Job 20
1 Tsophar de Naama prit la parole et dit:
Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2 Mes pensées me forcent à répondre, Et mon agitation ne peut se contenir.
Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, even by reason of my haste that is in me.
3 J’ai entendu des reproches qui m’outragent; Le souffle de mon intelligence donnera la réplique.
I have heard the reproof which putteth me to shame, and the spirit of my understanding answereth me.
4 Ne sais-tu pas que, de tout temps, Depuis que l’homme a été placé sur la terre,
Knowest thou [not] this of old time, since man was placed upon earth,
5 Le triomphe des méchants a été court, Et la joie de l’impie momentanée?
That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?
6 Quand il s’élèverait jusqu’aux cieux, Et que sa tête toucherait aux nues,
Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
7 Il périra pour toujours comme son ordure, Et ceux qui le voyaient diront: Où est-il?
Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8 Il s’envolera comme un songe, et on ne le trouvera plus; Il disparaîtra comme une vision nocturne;
He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.
9 L’œil qui le regardait ne le regardera plus, Le lieu qu’il habitait ne l’apercevra plus.
The eye which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.
10 Ses fils seront assaillis par les pauvres, Et ses mains restitueront ce qu’il a pris par violence.
His children shall seek the favour of the poor, and his hands shall give back his wealth.
11 La vigueur de la jeunesse, qui remplissait ses membres, Aura sa couche avec lui dans la poussière.
His bones are full of his youth, but it shall lie down with him in the dust.
12 Le mal était doux à sa bouche, Il le cachait sous sa langue,
Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;
13 Il le savourait sans l’abandonner, Il le retenait au milieu de son palais;
Though he spare it, and will not let it go, but keep it still within his mouth;
14 Mais sa nourriture se transformera dans ses entrailles, Elle deviendra dans son corps un venin d’aspic.
Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.
15 Il a englouti des richesses, il les vomira; Dieu les chassera de son ventre.
He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.
16 Il a sucé du venin d’aspic, La langue de la vipère le tuera.
He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper’s tongue shall slay him.
17 Il ne reposera plus ses regards sur les ruisseaux, Sur les torrents, sur les fleuves de miel et de lait.
He shall not look upon the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and butter.
18 Il rendra ce qu’il a gagné, et n’en profitera plus; Il restituera tout ce qu’il a pris, et n’en jouira plus.
That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down; according to the substance that he hath gotten, he shall not rejoice.
19 Car il a opprimé, délaissé les pauvres, Il a ruiné des maisons et ne les a pas rétablies.
For he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor; he hath violently taken away an house, and he shall not build it up.
20 Son avidité n’a point connu de bornes; Mais il ne sauvera pas ce qu’il avait de plus cher.
Because he knew no quietness within him, he shall not save aught of that wherein he delighteth.
21 Rien n’échappait à sa voracité; Mais son bien-être ne durera pas.
There was nothing left that he devoured not; therefore his prosperity shall not endure.
22 Au milieu de l’abondance il sera dans la détresse; La main de tous les misérables se lèvera sur lui.
In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: the hand of every one that is in misery shall come upon him.
23 Et voici, pour lui remplir le ventre, Dieu enverra sur lui le feu de sa colère, Et le rassasiera par une pluie de traits.
When he is about to fill his belly, [God] shall cast the fierceness of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.
24 S’il échappe aux armes de fer, L’arc d’airain le transpercera.
He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of brass shall strike him through.
25 Il arrache de son corps le trait, Qui étincelle au sortir de ses entrailles, Et il est en proie aux terreurs de la mort.
He draweth it forth, and it cometh out of his body: yea, the glittering point cometh out of his gall; terrors are upon him.
26 Toutes les calamités sont réservées à ses trésors; Il sera consumé par un feu que n’allumera point l’homme, Et ce qui restera dans sa tente en deviendra la pâture.
All darkness is laid up for his treasures: a fire not blown [by man] shall devour him; it shall consume that which is left in his tent.
27 Les cieux dévoileront son iniquité, Et la terre s’élèvera contre lui.
The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and the earth shall rise up against him.
28 Les revenus de sa maison seront emportés, Ils disparaîtront au jour de la colère de Dieu.
The increase of his house shall depart, [his goods] shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
29 Telle est la part que Dieu réserve au méchant, Tel est l’héritage que Dieu lui destine.
This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.
