1 Ne sois pas jaloux de ton épouse bien-aimée et ne lui donne pas l'idée de te faire du mal. | 1 You should not be jealous of the wife of your bosom, lest she reveal, because of you, the malice of a wicked lesson. |
2 Ne te livre pas entre les mains d'une femme, de peur qu'elle ne prenne de l'ascendant sur toi. | 2 You should not give authority over your soul to a woman, lest she obtain your strength, and then you would be confounded. |
3 Ne va pas au-devant d'une prostituée: tu pourrais tomber dans ses pièges. | 3 You should not look with favor on a woman with many desires, lest perhaps you may fall into her traps. |
4 Ne fréquente pas une chanteuse: tu te ferais prendre à ses artifices. | 4 You should not be continually in need of entertainment, nor should you be persuaded by it, lest perhaps you may perish by its effectiveness. |
5 N'arrête pas ton regard sur une jeune fille, de crainte d'être puni avec elle. | 5 You should not stare at a virgin, lest perhaps you may be scandalized by her beauty. |
6 Ne te livre pas aux mains des prostituées: tu y perdrais ton patrimoine. | 6 You should not give your soul, in any way, to fornicators, lest you destroy yourself and your inheritance. |
7 Ne promène pas ton regard dans les rues de la ville et ne rôde pas dans les coins déserts. | 7 Do not choose to look around in the streets of the city, nor should you wander along its thoroughfares. |
8 Détourne ton regard d'une jolie femme et ne l'arrête pas sur une beauté étrangère. Beaucoupont été égarés par la beauté d'une femme et l'amour s'y enflamme comme un feu. | 8 Avert your face from an ornate woman, for you should not gaze upon strange beauty. |
9 Près d'une femme mariée garde-toi bien de t'asseoir et de t'attabler pour des beuveries, decrainte que ton coeur ne succombe à ses charmes et que dans ta passion tu ne glisses à ta perte. | 9 Many have perished because of the beauty of a woman; and by this, desire is kindled like a fire. |
10 N'abandonne pas un vieil ami, le nouveau venu ne le vaudra pas. Vin nouveau, aminouveau, laisse-le vieillir, tu le boiras avec délices. | 10 Every woman who is a fornicator will be trampled down, like the filth in the street. |
11 N'envie pas le succès du pécheur, tu ne sais comment cela finira. | 11 Many, by admiring the beauty of the wife of another, have become reprobate. For familiarity with her flares up like a fire. |
12 Ne te félicite pas de la réussite des impies, souviens-toi qu'ici-bas ils ne resteront pasimpunis. | 12 You should not sit down at all with another man’s wife, nor recline with her on a couch. |
13 Tiens-toi éloigné de l'homme qui est capable de tuer et tu n'auras aucune crainte de la mort.Si tu l'approches surveille-le bien, il pourrait t'ôter la vie. Sache bien que tu es entouré de pièges et que tumarches sur les remparts. | 13 And you should not argue with her over wine, lest perhaps your heart may turn toward her, and by your emotion, you would be toppled into perdition. |
14 Autant que tu le peux fréquente ton prochain et prends conseil des sages. | 14 You should not abandon a old friend. For a new one will not be similar to him. |
15 Pour ta conversation recherche les hommes intelligents et que tous tes entretiens portent surla loi du Très-Haut. | 15 A new friend is like new wine. It will grow old, and then you will enjoy drinking it. |
16 Que les justes soient tes commensaux et que ta fierté soit dans la crainte du Seigneur. | 16 You should not envy the glory and wealth of a sinner. For you do not know what may be his undoing in the future. |
17 Un ouvrage fait de main d'ouvrier mérite louange, mais le chef du peuple, lui, doit êtrehabile dans le discours. | 17 The injury of the unjust should not please you, knowing that, until they are in hell, the impious will not please. |
18 Le beau parleur est redouté dans la ville et le bavard est détesté. | 18 Keep yourself far from a man having the power to kill, and then you will not have the fear of death suspended over you. |
| 19 But if you do approach him, do nothing to offend, lest perhaps he may take away your life. |
| 20 Know that this is a communion with death. For you would be entering the midst of snares, and walking upon the arms of the grieving. |
| 21 According to your ability, be cautious of your neighbor, and treat him as the wise and prudent would. |
| 22 Let just men be your companions, and let your glory be in the fear of God. |
| 23 And let the thought of God be in your mind, and let all your discourse be on the precepts of the Most High. |
| 24 Works will be praised for the hands of the artists, and a leader of the people will be praised for the wisdom of his words, yet truly, the word of the elders will be praised for its understanding. |
| 25 A man full of words is a dread to his city, but one who speaks rashly will be hated for his word. |