Proverbes 21
1 Comme sont les courants des eaux, ainsi est le cœur du roi dans la main du Seigneur: de quelque côté qu’il veut, il le fera tourner.
Yahweh controls what kings do [MTY] [like] he controls how streams flow; he causes kings to do just what he wants them to do.
2 Toute voie de l’homme lui paraît droite; mais le Seigneur pèse les cœurs.
People always think that what they do is right, but Yahweh judges our (motives/reasons [for doing things)] [MTY].
3 Faire miséricorde et justice plaît plus au Seigneur que des victimes.
Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to Yahweh than [bringing] sacrifices [to him].
4 L’exaltation des yeux vient de la dilatation du cœur: la lampe des impies est péché.
Being proud and arrogant [DOU] is [like] a lamp [MTY] [that guides] wicked people; being proud and arrogant characterizes (wicked people’s whole behavior/everything that wicked people do).
5 Les pensées d’un homme fort amènent toujours l’abondance; mais tout paresseux est toujours dans la détresse.
People who plan carefully will surely have plenty [of what they need]; those who act too quickly [to become rich] will become poor.
6 Celui qui amasse des trésors avec une langue de mensonge est vain et sans cœur, et il s’engagera dans les lacs de la mort.
Money that people acquire [by cheating others] by lying [MTY] to them will soon disappear [like] a mist, and doing that will [soon] lead to their death.
7 Les rapines des impies les entraîneront à leur ruine, parce qu’ils n’ont pas voulu faire justice.
Wicked [people] refuse to do what is right/just, but they will be ruined because of the violent things [PRS] that they do.
8 La voie perverse d’un homme est une voie étrangère; mais celui qui est pur, son œuvre est droite.
Guilty [people continually do what is evil; it is as though] [MET] they are walking on a crooked road; but righteous/innocent people [always] do what is right.
9 Mieux vaut demeurer sur l’angle d’un toit qu’avec une femme querelleuse et dans une maison commune.
It is better to live in the corner of an attic/housetop [by yourself] than to live inside the house with a wife who is always nagging.
10 L’âme de l’impie désire le mal; il n’aura pas pitié de son prochain.
Wicked [people] [SYN] are always wanting [to do what is] evil; they never act mercifully toward anyone.
11 L’homme contagieux étant puni, le simple sera plus sage; et s’il s’attache à un sage, il acquerra de la science.
When those who ridicule [others] are punished, [even] those who do not have good sense [see that, and] they become wise, and when those who are wise are taught, they become wiser.
12 Le juste réfléchit à la maison de l’impie, pour retirer les impies du mal.
[God], the one [who is completely] righteous, knows [what happens inside] the houses of wicked [people], and [he will cause] those people to be completely ruined/destroyed.
13 Celui qui ferme son oreille au cri du pauvre criera lui-même et ne sera pas exaucé.
There are people who refuse to listen when poor people cry out [for help]; [but some day] they themselves will cry out [for help], and no one will hear them.
14 Un présent secret éteint les colères; et un don glissé dans le sein, l’indignation la plus grande.
When someone is angry [with you], if you secretly give him a gift, he will stop being angry.
15 C’est une joie pour le juste que de faire justice; mais c’est l’effroi de ceux qui opèrent l’iniquité.
Good/Righteous [people] are happy when they [see others do] what is just/fair, but those who do what is evil are terrified [when they think about what may happen to them].
16 L’homme qui s’égare de la voie de la doctrine demeurera dans l’assemblée des géants.
Those who stop behaving like those who have good sense behave will [soon] discover that they have gone to the place where dead people are.
17 Celui qui aime les festins sera dans la détresse: celui qui aime le vin et la bonne chère ne s’enrichira pas.
Those who spend their money to buy (things that give them pleasure/things that cause them to feel happy) will become poor; those who love [to spend money to buy] wine and nice/fancy food [MTY] will never become rich.
18 Pour le juste est livré l’impie, et pour les hommes droits l’homme inique.
Wicked [people] bring on themselves the sufferings that they were trying to cause righteous [people] to experience [DOU].
19 Mieux vaut habiter dans une terre déserte qu’avec une femme querelleuse et colère.
It is better to live [alone] in a desert than [to live] with a wife who is [always] nagging and complaining.
20 Il y a un trésor précieux et de l’huile dans la demeure du juste; mais l’homme imprudent les dissipera.
Wise people have many valuable things in their houses, but foolish people [quickly] spend/waste [all their money].
21 Celui qui recherche la justice et la miséricorde trouvera la vie, la justice et la gloire.
Those who [always] try to act in a fair and kind way [toward others] will live [a long time] and be honored/respected.
22 Le sage a escaladé la cité des forts, et a détruit la force où elle mettait sa confiance.
A wise army commander [helps his troops] climb over a wall [to attack] a city that is defended by a strong army, with the result that they are able to (get over/destroy) the high walls that their enemies trusted [would protect them].
23 Celui qui garde sa bouche et sa langue garde son âme des angoisses.
Those who are very careful about what they say [MTY] are [able to] avoid trouble.
24 L’homme superbe et arrogant est appelé ignorant, parce que dans la colère il agit avec orgueil.
Those who make fun of [everything that is good] are proud and conceited [DOU]; they [always] act in an inconsiderate way [toward others].
25 Les désirs tuent le paresseux; car ses mains n’ont voulu rien faire.
Lazy people, who refuse to work, [will] die [of hunger] because they [SYN] do not earn [money to buy food].
26 Tout le jour il souhaite et il désire; mais le juste donnera et il ne cessera de donner.
All during the day [wicked people] desire to obtain things, but righteous [people] have plenty, [with the result that] they [are able to] give things generously to others.
27 Les hosties des impies sont abominables, parce qu’elles sont offertes comme fruit de leur crime.
[Yahweh] detests the sacrifices that wicked [people] offer [to him]; [but he] detests it even more when they [think that they will escape being punished for] their evil deeds because of the sacrifices that they bring.
28 Le témoin menteur périra; l’homme obéissant parlera victoire.
Those who tell lies in court will be punished; no one stops/silences witnesses who say what is truthful/reliable.
29 L’homme impie affermit effrontément son visage; mais celui qui est droit corrige sa voie.
Wicked people pretend [that they know everything], but righteous people think carefully about [what will happen because of] what they do.
30 Il n’y a pas de sagesse, il n’y a pas de prudence, il n’y a pas de conseil contre le Seigneur.
[Thinking that we are] wise, and that we understand many things, and that we have good insight, does not help us if Yahweh is (acting against/not pleased with) us.
31 Le cheval est préparé pour le jour du combat; mais c’est le Seigneur qui donne la victoire.
We [can] get horses ready to fight in a battle, but Yahweh is the one who enables us to (win victories/defeat our enemies).
