Proverbes 26
1 Comme la neige en été, et comme la pluie dans la moisson, ainsi la gloire ne sied pas à un sot.
Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
2 Comme le moineau qui va çà et là, et l’hirondelle qui vole, ainsi la malédiction sans cause n’arrivera point.
As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
3 Le fouet est pour le cheval, la bride pour l’âne, et la verge pour le dos des sots.
A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.
4 Ne réponds pas au sot selon sa folie, de peur que toi aussi tu ne lui ressembles.
Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
5 Réponds au sot selon sa folie, de peur qu’il ne soit sage à ses propres yeux.
Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.
6 Celui qui envoie des messages par la main d’un sot, se coupe les pieds [et] boit l’injustice.
He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.
7 Les jambes du boiteux sont sans force: tel est un proverbe dans la bouche des sots.
The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.
8 Celui qui donne de la gloire à un sot, c’est comme un sachet de pierres précieuses dans un tas de pierres.
Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
9 Une épine qui entre dans la main d’un homme ivre, tel est un proverbe dans la bouche des sots.
Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.
10 Le puissant use de violence envers tout le monde: il prend à gages le sot et il prend à gages les passants.
Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
11 Comme le chien retourne à son vomissement, le sot répète sa folie.
Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.
12 As-tu vu un homme sage à ses propres yeux? Il y a plus d’espoir pour un sot que pour lui.
Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
13 Le paresseux dit: Il y a un [lion] rugissant sur le chemin, un lion dans les rues.
The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
14 La porte tourne sur ses gonds, et le paresseux sur son lit.
A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
15 Le paresseux enfonce sa main dans le plat, il est las de la ramener à sa bouche.
The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.
16 Le paresseux est plus sage à ses yeux que sept [hommes] qui répondent avec bon sens.
The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.
17 Il saisit un chien par les oreilles, celui qui, en passant, s’emporte pour une dispute qui n’est pas la sienne.
He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by.
18 Comme un fou qui jette des brandons, des flèches, et la mort,
As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
19 ainsi est l’homme qui trompe son prochain, et qui dit: N’était-ce pas pour plaisanter?
So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
20 Faute de bois, le feu s’éteint; et, quand il n’y a plus de rapporteurs, la querelle s’apaise.
Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
21 Du charbon sur le brasier et du bois sur le feu, ainsi est l’homme querelleur pour échauffer les disputes.
Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
22 Les paroles du rapporteur sont comme des friandises, et elles descendent jusqu’au-dedans des entrailles.
The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.
23 Les lèvres brûlantes et le cœur mauvais sont comme de la litharge d’argent appliquée sur un vase de terre.
Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
24 Celui qui hait se déguise par ses lèvres; mais au-dedans de lui il nourrit la fraude.
With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
25 Quand il rend sa voix gracieuse, ne le crois point, car il y a sept abominations dans son cœur.
When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
26 La haine se cache-t-elle sous la dissimulation, sa méchanceté sera découverte dans la congrégation.
Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
27 Qui creuse une fosse y tombera, et la pierre retournera sur celui qui la roule.
He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again.
28 La langue fausse hait ceux qu’elle a écrasés, et la bouche flatteuse amène la ruine.
A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
