Job 35
1 Élihu reprit et dit:
And Elihu made answer and said,
2 Imagines-tu avoir raison, Penses-tu te justifier devant Dieu,
Does it seem to you to be right, and righteousness before God, to say,
3 Quand tu dis: Que me sert-il, Que me revient-il de ne pas pécher?
What profit is it to me, and how am I better off than if I had done wrong?
4 C’est à toi que je vais répondre, Et à tes amis en même temps.
I will make answer to you and to your friends:
5 Considère les cieux, et regarde! Vois les nuées, comme elles sont au-dessus de toi!
Let your eyes be turned to the heavens, and lifted up to see the skies; they are higher than you.
6 Si tu pèches, quel tort lui causes-tu? Et quand tes péchés se multiplient, que lui fais-tu?
If you have done wrong, is he any the worse for it? and if your sins are great in number, what is it to him?
7 Si tu es juste, que lui donnes-tu? Que reçoit-il de ta main?
If you are upright, what do you give to him? or what does he take from your hand?
8 Ta méchanceté ne peut nuire qu’à ton semblable, Ta justice n’est utile qu’au fils de l’homme.
Your evil-doing may have an effect on a man like yourself, or your righteousness on a son of man.
9 On crie contre la multitude des oppresseurs, On se plaint de la violence d’un grand nombre;
Because the hand of the cruel is hard on them, men are making sounds of grief; they are crying out for help because of the arm of the strong.
10 Mais nul ne dit: Où est Dieu, mon créateur, Qui inspire des chants d’allégresse pendant la nuit,
But no one has said, Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night;
11 Qui nous instruit plus que les bêtes de la terre, Et nous donne l’intelligence plus qu’aux oiseaux du ciel?
Who gives us more knowledge than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the heaven?
12 On a beau crier alors, Dieu ne répond pas, A cause de l’orgueil des méchants.
There they are crying out because of the pride of the evil-doers, but he gives them no answer.
13 C’est en vain que l’on crie, Dieu n’écoute pas, Le Tout-Puissant n’y a point égard.
But God will not give ear to what is false, or the Ruler of all take note of it;
14 Bien que tu dises que tu ne le vois pas, Ta cause est devant lui: attends-le!
How much less when you say that you do not see him; that the cause is before him, and you are waiting for him.
15 Mais, parce que sa colère ne sévit point encore, Ce n’est pas à dire qu’il ait peu souci du crime.
And now ...;
16 Ainsi Job ouvre vainement la bouche, Il multiplie les paroles sans intelligence.
And Job's mouth is open wide to give out what is of no profit, increasing words without knowledge.
