Proverbes 25
1 Voici encore des paraboles de Salomon, qu’ont recueillies les hommes d’Ezéchias, roi de Juda.
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 cacher la parole, la gloire des rois, de scruter le discours.
[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 Le ciel en haut et la terre en bas, et le cœur des rois est impénétrable.
[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 la rouille de l’argent, et il en sortira un vase très pur.
[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 l’impiété de devant le roi, et par la justice s’affermira son trône.
[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 parais pas chercher la gloire devant le roi, et ne te tiens pas parmi les 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 d’être humilié devant le prince.
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 Ce que tes yeux ont vu, ne le publie pas aussitôt dans une querelle; de peur que dans la suite, tu ne puisses réparer ton tort, lorsque tu auras déshonoré ton ami.
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 ton affaire avec ton ami, et ne révèle pas un secret à un étranger;
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 qu’il ne t’insulte, lorsqu’il t’aura appris, et qu’il ne cesse de te le reprocher. La faveur et l’amitié délivrent; conserve-les, afin que tu ne deviennes pas répréhensible.
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 Comme sont les pommes d’or, sur des lits d’argent, ainsi est celui qui dit une parole en son temps.
Something that is said that is [very] appropriate is [as delightful as seeing] [SIM] gold apples/ornaments in a silver bowl.
12 C’est un pendant d’oreille d’or, et une perle brillante que celui qui reprend un sage et une oreille obéissante.
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 Comme la fraîcheur de la neige, au jour de la moisson, ainsi est un messager fidèle pour celui qui l’a envoyé; il fait reposer son âme.
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 Des nuages, du vent et point de pluie à la suite, tel est l’homme qui se vante et ne remplit pas ses promesses.
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 Par la patience, un prince se laissera fléchir, et une langue douce brisera la dureté.
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 Tu as trouvé du miel: mange ce qui te suffit de peur que, rassasié, tu ne le vomisses.
If you find some honey, do not eat a lot of it, because doing that may cause you to vomit.
17 Éloigne ton pied de la maison de ton prochain; de peur qu’un jour, 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 Un trait, un glaive, une flèche acérée, tel est l’homme qui, contre son prochain, dit un faux témoignage.
To falsely accuse others [in court] is like [SIM] [attacking them with] a war-club or a sword or a sharp arrow.
19 Une dent cariée, un pied lassé, tel est celui qui espère en un infidèle au jour de l’angoisse,
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 Et qui perd son manteau au jour du froid. Il met du vinaigre dans du nitre, celui qui chante des cantiques à un cœur très mauvais. Comme la teigne au vêtement et le ver au bois, ainsi la tristesse de l’homme nuit à son cœur.
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 ton ennemi a faim, donne-lui à manger: s’il a soif, donne-lui de l’eau à boire;
If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;
22 Car tu amasseras des charbons ardents sur sa tête; et le Seigneur te le rendra.
doing that will cause them to feel ashamed [IDM], and Yahweh will reward you for doing that.
23 Le vent d’aquilon dissipe les pluies, et le visage triste, la langue médisante.
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 Mieux vaut demeurer sur l’angle d’un toit qu’avec une femme querelleuse, et dans une maison commune.
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 C’est de l’eau fraîche à une âme altérée, qu’une bonne nouvelle venant d’une terre éloignée.
Receiving good news from a country far away refreshes our spirits like [SIM] cold water refreshes us when we are very thirsty.
26 Une fontaine troublée avec le pied, et une source corrompue, tel est le juste qui tombe devant l’impie.
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 manger beaucoup de miel n’est pas une bonne chose; ainsi celui qui scrute la majesté sera accablé par la gloire.
It is not good to eat too much honey, and trying to get people to praise you is also not good.
28 Comme est une ville ouverte, et sans enceinte de murailles; ainsi est l’homme qui ne peut, en parlant, retenir son esprit.
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].
