Proverbes 31
1 Paroles du roi Lemouel. Leçon solennelle que lui inculqua sa mère.
These are sayings/messages that [God gave to] King Lemuel’s mother, and which his mother taught him:
2 "Ah! mon fils! Ah! enfant de mes entrailles! Ah! fils que j’ai appelé de mes vœux!
You are my son; I gave birth to you [RHQ]; you are the son that [God gave me] in answer to my prayers.
3 Ne prodigue paso ta vigueur aux femmes, ne livre pas tes destinées à celles qui perdent les rois.
Do not exhaust your energy [having sex] [EUP] with women [to whom you are not married], with women who ruin kings [by having sex with them].
4 Ce n’est pas aux rois, ô Lemouel, ce n’est pas aux rois qu’il sied de boire du vin, ni aux princes de s’adonner aux liqueurs fortes;
Lemuel, kings should not be [constantly] drinking wine or [greatly] desire [to drink other] strong/alcoholic drinks.
5 de peur qu’en buvant, ils n’oublient les lois et ne méconnaissent le droit de toutes les victimes de la misère.
If they do that, they forget the laws [that they have made], and they do not do what is right for poor/afflicted [people].
6 Donnez des liqueurs fortes aux malheureux, du vin à ceux qui ont l’amertume au cœur.
Give strong/alcoholic drinks to those who are dying and to those who are (greatly distressed/suffering very much).
7 Qu’ils boivent, et qu’ils oublient leur misère; qu’ils perdent le souvenir de leur chagrin!
If they drink, they will forget that they are poor, and they will not think about their distress/troubles any more.
8 Ouvre la bouche en faveur du muet, pour la défense de tous les vaincus du sort.
Speak [MTY] to defend people who are unable to defend themselves; speak to encourage others to do what is right for those who are helpless.
9 Ouvre la bouche pour juger avec équité et faire droit au pauvre et à l’indigent.
Speak [MTY] (on their behalf/to help them) and try to cause judges to decide matters fairly/justly; try to cause others to do for poor and needy [people] what should be done for them.
10 Heureux qui a rencontré une femme vaillante! Elle est infiniment plus précieuse que les perles.
It is very difficult [for a man] to [RHQ] find a wife who is good and who is capable [of doing many things]. [Any woman who is like that] is worth more than jewels.
11 En elle le cœur de son époux a toute confiance; aussi les ressources ne lui font-elles pas défaut.
Her husband completely trusts her, and [because of her], he has everything that he needs [LIT].
12 Tous les jours de sa vie, elle travaille à son bonheur: jamais elle ne lui cause de peine.
She never does anything that would harm him; she does good things for him all the days of her life.
13 Elle se procure de la laine et du lin et accomplit sa besogne d’une main diligente.
She finds wool and flax [in the market], and she enjoys spinning it [to make yarn].
14 Pareille aux vaisseaux marchands, elle amène de loin ses provisions.
She is like [SIM] a ship that brings from far away goods/merchandise to sell, [because] she buys food that comes from far away.
15 Il fait encore nuit qu’elle est déjà debout, distribuant des vivres à sa maison, des rations à ses servantes.
She gets up before dawn to prepare food for her family. [Then] she plans the work that her servant girls will do on that day.
16 Elle jette son dévolu sur un champ et l’acquiert; avec le produit de son travail elle plante un vignoble.
She [goes out and] looks at a field [that someone wants to sell]; and [if it is a good field], she buys it. She [buys] grapevines [MTY] with the money that she has earned, [and then] she plants them.
17 Elle ceint de force ses reins et arme ses bras de vigueur.
She works very hard [IDM]; she makes her arms strong [by the work she does].
18 Elle s’assure que ses affaires sont prospères; sa lampe ne s’éteint pas la nuit.
She knows when she is getting a good profit from her business. [When it is necessary], she works [MTY] until it is late at night.
19 Ses mains saisissent le rouet, ses doigts manient le fuseau.
She holds the (spindle/rod which twists the thread that she is making), and [then] she spins the thread [MTY] [that she will use].
20 Elle ouvre sa main au pauvre et tend le bras au nécessiteux.
She generously helps [MTY] those who are poor and needy [DOU].
21 Elle ne redoute point la neige pour sa maison, car tous ses gens sont couverts de riches étoffes.
She is not worried that [the people in her house will be cold in] the winter, because [she has made] warm clothes for all of them.
22 Elle se brode des tapis. Lin fin et pourpre forment ses vêtements.
She makes bedspreads/quilts for the beds. She wears fine linen clothes that are dyed purple, [like queens wear].
23 Son époux est considéré aux Portes, quand il siège avec les anciens du pays.
Her husband is [well] known by the important people of the town; he sits with the [other] town leaders in the meetings of the town council.
24 Elle confectionne des tissus, qu’elle vend, et des ceintures, qu’elle cède au marchand.
She makes clothes from linen cloth and sells them. She sells sashes to shop owners.
25 Parée de force et de dignité, elle pense en souriant à l’avenir.
She is strong in her character and respected/dignified, and she (laughs at/is not afraid of) [what will happen in] the future.
26 Elle ouvre la bouche avec sagesse, et des leçons empreintes de bonté sont sur ses lèvres.
When she speaks, she says what is wise. When she gives instructions, she speaks [MTY] kindly (OR, faithfully).
27 Elle dirige avec vigilance la marche de sa maison, et jamais ne mange le pain de l’oisiveté.
She watches over everything that is done in her household, and she [IDM] is never lazy.
28 Ses fils se lèvent pour la proclamer heureuse, son époux pour faire son éloge:
Her children all together speak highly of her, and her husband also praises her.
29 "Bien des femmes se sont montrées vaillantestu leur es supérieure à toutes!"
[He says to her], “There are many women who do admirable things, but you surpass them all!”
30 Mensonge que la grâce! Vanité que la beauté! La femme qui craint l’Eternel est seule digne de louanges.
Some women who are attractive [are not really good women], [but] they can deceive us [regarding what they are really like]. Furthermore, women’s beauty does not last; but women who revere Yahweh should be honored.
31 Rendez-lui hommage pour le fruit de ses mains, et qu’aux Portes ses œuvres disent son éloge!
Reward women who are like that, and praise them in public [MTY] for what they have done.
