Proverbes 25
1 Voici encore des Proverbes de Salomon, recueillis par les gens d’Ézéchias, 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 Dieu, c’est de cacher les choses; La gloire des rois, c’est de sonder les choses.
[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 Les cieux dans leur hauteur, la terre dans sa profondeur, Et le cœur des rois, sont impénétrables.
[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 Ote de l’argent les scories, Et il en sortira un vase pour le fondeur.
[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 Ote le méchant de devant le roi, Et son trône s’affermira 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 t’élève pas devant le roi, Et ne prends 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 il vaut mieux qu’on te dise: Monte-ici! Que si l’on t’abaisse devant le prince que tes yeux voient.
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 te hâte pas d’entrer en contestation, De peur qu’à la fin tu ne saches que faire, Lorsque ton prochain t’aura outragé.
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 Défends ta cause contre ton prochain, Mais ne révèle pas le secret d’un autre,
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 De peur qu’en l’apprenant il ne te couvre de honte, Et que ta mauvaise renommée ne s’efface pas.
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 Comme des pommes d’or sur des ciselures d’argent, Ainsi est une parole dite à propos.
Something that is said that is [very] appropriate is [as delightful as seeing] [SIM] gold apples/ornaments in a silver bowl.
12 Comme un anneau d’or et une parure d’or fin, Ainsi pour une oreille docile est le sage qui réprimande.
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 la fraîcheur de la neige au temps de la moisson, Ainsi est un messager fidèle pour celui qui l’envoie; 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 Comme des nuages et du vent sans pluie, Ainsi est un homme se glorifiant à tort de ses libéralités.
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 la lenteur à la colère on fléchit un prince, Et une langue douce peut briser des os.
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 Si tu trouves du miel, n’en mange que ce qui te suffit, De peur que tu n’en sois rassasié et que tu ne le vomisses.
If you find some honey, do not eat a lot of it, because doing that may cause you to vomit.
17 Mets rarement le pied dans la maison de ton prochain, De peur qu’il ne soit rassasié de toi et qu’il ne te haïsse.
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 Comme une massue, une épée et une flèche aiguë, Ainsi est un 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 Comme une dent cassée et un pied qui chancelle, Ainsi est la confiance en un perfide au jour de la détresse.
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 Oter son vêtement dans un jour froid, Répandre du vinaigre sur du nitre, C’est dire des chansons à un cœur attristé.
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 du pain à manger; S’il a soif, donne-lui de l’eau à boire.
If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;
22 Car ce sont des charbons ardents que tu amasses sur sa tête, Et l’Éternel te récompensera.
doing that will cause them to feel ashamed [IDM], and Yahweh will reward you for doing that.
23 Le vent du nord enfante la pluie, Et la langue mystérieuse un visage irrité.
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 à l’angle d’un toit, Que de partager la demeure d’une femme querelleuse.
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 Comme de l’eau fraîche pour une personne fatiguée, Ainsi est une bonne nouvelle venant d’une terre lointaine.
Receiving good news from a country far away refreshes our spirits like [SIM] cold water refreshes us when we are very thirsty.
26 Comme une fontaine troublée et une source corrompue, Ainsi est le juste qui chancelle 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 Il n’est pas bon de manger beaucoup de miel, Mais rechercher la gloire des autres 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 Comme une ville forcée et sans murailles, Ainsi est l’homme qui n’est pas maître de lui-même.
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].
