Job 37
1 Mon cœur est tout tremblant, Il bondit hors de sa place.
“My heart pounds [DOU] when [I think about] that.
2 Écoutez, écoutez le frémissement de sa voix, Le grondement qui sort de sa bouche!
Listen, all of you, to the thunder, which is like God’s voice [DOU].
3 Il le fait rouler dans toute l’étendue des cieux, Et son éclair brille 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 Puis éclate un rugissement: il tonne de sa voix majestueuse; Il ne retient plus l’éclair, dès que sa voix retentit.
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 tonne avec sa voix d’une manière merveilleuse; Il fait de grandes choses que nous ne comprenons pas.
When God speaks, it is awesome, like thunder; he does amazing things which we cannot [fully] understand.
6 Il dit à la neige: Tombe sur la terre! Il le dit à la pluie, même aux plus fortes pluies.
He commands the snow to fall on the ground, and [sometimes] he causes it to rain very hard.
7 Il met un sceau sur la main de tous les hommes, Afin que tous se reconnaissent comme ses créatures.
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 L’animal sauvage se retire dans une caverne, Et se couche dans sa tanière.
[When it rains, ] animals go into their hiding places, and they remain there [until the rain stops].
9 L’ouragan vient du midi, Et le froid, des vents du nord.
The storms/hurricanes come from the place [in the south where they start], and the cold wind comes from the north.
10 Par son souffle Dieu produit la glace, Il réduit l’espace où se répandaient les eaux.
[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 de vapeurs les nuages, Il les disperse étincelants;
God fills the clouds with moisture/hail, and lightning flashes from the clouds.
12 Leurs évolutions varient selon ses desseins, Pour l’accomplissement de tout ce qu’il leur ordonne, Sur la face de la terre habitée;
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 C’est comme une verge dont il frappe sa terre, Ou comme un signe de son amour, qu’il les fait apparaître.
Sometimes God sends rain to punish us, and sometimes he sends rain to show us that he acts kindly toward us.
14 Job, sois attentif à ces choses! Considère encore les merveilles de Dieu!
“Job, listen to this; stop and think about the wonderful things that God does.
15 Sais-tu comment Dieu les dirige, Et fait briller son nuage étincelant?
(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 le balancement des nuées, Les merveilles de celui dont la science est 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 Sais-tu pourquoi tes vêtements sont chauds Quand la terre se repose par le vent 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 Peux-tu comme lui étendre les cieux, Aussi solides qu’un miroir de fonte?
(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 Fais-nous connaître ce que nous devons lui dire; Nous sommes trop ignorants pour nous adresser à lui.
“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 Lui annoncera-t-on que je parlerai? Mais quel est l’homme qui désire sa perte?
Should I tell God that I want to speak to him? No, because [if I did that, ] he might destroy me.
21 On ne peut fixer le soleil qui resplendit dans les cieux, Lorsqu’un vent passe et en ramène la pureté;
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 Le septentrion le rend éclatant comme l’or. Oh! Que la majesté de Dieu est redoutable!
God comes out of the north with a light [that shines like] gold; his glory causes us to be afraid.
23 Nous ne saurions parvenir jusqu’au Tout-Puissant, Grand par la force, Par la justice, par le droit souverain: Il ne répond pas!
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 doivent le craindre; Il ne porte les regards sur aucun sage.
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.”
