Proverbes 17
1 Mieux vaut du pain sec, mangé en paix, qu’une maison pleine de festins, accompagnés de disputes.
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 Un esclave intelligent prime un fils de famille incapable et reçoit une part d’héritage parmi 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 L’Éprouvette pour l’argent, le creuset pour l’or; quant aux cœurs, c’est l’Eternel qui les éprouve.
[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 prête attention aux lèvres iniques; l’homme de mensonge écoute la langue malfaisante.
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 Railler le pauvre, c’est outrager celui qui l’a créé; qui se réjouit d’un malheur ne demeure 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, ce sont leurs petits-enfants; l’honneur des fils, ce sont leurs parents.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Un fier langage ne sied pas à l’homme vil, moins encore une langue mensongère à l’homme généreux.
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 Les présents sont comme une pierre magique pour qui les reçoit: de quelque côté qu’on se tourne, ils assurent le succès.
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 Qui veut se faire des amis jette un voile sur les offenses; les rappeler sans cesse, c’est diviser les amis.
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 Un reproche fait plus d’impression sur un homme intelligent que cent coups sur un fou.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 L’Esprit de rébellion ne recherche que le mal, et c’est un ange cruel qui est déchaîné par lui.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Plutôt trouver sur sa route une ourse, à qui on a enlevé ses petits, qu’un fou en pleine 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 Qui rend le mal pour le bien, le malheur ne bougera pas de sa demeure.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Le début d’une dispute, c’est comme une écluse qu’on ouvre: avant que la querelle éclate, cède la place.
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 Innocenter un coupable, condamner un juste, double abomination aux yeux de l’Eternel!
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 A quoi sert au fou d’avoir de l’argent en main pour acquérir de la sagesse? Il n’a pas d’intelligence.
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 En tout temps, l’ami est fidèle à son affection: il est naturellement un frère dans le malheur.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 L’Homme dépourvu de sens engage sa parole et se porte garant à l’égard de son prochain.
[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 C’Est aimer le péché que d’aimer les querelles; qui dresse haut 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 L’Homme artificieux n’obtient pas le bonheur; qui manie une langue perfide tombe dans l’adversité.
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 Avoir pour fils un fou est une affliction; nulle joie pour le père d’un insensé!
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Un cœur joyeux redresse le corps, un esprit abattu dessèche les membres.
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 Le pervers accepte des présents en secret pour faire dévier les règles 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 La sagesse éclaire le visage de l’homme intelligent; les yeux du sot furètent jusqu’aux extrémités de la terre.
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 enfant sot est un chagrin pour son père, une cause d’amertume pour sa mère.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Certes, c’est une mauvaise action d’infliger une amende à l’innocent et des coups à des gens de bien en raison de leur droiture.
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 Etre ménager de paroles, c’est faire preuve de bon sens; l’homme intelligent garde son sang-froid.
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 Même le sot, s’il sait se taire, passe pour sage; pour intelligent, s’il sait tenir ses lèvres closes.
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.
