Ecclesiastes 10
1 [A few] dead flies in [a bottle of] perfume cause [all] the perfume to stink. Similarly [SIM], a small amount of acting foolishly can have a greater effect than acting wisely.
Des mouches mortes font exhaler une odeur fétide à l'huile du parfumeur; un peu de folie a la prépondérance sur la sagesse et l'honneur.
2 If people think sensibly, it will lead them to do what is right; if they think foolishly, it causes them to do what is wrong.
La raison du sage est à sa droite; la raison du fou est à sa gauche.
3 Even while foolish people walk along the road, they show that they do not have good sense; they show everyone that they are not wise.
Quelle que soit la voie que suive le fou, il manque de sens, et il dit à chacun qu'il est un fou.
4 Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
Si la colère du souverain s'élève contre toi, ne cède pas la place, car le calme fait céder de grands péchés.
5 There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
Il est un mal que j'ai vu sous le soleil, par l'effet d'une méprise qui procède du prince:
6 They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
la folie est placée en très haut lieu, et des riches sont assis en lieu bas.
7 They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
J'ai vu des esclaves montés sur des chevaux, et des princes marchant à pied comme des esclaves. –
8 [It is possible that] those who dig pits will fall into one of those pits. [It is possible that] someone who tears down a wall will be bitten by a snake [that is in that wall].
Celui qui creuse une fosse, y tombera; et celui qui fait une brèche à un mur, sera mordu par un serpent.
9 If you work in a quarry, [it is possible that] a stone [will fall on you and] injure you. [It is possible that] men who split logs will be injured by one of those logs.
Celui qui remue des pierres, s'y fera mal, et celui qui fend du bois, se risque;
10 If your axe is not sharp [DOU], you will need to work harder [to cut down a tree], but by being wise, you will succeed.
si le fer est émoussé, et qu'il n'en affile pas le tranchant, il lui faudra un effort plus grand; mais la sagesse a l'avantage de donner l'adresse.
11 If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
Si le serpent mord quand il n'est pas enchanté, l'enchanteur ne sert à rien. –
12 Wise people say [MTY] what is sensible, and because of that, people honor them; but foolish people are destroyed by what they say [MTY].
Les discours de la bouche du sage ont la grâce; mais le fou est la victime de ses propres lèvres;
13 When foolish people start to talk, they say things that are foolish, and they end by saying things that are both wicked and foolish.
le début des paroles de sa bouche est folie, et la fin de son discours est un délire malfaisant.
14 They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
Et le fou prodigue les paroles; [cependant] l'homme ignore l'avenir, et qui lui découvre ce qui aura lieu après lui?
15 Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
Le travail du fou le fatigue, car il ne sait pas trouver le chemin de la ville. –
16 Terrible things will happen to the people of a nation whose ruler is a foolish young man, and whose [other] leaders continually eat, all day long, every day.
Malheur à toi, pays, qui as pour roi un enfant, et dont les princes se mettent à table dès le matin!
17 [But] a nation will prosper if its ruler is from a (noble/well-educated) family, and if its [other] leaders feast [only] at the proper times, and [if they eat and drink only] to be strong, not to become drunk.
Bonheur à toi, pays, qui as pour roi un fils de noble race, et dont les princes se mettent à table en temps convenable, pour se restaurer, et non pour boire!
18 Some men are very lazy [and do not repair the rafters], with the result that the rafters sag [and collapse]; and if they do not repair the roof, water will leak into the house [when it rains].
Quand il y a paresse, la charpente se disloque; et, quand les mains sont lâches, le logis a des voies d'eau. –
19 Eating food and drinking wine causes us to laugh and be happy, [but] we are able to enjoy those things only if we have money [to buy them].
On apprête un festin pour se réjouir, et le vin égaie les vivants; et l'argent répond à tout. –
20 Do not even think about cursing the king, or cursing rich [people, even] when you are [alone] in your bedroom, because [it is possible that] a little bird will hear [what you are saying], [and] tell those people what you said [about them].
Même dans ta pensée ne maudis pas le roi; et au fond de la chambre où tu couches, ne maudis pas le riche! Car l'oiseau du ciel emportera tes propos, et le volatile ailé publiera tes discours.
