Proverbes 17
1 Mieux vaut un morceau de pain sec, avec la paix, Qu’une maison pleine de viandes, avec des querelles.
It is better [to eat] a dry piece [of bread] and not have strife/quarrels than to have a big feast in a house where [everyone] is quarreling.
2 Un serviteur prudent domine sur le fils qui fait honte, Et il aura part à l’héritage au milieu des frères.
A slave who acts wisely will [some day] be the boss of his master’s disgraceful son and when his master dies, the slave will receive part of his master’s possessions.
3 Le creuset est pour l’argent, et le fourneau pour l’or; Mais celui qui éprouve les cœurs, c’est l’Éternel.
[Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and Yahweh [similarly] examines people’s inner beings [to see if they are pure].
4 Le méchant est attentif à la lèvre inique, Le menteur prête l’oreille à la langue pernicieuse.
Those who do what is evil pay attention to people who say [MTY] what is evil, and liars pay attention to [other people’s] lies.
5 Celui qui se moque du pauvre outrage celui qui l’a fait; Celui qui se réjouit d’un malheur ne restera pas impuni.
Those who make fun of poor [people] insult God, the one who made the poor [people], [and] those who are happy when [someone else has] troubles will certainly be punished [LIT] [by God].
6 Les enfants des enfants sont la couronne des vieillards, Et les pères sont la gloire de leurs enfants.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Les paroles distinguées ne conviennent pas à un insensé; Combien moins à un noble les paroles mensongères!
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 Les présents sont une pierre précieuse aux yeux de qui en reçoit; De quelque côté qu’ils se tournent, ils ont du succès.
People think that a bribe is like a magic stone [to persuade someone to do what they want him to do]; they think that because of the bribe, that person will do whatever they want him to do.
9 Celui qui couvre une faute cherche l’amour, Et celui qui la rappelle dans ses discours divise les amis.
If you want people to like/love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they do to you. If you continue to remind them about those wrong things, they will no longer be your friends.
10 Une réprimande fait plus d’impression sur l’homme intelligent Que cent coups sur l’insensé.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 Le méchant ne cherche que révolte, Mais un messager cruel sera envoyé contre lui.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Rencontre une ourse privée de ses petits, Plutôt qu’un insensé pendant sa folie.
A mother bear whose cubs have been taken away from her is dangerous, but it is more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish.
13 De celui qui rend le mal pour le bien Le mal ne quittera point la maison.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Commencer une querelle, c’est ouvrir une digue; Avant que la dispute s’anime, retire-toi.
Starting a quarrel is like allowing water to start to leak out of a dam; they both need to be stopped before they get worse.
15 Celui qui absout le coupable et celui qui condamne le juste Sont tous deux en abomination à l’Éternel.
There are two things that Yahweh hates: (Condemning innocent [people]/Saying that people who have done nothing wrong must be punished), and declaring that people who have done wicked things should not be punished.
16 A quoi sert l’argent dans la main de l’insensé? A acheter la sagesse?… Mais il n’a point de sens.
It is useless to allow foolish people [RHQ] to try to become wise by paying for it, because they do not have enough good sense to become wise.
17 L’ami aime en tout temps, Et dans le malheur il se montre un frère.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 L’homme dépourvu de sens prend des engagements, Il cautionne son prochain.
[If someone borrows money from another person], it is foolish for you to promise [IDM] that you will pay the money back if that other person is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed.
19 Celui qui aime les querelles aime le péché; Celui qui élève sa porte cherche la ruine.
Those who like to sin [also] like to cause strife/trouble; [and] those who build fancy doors in their houses [to show that they are very wealthy] (OR, speak proudly) are inviting disaster.
20 Un cœur faux ne trouve pas le bonheur, Et celui dont la langue est perverse tombe dans le malheur.
Those who (have perverse minds/are always thinking about doing evil things) will not prosper, and disasters will happen to those who always tell lies.
21 Celui qui donne naissance à un insensé aura du chagrin; Le père d’un fou ne peut pas se réjouir.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Un cœur joyeux est un bon remède, Mais un esprit abattu dessèche les os.
Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
23 Le méchant accepte en secret des présents, Pour pervertir les voies de la justice.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 La sagesse est en face de l’homme intelligent, Mais les yeux de l’insensé sont à l’extrémité de la terre.
Those who have good sense determine to do what is wise, but foolish people are always thinking about many different things [and never decide what they should do].
25 Un fils insensé fait le chagrin de son père, Et l’amertume de celle qui l’a enfanté.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Il n’est pas bon de condamner le juste à une amende, Ni de frapper les nobles à cause de leur droiture.
It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
27 Celui qui retient ses paroles connaît la science, Et celui qui a l’esprit calme est un homme intelligent.
Those who have good sense do not talk a lot, and those who (control their tempers/keep themselves from becoming very angry) are [truly] wise.
28 L’insensé même, quand il se tait, passe pour sage; Celui qui ferme ses lèvres est un homme intelligent.
People [may] think that foolish people who do not say anything are wise; if foolish people (do not say anything/keep their mouths shut), others will think that they are [very] intelligent.
