Proverbes 30
1 Paroles d’Agur, fils de Jaké, l’oracle prononcé par cet homme à Ithiel, à Ithiel et à Ucal:
These are sayings/messages that God gave to Agur, the son of Jakeh. [Agur wrote them] for Ithiel and Ucal.
2 Certes, moi je suis plus stupide que personne, et je n’ai pas l’intelligence d’un homme;
It seems that I am very stupid; I do not deserve to be considered to be a human; I do not have the good sense that humans should have.
3 et je n’ai pas appris la sagesse, ni ne possède la connaissance du Saint.
I have not learned [how to become] wise and I do not know [much] about God.
4 Qui est monté dans les cieux, et qui en est descendu? Qui a rassemblé le vent dans le creux de ses mains? Qui a serré les eaux dans un manteau? Qui a établi toutes les bornes de la terre? Quel est son nom, et quel est le nom de son fils, si tu le sais?
[But let me say this]: No one [RHQ] has ascended to heaven [to find out what God is like] and returned [to tell us]. No one [RHQ] has gathered/held the wind in his hand. No one [RHQ] has wrapped the water [in the ocean] in [a piece of] cloth, and no one [RHQ] has established the boundaries of the earth. [If you know who has done those things, tell me] [RHQ] his name, and the names of his children [SAR]! [But you do not know who has done those things, so you cannot speak with authority about what God is like].
5 Toute parole de Dieu est affinée; il est un bouclier pour ceux qui s’attendent à lui.
Everything that God has said is true; he is [like] a shield [MET] for all those who request him to protect them.
6 N’ajoute pas à ses paroles, de peur qu’il ne te reprenne, et que tu ne sois trouvé menteur.
Do not add to (OR, change) what God has said; if you do that, he will rebuke you and show that you are lying.
7 Je te demanderai deux choses; ne me les refuse pas, avant que je meure:
[God], I ask you to do two things for me; [please] do them before I die:
8 Éloigne de moi la vanité et la parole de mensonge; ne me donne ni pauvreté ni richesse; nourris-moi du pain qui m’est nécessaire,
Help me never to lie or deceive [people] and do not cause me to become poor or to become rich. [Just] give me the food that I need;
9 de peur que je ne sois rassasié, et que je ne te renie et ne dise: Qui est l’Éternel? et de peur que je ne sois appauvri, et que je ne dérobe, et que je ne parjure le nom de mon Dieu.
because if I become rich, I might say that I do not [RHQ] know you and that I do not need you; and if I become poor, I might dishonor you by stealing things.
10 N’accuse pas un serviteur auprès de son maître, de peur qu’il ne te maudisse, et que tu n’en portes la peine.
Do not (slander/say bad things about) a worker to his boss; if you do that, the worker will curse you, and cause you to have trouble.
11 Il est une génération qui maudit son père et qui ne bénit pas sa mère,
[I will list four kinds of evil things that people do]: Some people curse their fathers and do not [ask God to] bless their mothers.
12 une génération pure à ses propres yeux et qui n’est pas lavée de son ordure,
Some people think that they are perfect, but [really] they have never been cleansed from their guilt for committing disgusting sins.
13 une génération, … que ses yeux sont hautains, et ses paupières élevées!
Some people are very proud; they think that they are very good and they despise others.
14 – une génération dont les dents sont des épées et les molaires des couteaux, pour dévorer les affligés de dessus la terre, et les nécessiteux d’entre les hommes.
Some people [act very cruelly toward others]; [it is as though] [MET] they have teeth that are [like] sharp knives; they severely oppress poor [people] and try to cause them to disappear from the land.
15 La sangsue a deux filles: Donne! donne! Il y a trois choses qui sont insatiables, quatre qui ne disent pas: C’est assez!…
Leeches [are always wanting more blood to suck]; [similarly, greedy people are always] saying “Give [me some]!” or “Give [me more]!” [MET] There are four things that are never (satisfied/content with what they have); they always want more [LIT]:
16 le shéol, et la matrice stérile, la terre qui n’est pas rassasiée d’eau, et le feu, qui ne dit pas: C’est assez! (Sheol h7585)
The place where the dead people are; women who do not have any children; ground that needs water/rain; and a fire that always needs more wood. (Sheol h7585)
17 L’œil qui se moque d’un père et qui méprise l’obéissance envers la mère, les corbeaux du torrent le crèveront et les petits de l’aigle le dévoreront.
Those who [SYN] make fun of their fathers or refuse to obey their mothers (OR, despise their aged mothers) should [die and] have their eyes pecked out by crows, and the [rest of their corpses should be] fed to the vultures.
18 Trois choses sont trop merveilleuses pour moi, et il en est quatre que je ne puis connaître:
There are four things that are wonderful to me, [but] I do not understand any of them:
19 le chemin de l’aigle dans les cieux, le chemin du serpent sur le rocher, le chemin d’un navire au cœur de la mer, et le chemin de l’homme vers la jeune fille.
How eagles fly in the sky, how snakes [are able to] move/crawl across a big rock, how ships sail on the seas, and how a man falls in love with a woman.
20 Tel est le chemin de la femme adultère: elle mange et s’essuie la bouche, et dit: Je n’ai point commis d’iniquité.
This is what a woman who (is not faithful to/does not have sex only with) her husband does: She commits adultery [EUP], and [then] bathes and says, “I have not done anything that is wrong!”
21 Sous trois choses la terre tremble, et sous quatre elle n’en peut plus:
There are four things that no [one in] the world can tolerate:
22 sous le serviteur quand il règne, et l’homme vil quand il est rassasié de pain;
[What] a slave [does who] becomes a king, a foolish person eating [too much] food,
23 sous la femme odieuse quand elle se marie, et la servante quand elle hérite de sa maîtresse.
[what] a woman who is hated [does when she] gets married, and [what] a female servant [does when she] becomes the boss instead of her mistress.
24 Il y a quatre choses petites sur la terre, qui sont sages entre les sages:
[There are] four animals on the earth that are small, but they are very wise:
25 les fourmis, peuple sans force, et qui préparent en été leurs vivres;
Ants are not strong, but they store up food during the summer [in order to have it during the winter].
26 les damans, peuple sans puissance, et qui ont placé leurs maisons dans le rocher;
Rock badgers [also] are not strong, but they make their homes among the rocks [where they will be safe].
27 les sauterelles n’ont point de roi, mais elles sortent toutes par bandes;
Locusts do not have a king, but they march like [the soldiers in] an army.
28 tu saisis le lézard avec les mains, et il est dans les palais des rois.
Lizards/Geckos [are very small and] you can hold them in your hand, but they are [cleverly able to get] inside kings’ palaces.
29 Il y a trois choses qui ont une belle allure, et quatre qui ont une belle démarche:
[There are] four animals that strut around and look very impressive while they walk [DOU]:
30 le lion, le fort parmi les bêtes, et qui ne se détourne devant qui que ce soit;
Lions, which are stronger than all other animals and are not afraid of any of them;
31 le [coursier] qui a les reins ceints; ou le bouc; et le roi, contre qui personne ne peut se lever.
male goats, strutting roosters, and kings who (parade/walk proudly back and forth) in front of the people whom they rule.
32 Si tu as agi follement en t’élevant et si tu as pensé à mal, [mets] la main sur ta bouche;
If you have acted foolishly, exalting yourself, or if you been planning [to do something] evil, stop it immediately [IDM]!
33 Car la pression du lait produit le beurre, et la pression du nez fait sortir le sang, et la pression de la colère excite la querelle.
If you churn milk, it produces butter/curds, and if you hit [someone hard on his] nose, [his nose] bleeds; similarly, if you do something to cause [people to become] angry, strife [usually] results.
