Proverbes 26
1 Comme la neige ne convient pas en été, ni la pluie en la moisson, ainsi la gloire ne convient point à un fou.
Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
2 Comme l'oiseau [est prompt] à aller çà et là, et l'hirondelle à voler, ainsi la malédiction donnée sans sujet n'arrivera point.
Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
3 Le fouet est pour le cheval, le licou pour l'âne, et la verge pour le dos des fous.
It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
4 Ne réponds point au fou selon sa folie, de peur que tu ne lui sois semblable.
If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
5 Réponds au fou selon sa folie, de peur qu'il ne s'estime être sage.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Celui qui envoie des messages par un fou, se coupe les pieds; et boit la peine du tort qu'il s'est fait.
Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
7 Faites marcher un homme qui ne va qu'en clochant; il en sera tout de même d'un propos sentencieux dans la bouche des fous.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Il en est de celui qui donne de la gloire à un fou, comme s'il jetait une pierre précieuse dans un monceau de pierres.
Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
9 Ce qu'est une épine qui entre dans la main d'un homme ivre, cela même est un propos sentencieux dans la bouche des fous.
If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
10 Les Grands donnent de l'ennui à tous, et prennent à gage les fous et les transgresseurs.
A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
11 Comme le chien retourne à ce qu'il a vomi, [ainsi] le fou réitère sa folie.
A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
12 As-tu vu un homme qui croit être sage? il y a plus d'espérance d'un fou que de lui.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
13 Le paresseux dit: le grand lion est dans le chemin, le lion est par les champs.
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 [Comme] une porte tourne sur ses gonds, ainsi se tourne le paresseux sur son lit.
A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
15 Le paresseux cache sa main au sein, il a de la peine de la ramener à sa bouche.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
16 Le paresseux se croit plus sage que sept [autres] qui donnent de sages conseils.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Celui qui en passant se met en colère pour une dispute qui ne le touche en rien, est [comme] celui qui prend un chien par les oreilles.
Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
18 Tel qu'est celui qui fait de l'insensé, et qui cependant jette des feux, des flèches, et des choses propres à tuer;
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 Tel est l'homme qui a trompé son ami, et qui après cela dit: Ne me jouais-je pas?
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Le feu s'éteint faute de bois; ainsi quand il n'y aura plus de semeurs de rapports, les querelles s'apaiseront.
If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
21 Le charbon est pour faire de la braise, et le bois pour faire du feu, et l'homme querelleux pour exciter des querelles.
[Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
22 Les paroles d'un semeur de rapports sont comme de ceux qui ne font pas semblant d'y toucher, mais elles descendent jusqu'au-dedans du cœur.
People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
23 Les lèvres ardentes, et le cœur mauvais, sont [comme] de la litharge enduite sur un pot de terre.
People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
24 Celui qui hait se contrefait en ses lèvres, mais il cache la fraude au-dedans de soi.
Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
25 Quand il parlera gracieusement, ne le crois point; car il y a sept abominations dans son cœur.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 La malice de celui qui la cache comme dans un lieu secret, sera révélée dans l'assemblée.
They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
27 Celui qui creuse la fosse, y tombera; et la pierre retournera sur celui qui la roule.
Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
28 La fausse langue hait celui qu'elle a abattu; et la bouche qui flatte fait tomber.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
