Job 37
1 C’Est aussi ce qui jette la frayeur dans mon cœur et le fait vivement tressauter.
“My heart pounds [DOU] when [I think about] that.
2 Ecoutez attentivement le grondement de sa voix et le roulement qui sort de sa bouche.
Listen, all of you, to the thunder, which is like God’s voice [DOU].
3 Il le prolonge sous toute la voûte des cieux, et ses éclairs brillent 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 A leur suite, c’est un bruit qui rugit: il tonne de sa voix majestueuse, et quand cette voix se fait entendre, il ne les retient plus.
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 fait retentir merveilleusement la voix de son tonnerre; il accomplit de grandes choses qui dépassent notre connaissance.
When God speaks, it is awesome, like thunder; he does amazing things which we cannot [fully] understand.
6 Car il dit à la neige: "Apparais sur la terre!" II envoie la pluie abondante, ses puissantes averses.
He commands the snow to fall on the ground, and [sometimes] he causes it to rain very hard.
7 Alors il paralyse les bras de tous les hommes, afin que ces hommes, son œuvre à lui, apprennent à le connaître.
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 Et les fauves rentrent dans leur tanière et se terrent dans leur gîte.
[When it rains, ] animals go into their hiding places, and they remain there [until the rain stops].
9 L’Ouragan surgit de ses retraites, le froid est amené par les vents d’aquilon.
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 se contractent les nappes d’eau.
[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 aussi la nue de vapeurs humides, dissémine ses nuages que traversent les éclairs.
God fills the clouds with moisture/hail, and lightning flashes from the clouds.
12 Et ces nuages se déplacent en tourbillonnant sous son impulsion, en vue de leur besogne, pour exécuter ses ordres sur la surface du globe terrestre.
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 Il les suscite tantôt comme un fléau pour la terre, tantôt comme une source de bienfaits.
Sometimes God sends rain to punish us, and sometimes he sends rain to show us that he acts kindly toward us.
14 Ecoute, Job, tout ceci; lève-toi et considère les merveilles de Dieu.
“Job, listen to this; stop and think about the wonderful things that God does.
15 Comprends-tu les lois qu’il leur impose et comment il fait briller ses nuages lumineux?
(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 les déploiements de la nuée, les prodiges de Celui qui possède la science 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 deviennent trop chauds, dès que la terre recouvre le calme sous l’influence 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 pourrais-tu lui aider à étendre les cieux, solides comme un miroir de métal?
(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 Apprends-moi ce que nous pourrions lui dire: dans les ténèbres où nous sommes, nous manquons d’arguments.
“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 Devra-t-on lui rendre compte quand je parle? Jamais homme a-t-il demandé à être anéanti?
Should I tell God that I want to speak to him? No, because [if I did that, ] he might destroy me.
21 Or donc, personne ne peut regarder le soleil qui brille radieux dans le ciel, lorsque le vent qui passe l’a nettoyé.
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 Si l’or vient du septentrion, Dieu, lui, demeure couvert d’une redoutable majesté.
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, lui qui est grand par la force; mais le droit et la parfaite justice, il ne les écrase point!
Almighty God is very powerful, and we cannot come near to him. He always acts righteously, and he will never oppress us.
24 C’Est pourquoi les hommes le révèrent; quant à lui, il n’abaisse ses regards sur aucun des prétendus 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.”
