Job 9
1 Mais Job répondit, et dit:
And Job made answer and said,
2 Certainement je sais que cela est ainsi; et comment l'homme [mortel] se justifierait-il devant le [Dieu] Fort?
Truly, I see that it is so: and how is it possible for a man to get his right before God?
3 Si [Dieu] veut plaider avec lui, de mille articles il ne saurait lui répondre sur un seul.
If a man was desiring to go to law with him, he would not be able to give him an answer to one out of a thousand questions.
4 [Dieu] est sage de cœur, et puissant en force. Qui est-ce qui s'est opposé à lui, et s'en est bien trouvé?
He is wise in heart and great in strength: who ever made his face hard against him, and any good came of it?
5 Il transporte les montagnes, et quand il les renverse en sa fureur, elles n'en connaissent rien.
It is he who takes away the mountains without their knowledge, overturning them in his wrath:
6 Il remue la terre de sa place, et ses piliers sont ébranlés.
Who is moving the earth out of its place, so that its pillars are shaking:
7 Il parle au soleil, et le soleil ne se lève point; et c'est lui qui tient les étoiles sous son cachet.
Who gives orders to the sun, and it does not give its light; and who keeps the stars from shining.
8 C'est lui seul qui étend les cieux; qui marche sur les hauteurs de la mer;
By whose hand the heavens were stretched out, and who is walking on the waves of the sea:
9 Qui a fait le chariot, et l'Orion, et la Poussinière, et les signes qui sont au fond du Midi;
Who made the Bear and Orion, and the Pleiades, and the store-houses of the south:
10 Qui fait des choses si grandes qu'on ne les peut sonder; et tant de choses merveilleuses, qu'on ne les peut compter.
Who does great things not to be searched out; yes, wonders without number.
11 Voici, il passera près de moi, et je ne le verrai point; et il repassera, et je ne l'apercevrai point.
See, he goes past me and I see him not: he goes on before, but I have no knowledge of him.
12 Voilà, s'il ravit, qui le lui fera rendre? et qui est-ce qui lui dira: Que fais-tu?
If he puts out his hand to take, by whom may it be turned back? who may say to him, What are you doing?
13 Dieu ne retire point sa colère, et les hommes superbes qui viennent au secours, sont abattus sous lui.
God's wrath may not be turned back; the helpers of Rahab were bent down under him.
14 Combien moins lui répondrais-je, moi et arrangerais-je mes paroles contre lui?
How much less may I give an answer to him, using the right words in argument with him?
15 Moi, je ne lui répondrai point, quand même je serais juste, [mais] je demanderai grâce à mon juge.
Even if my cause was good, I would not be able to give an answer; I would make request for grace from him who was against me.
16 Si je l'invoque, et qu'il me réponde, [encore] ne croirai-je point qu'il ait écouté ma voix.
If I had sent for him to be present, and he had come, I would have no faith that he would give ear to my voice.
17 Car il m'a écrasé du milieu d'un tourbillon, et il a ajouté plaie sur plaie, sans que je l'aie mérité.
For I would be crushed by his storm, my wounds would be increased without cause.
18 Il ne me permet point de reprendre haleine, mais il me remplit d'amertumes.
He would not let me take my breath, but I would be full of bitter grief.
19 S'il est question de savoir qui est le plus fort; voilà, il est fort; et [s'il est question d'aller] en justice, qui est-ce qui m'y fera comparaître?
If it is a question of strength, he says, Here I am! and if it is a question of a cause at law, he says, Who will give me a fixed day?
20 Si je me justifie, ma propre bouche me condamnera; [si je me fais] parfait, il me convaincra d'être coupable.
Though I was in the right, he would say that I was in the wrong; I have done no evil; but he says that I am a sinner.
21 Quand je serais parfait, je ne me soucierais pas de vivre, je dédaignerais la vie.
I have done no wrong; I give no thought to what becomes of me; I have no desire for life.
22 Tout revient à un; c'est pourquoi j'ai dit qu'il consume l'homme juste et le méchant.
It is all the same to me; so I say, He puts an end to the sinner and to him who has done no wrong together.
23 [Au moins] si le fléau [dont il frappe] faisait mourir tout aussitôt; [mais] il se rit de l'épreuve des innocents.
If death comes suddenly through disease, he makes sport of the fate of those who have done no wrong.
24 [C'est par lui que] la terre est livrée entre les mains du méchant; c'est lui qui couvre la face des juges de la [terre]; et si ce n'est pas lui, qui est-ce donc?
The land is given into the power of the evil-doer; the faces of its judges are covered; if not by him, then who has done it?
25 Or mes jours ont été plus vite qu'un courrier; ils s'en sont fuis, et n'ont point vu de bien.
My days go quicker than a post-runner: they go in flight, they see no good.
26 Ils ont passé [comme] des barques de poste; comme un aigle qui vole après la proie.
They go rushing on like reed-boats, like an eagle dropping suddenly on its food.
27 Si je dis: J'oublierai ma plainte, je renoncerai à ma colère, je me fortifierai;
If I say, I will put my grief out of mind, I will let my face be sad no longer and I will be bright;
28 Je suis épouvanté de tous mes tourments. Je sais que tu ne me jugeras point innocent.
I go in fear of all my pains; I am certain that I will not be free from sin in your eyes.
29 Je serai [trouvé] méchant; pourquoi travaillerais-je en vain?
You will not let me be clear of sin! why then do I take trouble for nothing?
30 Si je me lave dans de l'eau de neige, et que je nettoie mes mains dans la pureté,
If I am washed with snow water, and make my hands clean with soap;
31 Alors tu me plongeras dans un fossé, et mes vêtements m'auront en horreur.
Then you will have me pushed into the dust, so that I will seem disgusting to my very clothing.
32 Car il n'est pas comme moi un homme, pour que je lui réponde, [et] que nous allions ensemble en jugement.
For he is not a man as I am, that I might give him an answer, that we might come together before a judge.
33 [Mais] il n'y a personne qui prît connaissance de la cause qui serait entre nous, [et] qui mît la main sur nous deux.
There is no one to give a decision between us, who might have control over us.
34 Qu'il ôte [donc] sa verge de dessus moi, et que la frayeur que j'ai de lui ne me trouble plus.
Let him take away his rod from me and not send his fear on me:
35 Je parlerai, et je ne le craindrai point; mais dans l'état où je suis je ne suis point à moi-même.
Then I would say what is in my mind without fear of him; for there is no cause of fear in myself.
