Proverbs 26
1 Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
La neige n’est pas de saison en été ni la pluie au temps de la moisson: tout aussi peu les honneurs sont faits pour le sot.
2 Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
Comme le passereau s’enfuit à tire d’aile et comme s’envole l’hirondelle, ainsi la malédiction gratuite manque son but.
3 It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
Le fouet pour le cheval, le licou pour l’âne, et le bâton pour l’épaule du sot.
4 If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
Ne réplique pas au sot dans le sens de son ineptie; car toi aussi serais comme lui.
5 If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
Réplique au sot selon son ineptie, sans cela il se prendrait pour un sage.
6 Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
C’Est se couper les jarrets et s’abreuver de dépit que de charger d’une mission le sot.
7 A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
Comme le boiteux cloche sur ses jambes, ainsi fait une maxime sur les lèvres des sots.
8 Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
Autant fixer une pierre dans la fronde que de décerner des honneurs au sot.
9 If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
Une épine qui perce la main d’un homme ivre, telle une maxime dans la bouche des sots.
10 A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
Le puissant fait tout trembler: il prend à sa solde sots et vagabonds.
11 A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
Comme le chien retourne à son vomissement, ainsi le sot rabâche ses inepties.
12 [God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
Vois-tu un homme qui se prend pour un sage. il y a plus à attendre d’un sot que de lui.
13 Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
Le paresseux s’écrie: "Il y a un chacal qui barre la route, un lion parcourt les rues!"
14 A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
Telle la porte tourne sur ses gonds, tel le paresseux sur son lit.
15 Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
Le paresseux introduit sa main dans le plat: c’est trop de fatigue pour lui de la porter à sa bouche.
16 Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
Le paresseux se targue de plus de sagesse que sept conseillers avisés:
17 Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
Saisir un chien par les oreilles, c’est le fait du passant qui se met en rage pour la querelle d’autrui.
18 Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
Comme un dément qui lance des brandons, des flèches meurtrières,
19 are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
ainsi fait l’homme qui dupe son prochain et dit: "Mais je plaisantais!"
20 If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
Faute de bois, le feu s’éteint, et en l’absence d’un boutefeu, les rixes s’apaisent.
21 [Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
Le charbon ardent donne la braise, le bois alimente le feu, et l’homme hargneux attise des querelles.
22 People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
Les paroles d’un boutefeu sont comme des coups qui retentissent au plus profond des entrailles.
23 People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
De l’alliage d’argent recouvrant un vase d’argile, telles sont des lèvres brûlantes d’amitié et un cœur méchant.
24 Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
Un ennemi peut faire le sournois avec ses lèvres, et dans son intérieur il prépare de mauvais coups;
25 When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
s’il prend une voix caressante, ne te fie pas à lui, car son cœur est plein d’horreurs.
26 They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
La haine a beau se couvrir d’un masque: sa méchanceté éclatera au grand jour.
27 Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
Celui qui creuse une fosse y tombera; celui qui lance une pierre s’en trouvera atteint.
28 Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
La langue mensongère hait ses victimes et la bouche du flatteur opère des chutes.
