Proverbes 30
1 Paroles d’Agur, fils de Jaké. Sentences prononcées par cet homme pour Ithiel, pour Ithiel et pour Ucal.
These are sayings/messages that God gave to Agur, the son of Jakeh. [Agur wrote them] for Ithiel and Ucal.
2 Certes, je suis plus stupide que personne, Et je n’ai pas l’intelligence d’un homme;
It seems that I am very stupid; I do not deserve to be considered to be a human; I do not have the good sense that humans should have.
3 Je n’ai pas appris la sagesse, Et je ne connais pas la science des saints.
I have not learned [how to become] wise and I do not know [much] about God.
4 Qui est monté aux cieux, et qui en est descendu? Qui a recueilli le vent dans ses mains? Qui a serré les eaux dans son vêtement? Qui a fait paraître les extrémités de la terre? Quel est son nom, et quel est le nom de son fils? Le sais-tu?
[But let me say this]: No one [RHQ] has ascended to heaven [to find out what God is like] and returned [to tell us]. No one [RHQ] has gathered/held the wind in his hand. No one [RHQ] has wrapped the water [in the ocean] in [a piece of] cloth, and no one [RHQ] has established the boundaries of the earth. [If you know who has done those things, tell me] [RHQ] his name, and the names of his children [SAR]! [But you do not know who has done those things, so you cannot speak with authority about what God is like].
5 Toute parole de Dieu est éprouvée. Il est un bouclier pour ceux qui cherchent en lui un refuge.
Everything that God has said is true; he is [like] a shield [MET] for all those who request him to protect them.
6 N’ajoute rien à ses paroles, De peur qu’il ne te reprenne et que tu ne sois trouvé menteur.
Do not add to (OR, change) what God has said; if you do that, he will rebuke you and show that you are lying.
7 Je te demande deux choses: Ne me les refuse pas, avant que je meure!
[God], I ask you to do two things for me; [please] do them before I die:
8 Éloigne de moi la fausseté et la parole mensongère; Ne me donne ni pauvreté, ni richesse, Accorde-moi le pain qui m’est nécessaire.
Help me never to lie or deceive [people] and do not cause me to become poor or to become rich. [Just] give me the food that I need;
9 De peur que, dans l’abondance, je ne te renie Et ne dise: Qui est l’Éternel? Ou que, dans la pauvreté, je ne dérobe, Et ne m’attaque au nom de mon Dieu.
because if I become rich, I might say that I do not [RHQ] know you and that I do not need you; and if I become poor, I might dishonor you by stealing things.
10 Ne calomnie pas un serviteur auprès de son maître, De peur qu’il ne te maudisse et que tu ne te rendes coupable.
Do not (slander/say bad things about) a worker to his boss; if you do that, the worker will curse you, and cause you to have trouble.
11 Il est une race qui maudit son père, Et qui ne bénit point sa mère.
[I will list four kinds of evil things that people do]: Some people curse their fathers and do not [ask God to] bless their mothers.
12 Il est une race qui se croit pure, Et qui n’est pas lavée de sa souillure.
Some people think that they are perfect, but [really] they have never been cleansed from their guilt for committing disgusting sins.
13 Il est une race dont les yeux sont hautains, Et les paupières élevées.
Some people are very proud; they think that they are very good and they despise others.
14 Il est une race dont les dents sont des glaives Et les mâchoires des couteaux, Pour dévorer le malheureux sur la terre Et les indigents parmi les hommes.
Some people [act very cruelly toward others]; [it is as though] [MET] they have teeth that are [like] sharp knives; they severely oppress poor [people] and try to cause them to disappear from the land.
15 La sangsue a deux filles: Donne! Donne! Trois choses sont insatiables, Quatre ne disent jamais: Assez!
Leeches [are always wanting more blood to suck]; [similarly, greedy people are always] saying “Give [me some]!” or “Give [me more]!” [MET] There are four things that are never (satisfied/content with what they have); they always want more [LIT]:
16 Le séjour des morts, la femme stérile, La terre, qui n’est pas rassasiée d’eau, Et le feu, qui ne dit jamais: Assez! (Sheol h7585)
The place where the dead people are; women who do not have any children; ground that needs water/rain; and a fire that always needs more wood. (Sheol h7585)
17 L’œil qui se moque d’un père Et qui dédaigne l’obéissance envers une mère, Les corbeaux du torrent le perceront, Et les petits de l’aigle le mangeront.
Those who [SYN] make fun of their fathers or refuse to obey their mothers (OR, despise their aged mothers) should [die and] have their eyes pecked out by crows, and the [rest of their corpses should be] fed to the vultures.
18 Il y a trois choses qui sont au-dessus de ma portée, Même quatre que je ne puis comprendre:
There are four things that are wonderful to me, [but] I do not understand any of them:
19 La trace de l’aigle dans les cieux, La trace du serpent sur le rocher, La trace du navire au milieu de la mer, Et la trace de l’homme chez la jeune femme.
How eagles fly in the sky, how snakes [are able to] move/crawl across a big rock, how ships sail on the seas, and how a man falls in love with a woman.
20 Telle est la voie de la femme adultère: Elle mange, et s’essuie la bouche, Puis elle dit: Je n’ai point fait de mal.
This is what a woman who (is not faithful to/does not have sex only with) her husband does: She commits adultery [EUP], and [then] bathes and says, “I have not done anything that is wrong!”
21 Trois choses font trembler la terre, Et il en est quatre qu’elle ne peut supporter:
There are four things that no [one in] the world can tolerate:
22 Un esclave qui vient à régner, Un insensé qui est rassasié de pain,
[What] a slave [does who] becomes a king, a foolish person eating [too much] food,
23 Une femme dédaignée qui se marie, Et une servante qui hérite de sa maîtresse.
[what] a woman who is hated [does when she] gets married, and [what] a female servant [does when she] becomes the boss instead of her mistress.
24 Il y a sur la terre quatre animaux petits, Et cependant des plus sages;
[There are] four animals on the earth that are small, but they are very wise:
25 Les fourmis, peuple sans force, Préparent en été leur nourriture;
Ants are not strong, but they store up food during the summer [in order to have it during the winter].
26 Les damans, peuple sans puissance, Placent leur demeure dans les rochers;
Rock badgers [also] are not strong, but they make their homes among the rocks [where they will be safe].
27 Les sauterelles n’ont point de roi, Et elles sortent toutes par divisions;
Locusts do not have a king, but they march like [the soldiers in] an army.
28 Le lézard saisit avec les mains, Et se trouve dans les palais des rois.
Lizards/Geckos [are very small and] you can hold them in your hand, but they are [cleverly able to get] inside kings’ palaces.
29 Il y en a trois qui ont une belle allure, Et quatre qui ont une belle démarche:
[There are] four animals that strut around and look very impressive while they walk [DOU]:
30 Le lion, le héros des animaux, Ne reculant devant qui que ce soit;
Lions, which are stronger than all other animals and are not afraid of any of them;
31 Le cheval tout équipé; ou le bouc; Et le roi à qui personne ne résiste.
male goats, strutting roosters, and kings who (parade/walk proudly back and forth) in front of the people whom they rule.
32 Si l’orgueil te pousse à des actes de folie, Et si tu as de mauvaises pensées, mets la main sur la bouche:
If you have acted foolishly, exalting yourself, or if you been planning [to do something] evil, stop it immediately [IDM]!
33 Car la pression du lait produit de la crème, La pression du nez produit du sang, Et la pression de la colère produit des querelles.
If you churn milk, it produces butter/curds, and if you hit [someone hard on his] nose, [his nose] bleeds; similarly, if you do something to cause [people to become] angry, strife [usually] results.
