Job 26

1 Job prit la parole et dit:

Then Job answered and said,

2 Comme tu sais bien venir en aide à la faiblesse! Comme tu prêtes secours au bras sans force!

“How you have helped one who has no power! How you have saved the arm that has no strength!

3 Quels bons conseils tu donnes à celui qui manque d’intelligence! Quelle abondance de sagesse tu fais paraître!

How you have advised one who has no wisdom and announced to him sound knowledge!

4 A qui s’adressent tes paroles? Et qui est-ce qui t’inspire?

With whose help have you spoken these words? Whose spirit was it that came out from you?

5 Devant Dieu les ombres tremblent Au-dessous des eaux et de leurs habitants;

The dead are made to tremble, those who are beneath the waters and all who dwell in them.

6 Devant lui le séjour des morts est nu, L’abîme n’a point de voile. (Sheol h7585)

Sheol is naked before God; destruction itself has no covering against him. (Sheol h7585)

7 Il étend le septentrion sur le vide, Il suspend la terre sur le néant.

He stretches out the northern skies over the empty space, and he hangs the earth over nothing.

8 Il renferme les eaux dans ses nuages, Et les nuages n’éclatent pas sous leur poids.

He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, but the clouds are not torn under them.

9 Il couvre la face de son trône, Il répand sur lui sa nuée.

He covers the surface of the moon and spreads his clouds on it.

10 Il a tracé un cercle à la surface des eaux, Comme limite entre la lumière et les ténèbres.

He has engraved a circular boundary on the surface of the waters as the line between light and darkness.

11 Les colonnes du ciel s’ébranlent, Et s’étonnent à sa menace.

The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his rebuke.

12 Par sa force il soulève la mer, Par son intelligence il en brise l’orgueil.

He calmed the sea with his power; by his understanding he shattered Rahab.

13 Son souffle donne au ciel la sérénité, Sa main transperce le serpent fuyard.

By his breath he made the skies clear; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

14 Ce sont là les bords de ses voies, C’est le bruit léger qui nous en parvient; Mais qui entendra le tonnerre de sa puissance?

See, these are but the fringes of his ways; how small a whisper do we hear of him! Who can understand the thunder of his power?”