Job 20
1 Then Sophar the Minaean answered and said,
Et Tsophar, le Naamathite, répondit et dit:
2 I did not suppose that you would answer thus: neither do you understand more than I.
C’est pourquoi mes pensées m’inspirent une réponse, et à cause de ceci l’ardeur de mon esprit [agit] en moi:
3 I will hear my shameful reproach; and the spirit of my understanding answers me.
J’entends une réprimande qui me couvre de honte, et mon esprit me répond par mon intelligence.
4 Hast you [not] known these things of old, from the time that man was set upon the earth?
Sais-tu bien que, de tout temps, depuis que l’homme a été mis sur la terre,
5 But the mirth of the ungodly is a signal downfall, and the joy of transgressors is destruction:
L’exultation des méchants est courte, et la joie de l’impie n’est que pour un moment?
6 although his gifts should go up to heaven, and his sacrifice reach the clouds.
Si sa hauteur s’élève jusqu’aux cieux, et que sa tête touche les nuées,
7 For when he shall seem to be now established, then he shall utterly perish: and they that knew him shall say, Where is he?
Il périra pour toujours comme ses ordures; ceux qui l’ont vu diront: Où est-il?
8 Like a dream that has fled away, he shall not be found; and he has fled like a vision of the night.
Il s’envole comme un songe, et on ne le trouve pas; il s’enfuit comme une vision de la nuit.
9 The eye has looked upon him, but shall not [see him] again; and his place shall no longer perceive him.
L’œil l’a regardé et ne l’aperçoit plus, et son lieu ne le revoit plus.
10 Let [his] inferiors destroy his children, and let his hands kindle the fire of sorrow.
Ses fils rechercheront la faveur des pauvres, et ses mains restitueront [ce que] sa violence [a ravi].
11 His bones have been filled with [vigour of] his youth, and it shall lie down with him in the dust.
Ses os étaient pleins de sa jeunesse: elle se couchera avec lui sur la poussière.
12 Though evil be sweet in his mouth, [though] he will hide it under his tongue;
Si le mal est doux dans sa bouche, [et] qu’il le cache sous sa langue,
13 though he will not spare it, and will not leave it, but will keep it in the midst of his throat:
S’il l’épargne et ne l’abandonne pas, mais qu’il le retienne dans sa bouche,
14 yet he shall not at all be able to help himself; the gall of an asp is in his belly.
Son pain sera changé dans ses entrailles en un fiel d’aspic au-dedans de lui.
15 [His] wealth unjustly collected shall be vomited up; a messenger [of wrath] shall drag him out of his house.
Il a avalé les richesses, et il les vomira; Dieu les chassera de son ventre.
16 And let him suck the poison of serpents, and let the serpent's tongue kill him.
Il sucera le venin des aspics, la langue de la vipère le tuera.
17 Let him not see the milk of the pastures, nor the supplies of honey and butter.
Il ne verra pas des ruisseaux, des rivières, des torrents de miel et de beurre.
18 He has laboured unprofitably and in vain, [for] wealth of which he shall not taste: [it is] as a lean thing, unfit for food, which he can’t swallow.
Il rendra le fruit de son travail, et ne l’avalera pas; il le restituera selon sa valeur, et ne s’en réjouira pas.
19 For he has broken down the houses of many mighty men: and he has plundered an habitation, though he built [it] not.
Car il a opprimé, délaissé les pauvres; il a pillé une maison qu’il n’avait pas bâtie.
20 There is no security to his possessions; he shall not be saved by his desire.
Parce qu’il n’a pas connu de repos dans son désir, il ne sauvera rien de ce qu’il a de plus cher.
21 There is nothing remaining of his provisions; therefore his goods shall not flourish.
Rien n’a échappé à sa voracité: c’est pourquoi son bien-être ne durera pas.
22 But when he shall seem to be just satisfied, he shall be straitened; and all distress shall come upon him.
Dans la plénitude de son abondance, il sera dans la détresse; toutes les mains des malheureux viendront sur lui.
23 If by any means he would fill his belly, let [God] send upon him the fury of wrath; let him bring a torrent of pains upon him.
Il arrivera que, pour remplir son ventre, [Dieu] enverra sur lui l’ardeur de sa colère, et la fera pleuvoir sur lui dans sa chair.
24 And he shall by no means escape from the power of the sword; let the brazen bow wound him.
S’il fuit devant les armes de fer, un arc d’airain le transpercera.
25 And let the arrow pierce through his body; and let the stars be against his dwelling-place: let terrors come upon him.
Il arrache [la flèche] et elle sort de son corps, et le fer étincelant de son fiel: les terreurs sont sur lui.
26 And let all darkness wait for him: a fire that burns not out shall consume him; and let a stranger plague his house.
Toutes les ténèbres sont réservées pour ses trésors; un feu qu’on ne souffle pas le dévorera, [et] se repaîtra de ce qui reste dans sa tente.
27 And let the heaven reveal his iniquities, and the earth rise up against him.
Les cieux révéleront son iniquité, et la terre s’élèvera contre lui.
28 Let destruction bring his house to an end; let a day of wrath come upon him.
Le revenu de sa maison sera emporté; il s’écoulera au jour de Sa colère.
29 This is the portion of an ungodly man from the Lord, and the possession of his goods [appointed him] by the all-seeing [God].
Telle est, de la part de Dieu, la portion de l’homme méchant, et l’héritage qui lui est assigné par Dieu.
