Job 23
1 Alors Job prit la parole et dit:
Then Job answered and said,
2 Oui, aujourd’hui ma plainte est amère, et pourtant ma main retient mes soupirs.
Yes, I know that pleading is out of my reach; and his hand has been made heavy upon my groaning.
3 Oh! Qui me donnera de savoir où le trouver, d’arriver jusqu’à son trône!
Who would then know that I might find him, and come to an end [of the matter]?
4 Je plaiderais ma cause devant lui, et je remplirais ma bouche d’arguments.
And I would plead my own cause, and he would fill my mouth with arguments.
5 Je saurais les raisons qu’il peut m’opposer, je verrais ce qu’il peut avoir à me dire.
And I would know the remedies which he would speak to me, and I would perceive what he would tell me.
6 M’opposerait-il la grandeur de sa puissance? Ne jetterait-il pas au moins les yeux sur moi?
Though he should come on me in [his] great strength, then he would not threaten me;
7 Alors l’innocent discuterait avec lui, et je m’en irais absous pour toujours par mon juge.
for truth and reproof are from him; and he would bring forth my judgement to an end.
8 Mais si je vais à l’orient, il n’y est pas; à l’occident, je ne l’aperçois pas.
For if I shall go first, and exist no longer, still what do I know [concerning] the latter end?
9 Est-il occupé au septentrion, je ne le vois pas; se cache-t-il au midi, je ne puis le découvrir.
When he wrought on the left hand, then I observed [it] not: his right hand shall encompass me but I shall not see [it].
10 Cependant il connaît les sentiers où je marche; qu’il m’examine, je sortirai pur comme l’or.
For he knows already my way; and he has tried me as gold.
11 Mon pied a toujours foulé ses traces; je me suis tenu dans sa voie sans dévier.
And I will go forth according to his commandments, for I have kept his ways; and I shall not turn aside from his commandments,
12 Je ne me suis pas écarté des préceptes de ses lèvres; j’ai fait plier ma volonté aux paroles de sa bouche.
neither shall I transgress; but I have hid his words in my bosom.
13 Mais il a une pensée: qui l’en fera revenir? Ce qu’il désire, il l’exécute.
And if too he has thus judged, who is he that has contradicted, for he has both willed [a thing] and done it.
14 Il accomplira donc ce qu’il a décrété à mon sujet, et de pareils desseins, il en a beaucoup.
15 Voilà pourquoi je me trouble en sa présence; quand j’y pense, j’ai peur de lui.
Therefore am I troubled at him; and when I was reproved, I thought of him. Therefore let me take good heed before him: I will consider, and be afraid of him.
16 Dieu fait fondre mon cœur; le Tout-Puissant me remplit d’effroi.
But the Lord has softened my heart, and the Almighty has troubled me.
17 Car ce ne sont pas les ténèbres qui me consument, ni l’obscurité dont ma face est voilée.
For I knew not that darkness would come upon me, and thick darkness has covered [me] before my face.
