Ecclésiaste 10
1 Les mouches mourant gâtent la suavité d’un parfum. Une folie légère et de courte durée prévaut sur la sagesse et la gloire.
[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.
2 Le cœur du sage est dans sa droite, et le cœur de l’insensé dans sa gauche.
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.
3 Mais même l’insensé qui marche dans sa voie, comme il est lui-même dépourvu de sagesse, il estime tous les hommes insensés.
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.
4 Si l’esprit de celui qui a le pouvoir s’élève contre toi, ne quitte pas ta place, parce que le remède fera cesser les plus grands péchés.
Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
5 Il est un mal que j’ai vu sous le soleil, sortant comme par erreur de la face du prince:
There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
6 L’insensé élevé à une haute dignité, et des riches assis en bas.
They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
7 J’ai vu des esclaves sur des chevaux, et des princes marchant sur la terre comme des esclaves.
They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
8 Celui qui creuse une fosse y tombera, et celui qui détruit une haie, un serpent le mordra.
[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].
9 Celui qui transporte des pierres en sera meurtri; et celui qui fend du bois en sera blessé.
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.
10 Si le fer a perdu son tranchant, et qu’il ne soit pas comme auparavant, mais qu’il soit émoussé, c’est avec beaucoup de travail qu’on l’aiguisera: ainsi après l’application viendra la sagesse.
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.
11 Si un serpent mord dans le silence, celui qui médit en cachette n’a rien de moins que ce serpent.
If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
12 Les paroles de la bouche du sage sont pleines de grâce; et les lèvres de l’insensé le précipiteront;
Wise people say [MTY] what is sensible, and because of that, people honor them; but foolish people are destroyed by what they say [MTY].
13 Le commencement de ses paroles est la folie, et la dernière de sa bouche une erreur très funeste.
When foolish people start to talk, they say things that are foolish, and they end by saying things that are both wicked and foolish.
14 L’insensé multiplie les paroles. L’homme ignore ce qui a été avant lui; et ce qui doit être après lui, qui pourra le lui indiquer?
They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
15 Le travail des insensés les affligera, eux qui ne savent pas aller à la ville.
Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
16 Malheur à toi, terre dont le roi est un enfant, et dont les princes mangent dès le matin.
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.
17 Bienheureuse la terre dont le roi est noble, et dont les princes mangent en leur temps, pour se refaire et non pour la sensualité.
[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.
18 Par la paresse s’affaissera la charpente; et par la faiblesse des mains dégouttera la maison.
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].
19 Les vivants emploient le pain en divertissement, et le vin pour leurs festins; et à l’argent toutes choses obéissent.
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].
20 Dans ta pensée ne médis pas du roi, et dans le secret de ta chambre ne maudis pas le riche, parce que même les oiseaux du ciel porteront ta voix, et celui qui a des ailes publiera ton sentiment.
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].
