Proverbes 14
1 Les femmes sages bâtissent leurs maisons; l'insensée les détruit de ses mains.
Wisdom is building her house, but the foolish woman is pulling it down with her hands.
2 Celui qui marche droit craint le Seigneur; celui qui s'avance en des voies tortueuses sera déshonoré.
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 Une verge d'orgueil sort de la bouche des insensés; les lèvres des sages les gardent eux-mêmes.
In the mouth of the foolish man is a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will keep them safe.
4 Où il n'y a point de bœufs, la crèche est vide; où il y a abondance de grains, la force des bœufs est manifeste.
Where there are no oxen, their food-place is clean; but much increase comes through the strength of the ox.
5 Le témoin fidèle ne ment pas; le faux témoin est un brandon de mensonges.
A true witness does not say what is false, but a false witness is breathing out deceit.
6 Tu chercheras la sagesse parmi les méchants, et tu ne la trouveras pas; auprès des sages, le discernement est sous ta main.
The hater of authority, searching for wisdom, does not get it; but knowledge comes readily to the open-minded man.
7 Toutes choses sont contraires à l'insensé; des lèvres sages sont l'arme de la doctrine.
Go away from the foolish man, for you will not see the lips of knowledge.
8 La sagesse des habiles éclaire leurs voies; l'irréflexion des insensés les conduit à l'erreur.
The wisdom of the man of good sense makes his way clear; but the unwise behaviour of the foolish is deceit.
9 Les demeures des méchants ont besoin d'être purifiées; la maison des justes est agréable.
In the tents of those hating authority there is error, but in the house of the upright man there is grace.
10 Le cœur de l'homme est inquiet; son âme est triste, et, lorsqu'il se réjouit, c'est qu'il ne se mêle point de honte à sa joie.
No one has knowledge of a man's grief but himself; and a strange person has no part in his joy.
11 Les maisons des impies seront effacées; les tentes des cœurs droits resteront debout.
The house of the sinner will be overturned, but the tent of the upright man will do well.
12 Il est une voie qui aux hommes semble droite; mais elle aboutit aux abîmes de l'enfer. (questioned)
There is a way which seems straight before a man, but its end is the ways of death.
13 La tristesse ne se mêle point aux joies sages; toujours le deuil succède aux fausses joies.
Even while laughing the heart may be sad; and after joy comes sorrow.
14 Le cœur audacieux s'enorgueillit de ses voies; l'homme bon se complaît en ses pensées.
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 L'ingénuité est crédule; l'expérience mène aux regrets.
The simple man has faith in every word, but the man of good sense gives thought to his footsteps.
16 Le sage a peur et se détourne du méchant; l'insensé, confiant en lui- même, se mêle aux pervers.
The wise man, fearing, keeps himself from evil; but the foolish man goes on in his pride, with no thought of danger.
17 L'homme irascible agit sans réflexion; l'homme sensé supporte beaucoup.
He who is quickly angry will do what is foolish, but the man of good sense will have quiet.
18 Les insensés ont le mal en partage; l'homme habile est maître de la science.
Foolish behaviour is the heritage of the simple, but men of good sense are crowned with knowledge.
19 Les mauvais tomberont devant les bons; les impies seront des serviteurs aux portes des justes.
The knees of the evil are bent before the good; and sinners go down in the dust at the doors of the upright.
20 On n'aime pas les amis des pauvres; mais les amis des riches sont nombreux.
The poor man is hated even by his neighbour, but the man of wealth has numbers of friends.
21 Mépriser les indigents, c'est pécher; avoir compassion des pauvres, c'est se ménager la plus grande joie.
He who has no respect for his neighbour is a sinner, but he who has pity for the poor is happy.
22 Les cœurs égarés songent au mal; les bons songent à la miséricorde et à la vérité; ceux qui commettent le mal ne connaissent ni miséricorde ni vérité; les miséricordes et la fidélité sont à ceux qui font le bien.
Will not the designers of evil come into error? But mercy and good faith are for the designers of good.
23 Tout homme diligent a le superflu; tout homme ami des douceurs et des plaisirs sera dans l'indigence.
In all hard work there is profit, but talk only makes a man poor.
24 La couronne des sages est l'activité; le travail des injustes est mauvais.
Their wisdom is a crown to the wise, but their foolish behaviour is round the head of the unwise.
25 Le témoin fidèle délivrera son âme du mal; le témoin trompeur est un brandon de mensonges.
A true witness is the saviour of lives; but he who says false things is a cause of deceit.
26 Dans la crainte du Seigneur est l'espérance de la force; il laissera à ses enfants un appui.
For him in whose heart is the fear of the Lord there is strong hope: and his children will have a safe place.
27 Les commandements du Seigneur sont une source de vie; ils nous font détourner 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 La gloire d'un roi est dans la multitude de la nation; son affliction, dans le petit nombre de ses sujets.
A king's glory is in the number of his people: and for need of people a ruler may come to destruction.
29 L'homme patient est un vrai sage; l'impatient, un insensé.
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 L'homme qui a bon cœur est le médecin de l'âme; un cœur trop sensible est un ver qui ronge les os.
A quiet mind is the life of the body, but envy is a disease in the bones.
31 Tromper l'indigent, c'est irriter son Créateur; celui qui honore Dieu a compassion du pauvre.
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 L'impie sera rejeté à cause de sa malice; l'homme ferme en sa propre sainteté est vraiment juste.
The sinner is overturned in his evil-doing, but the upright man has hope in his righteousness.
33 Dans le bon cœur d'un homme on trouve la sagesse; on ne la trouvera pas dans le cœur de l'insensé.
Wisdom has her resting-place in the mind of the wise, but she is not seen among the foolish.
34 La justice élève une nation; les péchés amoindrissent un peuple.
By righteousness a nation is lifted up, but sin is a cause of shame to the peoples.
35 Le serviteur prudent est agréable au prince, et par sa dextérité il évite la disgrâce.
The king has pleasure in a servant who does wisely, but his wrath is against him who is a cause of shame.
