Proverbes 24
1 Ne porte pas envie aux hommes méchants, et ne désire pas d’être avec eux;
Do not envy evil people; do not desire to associate with them,
2 Parce que leur âme médite des rapines, et que leurs lèvres parlent fraudes.
because they are [constantly] thinking about acting violently, and whenever they speak [MTY], they talk about (causing trouble/hurting someone).
3 C’est par la sagesse que se bâtira une maison, et par la prudence qu’elle s’affermira.
People make good houses (OR, families) by doing what is wise, and they make their houses (OR, families) strong by [heeding] good advice.
4 Par la science, les celliers se rempliront de toute sorte de biens précieux et très beaux.
By using good sense, [they are able to buy] valuable and beautiful things and put them in the rooms of their houses.
5 L’homme sage est puissant, et l’homme instruit est robuste et vigoureux.
Being wise is better than being strong/powerful; those who know [many things can accomplish more] than those who are [very] strong.
6 Parce que c’est avec réflexion que s’entreprend une guerre; et que le salut sera où il y a beaucoup de conseils.
Leaders can fight battles if they have wise advisors, and they win those battles if they have many good advisors.
7 Bien élevée est pour l’insensé la sagesse à la porte de la ville, il n’ouvrira pas la bouche.
Foolish people cannot understand wise sayings/talk; at public meetings they are not [able to] say anything [that is useful].
8 Celui qui pense à faire le mal sera appelé insensé.
Those who are [always] planning to do evil things will be called troublemakers.
9 La pensée de l’insensé est péché; et c’est l’abomination des hommes, que le médisant.
It is sinful to plan to do foolish things, and people hate those who make fun of [everything that is good].
10 Si, fatigué au jour de l’angoisse, tu désespères, ta force sera diminuée.
If you [act as though] you are helpless when you have troubles, you are [truly very] weak.
11 Arrache au péril ceux qui sont conduits à la mort, et, ceux que l’on traîne à la destruction, ne cesse pas de les délivrer.
[If it is unjustly decided] that someone must be executed, [try hard to] rescue them [DOU].
12 Si tu dis: Les forces me manquent; celui qui observe le cœur le discerne lui-même, rien ne trompe le conservateur de ton âme; et il rendra à l’homme selon ses œuvres.
If you say, “I did not know anything about it, [so (it is not my concern/I did not try to help him)],” remember that God knows what we have done, and he knows what we were thinking [IDM, RHQ], and he will certainly [RHQ] repay us as we deserve for what we have done or for not doing what we should have done.
13 Mange, mon fils, le miel, parce qu’il est bon, et le rayon doux à ton gosier.
My child/son, eat honey, because it is good [for you]; the honey that drips from honeycombs tastes [very] sweet.
14 Telle est la doctrine de la sagesse à ton âme: quand tu l’auras trouvée, tu auras à tes derniers moments l’espérance et ton espérance ne périra pas.
Similarly, being wise is good for your soul; if you become wise, you will be [happy in] the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do [LIT].
15 Ne dresse pas d’embûches, et ne cherche pas l’impiété dans la maison du juste, et ne détruis pas son repos.
Do not be like wicked people who [hide and] wait to break into the houses of righteous/good [people] and rob/steal things.
16 Car le juste tombera sept fois et se relèvera; mais les impies seront abattus dans le malheur.
[Even if] good people fall down seven/many times, they [always] stand/get up again, but when a disaster happens to wicked [people], it ruins/destroys them.
17 Lorsque ton ennemi sera tombé, ne Le réjouis pas: et qu’à sa ruine ton cœur n’exulte pas;
Do not be happy when something bad happens to one of your enemies; do not rejoice when he stumbles and falls,
18 De peur que le Seigneur ne le voie, et que cela ne lui déplaise; et qu’il ne retire de lui sa colère.
because Yahweh will know what you are thinking, and he will not like it, and [as a result] he will not punish that enemy of yours.
19 Ne dispute pas avec les hommes très méchants; et ne porte pas envie aux impies;
Do not become angry/upset about those who do what is evil, and do not [SYN] envy them,
20 Parce qu’ils n’ont pas l’espérance des choses futures, les méchants, et que la lampe des impies s’éteindra.
because [nothing good] will happen to wicked people; they are [like] a lamp that will soon be extinguished [MET].
21 Crains, mon fils, le Seigneur et le roi, et ne te lie pas avec les médisants;
My child/son, revere Yahweh and [also] honor the king, and do not associate with people who want to rebel against either of them,
22 Parce que tout à coup s’élèvera leur perte, et la ruine de l’un et de l’autre, qui la connaît?
because those people will suddenly experience disasters; and no one knows [RHQ] what great disasters that God or the king can cause to happen to them.
23 Voici aussi pour les sages: Faire acception de la personne dans le jugement n’est pas bon.
Here are more things that wise [people] have said: It is wrong for judges to decide matters unfairly [IDM].
24 Quant à ceux qui disent à l’impie: Tu es juste; les peuples les maudiront et les tribus les détesteront.
If they say to people who are guilty, “You (are innocent/have not done something that is wrong),” [even] people in other nations will curse and despise them,
25 Ceux qui le reprennent seront loués; et sur eux viendra la bénédiction.
but if judges say that guilty people must be punished, things will go well for those judges, and (they will receive blessings/God will bless them).
26 Il baisera les lèvres, celui qui répond des paroles droites.
Those who answer others honestly show that they are truly their friends [IDM].
27 Prépare au dehors ton œuvre, et avec soin cultive ton champ; afin qu’ensuite tu bâtisses ta maison.
First, do the work [that needs to be done] outside [your house], and prepare your fields, [and then plant things], and after you finish doing that, build your house.
28 Ne sois pas témoin sans raison contre ton prochain; et ne séduis personne par tes lèvres.
[In the courtroom] do not testify against someone when you have no reason to do that, and do not [try to] deceive [people] by what you say [MTY].
29 Ne dis pas: Comme il m’a fait, ainsi je lui ferai: je rendrai à chacun selon son œuvre.
Do not say, “I will do to him what he did to me; I will pay him back for [the bad things that] he did to me.”
30 J’ai passé dans le champ du paresseux, et par la vigne de l’insensé:
One day I walked by the vineyards of a lazy man, a man who did not have good sense.
31 Et voilà que tout était rempli d’orties; et que les épines en avaient couvert la surface, et que la muraille de pierres était détruite.
I was surprised to see that the fields were full of all kinds of thorny bushes, and the stone wall [around the garden] had (collapsed/fallen down).
32 Ce qu’ayant vu, je l’ai mis dans mon cœur, et par cet exemple je me suis instruit.
When I saw that, I thought about it, and I learned this:
33 Tu dormiras un peu, dis-je, tu sommeilleras modérément, tu mettras faiblement les mains l’une dans l’autre, afin que tu reposes:
[If you spend a lot of time] sleeping and napping and folding your hands while you rest,
34 Et viendra à toi, comme un coureur, la détresse; et la mendicité, comme un homme armé.
[soon] you will become poor; [it will be as though] [PRS, SIM] a bandit who had a weapon in his hand [attacked you and stole all that you had].
