Proverbes 14
1 La sagesse des femmes édifie la maison; leur folie la renverse de ses propres mains.
Wisdom is building her house, but the foolish woman is pulling it down with her hands.
2 Qui craint l’Eternel va droit son chemin; qui le méprise suit des voies obliques.
He who goes on his way in righteousness has before him the fear of the Lord; but he whose ways are twisted gives him no honour.
3 Dans la bouche de l’insensé éclôt l’orgueil; mais les lèvres des sages les en préservent.
In the mouth of the foolish man is a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will keep them safe.
4 Faute de bétail, le râtelier reste vide; c’est la vigueur du bœuf qui produit les riches moissons.
Where there are no oxen, their food-place is clean; but much increase comes through the strength of the ox.
5 Un témoin loyal ne ment pas; un témoin mensonger n’exhale que faussetés.
A true witness does not say what is false, but a false witness is breathing out deceit.
6 Le persifleur recherche la sagesse: elle lui échappe; mais le savoir est facilement abordable à l’homme intelligent.
The hater of authority, searching for wisdom, does not get it; but knowledge comes readily to the open-minded man.
7 Quand tu te sépareras d’un homme sot, tu n’auras pas appris ce que c’est que des lèvres raisonnables.
Go away from the foolish man, for you will not see the lips of knowledge.
8 C’Est une sagesse chez l’homme prudent de bien discerner sa voie; la sottise des fous est une cause de tromperie.
The wisdom of the man of good sense makes his way clear; but the unwise behaviour of the foolish is deceit.
9 Le péché se joue des insensés; parmi les hommes droits règne le contentement.
In the tents of those hating authority there is error, but in the house of the upright man there is grace.
10 Le cœur seul sent l’amertume qui l’envahit; de même ses joies, l’étranger n’y est pour rien.
No one has knowledge of a man's grief but himself; and a strange person has no part in his joy.
11 La maison des méchants sera ruinée; la tente des hommes droits est florissante.
The house of the sinner will be overturned, but the tent of the upright man will do well.
12 Tel chemin se présente tout uni devant l’homme et, finalement, il conduit à la mort.
There is a way which seems straight before a man, but its end is the ways of death.
13 Même dans le rire le cœur peut souffrir, et la joie elle-même finit en tristesse.
Even while laughing the heart may be sad; and after joy comes sorrow.
14 Un cœur dévoyé recueille le fruit de sa conduite; et l’homme de bien trouve sa satisfaction en lui-même.
He whose heart is turned away will have the reward of his ways in full measure; but a good man will have the reward of his doings.
15 Le niais croit tout; l’homme réfléchi considère chacun de ses pas.
The simple man has faith in every word, but the man of good sense gives thought to his footsteps.
16 Le sage est craintif et évite le mal; le sot se laisse entraîner et se croit en sûreté.
The wise man, fearing, keeps himself from evil; but the foolish man goes on in his pride, with no thought of danger.
17 Un homme prompt à la colère fait des sottises; l’homme fertile en roueries s’attire la haine.
He who is quickly angry will do what is foolish, but the man of good sense will have quiet.
18 Les niais ont en partage la sottise; la raison est la couronne des gens avisés.
Foolish behaviour is the heritage of the simple, but men of good sense are crowned with knowledge.
19 Les méchants baissent la tête devant les bons; et les impies se tiennent à la porte du juste.
The knees of the evil are bent before the good; and sinners go down in the dust at the doors of the upright.
20 Même pour son intime le pauvre est un objet d’antipathie; mais nombreux sont les amis du riche.
The poor man is hated even by his neighbour, but the man of wealth has numbers of friends.
21 Qui méprise son prochain est fautif; mais heureux qui prend pitié des humbles!
He who has no respect for his neighbour is a sinner, but he who has pity for the poor is happy.
22 Certes, ils font fausse route, ceux qui machinent le mal; amour et bienveillance récompensent ceux qui méditent le bien.
Will not the designers of evil come into error? But mercy and good faith are for the designers of good.
23 Tout effort sérieux donne du profit; les vaines paroles ne causent que des pertes.
In all hard work there is profit, but talk only makes a man poor.
24 Pour les sages la richesse est une couronne; la folie des sots reste toujours folie.
Their wisdom is a crown to the wise, but their foolish behaviour is round the head of the unwise.
25 Un témoin véridique sauve des existences; un témoin déloyal débite des faussetés.
A true witness is the saviour of lives; but he who says false things is a cause of deceit.
26 La crainte de l’Eternel vaut une place forte; on en fait un abri pour ses enfants.
For him in whose heart is the fear of the Lord there is strong hope: and his children will have a safe place.
27 La crainte de l’Eternel est une source de vie; elle éloigne des pièges de la mort.
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, by which one may be turned from the nets of death.
28 Quand la nation s’accroit, c’est une gloire pour le roi; quand la population vient à manquer, c’est une ruine pour le prince.
A king's glory is in the number of his people: and for need of people a ruler may come to destruction.
29 Etre longanime, c’est faire preuve de grande intelligence; se montrer irascible, c’est mettre en relief sa sottise.
He who is slow to be angry has great good sense; but he whose spirit is over-quick gives support to what is foolish.
30 Un cœur paisible est un gage de vie pour le corps mais la jalousie est la carie des os.
A quiet mind is the life of the body, but envy is a disease in the bones.
31 Qui opprime le pauvre outrage son Créateur; qui a pitié de l’indigent l’honore.
He who is hard on the poor puts shame on his Maker; but he who has mercy on those who are in need gives him honour.
32 Le méchant est accablé par son malheur; le juste a confiance jusque dans la mort.
The sinner is overturned in his evil-doing, but the upright man has hope in his righteousness.
33 La sagesse réside dans un cœur intelligent; elle se fait remarquer parmi les sots.
Wisdom has her resting-place in the mind of the wise, but she is not seen among the foolish.
34 La justice grandit une nation; le crime est l’opprobre des peuples.
By righteousness a nation is lifted up, but sin is a cause of shame to the peoples.
35 La faveur du roi va au serviteur intelligent; celui qui agit sans vergogne est l’objet de sa colère.
The king has pleasure in a servant who does wisely, but his wrath is against him who is a cause of shame.
