Job 9
1 Then Job answered and said,
Job prit la parole et dit:
2 I know of a truth that it is so: for how shall a mortal man be just before the Lord?
Je sais bien qu’il en est ainsi; Comment l’homme serait-il juste devant Dieu?
3 For if he would enter into judgement with him, [God] would not listen to him, so that he should answer to one of his charges of a thousand.
S’il voulait contester avec lui, Sur mille choses il ne pourrait répondre à une seule.
4 For he is wise in mind, and mighty, and great: who has hardened himself against him and endured?
A lui la sagesse et la toute-puissance: Qui lui résisterait impunément?
5 Who wears out the mountains, and [men] know it not: who overturns them in anger.
Il transporte soudain les montagnes, Il les renverse dans sa colère.
6 Who shakes the [earth] under heaven from its foundations, and its pillars totter.
Il secoue la terre sur sa base, Et ses colonnes sont ébranlées.
7 Who commands the sun, and it rises not; and he seals up the stars.
Il commande au soleil, et le soleil ne paraît pas; Il met un sceau sur les étoiles.
8 Who alone has stretched out the heavens, and walks on the sea as on firm ground.
Seul, il étend les cieux, Il marche sur les hauteurs de la mer.
9 Who makes Pleias, and Hesperus, and Arcturus, and the chambers of the south.
Il a créé la Grande Ourse, l’Orion et les Pléiades, Et les étoiles des régions australes.
10 Who does great and unsearchable things; glorious also and excellent things, innumerable.
Il fait des choses grandes et insondables, Des merveilles sans nombre.
11 If ever he should go beyond me, I shall not see him: if he should pass by me, neither thus have I known [it].
Voici, il passe près de moi, et je ne le vois pas, Il s’en va, et je ne l’aperçois pas.
12 If he would take away, who shall turn him back? or who shall say to him, What have you done?
S’il enlève, qui s’y opposera? Qui lui dira: Que fais-tu?
13 For [if] he has turned away [his] anger, the whales under heaven have stooped under him.
Dieu ne retire point sa colère; Sous lui s’inclinent les appuis de l’orgueil.
14 Oh then that he would listen to me, or judge my cause.
Et moi, comment lui répondre? Quelles paroles choisir?
15 For though I be righteous, he will not listen to me: I will entreat his judgement.
Quand je serais juste, je ne répondrais pas; Je ne puis qu’implorer mon juge.
16 And if I should call and he should not listen, I can’t believe that he has listened to my voice.
Et quand il m’exaucerait, si je l’invoque, Je ne croirais pas qu’il eût écouté ma voix,
17 Let him not crush me with a dark storm: but he has made by bruises many without cause.
Lui qui m’assaille comme par une tempête, Qui multiplie sans raison mes blessures,
18 For he suffers me not to take breath, but he has filled me with bitterness.
Qui ne me laisse pas respirer, Qui me rassasie d’amertume.
19 For indeed he is strong in power: who then shall resist his judgement?
Recourir à la force? Il est tout-puissant. A la justice? Qui me fera comparaître?
20 For though I should seem righteous, my mouth will be profane: and though I should seem blameless, I shall be proved perverse.
Suis-je juste, ma bouche me condamnera; Suis-je innocent, il me déclarera coupable.
21 For even if I have sinned, I know it not [in] my soul: but my life is taken away.
Innocent! Je le suis; mais je ne tiens pas à la vie, Je méprise mon existence.
22 Therefore I said, Wrath slays the great and mighty man.
Qu’importe après tout? Car, j’ose le dire, Il détruit l’innocent comme le coupable.
23 For the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.
Si du moins le fléau donnait soudain la mort!… Mais il se rit des épreuves de l’innocent.
24 For they are delivered into the hands of the unrighteous [man]: he covers the faces of the judges [of the earth]: but if it be not he, who is it?
La terre est livrée aux mains de l’impie; Il voile la face des juges. Si ce n’est pas lui, qui est-ce donc?
25 But my life is swifter than a post: [my days] have fled away, and they knew it not.
Mes jours sont plus rapides qu’un courrier; Ils fuient sans avoir vu le bonheur;
26 Or again, is there a trace of [their] path [left] by ships? or is there one of the flying eagle as it seeks [its] prey?
Ils passent comme les navires de jonc, Comme l’aigle qui fond sur sa proie.
27 And if I should say, I will forget to speak, I will bow down my face and groan;
Si je dis: Je veux oublier mes souffrances, Laisser ma tristesse, reprendre courage,
28 I quake in all my limbs, for I know that you will not leave me alone [as] innocent.
Je suis effrayé de toutes mes douleurs. Je sais que tu ne me tiendras pas pour innocent.
29 But since I am ungodly, why have I not died?
Je serai jugé coupable; Pourquoi me fatiguer en vain?
30 For if I should wash myself with snow, and purge myself with pure hands,
Quand je me laverais dans la neige, Quand je purifierais mes mains avec du savon,
31 you had thoroughly plunged me in filth, and my garment had abhorred me.
Tu me plongerais dans la fange, Et mes vêtements m’auraient en horreur.
32 For you are not man like me, with whom I could contend, that we might come together to judgement.
Il n’est pas un homme comme moi, pour que je lui réponde, Pour que nous allions ensemble en justice.
33 Would that [he] our mediator were [present], and a reprover, and one who should hear [the cause] between both.
Il n’y a pas entre nous d’arbitre, Qui pose sa main sur nous deux.
34 Let him remove [his] rod from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
Qu’il retire sa verge de dessus moi, Que ses terreurs ne me troublent plus;
35 so shall I not be afraid, but I will speak: for I am not thus conscious [of guilt].
Alors je parlerai et je ne le craindrai pas. Autrement, je ne suis point à moi-même.
