Proverbes 14
1 La femme sage bâtit sa maison, Et la femme insensée la renverse de ses propres mains.
Wise women [PRS] hold their families together [by the wise things that they do], but foolish women ruin their families by the foolish things that they do.
2 Celui qui marche dans la droiture craint l’Éternel, Mais celui qui prend des voies tortueuses le méprise.
By [continually] behaving/acting righteously, [people show that they] greatly revere Yahweh; those who (walk on crooked paths/always deceive others) [show that they] despise him.
3 Dans la bouche de l’insensé est une verge pour son orgueil, Mais les lèvres des sages les gardent.
Foolish people will be punished [MTY] for what they say, but wise [people] will be protected by what they say [MTY].
4 S’il n’y a pas de bœufs, la crèche est vide; C’est à la vigueur des bœufs qu’on doit l’abondance des revenus.
If [a man has] no oxen [to plow his field], he does not [need to put] grain [in their feedbox], but if [he has] oxen, they will enable [him to produce] an abundant crop.
5 Un témoin fidèle ne ment pas, Mais un faux témoin dit des mensonges.
Witnesses who are reliable [always] say what (is true/really happened), but witnesses who are not reliable constantly tell lies [about what happened].
6 Le moqueur cherche la sagesse et ne la trouve pas, Mais pour l’homme intelligent la science est chose facile.
Those who make fun [of being wise] will never become wise, but those who understand [what is right] learn things easily.
7 Éloigne-toi de l’insensé; Ce n’est pas sur ses lèvres que tu aperçois la science.
Stay away from foolish people, because they will not be able to teach you anything [useful].
8 La sagesse de l’homme prudent, c’est l’intelligence de sa voie; La folie des insensés, c’est la tromperie.
Those who have good sense are wise, so they know what they should do [and what they should not do]; foolish people do not know what is right to do, but because they think that they do, they are deceiving themselves.
9 Les insensés se font un jeu du péché, Mais parmi les hommes droits se trouve la bienveillance.
Foolish people make fun of their committing sins; but God is pleased with those who do what is right.
10 Le cœur connaît ses propres chagrins, Et un étranger ne saurait partager sa joie.
If you are very sad or if you are joyful, only you know what you are experiencing; no one else [can] know what you are feeling.
11 La maison des méchants sera détruite, Mais la tente des hommes droits fleurira.
Houses built by wicked [people] will be destroyed, but houses built by good/righteous [people] will last for a long time.
12 Telle voie paraît droite à un homme, Mais son issue, c’est la voie de la mort.
There are some kinds of behavior [MET] that [some] people [falsely] think are right, but (walking on those roads/continually doing those things) causes [those people] to die.
13 Au milieu même du rire le cœur peut être affligé, Et la joie peut finir par la détresse.
[Sometimes] when people laugh, they are [really] sad, and when they stop laughing, they are still sad.
14 Celui dont le cœur s’égare se rassasie de ses voies, Et l’homme de bien se rassasie de ce qui est en lui.
Those who stubbornly continue to do what is wrong will get what they deserve, and those who continually do what is good will [also] get what they deserve.
15 L’homme simple croit tout ce qu’on dit, Mais l’homme prudent est attentif à ses pas.
Foolish people believe everything [that people tell them]; those who have good sense think carefully about what will be the result of their actions.
16 Le sage a de la retenue et se détourne du mal, Mais l’insensé est arrogant et plein de sécurité.
Wise people are careful and avoid [doing things that will give them] trouble; foolish people are careless and act (too quickly/without thinking).
17 Celui qui est prompt à la colère fait des sottises, Et l’homme plein de malice s’attire la haine.
Those who quickly become angry [IDM] do foolish things; [people] hate those who plan to do wicked things (OR, those who have good sense remain calm/patient).
18 Les simples ont en partage la folie, Et les hommes prudents se font de la science une couronne.
Foolish people get what they deserve for doing foolish things; those with good sense are rewarded [MET] by being able to learn a lot.
19 Les mauvais s’inclinent devant les bons, Et les méchants aux portes du juste.
[Some day] evil [people] will bow down in front of righteous [people to show that they respect them]; they [will humbly stand] at the gates of [the houses of] righteous [people and request their help].
20 Le pauvre est odieux même à son ami, Mais les amis du riche sont nombreux.
[No one likes] poor [people]; even their friends/neighbors do not like them; rich [people] have many friends, but [only while the rich people still have money].
21 Celui qui méprise son prochain commet un péché, Mais heureux celui qui a pitié des misérables!
It is sinful to despise your [poor] neighbors; [God] is pleased with those who do kind things for the poor.
22 Ceux qui méditent le mal ne s’égarent-ils pas? Mais ceux qui méditent le bien agissent avec bonté et fidélité.
Those who plan to do things that are evil/wrong are walking on the wrong road; people faithfully love, respect and are loyal to those who plan to do what is good.
23 Tout travail procure l’abondance, Mais les paroles en l’air ne mènent qu’à la disette.
If you work hard, you will (accomplish something good/get a good income), but if all you do is to talk [and not work], you will remain poor.
24 La richesse est une couronne pour les sages; La folie des insensés est toujours de la folie.
One of the rewards [MET] of being wise is to become rich; the reward of acting foolishly is to become more foolish.
25 Le témoin véridique délivre des âmes, Mais le trompeur dit des mensonges.
By saying [in court] what is true, you [can] save the life [of the one who is being falsely accused]; if you tell lies, you are abandoning someone who needs your help [to defend him].
26 Celui qui craint l’Éternel possède un appui ferme, Et ses enfants ont un refuge auprès de lui.
Those who revere Yahweh are confident [that he will protect them], and their family will [also] be protected.
27 La crainte de l’Éternel est une source de vie, Pour détourner des pièges de la mort.
Having an awesome respect for Yahweh is [like] [MET] [having] a fountain that gives life; it will help you to escape when something dangerous is threatening to kill you [MET].
28 Quand le peuple est nombreux, c’est la gloire d’un roi; Quand le peuple manque, c’est la ruine du prince.
If a king rules over many people, many people will [be able to] honor him; if he has only a few people in his kingdom, he will have very little [HYP] power.
29 Celui qui est lent à la colère a une grande intelligence, Mais celui qui est prompt à s’emporter proclame sa folie.
Those who do not quickly become angry are very wise; by quickly becoming angry, people show that they are foolish.
30 Un cœur calme est la vie du corps, Mais l’envie est la carie des os.
Having a mind that is peaceful results in having a healthy body; having a mind that is [often] in turmoil is [like] [MET] cancer in [a person’s] bones.
31 Opprimer le pauvre, c’est outrager celui qui l’a fait; Mais avoir pitié de l’indigent, c’est l’honorer.
Those who oppress poor people are insulting God, the one who made those poor people, but acting kindly toward them is respecting God.
32 Le méchant est renversé par sa méchanceté, Mais le juste trouve un refuge même en sa mort.
Wicked [people] ruin themselves by the evil things that they do, but righteous/good [people] are kept safe/protected even when they die (OR, because of their continually doing what is right).
33 Dans un cœur intelligent repose la sagesse, Mais au milieu des insensés elle se montre à découvert.
Those who have good sense always think what is wise; foolish people do not know anything about being wise.
34 La justice élève une nation, Mais le péché est la honte des peuples.
[When] the people of a nation [continually act] righteously, it causes that nation to be great; [continually doing what is] evil causes a nation to be disgraced.
35 La faveur du roi est pour le serviteur prudent, Et sa colère pour celui qui fait honte.
Kings are pleased with officials who do their work competently/skillfully, but they punish [MTY] those who [do their work in a manner that] causes the kings to be disgraced.
