Job 37
1 A ce spectacle, mon cœur est tout tremblant, il bondit hors de sa place.
“My heart pounds [DOU] when [I think about] that.
2 Ecoutez, écoutez le fracas de sa voix, le grondement qui sort de sa bouche!
Listen, all of you, to the thunder, which is like God’s voice [DOU].
3 Il lui donne libre carrière sous l’immensité des cieux, et son éclair brille jusqu’aux extrémités de la terre.
He causes thunder to be heard all across the sky, and he causes lighting to flash to the most distant places on the earth.
4 Puis éclate un rugissement, il tonne de sa voix majestueuse; il ne retient plus les éclairs, quand on entend sa voix;
After [the lightning flashes], we hear the thunder which is like [MET] God’s majestic voice; he does not restrain the lightning when he speaks.
5 Dieu tonne de sa voix, d’une manière merveilleuse. Il fait de grandes choses que nous ne comprenons pas.
When God speaks, it is awesome, like thunder; he does amazing things which we cannot [fully] understand.
6 Il dit à la neige: « Tombe sur la terre; » il commande aux ondées et aux pluies torrentielles.
He commands the snow to fall on the ground, and [sometimes] he causes it to rain very hard.
7 Il met un sceau sur la main de tous les hommes, afin que tout mortel reconnaisse son Créateur.
And [when God does that, ] it prevents people [SYN] from working, in order that all people may know that he is the one who has done that (OR, what he can do).
8 Alors l’animal sauvage rentre dans son repaire, et demeure dans sa tanière.
[When it rains, ] animals go into their hiding places, and they remain there [until the rain stops].
9 L’ouragan sort de ses retraites cachées, l’aquilon amène les frimas.
The storms/hurricanes come from the place [in the south where they start], and the cold wind comes from the north.
10 Au souffle de Dieu se forme la glace, et la masse des eaux est emprisonnée.
[In the (winter/cold season), the cold north wind is like] God’s breath [that] causes [MET] water to freeze; he causes the lakes/streams to become ice.
11 Il charge de vapeurs les nuages, il disperse ses nuées lumineuses.
God fills the clouds with moisture/hail, and lightning flashes from the clouds.
12 On les voit, selon ses décrets, errer en tous sens, pour exécuter tout ce qu’il leur commande, sur la face de la terre habitée.
He guides the clouds and causes them to move back and forth in order that they may accomplish all that he commands them to do, all over the world.
13 C’est tantôt pour le châtiment de sa terre, et tantôt en signe de faveur qu’il les envoie.
Sometimes God sends rain to punish us, and sometimes he sends rain to show us that he acts kindly toward us.
14 Job, sois attentif à ces choses; arrête-toi, et considère les merveilles de Dieu.
“Job, listen to this; stop and think about the wonderful things that God does.
15 Sais-tu comment il les opère, et fait briller l’éclair dans la nue?
(Do you know how God commands the lightning to flash down from the clouds?/We do not know how God commands the lightning to flash down from the clouds.) [RHQ]
16 Comprends-tu le balancement des nuages, les merveilles de celui dont la science est parfaite,
Only God knows everything perfectly; so (do you know how he causes the clouds to (move/float) (amazingly/wonderfully) across the sky?/you certainly do not know how he causes the clouds to (move/float) (amazingly/wonderfully) across the sky!) [RHQ]
17 toi dont les vêtements sont chauds, quand la terre se repose au souffle du midi?
No, you just sweat there in your clothes; [it is very oppressive] when the [hot] wind stops blowing from the south and [all the leaves on the trees] (become still/do not move).
18 Peux-tu, comme lui, étendre les nuées, et les rendre solides comme un miroir d’airain?
(Can you stretch out the skies like God does and make them as hard as [SIM] a sheet of polished brass?/You certainly cannot stretch out the skies like God does and make them as hard as [SIM] a sheet of polished brass!) [RHQ]
19 Fais-nous connaître ce que nous devons lui dire: nous ne saurions lui parler, ignorants que nous sommes.
“Job, tell us(exc) what we should say to God; we do not know anything [IDM]. As a result, we do not know what to say to him to defend ourselves.
20 Ah! qu’on ne lui rapporte pas mes discours! Un homme a-t-il jamais dit qu’il désirait sa perte?
Should I tell God that I want to speak to him? No, because [if I did that, ] he might destroy me.
21 On ne peut voir maintenant la lumière du soleil, qui luit derrière les nuages; qu’un vent passe, il les dissipe.
Now, people cannot look [directly] at the sun when it shines brightly in the sky after the wind has blown the clouds away; [so, we certainly cannot look at the brightness of God].
22 L’or vient du septentrion; mais Dieu, que sa majesté est redoutable!
God comes out of the north with a light [that shines like] gold; his glory causes us to be afraid.
23 Le Tout-Puissant, nous ne pouvons l’atteindre: il est grand en force, et en droit, et en justice, il ne répond à personne!
Almighty God is very powerful, and we cannot come near to him. He always acts righteously, and he will never oppress us.
24 Que les hommes donc le révèrent! Il ne regarde pas ceux qui se croient sages.
That is the reason that we have an awesome respect for him; he does not pay attention to those who proudly, [but wrongly], think that they are wise.”
