Job 31
1 “I solemnly promised myself that I would not look at a young woman with a desire [to have sex with her].
J'avais fait un pacte avec mes yeux, disant: Je ne regarderai plus une vierge.
2 [If I did not do what I promised, ] what would God who is in heaven [MTY] do to me [RHQ]? Almighty [God] would certainly not [RHQ] give me any reward!
Car quelle est la part que d'en haut m'a réservée le Seigneur; quel héritage dois-je attendre du Tout-Puissant qui règne au plus haut des cieux?
3 [Previously I thought that] surely [RHQ] it was unrighteous people who would experience calamities, and that it was those who do what is wrong who would experience disasters.
Malheur, perdition à l'injuste, expulsion pour celui qui fait le mal.
4 God certainly sees [RHQ] everything that I do, [so why is he causing me to suffer?] [It is as though] he counts every step that I take.
Le Seigneur ne me tiendra-t-il pas compte de mes voies, ni de la manière dont j'ai marché?
5 [“I solemnly declare that] I have never acted wickedly and have never tried to deceive people.
Si j'avais été le compagnon des railleurs; si j'avais porté mes pas du côté de la fraude!
6 I request only that God judge me fairly [MET], and if he does that, he will know that I (am innocent/have not done what is wrong).
Mais je me suis maintenu sous le joug de la justice, et le Seigneur connaît mon innocence.
7 If [it were true that] I have stopped living righteously, or [that] I [SYN] have desired the things that I look at [MTY], or [that] I am guilty of any other sin,
Si mon pied s'est écarté du droit chemin, si mon cœur a été égayé par mes yeux, si mes mains ont touché des présents,
8 then I hope/wish that when I plant [seeds], someone else will [harvest the crops and] eat [them] and that others will uproot the [fruit trees] that I planted.
Que d'autres consomment ce que j'ai semé, que sur la terre je devienne sans racines.
9 “If [it were true that] I [SYN] have been attracted by some other man’s wife, or [that] I have hidden myself and waited outside [the] door [to] her [house],
Si mon cœur a convoité la femme d'autrui, si j'ai franchi ses portes,
10 I hope/desire that my wife will become the servant/slave of another man and have sex [EUP] with him.
Que ma femme plaise à un autre homme; que mes enfants soient humiliés.
11 [For me to do] that would be a terrible sin, and the judges would decide that I should be punished.
Rien ne peut apaiser la colère de Dieu contre celui qui souille la femme de son prochain.
12 My [committing adultery] would [produce in me a fire like] [MET] the fire that burns people in hell, and it would burn up everything that I own. (questioned)
Le feu s'attaquera à toute sa personne et dévorera tout ce qui sera issu de lui.
13 “And, if [it were true that] I have ever refused to listen to one of my male or female servants when they complained to me about something,
Si j'avais faussé le jugement que je rendais sur mon serviteur et ma servante, lorsqu'ils recouraient à ma justice,
14 God would arise [and declare that he would punish me]; and when he would do that, what would I do? If he would ask me [about what I have done], (what would I answer?/I would not be able to answer.) [RHQ]
Que ferais-je quand à mon tour le Seigneur me jugera? Qu'aurais-je à lui répondre, s'il m'avait surpris en quelque faute?
15 God, who created me, certainly also created my servants [RHQ]; surely he is the one who formed them and me in our mothers’ wombs [RHQ]; [so we all should behave toward each other equally].
Ceux que j'avais à juger n'avaient-ils pas été comme moi, conçus en des entrailles? n'était-ce pas comme si les mêmes flancs nous avaient portés?
16 “I have guided orphans from the time that they were born; I have taken care of them since they were young. So, if [it were true that] I ate all my food myself and did not share some of it with orphans, or [that] I refused to give poor people the things that they wanted, or [that] I caused widows to live (in despair/without hope [that they would receive any help from anyone]),
Aussi les pauvres ont-ils toujours trouvé chez moi ce qui leur manquait; et je n'ai point fait verser de larmes à l'œil de la veuve.
Si j'ai mangé seul ma bouchée, si je n'en ai point fait part à l'orphelin;
Si dès ma jeunesse, à peine sorti du ventre de ma mère, je n'ai eu de lui des soins paternels;
19 or [that] I had seen people die [from cold] because they had no clothes, or [that] I had seen poor people who did not have clothes [to keep them warm],
Si j'ai méprisé l'homme nu et abandonné; si je ne l'ai point vêtu;
20 and they were not able to become warm [from clothes made] from the wool of my sheep with the result that they thanked me for [giving them clothes, ]
Si les indigents ne m'ont point béni; si leurs épaules n'ont pas été réchauffées par les toisons de mes agneaux;
21 or if [it were true that] I threatened to strike any orphan because I knew that the elders at the city gates would (decide in my favor);
Si j'ai levé la main sur le pupille; si je n'ai point multiplié mes secours avec confiance;
22 [if those things were true about me], I hope/desire that my shoulder blade would be torn out and my arm be torn from my shoulder.
Que mon épaule se déboîte, que mon bras soit broyé au-dessous du coude.
23 I always feared that God would cause me to experience a great disaster [if I did any of those evil things], and I would not have been able to endure the powerful [things that he would do to punish me].
En vérité la crainte du Seigneur m'a saisi; je ne puis supporter ce qu'il m'envoie.
24 “If [it were true that] I trusted in my gold/money [DOU],
Si j'avais amoncelé de l'or, si j'avais estimé surtout les pierres précieuses;
25 or that I rejoiced because I had acquired many things and had become very rich,
Si j'avais mis ma joie en de grandes richesses; si ma main s'était posée sur des trésors innombrables;
26 or that I looked at the sun when it was shining or looked at the beautiful moon
Je me serais dit: N'ai-je point vu le soleil dans tout son éclat s'éclipser, et la lune au ciel périr? Et rien n'est au-dessus d'eux.
27 and I [SYN] had been tempted [to worship them] by kissing my hand to revere them,
Et si mon cœur en secret s'est laissé séduire; et si j'ai baisé ma main en la portant à ma bouche,
28 those things also would be sins for which the judges would say that I must be punished, because I would have been rejecting God [by doing those things].
Que ces fautes me soient gravement imputées; car alors j'ai menti au Seigneur Très-Haut.
29 “[It is not true that] I [SYN] sinned by requesting God to curse people who hated me with the result that God would cause them to die. It is also not true that I was glad when they were ruined or that I rejoiced when they experienced disasters [DOU].
Et si je me suis réjoui de la chute de mes ennemis, et si dans mon âme j'ai dit: Bien!
Puisse mon oreille ouïr la malédiction qui sera portée contre moi; puissé-je être signalé à tout le peuple comme un méchant.
31 [It is also not true that] I never welcomed travelers to stay in my tent or that I did not open my doors to them, but [forced them to] sleep in the streets. [All] the men who work for me certainly know that [RHQ]!
Si je n'ai pas été bon pour mes servantes, si elles ont dit de moi: Qui nous permettra de nous rassasier de sa chair?
Si j'ai laissé l'étranger passer la nuit en plein air, et si ma porte ne s'est pas ouverte à tout venant.
33 Some people try to hide their sins, but I have never done that;
Si ayant failli involontairement, j'ai caché mes péchés;
34 and I never remained silent and refused to go outside of my home because I was very (afraid of/worried about) what people would say [about me], and that they would hate/scorn me.
Retenu par la honte de les avouer devant la multitude; si j'ai souffert que le pauvre sortît de ma maison l'estomac vide;
35 “I wish/desire that there was someone who would hear what I am saying! I solemnly declare [that all that I have said is true]. I wish that those who oppose me would write down [on a scroll] the evil things that they say that I did.
Qui me donnera quelqu'un qui m'écoute? Si je n'ai point eu crainte de la main du Seigneur; le titre que j'avais contre autrui,
36 [If they did that, ] I would wear that scroll on my shoulder, or wear it on top of my head, [in order that everyone could see it].
Que j'avais lu les épaules ceintes d'une couronne,
37 I would tell [God] everything that I have done, and I would approach him [confidently], like a ruler would.
Si je ne l'ai point remis, après l'avoir déchiré, sans rien exiger du débiteur;
38 If [it were true that] I have stolen land, with the result that [it was as though] its furrows cried out to accuse me of stealing;
Si jamais la terre a gémi contre moi, si ses sillons ont pleuré tous ensemble,
39 or [if it were true that] I have eaten the crops that grew in someone else’s fields without paying [for those crops], with the result that those farmers who grew those crops died [from hunger];
Si j'ai consommé ses fruits seul et sans les payer; si en les empruntant j'ai affligé l'âme de son possesseur,
40 then I wish/desire that thorns would grow [in my fields] instead of wheat. May bad weeds grow instead of barley!” That is the end of what Job said [to his three friends].
Que les champs, au lieu de froment, ne produisent pour moi que des orties; et au lieu d'orge que des ronces. Et Job cessa de parler.
