Proverbes 26
1 Comme la neige en été, et la pluie à la moisson, ainsi l'honneur ne va pas à l'insensé.
Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
2 Comme le passereau va voltigeant, et l'hirondelle volant ainsi la malédiction non méritée n'atteint pas.
Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
3 Au cheval le fouet, à l'âne le mors, et au dos de l'insensé le bâton.
It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
4 Ne réponds pas à l'insensé selon sa folie, de peur de lui ressembler toi-même.
If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
5 Réponds à l'insensé selon sa folie. afin qu'il ne s'imagine pas être sage.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Il se coupe les pieds, s'abreuve de peines celui qui charge un fou d'une mission.
Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
7 Les jambes d'un perclus sont pendantes; telle est une sentence dans la bouche des fous.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Lancer une pierre avec la fronde, c'est accorder des honneurs à un insensé.
Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
9 Une épine que tient levée un homme ivre, c'est une sentence dans la bouche des fous.
If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
10 Tel un archer qui blesse chacun, tel est celui qui soudoie des fous, et soudoie tout venant.
A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
11 Comme le chien retourne à ce qu'il a vomi, ainsi l'insensé réitère sa folie.
A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
12 Vois cet homme qui s'imagine être sage! Il y a plus à espérer d'un insensé que de lui.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
13 Le lâche dit: « J'entends sur le chemin le rugissant, il y a un lion dans la rue! »
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 La porte tourne sur ses gonds, et le lâche dans son lit.
A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
15 Le lâche plonge sa main dans le plat, il a peine à la ramener à sa bouche.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
16 Le lâche se trouve plus sage que sept hommes qui répondent avec jugement.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Il prend un chien par les oreilles, celui qui en passant s'échauffe pour une querelle qui n'est pas la sienne.
Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
18 Tel un furieux qui décoche des traits, et des dards mortels,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 tel est l'homme qui trompe son prochain, puis dit: « N'ai-je pas badiné? »
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Faute de bois le feu s'éteint; ôtez le médisant, la querelle cesse.
If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
21 Le charbon donne de la braise, et le bois des flammes, et l'homme querelleur allume la dispute.
[Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
22 Les propos du rapporteur sont comme des friandises; ils s'insinuent jusqu'au fond des entrailles.
People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
23 De l'argent brut appliqué sur un têt, c'est le feu sur les lèvres, et la malice dans le cœur.
People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
24 Dans ses discours l'ennemi dissimule, mais dans son âme il s'apprête à tromper.
Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
25 Prend-il un ton gracieux, ne te fie pas à lui, car sept abominations sont dans son cœur.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 La haine se cache sous un faux semblant, mais sa malice se découvre dans l'assemblée.
They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
27 Qui creuse une fosse, y tombe, et la pierre revient sur celui qui la roule.
Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
28 La langue fausse hait ceux qu'elle va perdre, et la bouche flatteuse prépare la ruine.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
