Job 4
1 Éliphaz de Théman prit la parole et dit:
Then Eliphaz, from Teman, replied to Job. He said,
2 Si nous osons ouvrir la bouche, en seras-tu peiné? Mais qui pourrait garder le silence?
“Will you please let me say something to you? I am not [RHQ] able to remain silent [any longer].
3 Voici, tu as souvent enseigné les autres, Tu as fortifié les mains languissantes,
In the past, you have instructed/taught many people, and you have encouraged those who were weak.
4 Tes paroles ont relevé ceux qui chancelaient, Tu as affermi les genoux qui pliaient.
By what you said, you have helped those who (needed spiritual help/almost quit trusting in God) [MET], and you have enabled them to become spiritually strong again [MET].
5 Et maintenant qu’il s’agit de toi, tu faiblis! Maintenant que tu es atteint, tu te troubles!
But now, when you experience disasters, you become discouraged. The disasters hit you, and you are stunned.
6 Ta crainte de Dieu n’est-elle pas ton soutien? Ton espérance, n’est-ce pas ton intégrité?
You revere God; (does that not cause you to trust [in him]?/that should cause you to trust [in him].) [RHQ] If you were guiltless, you would [RHQ] be confident that [God] would not [have allowed] these disasters [to] happen to you!
7 Cherche dans ton souvenir: quel est l’innocent qui a péri? Quels sont les justes qui ont été exterminés?
Think about this: Do innocent people die [while they are still young] [RHQ]? Does God get rid of godly people [RHQ]? [No!]
8 Pour moi, je l’ai vu, ceux qui labourent l’iniquité Et qui sèment l’injustice en moissonnent les fruits;
What I have experienced is this: [Just as] [MET] farmers who plant bad [seeds] do not harvest good [crops], [just as those who start] trouble for others, later bring trouble on themselves.
9 Ils périssent par le souffle de Dieu, Ils sont consumés par le vent de sa colère,
They die when God angrily blows his breath on them, when he is very angry with them.
10 Le rugissement des lions prend fin, Les dents des lionceaux sont brisées;
[Even though wicked people may be very powerful like] young lions, [God] will get rid of them [MET].
11 Le lion périt faute de proie, Et les petits de la lionne se dispersent.
[They will die like] fierce lions [that] starve to death when there are no animals that they can kill and eat, and [their children will be separated from each other like] young lions separate from each other [to find food].”
12 Une parole est arrivée furtivement jusqu’à moi, Et mon oreille en a recueilli les sons légers.
“I heard a message that someone came and whispered to me.
13 Au moment où les visions de la nuit agitent la pensée, Quand les hommes sont livrés à un profond sommeil,
He spoke to me at night when I was having a bad dream that disturbed/frightened me while I was fast asleep.
14 Je fus saisi de frayeur et d’épouvante, Et tous mes os tremblèrent.
It caused me to be afraid and tremble; it caused all my bones to shake.
15 Un esprit passa près de moi… Tous mes cheveux se hérissèrent…
A ghost glided past my face and caused the hair on [on the back of] my neck to stand straight up.
16 Une figure d’un aspect inconnu était devant mes yeux, Et j’entendis une voix qui murmurait doucement:
It stopped, but I could not see what form it had. But [I could sense that] there was some being in front of me, and it said in a quiet voice,
17 L’homme serait-il juste devant Dieu? Serait-il pur devant celui qui l’a fait?
‘(Does God consider anyone to be righteous?/No human beings can be righteous in God’s sight!) [RHQ] (Their creator cannot consider them to be pure./Can their creator consider them to be pure?) [RHQ]
18 Si Dieu n’a pas confiance en ses serviteurs, S’il trouve de la folie chez ses anges,
God cannot be sure that his own angels [will always do what is right]; he declares that some of them have done what is wrong.
19 Combien plus chez ceux qui habitent des maisons d’argile, Qui tirent leur origine de la poussière, Et qui peuvent être écrasés comme un vermisseau!
So he certainly cannot trust human beings who were made from dust and clay, who are crushed as easily as moths are crushed!
20 Du matin au soir ils sont brisés, Ils périssent pour toujours, et nul n’y prend garde;
People are sometimes well in the morning, but in the evening they are dead. They are gone forever and do not even know it (OR, and no one pays any attention to it).
21 Le fil de leur vie est coupé, Ils meurent, et ils n’ont pas acquis la sagesse.
They are like [MET] tents that collapse [suddenly]: They die [suddenly] before they become wise.’”
