aprann. Konsa w'a gen bon konprann jouk ou mouri.

21 ¶ Yon moun te mèt fè tout kalite lide nan tèt li. Men, sa Seyè a vle a, se sa ki pou rive.

22 ¶ Tou sa yo mande yon moun se pou l' gen bon kè. Pito yon moun pòv pase l' mantò.

23 ¶ Gen krentif pou Bondye, w'a jwenn lavi, w'ap toujou kontan. Malè p'ap rive ou.

24 ¶ Gen moun ki sitèlman parese ata manje yo pa vle mete nan bouch yo.

25 ¶ Pase awogan yo yon je baton, moun san konprann yo va konprann. Rale zòrèy moun ki gen konprann yo, y'a vin gen plis konesans.

26 ¶ Se yon wont, se yon dezonè pou yon pitit aji mal ak papa l', osinon pou l' mete manman l' deyò lakay li.

27 ¶ Pitit mwen, lè ou sispann aprann, ou pa lwen bliye sa ou konnen deja.

28 ¶ Yon temwen k'ap bay manti pase lajistis nan betiz. Mechan yo pran plezi nan fè mechanste.

29 ¶ Baton an tou la pou moun k'ap pase moun nan betiz. Fwèt la tou pare pou dèyè moun ki san konprann.