Ecclésiaste 10
1 Des mouches mortes infectent et corrompent l’huile du parfumeur; de même un peu de folie l’emporte sur la sagesse et la gloire.
[A few] dead flies in [a bottle of] perfume cause [all] the perfume to stink. Similarly [SIM], a small amount of acting foolishly can have a greater effect than acting wisely.
2 Le cœur du sage est à sa droite, et le cœur de l’insensé, à sa gauche.
If people think sensibly, it will lead them to do what is right; if they think foolishly, it causes them to do what is wrong.
3 Et aussi, quand l’insensé va dans le chemin, le sens lui manque, et il montre à tous qu’il est fou.
Even while foolish people walk along the road, they show that they do not have good sense; they show everyone that they are not wise.
4 Si l’esprit du prince s’élève contre toi, ne quitte pas ta place; car le calme prévient de grandes fautes.
Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
5 Il est un mal que j’ai vu sous le soleil, comme une erreur qui provient du souverain:
There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
6 la folie occupe les postes élevés, et des riches sont assis dans de basses conditions.
They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
7 J’ai vu des esclaves portés sur des chevaux, et des princes aller à pied comme des esclaves.
They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
8 Celui qui creuse une fosse peut y tomber, et celui qui renverse une muraille peut être mordu par un serpent.
[It is possible that] those who dig pits will fall into one of those pits. [It is possible that] someone who tears down a wall will be bitten by a snake [that is in that wall].
9 Celui qui détache des pierres peut être blessé, et celui qui fend du bois peut se faire mal.
If you work in a quarry, [it is possible that] a stone [will fall on you and] injure you. [It is possible that] men who split logs will be injured by one of those logs.
10 Si le fer est émoussé et si l’on n’a pas aiguisé le tranchant, on devra redoubler de force; mais la sagesse est préférable pour le succès.
If your axe is not sharp [DOU], you will need to work harder [to cut down a tree], but by being wise, you will succeed.
11 Si le serpent mord faute d’enchantement, il n’y a pas d’avantage pour l’enchanteur.
If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
12 Les paroles de la bouche du sage sont pleines de grâce; mais les lèvres de l’insensé le dévorent.
Wise people say [MTY] what is sensible, and because of that, people honor them; but foolish people are destroyed by what they say [MTY].
13 Le commencement des paroles de sa bouche est sottise, et la fin de son discours est démence furieuse.
When foolish people start to talk, they say things that are foolish, and they end by saying things that are both wicked and foolish.
14 Et l’insensé multiplie les paroles!... L’homme ne sait pas ce qui arrivera, et qui lui dira ce qui sera après lui?
They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
15 Le travail de l’insensé le fatigue, lui qui ne sait pas même aller à la ville.
Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
16 Malheur à toi, pays dont le roi est un enfant, et dont les princes mangent dès le matin!
Terrible things will happen to the people of a nation whose ruler is a foolish young man, and whose [other] leaders continually eat, all day long, every day.
17 Heureux es-tu, pays dont le roi est fils de nobles, et dont les princes mangent au temps convenable, pour soutenir leurs forces, et non pour se livrer à la boisson.
[But] a nation will prosper if its ruler is from a (noble/well-educated) family, and if its [other] leaders feast [only] at the proper times, and [if they eat and drink only] to be strong, not to become drunk.
18 Quand les mains sont paresseuses, la charpente s’affaisse, et quand les mains sont lâches, la maison ruisselle.
Some men are very lazy [and do not repair the rafters], with the result that the rafters sag [and collapse]; and if they do not repair the roof, water will leak into the house [when it rains].
19 On fait des repas pour goûter le plaisir; le vin rend la vie joyeuse, et l’argent répond à tout.
Eating food and drinking wine causes us to laugh and be happy, [but] we are able to enjoy those things only if we have money [to buy them].
20 Même dans ta pensée ne maudis pas le roi, même dans ta chambre à coucher ne maudis pas le puissant; car l’oiseau du ciel emporterait ta voix, et l’animal ailé publierait tes paroles.
Do not even think about cursing the king, or cursing rich [people, even] when you are [alone] in your bedroom, because [it is possible that] a little bird will hear [what you are saying], [and] tell those people what you said [about them].
