Proverbes 25
1 Les proverbes qui suivent émanent également de Salomon et ont été colligés par les gens d’Ezéchias, roi de Juda.
Here are more wise sayings/words that Solomon [wrote]. Some men who worked for Hezekiah, the king of Judah, copied them [from a scroll that Solomon had written].
2 La gloire de l’Eternel, c’est de s’entourer de mystère; la gloire du roi est d’examiner les choses à fond.
[We consider] God to be great because he (acts in mysterious ways/does things that we cannot understand); [we consider] kings to be great because they explain things.
3 Tout comme les cieux en hauteur, la terre en profondeur, le cœur des rois est insondable.
[It is not possible for anyone to measure] how high the sky is or how deep the earth/ocean is; likewise [SIM], it is not possible for us to know [all] that kings are thinking.
4 Qu’on sépare les scories de l’argent, et l’orfèvre le travaillera en objet d’art.
[If workers] burn out the impure bits that are in silver, a man who makes things from silver can make something beautiful from the silver.
5 Qu’on éloigne le méchant de la présence du roi, et son trône se trouvera affermi par la justice.
[Similarly, if] wicked [advisors] are taken away from a king, his government will remain secure, because [the king will be able to] act justly.
6 Ne te pavane pas devant le roi et n’occupe pas la place des grands.
When you stand in front of a king, do not try to (impress him/honor yourself) and do not (act like you are important/ask to sit where important people sit; )
7 Car mieux vaut pour toi qu’on te dise: "Monte là!" que si on t’abaissait devant les nobles, chose que tes yeux ont déjà pu voir.
it is better if someone tells you to sit closer [to the king] than for [someone to tell you], while the king is listening, to sit further away in order that someone who is more important [may sit closer to the king].
8 Ne t’engage pas inconsidérément dans les luttes: tu t’exposerais à ne plus savoir que faire à la fin, si ton prochain te couvrait de confusion.
Do not quickly go to a court [to tell the judge about] something that you have seen, because another witness may later [say something that proves that you are wrong, and as a result] you will be disgraced/ashamed. If that happens, (what will you do?/you will not know what to do.) [RHQ]
9 As-tu un procès avec, ton prochain, défends-le, mais sans dévoiler des secrets qui ne t’appartiennent pas:
If you and someone else think differently about some matter, settle it between yourselves, and do not tell others any secret [that he has told you].
10 tu serais blâmé par ceux qui t’entendent et décrié sans retour.
If others find out that you have told secrets, you will be ashamed, and from that time on, (you will have a bad reputation/people will think badly about you).
11 Des pommes d’or dans des vases d’argent ajourés, telle une parole prononcée à propos.
Something that is said that is [very] appropriate is [as delightful as seeing] [SIM] gold apples/ornaments in a silver bowl.
12 Un anneau d’or, un collier de perles, tel le sage qui fait la morale à une oreille attentive.
When a wise person rebukes/warns someone [SYN] who is willing to listen, that is [as valuable as] [SIM] a gold ring or a gold chain.
13 Comme une fraîcheur de neige au temps de la moisson, tel le, messager, fidèle à son mandat: il restaure l’âme de son maître.
A messenger who (is reliable/tells someone else exactly what he was told to say) refreshes [the spirits of] his bosses who sent him like [SIM] (snow/cold water) refreshes [the ground] at the time that [people] harvest crops.
14 Des nuages et du vent, mais de pluie point! Tel est l’homme qui fait grand bruit de ses dons illusoires.
When someone promises to give a gift to us but never gives it, [that disappoints us] as much as [SIM] clouds and wind that come but do not bring any rain.
15 Par une patience inlassable, on capte la faveur d’un supérieur; un doux parler brise la plus dure résistance.
If someone keeps requesting a ruler long enough to do something, he will [often] agree to do it; similarly, by speaking [MTY] gently we can [often] convince [others that what we say is right] [IDM].
16 As-tu trouvé du miel, manges-en à ta suffisance; mais évite de t’en bourrer: tu le rejetterais.
If you find some honey, do not eat a lot of it, because doing that may cause you to vomit.
17 Espace tes visites dans la maison de ton ami: il en aurait bientôt assez de toi et te prendrait en grippe.
Do not go to your neighbor’s house very often [to talk with him]; if you go [very] often, he will get tired of listening to you and start to hate you.
18 Une massue, un glaive, une flèche acérée, tel l’homme qui porte un faux témoignage contre son prochain.
To falsely accuse others [in court] is like [SIM] [attacking them with] a war-club or a sword or a sharp arrow.
19 Une dent branlante, un pied chancelant, voilà ce que vaut au jour du malheur la confiance qu’on a dans un traître.
Depending on unreliable people when you have troubles is [as bad] as [trying to eat when] you have a bad/hurting tooth or [trying to walk when] your foot is crippled.
20 Enlever son vêtement par un jour glacial, verser du vinaigre sur du nitre, ainsi fait celui qui entonne des chants pour un cœur affligé.
Singing to someone who is depressed [just causes him to feel worse]; it is like [SIM] taking off clothes on a very cold day or like putting vinegar on a wound.
21 Si ton ennemi a faim, donne lui à manger; s’il a soif, donne-lui à boire;
If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;
22 car ainsi tu attises des charbons sur sa tète, et le Seigneur t’en récompensera.
doing that will cause them to feel ashamed [IDM], and Yahweh will reward you for doing that.
23 Le vent du Nord produit la pluie, et la langue qui calomnie en secretles visages aigris.
When wind blows from the right direction, it will rain; [similarly] [SIM], if we gossip about others, that causes them to look at us very angrily.
24 Mieux vaut habiter l’angle d’un toit que de partager un logis avec une femme acariâtre.
It is better to live ([alone/by yourself]) in the corner of an attic/housetop than to live inside the house with a wife who is [always] nagging.
25 De l’eau fraîche sur un corps fatigué, telle une bonne nouvelle venant d’un pays lointain.
Receiving good news from a country far away refreshes our spirits like [SIM] cold water refreshes us when we are very thirsty.
26 Une source boueuse, une fontaine aux eaux troubles, tel est le juste qui fléchit devant le méchant.
When a righteous/good person (gives in/yields) to wicked [people], that is [as bad] as [SIM] a spring that becomes muddied or a fountain that becomes polluted.
27 Manger trop de miel ne vaut rien; mais étudier à fond les choses difficiles est un honneur.
It is not good to eat too much honey, and trying to get people to praise you is also not good.
28 Une ville démantelée, sans remparts, tel est l’homme dont le tempérament ne connaît pas de frein.
People who (cannot control their tempers/quickly become very angry) [are unable to defend their behavior]; that is like [having] a city without a wall around it, [with the result that no one can defend it].
