Proverbes 23
1 Si tu es à table avec un grand, Fais attention à ce qui est devant toi;
When you sit down to eat a meal with a (government official/king), think carefully about what (OR, who) is in front of you.
2 Mets un couteau à ta gorge, Si tu as trop d’avidité.
[Even] if you (have a big appetite/want to eat a lot of food), restrain yourself.
3 Ne convoite pas ses friandises: C’est un aliment trompeur.
Do not want to eat [a lot of] his fine food, because he may be trying to trick you.
4 Ne te tourmente pas pour t’enrichir, N’y applique pas ton intelligence.
Do not [cause yourself to become very tired by] working very hard to become rich; be wise and stop doing that,
5 Veux-tu poursuivre du regard ce qui va disparaître? Car la richesse se fait des ailes, Et comme l’aigle, elle prend son vol vers les cieux.
because as soon as you look [MTY] at [all the money that you have acquired], it will be gone; it will [disappear as if it] suddenly grew wings [SIM] and flew up into the sky like an eagle.
6 Ne mange pas le pain de celui dont le regard est malveillant, Et ne convoite pas ses friandises;
[If] someone who is stingy [invites you to a meal], do not eat [a lot of] his fine food,
7 Car il est comme les pensées de son âme. Mange et bois, te dira-t-il; Mais son cœur n’est point avec toi.
because he will be thinking about how much [the food cost that you are eating]. He [will] say to you, “Eat and drink all that you want!”, but that is not what he [will] really be thinking.
8 Tu vomiras le morceau que tu as mangé, Et tu auras perdu tes propos agréables.
[When you realize what he is really thinking, it will cause you to want to] vomit what you have eaten; and your kind words [telling him that you are enjoying the meal] will be wasted.
9 Ne parle pas aux oreilles de l’insensé, Car il méprise la sagesse de tes discours.
(Do not [waste time by]/It is useless) talking to foolish people; they will [only] despise the wise things that you say.
10 Ne déplace pas la borne ancienne, Et n’entre pas dans le champ des orphelins;
Do not [steal someone’s property by] removing a boundary marker that has been there for a long time, and do not take for yourself the land that belongs to orphans,
11 Car leur vengeur est puissant: Il défendra leur cause contre toi.
because Yahweh is strong, and he is [like] a relative that has the responsibility to defend them, he will [stand up in court and] argue for them and against you.
12 Ouvre ton cœur à l’instruction, Et tes oreilles aux paroles de la science.
Pay attention to what [your teachers] teach you, and try to learn from the wise things that they say.
13 N’épargne pas la correction à l’enfant; Si tu le frappes de la verge, il ne mourra point.
Do not refuse to discipline your children; if you punish/spank them, it will not cause them to die,
and it may save them from [going to] the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
15 Mon fils, si ton cœur est sage, Mon cœur à moi sera dans la joie;
My son/child, if you [SYN] become wise, I [SYN] will be very happy.
16 Mes entrailles seront émues d’allégresse, Quand tes lèvres diront ce qui est droit.
I [SYN] will rejoice when I hear you [SYN] say what is right/wise.
17 Que ton cœur n’envie point les pécheurs, Mais qu’il ait toujours la crainte de l’Éternel;
Do not envy sinful people; instead, revere Yahweh all of your life.
18 Car il est un avenir, Et ton espérance ne sera pas anéantie.
[If you do that], you will be happy in the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do.
19 Écoute, mon fils, et sois sage; Dirige ton cœur dans la voie droite.
My son/child, listen carefully to me and become wise, and think about (all that you do/your behavior).
20 Ne sois pas parmi les buveurs de vin, Parmi ceux qui font excès des viandes:
Do not associate with those who drink a lot of (wine/strong drink) or with those who (are gluttons/eat more than they should),
21 Car l’ivrogne et celui qui se livre à des excès s’appauvrissent, Et l’assoupissement fait porter des haillons.
because drunkards and gluttons will become poor; and if all that you do is eat and sleep, you will [soon] (be wearing rags/not have any money to buy clothes).
22 Écoute ton père, lui qui t’a engendré, Et ne méprise pas ta mère, quand elle est devenue vieille.
Pay attention to what your father tells you, and (do not neglect/take care of) [LIT] your mother when she is old.
23 Acquiers la vérité, et ne la vends pas, La sagesse, l’instruction et l’intelligence.
Try to know/learn what is wise, and get good instruction and understanding; and do not throw those things away.
24 Le père du juste est dans l’allégresse, Celui qui donne naissance à un sage aura de la joie.
Righteous [children] will cause their parents to be very happy; those whose children are wise are proud of them.
25 Que ton père et ta mère se réjouissent, Que celle qui t’a enfanté soit dans l’allégresse!
[Do what will] cause your father to be glad and enable your mother [also] to be happy.
26 Mon fils, donne-moi ton cœur, Et que tes yeux se plaisent dans mes voies.
My son, heed what I say to you, and allow what I do to be an example for you.
27 Car la prostituée est une fosse profonde, Et l’étrangère un puits étroit.
Prostitutes and immoral women [DOU] are [like] [MET] a deep pit or a well [that you may fall into].
28 Elle dresse des embûches comme un brigand, Et elle augmente parmi les hommes le nombre des perfides.
They wait [for you] like robbers [SIM], and they cause many men to (be unfaithful to/have sex with women who are not) their wives.
29 Pour qui les ah? Pour qui les hélas? Pour qui les disputes? Pour qui les plaintes? Pour qui les blessures sans raison? Pour qui les yeux rouges?
I will tell you [RHQ] what kind of people are always miserable and sad. I will tell you [RHQ] which people are always causing arguments/quarrels and who are always complaining. I will tell you [RHQ] who are injured in fights and whose eyes are always red/bloodshot.
30 Pour ceux qui s’attardent auprès du vin, Pour ceux qui vont déguster du vin mêlé.
[It is] those who drink a lot of wine, who try drinking other kinds of strong drinks.
31 Ne regarde pas le vin qui paraît d’un beau rouge, Qui fait des perles dans la coupe, Et qui coule aisément.
Do not look with pleasure at red wine that looks nice, and which sparkles when it is [poured out] into cups, and which tastes good as you drink it,
32 Il finit par mordre comme un serpent, Et par piquer comme un basilic.
because the next morning [you will feel like] you have been bitten by a poisonous snake [DOU].
33 Tes yeux se porteront sur des étrangères, Et ton cœur parlera d’une manière perverse.
You [SYN] will [think that you are] seeing strange/weird things, and you [SYN] will not be able to think clearly or speak clearly.
34 Tu seras comme un homme couché au milieu de la mer, Comme un homme couché sur le sommet d’un mât:
You will think you are in a ship that is tossing on the sea; you be like [SIM] someone who is trying to sleep when the ship is rolling from one side to the other.
35 On m’a frappé, … je n’ai point de mal!… On m’a battu, … je ne sens rien!… Quand me réveillerai-je?… J’en veux encore!
You will say, “[I think that] someone struck me, but he did not hurt me; he hit me, but I did not feel it. When will I (wake up/feel normal again) in order that I can drink some more wine?”
