Job 29
1 Job spoke again,
Et Job continuant à parler en discours relevés, dit:
2 “I wish/desire that I could be like I was previously, during the years when God took care of me.
O! qui me rendra les mois de jadis, et les 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.
où, sa lampe brillant au-dessus de ma tête, à sa clarté je perçais les ténèbres;
4 At that time I was young and strong, and because God was my friend, [he protected] [PRS] my tent.
où j'étais au temps de mon automne; quand Dieu avec sa cour veillait 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, qu'autour de moi j'avais mes enfants;
6 [My herds] provided me with plenty of milk, and streams of oil flowed from the rock where my olives were pressed.
quand mes pieds baignaient dans le lait, et que le rocher me versait 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 me rendais à la Porte dans la ville, et que je mettais mon siège dans la Place?
8 and when the young men saw me, they stepped aside [respectfully], and the old men [also] stood [respectfully].
A mon aspect les jeunes se tiraient en arrière, et les vieux se levaient, et demeuraient debout;
9 The leaders of the people stopped talking [DOU],
les princes s'arrêtaient en parlant, et mettaient leur 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 restait muette, et leur langue, collée 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,
Car, sur ma renommée, on me disait heureux, et à ma vue, on me donnait des éloges.
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.
C'est que je sauvais le pauvre gémissant, 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].
l'homme qui périssait, avait à me bénir, et je mettais la joie dans 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 prenais la justice pour mon vêtement, et elle me prenait pour son vêtement; mon équité 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.
je servais d'œil à l'aveugle, et de pieds au 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 le pauvre, et je connaissais de la cause de l'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 du méchant, et d'entre ses dents lui arrachais sa 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].’
Aussi je me disais: Je mourrai avec mon aire, et comme le Phénix, je prolongerai mes jours;
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 exposée aux eaux, et la rosée passera la nuit sur mes branches;
20 People always honored me, and I was always [strong like] [MET] a new bow.
ma gloire me restera toujours jeune, et mon arc en ma main prendra force nouvelle.
21 “When I spoke, people waited to hear [what I would say] and remained silent until I advised them [what they should do].
Ils m'écoutaient avec attente, et à mon avis ils se taisaient;
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 moi ils ne prenaient plus la parole, et sur eux mon discours s'épanchait.
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].
Ils m'attendaient, comme on attend la rosée, et leur bouche s'ouvrait, comme pour recevoir une pluie du printemps.
24 When they were discouraged, I smiled at them [to encourage them]; they became encouraged when they saw that I approved of them.
Je leur souriais, quand ils perdaient courage; et ils ne pouvaient m'ôter la sérénité de mon front.
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.”
Si je prenais mon chemin vers eux, j'y avais la place d'un chef, et j'étais assis comme un roi, au milieu de la foule, comme un consolateur, parmi les affligés.
