Proverbes 21
1 Tel est le cours de l'eau, tel est le cœur du roi dans la main de Dieu; de quelque côté qu'il veuille l'incliner, c'est là qu'Il le dirige.
Yahweh controls what kings do [MTY] [like] he controls how streams flow; he causes kings to do just what he wants them to do.
2 Tout homme semble juste à ses yeux; mais Dieu dirige les cœurs.
People always think that what they do is right, but Yahweh judges our (motives/reasons [for doing things)] [MTY].
3 Faire des choses justes et dire la vérité est plus agréable au Seigneur que le sang des victimes.
Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to Yahweh than [bringing] sacrifices [to him].
4 Le cœur de l'audacieux est superbe dans son insolence; la lampe des impies est le péché.
Being proud and arrogant [DOU] is [like] a lamp [MTY] [that guides] wicked people; being proud and arrogant characterizes (wicked people’s whole behavior/everything that wicked people do).
People who plan carefully will surely have plenty [of what they need]; those who act too quickly [to become rich] will become poor.
6 Amasser des trésors avec une langue trompeuse, c'est poursuivre des vanités sur les filets de la mort.
Money that people acquire [by cheating others] by lying [MTY] to them will soon disappear [like] a mist, and doing that will [soon] lead to their death.
7 La destruction habitera avec les impies, parce qu'ils ne veulent pas pratiquer la justice.
Wicked [people] refuse to do what is right/just, but they will be ruined because of the violent things [PRS] that they do.
8 Devant les hommes tortueux Dieu place des voies tortueuses; car Ses œuvres sont droites et pures.
Guilty [people continually do what is evil; it is as though] [MET] they are walking on a crooked road; but righteous/innocent people [always] do what is right.
9 Mieux vaut demeurer dans un carrefour en plein air, que dans une grande maison bien crépie avec l'iniquité.
It is better to live in the corner of an attic/housetop [by yourself] than to live inside the house with a wife who is always nagging.
10 Nul homme ne sera miséricordieux pour l'âme des impies.
Wicked [people] [SYN] are always wanting [to do what is] evil; they never act mercifully toward anyone.
11 La punition de l'intempérant rend l'innocent plus réfléchi; l'homme sage et intelligent en reçoit une leçon.
When those who ridicule [others] are punished, [even] those who do not have good sense [see that, and] they become wise, and when those who are wise are taught, they become wiser.
12 Le juste pénètre le cœur des impies, et les méprise à cause de leur malice.
[God], the one [who is completely] righteous, knows [what happens inside] the houses of wicked [people], and [he will cause] those people to be completely ruined/destroyed.
13 Celui qui ferme l'oreille au cri du faible criera lui-même, et nul ne l'écoutera.
There are people who refuse to listen when poor people cry out [for help]; [but some day] they themselves will cry out [for help], and no one will hear them.
14 Un don secret détourne les colères; celui qui épargne les présents excite de violents courroux.
When someone is angry [with you], if you secretly give him a gift, he will stop being angry.
15 La joie du juste est de faire justice; le saint n'est pas pur aux yeux des méchants.
Good/Righteous [people] are happy when they [see others do] what is just/fair, but those who do what is evil are terrified [when they think about what may happen to them].
16 L'homme qui s'égare loin des voies de la justice se reposera dans l'assemblée des géants.
Those who stop behaving like those who have good sense behave will [soon] discover that they have gone to the place where dead people are.
17 L'indigent aime la joie; il désire le vin et l'huile en abondance.
Those who spend their money to buy (things that give them pleasure/things that cause them to feel happy) will become poor; those who love [to spend money to buy] wine and nice/fancy food [MTY] will never become rich.
18 Les déréglés sont en abomination aux justes.
Wicked [people] bring on themselves the sufferings that they were trying to cause righteous [people] to experience [DOU].
19 Mieux vaut habiter le désert qu'avec une femme bavarde, colère et querelleuse.
It is better to live [alone] in a desert than [to live] with a wife who is [always] nagging and complaining.
20 Un trésor désirable reposera sur la bouche du sage; mais les insensés le dévorent.
Wise people have many valuable things in their houses, but foolish people [quickly] spend/waste [all their money].
21 Les voies de la justice et de la miséricorde conduisent à la vie et à la gloire.
Those who [always] try to act in a fair and kind way [toward others] will live [a long time] and be honored/respected.
22 Le sage a pris d'assaut les villes fortes; il a démoli les forteresses sur lesquelles comptaient les impies.
A wise army commander [helps his troops] climb over a wall [to attack] a city that is defended by a strong army, with the result that they are able to (get over/destroy) the high walls that their enemies trusted [would protect them].
23 Celui qui est maître de sa bouche et de sa langue garde son âme de la tribulation.
Those who are very careful about what they say [MTY] are [able to] avoid trouble.
24 L'homme audacieux, arrogant et présomptueux peut être appelé un fléau; le vindicatif n'est pas dans la loi.
Those who make fun of [everything that is good] are proud and conceited [DOU]; they [always] act in an inconsiderate way [toward others].
25 Les désirs tuent le paresseux; car ses mains ne se lèvent pas pour faire quoi que ce soit.
Lazy people, who refuse to work, [will] die [of hunger] because they [SYN] do not earn [money to buy food].
26 L'impie, durant tout le jour, a des désirs mauvais; le juste n'est avare ni de compassion ni de miséricorde.
All during the day [wicked people] desire to obtain things, but righteous [people] have plenty, [with the result that] they [are able to] give things generously to others.
27 Les sacrifices des impies sont en abomination au Seigneur; car ils les offrent le cœur plein d'iniquité.
[Yahweh] detests the sacrifices that wicked [people] offer [to him]; [but he] detests it even more when they [think that they will escape being punished for] their evil deeds because of the sacrifices that they bring.
28 Le faux témoin périra; un homme docile parlera avec réserve.
Those who tell lies in court will be punished; no one stops/silences witnesses who say what is truthful/reliable.
29 L'impie compose effrontément son visage; mais l'homme droit saura bien discerner ses voies.
Wicked people pretend [that they know everything], but righteous people think carefully about [what will happen because of] what they do.
30 Il n'est point de sagesse, point de courage, point de raison chez l'impie.
[Thinking that we are] wise, and that we understand many things, and that we have good insight, does not help us if Yahweh is (acting against/not pleased with) us.
31 Le cheval est tout prêt pour le jour du combat; mais le secours vient de Dieu.
We [can] get horses ready to fight in a battle, but Yahweh is the one who enables us to (win victories/defeat our enemies).
