Proverbes 17
1 Vaut mieux une bouchée de pain sec avec la joie, qu’une maison pleine de victimes avec la dispute.
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 Le serviteur sage dominera les fils insensés; et il partagera l’héritage entre les 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 Comme par le feu est éprouvé l’argent, et l’or dans le creuset; ainsi le Seigneur éprouve les cœurs.
[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 obéit à une langue inique, et le trompeur obtempère à une lèvre mensongère.
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 méprise le pauvre outrage celui qui l’a fait, et celui qui se réjouit de la ruine d’un autre ne sera 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 La couronne des vieillards sont les fils des fils; et la gloire des fils sont leurs pères.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Les paroles graves ne conviennent pas à un insensé; ni à un prince une lèvre menteuse.
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 C’est une pierre précieuse très agréable, que l’attente de celui qui espère; de quelque côté qu’il se tourne, il agit avec intelligence et prudence.
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 cache une faute recherche l’amitié: celui qui la rappelle une seconde fois sépare ceux qui étaient unis.
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 Plus profite une réprimande à un homme prudent que cent coups à un insensé.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 Toujours le méchant cherche des querelles: mais un ange cruel sera envoyé contre lui.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Il est plus avantageux de rencontrer une ourse à qui l’on a enlevé ses petits qu’un insensé se confiant dans 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 Celui qui rend le mal pour le bien, le malheur ne s’éloignera pas de sa 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 Celui qui lâche l’eau entame un procès; mais, avant qu’il soutire un affront, il abandonne le jugement.
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 justifie l’impie et celui qui condamne le juste sont tous deux en abomination auprès de Dieu.
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 Que sert à l’insensé d’avoir des richesses, puisqu’il ne peut acheter la sagesse? Celui qui élève sa maison bien haut en cherche la ruine; et celui qui évite d’apprendre tombera dans des maux.
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 Il aime en tout temps, celui qui est ami; et c’est dans les angoisses qu’un frère se fait connaître.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 Un homme insensé battra des mains, lorsqu’il aura répondu pour son ami.
[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 médite des discordes aime les rixes; et celui qui élève sa porte cherche sa 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 Celui qui a un cœur pervers ne trouvera pas le bien; et celui qui tourne la langue tombera 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 L’insensé est né pour son ignominie; et un père dans un fils stupide ne mettra pas sa joie.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Un cœur joyeux rend la santé florissante; une âme triste 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 L’impie reçoit en secret des présents, afin qu’il pervertisse les sentiers 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 Sur la face de l’homme prudent brille la sagesse; les yeux des insensés sont à l’extrémité du monde.
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 est la colère de son père, et la douleur de la mère 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 causer du dommage au juste, ni de frapper le prince qui juge selon la justice.
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 modère ses paroles est docte et prudent; et l’homme savant est d’un esprit précieux.
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, s’il se tait, sera réputé pour sage, et, s’il comprime ses lèvres, pour 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.
