Job 20
1 Alors, répondant, Sophar, le Naamathite, dit:
Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,
2 C’est pour cela que mes différentes pensées se succèdent, et que mon esprit est entraîné dans des sentiments divers.
For this cause my thoughts are troubling me and driving me on.
3 J’écouterai la doctrine en vertu de laquelle tu m’accuses, et l’esprit de mon intelligence répondra pour moi.
I have to give ear to arguments which put me to shame, and your answers to me are wind without wisdom.
4 Ce que je sais être dès le principe, depuis que l’homme a été placé sur la terre,
Have you knowledge of this from early times, when man was placed on the earth,
5 C’est que la gloire des impies a été courte et la joie de l’hypocrite comme un moment.
That the pride of the sinner is short, and the joy of the evil-doer but for a minute?
6 Si son orgueil s’élève jusqu’au ciel, et que sa tête touche les nues,
Though he is lifted up to the heavens, and his head goes up to the clouds;
7 Il périra à la fin comme un fumier, et ceux qui l’avaient vu diront: Où est-il?
Like the waste from his body he comes to an end for ever: those who have seen him say, Where is he?
8 Comme un songe qui s’envole, on ne le verra plus; il passera comme une vision de nuit.
He is gone like a dream, and is not seen again; he goes in flight like a vision of the night.
9 L’œil qui l’avait vu ne le verra pas; et son lieu ne le regardera plus.
The eye which saw him sees him no longer; and his place has no more knowledge of him.
10 Ses enfants dépériront par l’indigence, et ses mains lui rendront la douleur qu’il a faite aux autres.
His children are hoping that the poor will be kind to them, and his hands give back his wealth.
11 Ses os seront remplis des vices de sa jeunesse, et ces vices dormiront avec lui dans la poussière,
His bones are full of young strength, but it will go down with him into the dust.
12 Car, comme le mal est doux à sa bouche, il le cachera sous sa langue.
Though evil-doing is sweet in his mouth, and he keeps it secretly under his tongue;
13 Il le ménagera, et il ne le laissera pas, mais il le tiendra caché dans sa gorge.
Though he takes care of it, and does not let it go, but keeps it still in his mouth;
14 Son pain dans ses entrailles, au dedans de lui, se changera en fiel d’aspic.
His food becomes bitter in his stomach; the poison of snakes is inside him.
15 Il vomira les richesses qu’il a dévorées, et Dieu les arrachera de ses entrailles.
He takes down wealth as food, and sends it up again; it is forced out of his stomach by God.
16 Il sucera la tête des aspics, et la langue d’une vipère le tuera.
He takes the poison of snakes into his mouth, the tongue of the snake is the cause of his death.
17 (Qu’il ne voie point couler les ruisseaux d’un fleuve, et les torrents de miel et de beurre).
Let him not see the rivers of oil, the streams of honey and milk.
18 Il expiera tout ce qu’il a fait, et cependant il ne sera pas consumé; c’est selon les richesses qu’il a acquises qu’il aura à souffrir,
He is forced to give back the fruit of his work, and may not take it for food; he has no joy in the profit of his trading.
19 Parce qu’en les brisant, il a dépouillé les pauvres; il a ravi une maison qu’il n’a pas bâtie.
Because he has been cruel to the poor, turning away from them in their trouble; because he has taken a house by force which he did not put up;
20 Son ventre n’a pas été rassasié; et lorsqu’il aura eu ce qu’il avait convoité, il ne pourra pas le posséder.
There is no peace for him in his wealth, and no salvation for him in those things in which he took delight.
21 Il n’est rien resté de ses vivres; et à cause de cela rien ne lui demeurera de ses biens.
He had never enough for his desire; for this cause his well-being will quickly come to an end.
22 Lorsqu’il se sera rassasié, il sera oppressé et étouffé de chaleur, et toute sorte de douleurs fondront sur lui.
Even when his wealth is great, he is full of care, for the hand of everyone who is in trouble is turned against him.
23 Puisse son ventre être rempli, en sorte que Dieu envoie contre lui la colère de sa fureur, et qu’il fasse pleuvoir sur lui ses foudres!
God gives him his desire, and sends the heat of his wrath on him, making it come down on him like rain.
24 Il échappera à des armes de fer, mais il sera transpercé par un arc d’airain.
He may go in flight from the iron spear, but the arrow from the bow of brass will go through him;
25 Un glaive tiré et sortant de son fourreau étincellera dans son amertume; d’horribles spectres iront et viendront sur lui.
He is pulling it out, and it comes out of his back; and its shining point comes out of his side; he is overcome by fears.
26 Toutes sortes de ténèbres sont fermées à ses caches; un feu qui ne s’allume point le dévorera; il sera affligé, se trouvant délaissé dans son tabernacle.
All his wealth is stored up for the dark: a fire not made by man sends destruction on him, and on everything in his tent.
27 Les cieux révéleront son iniquité, et la terre s’élèvera contre lui.
The heavens make clear his sin, and the earth gives witness against him.
28 Les rejetons de sa maison seront exposés à la violence; ils seront enlevés au jour de la fureur de Dieu.
The produce of his house is taken away into another country, like things given into the hands of others in the day of wrath.
29 Voilà la part d’un homme impie, faite par Dieu, et l’héritage réservé à ses paroles par le Seigneur.
This is the reward of the evil man, and the heritage given to him by God.
