Proverbes 25
1 Ces choses sont aussi des Proverbes de Salomon, que les gens d'Ezéchias Roi de Juda ont copiés.
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 est de celer la chose; et la gloire des Rois est de sonder les affaires.
[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 Il n'y a pas moyen de sonder les cieux à cause de leur hauteur; ni la terre à cause de sa profondeur; ni le cœur des Rois.
[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 Ôte les écumes de l'argent, et il en sortira une bague au 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 Ôte le méchant de devant le Roi, et son trône sera affermi 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 fais point le magnifique devant le Roi, et ne te tiens point dans 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 on t'abaissait devant celui qui est en dignité, lequel tes yeux auront vu.
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 de sortir pour quereller, de peur que tu [ne saches] que faire à la fin, après que ton prochain t'aura rendu confus.
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 Traite tellement ton différend avec ton prochain, que tu ne révèles point 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 que celui qui l'écoute ne te le reproche, et que tu n'en reçoives un opprobre qui ne s'efface point.
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 Telles que sont des pommes d'or émaillées d'argent, telle est la parole dite comme il faut.
Something that is said that is [very] appropriate is [as delightful as seeing] [SIM] gold apples/ornaments in a silver bowl.
12 Quand on reprend le sage qui a l'oreille attentive, c'est comme une bague d'or, ou comme un joyau de fin or.
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 L'ambassadeur fidèle est à ceux qui l'envoient, comme la froideur de la neige au temps de la moisson, et 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 Celui qui se vante d'une fausse libéralité, est [comme] les nuées et le vent sans pluie.
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 Le capitaine est fléchi par la patience, et la langue douce brise les 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 Quand tu auras trouvé du miel, n'en mange qu'autant qu'il t'en faut, de peur qu'en étant soûlé, tu ne le rendes.
If you find some honey, do not eat a lot of it, because doing that may cause you to vomit.
17 Mets rarement ton pied dans la maison de ton prochain, de peur qu'étant rassasié de toi, 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 L'homme qui porte un faux témoignage contre son prochain, est un marteau, une épée, et une flèche aiguë.
To falsely accuse others [in court] is like [SIM] [attacking them with] a war-club or a sword or a sharp arrow.
19 La confiance qu'on met en celui qui se porte perfidement au temps de la détresse, est une dent qui se rompt, et un pied qui glisse.
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 Celui qui chante des chansons au cœur affligé, est [comme] celui qui ôte sa robe dans le temps du froid, et [comme] du vinaigre répandu sur le savon.
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 celui qui te hait a faim, donne-lui à manger du pain; et s'il a soif, donne-lui à boire de l'eau.
If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;
22 Car tu enlèveras des charbons de feu de dessus sa tête, et l'Eternel te le rendra.
doing that will cause them to feel ashamed [IDM], and Yahweh will reward you for doing that.
23 Le vent de bise chasse la pluie; et le visage sévère chasse la langue qui [médit] en secret.
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 Il vaut mieux habiter au coin d'un toit, que dans une maison spacieuse avec 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 Les bonnes nouvelles apportées d'un pays éloigné, sont comme de l'eau fraîche à une personne altérée et lasse.
Receiving good news from a country far away refreshes our spirits like [SIM] cold water refreshes us when we are very thirsty.
26 Le juste qui bronche devant le méchant, est une fontaine embourbée, et une source gâtée.
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 [Comme] il n'est pas bon de manger trop de miel, aussi il n'y a pas de la gloire pour ceux qui la cherchent avec trop d'ardeur.
It is not good to eat too much honey, and trying to get people to praise you is also not good.
28 L'homme qui ne peut pas retenir son esprit, est comme une ville où il y a brèche, et qui est sans murailles.
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].
