Job 4
1 Alors Éliphaz de Théman prit la parole et dit:
Then Eliphaz, from Teman, replied to Job. He said,
2 Si nous risquons un mot, peut-être en seras-tu affligé; mais qui pourrait retenir ses paroles?
“Will you please let me say something to you? I am not [RHQ] able to remain silent [any longer].
3 Voilà que tu en as instruit plusieurs, que tu as fortifié les mains débiles,
In the past, you have instructed/taught many people, and you have encouraged those who were weak.
4 que tes paroles ont relevé ceux qui chancelaient, que tu as raffermi les genoux vacillants!…
By what you said, you have helped those who (needed spiritual help/almost quit trusting in God) [MET], and you have enabled them to become spiritually strong again [MET].
5 Et maintenant que le malheur vient à toi, tu faiblis; maintenant qu’il t’atteint, tu perds courage!…
But now, when you experience disasters, you become discouraged. The disasters hit you, and you are stunned.
6 Ta crainte de Dieu n’était-elle pas ton espoir? Ta confiance n’était-elle pas dans la pureté de ta vie?
You revere God; (does that not cause you to trust [in him]?/that should cause you to trust [in him].) [RHQ] If you were guiltless, you would [RHQ] be confident that [God] would not [have allowed] these disasters [to] happen to you!
7 Cherche dans ton souvenir: quel est l’innocent qui a péri? En quel lieu du monde les justes ont-ils été exterminés?
Think about this: Do innocent people die [while they are still young] [RHQ]? Does God get rid of godly people [RHQ]? [No!]
8 Pour moi, je l’ai vu, ceux qui labourent l’iniquité et qui sèment l’injustice, en moissonnent les fruits.
What I have experienced is this: [Just as] [MET] farmers who plant bad [seeds] do not harvest good [crops], [just as those who start] trouble for others, later bring trouble on themselves.
9 Au souffle de Dieu ils périssent, ils sont consumés par le vent de sa colère.
They die when God angrily blows his breath on them, when he is very angry with them.
10 Le rugissement du lion et sa voix tonnante sont étouffés, et les dents du jeune lion sont brisées;
[Even though wicked people may be very powerful like] young lions, [God] will get rid of them [MET].
11 le lion périt faute de proie, et les petits de la lionne se dispersent.
[They will die like] fierce lions [that] starve to death when there are no animals that they can kill and eat, and [their children will be separated from each other like] young lions separate from each other [to find food].”
12 Une parole est arrivée furtivement jusqu’à moi, et mon oreille en a saisi le léger murmure.
“I heard a message that someone came and whispered to me.
13 Dans le vague des visions de la nuit, à l’heure où un sommeil profond pèse sur les mortels,
He spoke to me at night when I was having a bad dream that disturbed/frightened me while I was fast asleep.
14 une frayeur et un tremblement me saisirent, et agitèrent tous mes os.
It caused me to be afraid and tremble; it caused all my bones to shake.
15 Un esprit passait devant moi… Les poils de ma chair se hérissèrent.
A ghost glided past my face and caused the hair on [on the back of] my neck to stand straight up.
16 Il se dressa, — je ne reconnus pas son visage, — comme un spectre sous mes yeux. Un grand silence, puis j’entendis une voix:
It stopped, but I could not see what form it had. But [I could sense that] there was some being in front of me, and it said in a quiet voice,
17 L’homme sera-t-il juste vis-à-vis de Dieu? Un mortel sera-t-il pur en face de son Créateur?
‘(Does God consider anyone to be righteous?/No human beings can be righteous in God’s sight!) [RHQ] (Their creator cannot consider them to be pure./Can their creator consider them to be pure?) [RHQ]
18 Voici qu’il ne se fie pas à ses serviteurs, et qu’il découvre des fautes dans ses anges:
God cannot be sure that his own angels [will always do what is right]; he declares that some of them have done what is wrong.
19 combien plus en ceux qui habitent des maisons de boue, qui ont leurs fondements dans la poussière, qui seront réduits en poudre, comme par la teigne!
So he certainly cannot trust human beings who were made from dust and clay, who are crushed as easily as moths are crushed!
20 Du matin au soir ils sont exterminés, et sans que nul y prenne garde, ils périssent pour jamais.
People are sometimes well in the morning, but in the evening they are dead. They are gone forever and do not even know it (OR, and no one pays any attention to it).
21 La corde de leur tente est coupée, ils meurent avant d’avoir connu la sagesse.
They are like [MET] tents that collapse [suddenly]: They die [suddenly] before they become wise.’”
