Job 20
1 Et Tsophar, le Naamathite, répondit et dit:
Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,
2 C’est pourquoi mes pensées m’inspirent une réponse, et à cause de ceci l’ardeur de mon esprit [agit] en moi:
“Therefore my thoughts answer me, even by reason of my haste that is in me.
3 J’entends une réprimande qui me couvre de honte, et mon esprit me répond par mon intelligence.
I have heard the reproof which puts me to shame. The spirit of my understanding answers me.
4 Sais-tu bien que, de tout temps, depuis que l’homme a été mis sur la terre,
Don’t you know this from old time, since man was placed on earth,
5 L’exultation des méchants est courte, et la joie de l’impie n’est que pour un moment?
that the triumphing of the wicked is short, the joy of the godless but for a moment?
6 Si sa hauteur s’élève jusqu’aux cieux, et que sa tête touche les nuées,
Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds,
7 Il périra pour toujours comme ses ordures; ceux qui l’ont vu diront: Où est-il?
yet he will perish forever like his own dung. Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 Il s’envole comme un songe, et on ne le trouve pas; il s’enfuit comme une vision de la nuit.
He will fly away as a dream, and will not be found. Yes, he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
9 L’œil l’a regardé et ne l’aperçoit plus, et son lieu ne le revoit plus.
The eye which saw him will see him no more, neither will his place see him any more.
10 Ses fils rechercheront la faveur des pauvres, et ses mains restitueront [ce que] sa violence [a ravi].
His children will seek the favour of the poor. His hands will give back his wealth.
11 Ses os étaient pleins de sa jeunesse: elle se couchera avec lui sur la poussière.
His bones are full of his youth, but youth will lie down with him in the dust.
12 Si le mal est doux dans sa bouche, [et] qu’il le cache sous sa langue,
“Though wickedness is sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue,
13 S’il l’épargne et ne l’abandonne pas, mais qu’il le retienne dans sa bouche,
though he spare it, and will not let it go, but keep it still within his mouth,
14 Son pain sera changé dans ses entrailles en un fiel d’aspic au-dedans de lui.
yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him.
15 Il a avalé les richesses, et il les vomira; Dieu les chassera de son ventre.
He has swallowed down riches, and he will vomit them up again. God will cast them out of his belly.
16 Il sucera le venin des aspics, la langue de la vipère le tuera.
He will suck cobra venom. The viper’s tongue will kill him.
17 Il ne verra pas des ruisseaux, des rivières, des torrents de miel et de beurre.
He will not look at the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and butter.
18 Il rendra le fruit de son travail, et ne l’avalera pas; il le restituera selon sa valeur, et ne s’en réjouira pas.
He will restore that for which he laboured, and will not swallow it down. He will not rejoice according to the substance that he has gotten.
19 Car il a opprimé, délaissé les pauvres; il a pillé une maison qu’il n’avait pas bâtie.
For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor. He has violently taken away a house, and he will not build it up.
20 Parce qu’il n’a pas connu de repos dans son désir, il ne sauvera rien de ce qu’il a de plus cher.
“Because he knew no quietness within him, he will not save anything of that in which he delights.
21 Rien n’a échappé à sa voracité: c’est pourquoi son bien-être ne durera pas.
There was nothing left that he didn’t devour, therefore his prosperity will not endure.
22 Dans la plénitude de son abondance, il sera dans la détresse; toutes les mains des malheureux viendront sur lui.
In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress will overtake him. The hand of everyone who is in misery will come on him.
23 Il arrivera que, pour remplir son ventre, [Dieu] enverra sur lui l’ardeur de sa colère, et la fera pleuvoir sur lui dans sa chair.
When he is about to fill his belly, God will cast the fierceness of his wrath on him. It will rain on him while he is eating.
24 S’il fuit devant les armes de fer, un arc d’airain le transpercera.
He will flee from the iron weapon. The bronze arrow will strike him through.
25 Il arrache [la flèche] et elle sort de son corps, et le fer étincelant de son fiel: les terreurs sont sur lui.
He draws it out, and it comes out of his body. Yes, the glittering point comes out of his liver. Terrors are on him.
26 Toutes les ténèbres sont réservées pour ses trésors; un feu qu’on ne souffle pas le dévorera, [et] se repaîtra de ce qui reste dans sa tente.
All darkness is laid up for his treasures. An unfanned fire will devour him. It will consume that which is left in his tent.
27 Les cieux révéleront son iniquité, et la terre s’élèvera contre lui.
The heavens will reveal his iniquity. The earth will rise up against him.
28 Le revenu de sa maison sera emporté; il s’écoulera au jour de Sa colère.
The increase of his house will depart. They will rush away in the day of his wrath.
29 Telle est, de la part de Dieu, la portion de l’homme méchant, et l’héritage qui lui est assigné par Dieu.
This is the portion of a wicked man from God, the heritage appointed to him by God.”
