Job 4
1 Or, répondant, Eliphaz, Thémanite, dit:
Then Eliphaz, from Teman, replied to Job. He said,
2 Si nous commençons à te parler, peut-être le supporteras-tu avec peine; mais qui pourrait retenir les paroles qu’il a conçues?
“Will you please let me say something to you? I am not [RHQ] able to remain silent [any longer].
3 Voilà que tu as instruit un grand nombre de personnes et fortifié des mains affaiblies.
In the past, you have instructed/taught many people, and you have encouraged those who were weak.
4 Tes discours ont affermi ceux qui vacillaient, et tu as fortifié les genoux tremblants.
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 Mais maintenant la plaie est venue sur toi, et tu as perdu courage; elle t’a touché, et tu es troublé.
But now, when you experience disasters, you become discouraged. The disasters hit you, and you are stunned.
6 Où donc est ta crainte de Dieu, ta force, ta patience, la perfection de tes voies?
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, je t’en conjure; qui a jamais péri innocent? ou quand des justes ont-ils 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 Mais plutôt j’ai vu que ceux qui opèrent l’iniquité, sèment des douleurs et les moissonnent.
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 Ont péri au souffle de Dieu, et que par le vent de sa colère ils ont été consumés.
They die when God angrily blows his breath on them, when he is very angry with them.
10 Le rugissement du lion, et la voix de la lionne et les dents des petits lions ont été brisés.
[Even though wicked people may be very powerful like] young lions, [God] will get rid of them [MET].
11 Le tigre a péri, parce qu’il n’avait pas de proie, et les petits du lion ont été dissipés.
[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 Cependant une parole secrète m’a été dite, et mon oreille a saisi comme furtivement la suite de sa susurration.
“I heard a message that someone came and whispered to me.
13 Dans l’horreur d’une vision nocturne, quand le sommeil a coutume de s’emparer des hommes,
He spoke to me at night when I was having a bad dream that disturbed/frightened me while I was fast asleep.
14 L’effroi me saisit, et un tremblement; et tous mes os furent glacés d’épouvante.
It caused me to be afraid and tremble; it caused all my bones to shake.
15 Et comme un esprit passait, moi présent, les poils de ma chair se hérissèrent.
A ghost glided past my face and caused the hair on [on the back of] my neck to stand straight up.
16 Il s’arrêta quelqu’un dont je ne connaissais pas le visage, un spectre devant mes yeux, et j’entendis sa voix comme un léger souffle:
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 Est-ce qu’un mortel, comparé à Dieu, sera trouvé juste, ou un homme sera-t-il plus juste que son créateur?
‘(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 Voilà que ceux qui le servent ne sont pas stables, et même dans ses anges il a trouvé de la dépravation.
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 ceux qui habitent des maisons de boue, qui ont un fondement de terre, seront comme rongés de vers!
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 seront moissonnés; parce que nul n’a l’intelligence, ils périront éternellement.
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 Ceux mêmes qui sont restés d’entre eux seront emportés; ils mourront, mais non dans la sagesse.
They are like [MET] tents that collapse [suddenly]: They die [suddenly] before they become wise.’”
