Proverbs 23
1 When you sit down to eat a meal with a (government official/king), think carefully about what (OR, who) is in front of you.
Si tu es à table avec un grand, Fais attention à ce qui est devant toi;
2 [Even] if you (have a big appetite/want to eat a lot of food), restrain yourself.
Mets un couteau à ta gorge, Si tu as trop d’avidité.
3 Do not want to eat [a lot of] his fine food, because he may be trying to trick you.
Ne convoite pas ses friandises: C’est un aliment trompeur.
4 Do not [cause yourself to become very tired by] working very hard to become rich; be wise and stop doing that,
Ne te tourmente pas pour t’enrichir, N’y applique pas ton intelligence.
5 because as soon as you look [MTY] at [all the money that you have acquired], it will be gone; it will [disappear as if it] suddenly grew wings [SIM] and flew up into the sky like an eagle.
Veux-tu poursuivre du regard ce qui va disparaître? Car la richesse se fait des ailes, Et comme l’aigle, elle prend son vol vers les cieux.
6 [If] someone who is stingy [invites you to a meal], do not eat [a lot of] his fine food,
Ne mange pas le pain de celui dont le regard est malveillant, Et ne convoite pas ses friandises;
7 because he will be thinking about how much [the food cost that you are eating]. He [will] say to you, “Eat and drink all that you want!”, but that is not what he [will] really be thinking.
Car il est comme les pensées de son âme. Mange et bois, te dira-t-il; Mais son cœur n’est point avec toi.
8 [When you realize what he is really thinking, it will cause you to want to] vomit what you have eaten; and your kind words [telling him that you are enjoying the meal] will be wasted.
Tu vomiras le morceau que tu as mangé, Et tu auras perdu tes propos agréables.
9 (Do not [waste time by]/It is useless) talking to foolish people; they will [only] despise the wise things that you say.
Ne parle pas aux oreilles de l’insensé, Car il méprise la sagesse de tes discours.
10 Do not [steal someone’s property by] removing a boundary marker that has been there for a long time, and do not take for yourself the land that belongs to orphans,
Ne déplace pas la borne ancienne, Et n’entre pas dans le champ des orphelins;
11 because Yahweh is strong, and he is [like] a relative that has the responsibility to defend them, he will [stand up in court and] argue for them and against you.
Car leur vengeur est puissant: Il défendra leur cause contre toi.
12 Pay attention to what [your teachers] teach you, and try to learn from the wise things that they say.
Ouvre ton cœur à l’instruction, Et tes oreilles aux paroles de la science.
13 Do not refuse to discipline your children; if you punish/spank them, it will not cause them to die,
N’épargne pas la correction à l’enfant; Si tu le frappes de la verge, il ne mourra point.
En le frappant de la verge, Tu délivres son âme du séjour des morts. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son/child, if you [SYN] become wise, I [SYN] will be very happy.
Mon fils, si ton cœur est sage, Mon cœur à moi sera dans la joie;
16 I [SYN] will rejoice when I hear you [SYN] say what is right/wise.
Mes entrailles seront émues d’allégresse, Quand tes lèvres diront ce qui est droit.
17 Do not envy sinful people; instead, revere Yahweh all of your life.
Que ton cœur n’envie point les pécheurs, Mais qu’il ait toujours la crainte de l’Éternel;
18 [If you do that], you will be happy in the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do.
Car il est un avenir, Et ton espérance ne sera pas anéantie.
19 My son/child, listen carefully to me and become wise, and think about (all that you do/your behavior).
Écoute, mon fils, et sois sage; Dirige ton cœur dans la voie droite.
20 Do not associate with those who drink a lot of (wine/strong drink) or with those who (are gluttons/eat more than they should),
Ne sois pas parmi les buveurs de vin, Parmi ceux qui font excès des viandes:
21 because drunkards and gluttons will become poor; and if all that you do is eat and sleep, you will [soon] (be wearing rags/not have any money to buy clothes).
Car l’ivrogne et celui qui se livre à des excès s’appauvrissent, Et l’assoupissement fait porter des haillons.
22 Pay attention to what your father tells you, and (do not neglect/take care of) [LIT] your mother when she is old.
Écoute ton père, lui qui t’a engendré, Et ne méprise pas ta mère, quand elle est devenue vieille.
23 Try to know/learn what is wise, and get good instruction and understanding; and do not throw those things away.
Acquiers la vérité, et ne la vends pas, La sagesse, l’instruction et l’intelligence.
24 Righteous [children] will cause their parents to be very happy; those whose children are wise are proud of them.
Le père du juste est dans l’allégresse, Celui qui donne naissance à un sage aura de la joie.
25 [Do what will] cause your father to be glad and enable your mother [also] to be happy.
Que ton père et ta mère se réjouissent, Que celle qui t’a enfanté soit dans l’allégresse!
26 My son, heed what I say to you, and allow what I do to be an example for you.
Mon fils, donne-moi ton cœur, Et que tes yeux se plaisent dans mes voies.
27 Prostitutes and immoral women [DOU] are [like] [MET] a deep pit or a well [that you may fall into].
Car la prostituée est une fosse profonde, Et l’étrangère un puits étroit.
28 They wait [for you] like robbers [SIM], and they cause many men to (be unfaithful to/have sex with women who are not) their wives.
Elle dresse des embûches comme un brigand, Et elle augmente parmi les hommes le nombre des perfides.
29 I will tell you [RHQ] what kind of people are always miserable and sad. I will tell you [RHQ] which people are always causing arguments/quarrels and who are always complaining. I will tell you [RHQ] who are injured in fights and whose eyes are always red/bloodshot.
Pour qui les ah? Pour qui les hélas? Pour qui les disputes? Pour qui les plaintes? Pour qui les blessures sans raison? Pour qui les yeux rouges?
30 [It is] those who drink a lot of wine, who try drinking other kinds of strong drinks.
Pour ceux qui s’attardent auprès du vin, Pour ceux qui vont déguster du vin mêlé.
31 Do not look with pleasure at red wine that looks nice, and which sparkles when it is [poured out] into cups, and which tastes good as you drink it,
Ne regarde pas le vin qui paraît d’un beau rouge, Qui fait des perles dans la coupe, Et qui coule aisément.
32 because the next morning [you will feel like] you have been bitten by a poisonous snake [DOU].
Il finit par mordre comme un serpent, Et par piquer comme un basilic.
33 You [SYN] will [think that you are] seeing strange/weird things, and you [SYN] will not be able to think clearly or speak clearly.
Tes yeux se porteront sur des étrangères, Et ton cœur parlera d’une manière perverse.
34 You will think you are in a ship that is tossing on the sea; you be like [SIM] someone who is trying to sleep when the ship is rolling from one side to the other.
Tu seras comme un homme couché au milieu de la mer, Comme un homme couché sur le sommet d’un mât:
35 You will say, “[I think that] someone struck me, but he did not hurt me; he hit me, but I did not feel it. When will I (wake up/feel normal again) in order that I can drink some more wine?”
On m’a frappé, … je n’ai point de mal!… On m’a battu, … je ne sens rien!… Quand me réveillerai-je?… J’en veux encore!
