Job 14
1 Man, born of woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.
L'homme né de la femme vit peu de jours, et il est rassasié de misères.
2 He comes forth like a flower, and is crushed, and he flees, as if a shadow, and never remains in the same state.
Comme la fleur, il naît, et on le coupe; il fuit comme l'ombre, sans s'arrêter.
3 And do you consider it fitting to look down with your eyes on someone in this way and to lead him into judgment with you?
Et c'est sur lui que tu as l'œil ouvert, lui que tu amènes en justice avec toi!
4 Who can make him clean who is conceived of unclean seed? Are you not the only one who can?
Qui peut tirer le pur de l'impur? Personne.
5 The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with you; you have determined his limits, which cannot be surpassed.
Si les jours de l'homme sont comptés, si tu as fixé le nombre de ses mois, si tu as posé un terme qu'il ne doit pas franchir,
6 Withdraw a little from him, so that he may rest, until his awaited day arrives, like that of the hired hand.
détourne de lui tes yeux pour qu'il se repose, jusqu'à ce qu'il goûte, comme le mercenaire, la fin de sa journée.
7 A tree has hope: if it has been cut, it turns green again, and its branches spring forth.
Un arbre a de l'espérance: coupé, il peut verdir encore, il ne cesse pas d'avoir des rejetons.
8 If its roots grow old in the earth, and its trunk passes into dust,
Que sa racine ait vieilli dans la terre, que son tronc soit mort dans la poussière,
9 at the scent of water, it will sprout and bring forth leaves, as when it had first been planted.
dès qu'il sent l'eau, il reverdit, il pousse des branches comme un jeune plant.
10 Truly, when a man dies, and has been left unprotected, and has decayed, I ask you where is he?
Mais l'homme meurt, et il reste étendu; quand il a expiré, où est-il?
11 It is as if the waters had receded from the sea and an emptied river had dried up;
Les eaux du lac disparaissent, le fleuve tarit et se dessèche:
12 just so, when a man is fallen asleep, he will not rise again, until the heavens are worn away; he will not awaken, nor rise from his sleep.
ainsi l'homme se couche et ne se relève plus, il ne se réveillera pas tant que subsistera le ciel, on ne le fera pas sortir de son sommeil.
13 Who will grant this to me, that you will protect me in the underworld, and hide me until your fury passes by, and establish a time for me, in which you will remember me? (Sheol h7585)
Oh! Si tu voulais me cacher dans le séjour des morts, m'y tenir à couvert jusqu'à ce que ta colère ait passé, me fixer un terme où tu te souviendrais de moi! (Sheol h7585)
14 Do you suppose that a dead man will live again? On each of the days in which I now battle, I wait until my transformation occurs.
Si l'homme une fois mort pouvait revivre! Tout le temps de mon service j'attendrais qu'on vînt me relever.
15 You will call me and I will answer you; to the work of your hands, you will extend your right hand.
Tu m'appellerais alors, et moi je te répondrais; tu languirais après l'ouvrage de tes mains.
16 Indeed, you have numbered my steps, but you have been lenient with my sins.
Mais hélas! Maintenant, tu comptes mes pas, tu as l'œil ouvert sur mes péchés;
17 You have sealed up my offenses, as if in a purse, but you have cured my iniquity.
mes transgressions sont scellées dans une bourse, et tu mets un enduit sur mes iniquités.
18 A falling mountain flows away, and a stone is transferred from its place.
La montagne s'écroule et s'efface; le rocher est transporté hors de sa place;
19 Waters wear away stones, and with a flood the land is reduced little by little; and similarly, you will destroy man.
les eaux creusent la pierre, leurs flots débordés entraînent la poussière du sol: ainsi tu anéantis l'espérance de l'homme.
20 You have strengthened him for a little while, so that he may cross over into eternity. You will change his face and send him forth.
Tu l'abats sans retour, et il s'en va; tu flétris son visage, et tu le congédies.
21 Whether his sons have been noble or ignoble, he will not understand.
Que ses enfants soient honorés, il n'en sait rien; qu'ils soient dans l'abaissement, il l'ignore.
22 And in this way his body, while he yet lives, will have grief, and his soul will mourn over himself.
Sa chair ne sent que ses propres souffrances, son âme ne gémit que sur elle-même.
