Job 17
1 Mon souffle se perd, Mes jours s’éteignent, Le sépulcre m’attend.
“My (life/time to live) is almost ended; I have no strength left; my grave is waiting for me.
2 Je suis environné de moqueurs, Et mon œil doit contempler leurs insultes.
Those who are around me are making fun of me; I [SYN] watch them while they (taunt/make fun of) me.”
3 Sois auprès de toi-même ma caution; Autrement, qui répondrait pour moi?
“God, [it is as though I am in prison; ] please pay the money in order that I may be released, because there is certainly no one else who will help me.
4 Car tu as fermé leur cœur à l’intelligence; Aussi ne les laisseras-tu pas triompher.
You have prevented my friends from understanding [what is true about me]; do not allow them to triumph over me, [saying that I have done things that are wrong].
5 On invite ses amis au partage du butin, Et l’on a des enfants dont les yeux se consument.
[Our ancestors often said, ‘It often happens that] when someone betrays his friends in order to get some of their property, it is that person’s children who will be punished for it;’ [so I desire/hope that will be true of these friends of mine who are lying about me].
6 Il m’a rendu la fable des peuples, Et ma personne est un objet de mépris.
“But now people use that saying of our ancestors when they talk about me; they spit in my face [to insult me].
7 Mon œil est obscurci par la douleur; Tous mes membres sont comme une ombre.
(My sight has become dim/I cannot see well) because I am extremely sad, and my arms and legs are [very thin, with the result that they almost do not cast] [MET] a shadow.
8 Les hommes droits en sont stupéfaits, Et l’innocent se soulève contre l’impie.
Those who [say that they] are good/righteous are shocked [when they see what has happened to me], and people who [say that they] (are innocent/have not done anything that is wrong) say that I am wicked/godless and should be punished.
9 Le juste néanmoins demeure ferme dans sa voie, Celui qui a les mains pures se fortifie de plus en plus.
Those who [claim that they] are righteous will continue to do what [they think] is right, and those [who say] they have not sinned will continue to become stronger.
10 Mais vous tous, revenez à vos mêmes discours, Et je ne trouverai pas un sage parmi vous.
“But even if all of those people came [and stood in front of me], I would not find anyone among them who is wise.
11 Quoi! Mes jours sont passés, mes projets sont anéantis, Les projets qui remplissaient mon cœur…
My (life/time to live) is almost ended; I have not been able to do the things that I confidently expected to do; [I have not been able to accomplish] anything that I [SYN] desired.
12 Et ils prétendent que la nuit c’est le jour, Que la lumière est proche quand les ténèbres sont là!
My friends do not know when it is night and when it is day; when it is night, they claim that it is daylight; when it is becoming dark, they claim it is becoming light.
13 C’est le séjour des morts que j’attends pour demeure, C’est dans les ténèbres que je dresserai ma couche; (Sheol h7585)
If my home will be the place where dead people are, where will I sleep in the darkness? (Sheol h7585)
14 Je crie à la fosse: Tu es mon père! Et aux vers: Vous êtes ma mère et ma sœur!
I may say to the grave, ‘You will be [like] a father to me,’ and say to the maggots [that will eat my body], ‘You will be [like] a mother or younger sisters to me [because you will be where I will always be].’
15 Mon espérance, où donc est-elle? Mon espérance, qui peut la voir?
But if I say those things, (will there be anything good that I can confidently expect to happen to me?/there will be nothing good that I can confidently expect to happen to me.) [RHQ] (Is there anyone who knows anything good that I can expect when I am in the grave?/No one knows anything good that I can expect when I am in the grave.) [RHQ]
16 Elle descendra vers les portes du séjour des morts, Quand nous irons ensemble reposer dans la poussière. (Sheol h7585)
After I descend to the place where the dead are, (will I be able to confidently expect anything good there?/I certainly will not be able to confidently expect anything good there.) [RHQ] [It will be as though] [RHQ] I and the things I hope for will descend with me into the dust [where the dead are].” (Sheol h7585)
