Job 29
1 Job spoke again,
Et Job reprit son discours sentencieux et dit:
2 “I wish/desire that I could be like I was previously, during the years when God took care of me.
Oh! que ne suis-je comme aux mois d’autrefois, comme aux jours où Dieu me gardait;
3 During those years, [it was as though] God’s lamp [MET] shone on me and gave me light while I walked in the darkness.
Quand sa clarté luisait sur ma tête, et que dans les ténèbres je marchais à sa lumière;
4 At that time I was young and strong, and because God was my friend, [he protected] [PRS] my tent.
Comme j’étais aux jours de mon automne, quand le conseil secret de Dieu présidait sur ma tente;
5 Almighty [God] was with me during those years when all my children were around me.
Quand le Tout-puissant était encore avec moi, [et] que mes jeunes gens m’entouraient;
6 [My herds] provided me with plenty of milk, and streams of oil flowed from the rock where my olives were pressed.
Quand je lavais mes pas dans le caillé, et que le rocher versait auprès de moi des ruisseaux d’huile! –
7 “Whenever I went to [the place where the elders gathered at] the city gate, I sat down with them,
Quand je sortais [pour aller] à la porte par la ville, quand je préparais mon siège sur la place:
8 and when the young men saw me, they stepped aside [respectfully], and the old men [also] stood [respectfully].
Les jeunes gens me voyaient et se cachaient, et les vieillards se levaient [et] se tenaient debout;
9 The leaders of the people stopped talking [DOU],
Les princes s’abstenaient de parler et mettaient la main sur leur bouche,
10 and even the most important men became quiet and ceased talking [MTY] [in order to hear me speak to them].
La voix des nobles s’éteignait, et leur langue se collait à leur palais.
11 When they [SYN] all heard [what I told them], they said good things about me. When they [SYN] saw me (OR, what I had done), they commended me,
Quand l’oreille m’entendait, elle m’appelait bienheureux; quand l’œil me voyait, il me rendait témoignage;
12 because I had helped the poor people when they cried out for help and I aided/helped orphans who had no one else to help them.
Car je délivrais le malheureux qui implorait du secours, et l’orphelin qui était sans aide.
13 Those who were suffering and about to die praised [PRS] me, and I caused widows [SYN] to sing joyfully, [because of my helping them].
La bénédiction de celui qui périssait venait sur moi, et je faisais chanter de joie le cœur de la veuve.
14 I always acted justly; my continually doing that was like [MET] a robe that I wore and a turban [that was wrapped around my head].
Je me vêtais de la justice, et elle me revêtait; ma droiture m’était comme un manteau et un turban.
15 [It was as though] [MET] I was eyes for blind people and feet for people who were lame.
J’étais, moi, les yeux de l’aveugle et les pieds du boiteux;
16 I was [like] [MET] a father to poor people, and in courts I defended those who were strangers.
J’étais un père pour les pauvres, et j’examinais la cause de celui qui m’était inconnu;
17 My causing wicked people [to be unable to continue oppressing others was like] [MET] breaking the fangs [of fierce wild animals] and forcing them to drop from their teeth/mouths the animals that they had caught/seized.
Et je brisais la mâchoire de l’inique, et d’entre ses dents j’arrachais la proie.
18 “At that time I thought, ‘Surely I will live securely, until I am very old [SIM], and I will die at home [with my family].’
Et je disais: J’expirerai dans mon nid, et mes jours seront nombreux comme le sable;
19 I was [like a tree] [MET] whose roots reach down into the water and whose branches become wet with dew each night.
Ma racine sera ouverte aux eaux, et la rosée séjournera sur ma branche;
20 People always honored me, and I was always [strong like] [MET] a new bow.
Ma gloire [restera] toujours nouvelle avec moi, et mon arc rajeunira dans ma main.
21 “When I spoke, people waited to hear [what I would say] and remained silent until I advised them [what they should do].
On m’écoutait et on attendait, et on se taisait pour [avoir] mon conseil;
22 After I finished speaking, they did not say any more; [it was as though] [MET] my words fell on their ears [like refreshing drops of rain].
Après que j’avais parlé on ne répliquait pas, et mon discours distillait sur eux;
23 They waited for me [to speak] like they wait for rain; they [appreciated what I said] like [MET] [farmers appreciate] the final rain in the spring [before the dry season].
Et on m’attendait comme la pluie, et on ouvrait la bouche [comme] pour la pluie de la dernière saison.
24 When they were discouraged, I smiled at them [to encourage them]; they became encouraged when they saw that I approved of them.
Si je leur souriais, ils ne le croyaient pas, et ils ne troublaient pas la sérénité de ma face.
25 I was their leader, and I decided what things [would be good for them to do]; I was among them like [SIM] a king who is among his troops; I was like someone who comforts [others] who are mourning.”
Je choisissais pour eux le chemin et je m’asseyais à leur tête, et je demeurais comme un roi au milieu d’une troupe, comme quelqu’un qui console les affligés.
