Job 20
1 Tsophar de Naama prit la parole et dit:
Then answered Zophar the Na'amathite, and said,
2 Mes pensées me forcent à répondre, Et mon agitation ne peut se contenir.
Even therefore do my inmost thoughts give me an answer, and for this reason do I feel a strong excitement within me.
3 J’ai entendu des reproches qui m’outragent; Le souffle de mon intelligence donnera la réplique.
Reproof which casteth shame on me must I hear; yet out of my understanding will the spirit give me an answer.
4 Ne sais-tu pas que, de tout temps, Depuis que l’homme a été placé sur la terre,
Dost thou know this? from the very beginning of things, from the very time when man was placed upon earth it was,
5 Le triomphe des méchants a été court, Et la joie de l’impie momentanée?
That the triumphal shouting of the wicked is ever of but a recent date, and the joy of the hypocrite endureth only for a moment.
6 Quand il s’élèverait jusqu’aux cieux, Et que sa tête toucherait aux nues,
Though his exaltation should mount up to the heavens, and his head should reach unto the clouds;
7 Il périra pour toujours comme son ordure, Et ceux qui le voyaient diront: Où est-il?
Yet when he but turneth round will he vanish for ever; those who have seen him will say, Where is he?
8 Il s’envolera comme un songe, et on ne le trouvera plus; Il disparaîtra comme une vision nocturne;
Like a dream will he fly away, and men will find him no more; yea, he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
9 L’œil qui le regardait ne le regardera plus, Le lieu qu’il habitait ne l’apercevra plus.
If an eye have surveyed him, it will not do so again, and it will not behold him any more in his place.
10 Ses fils seront assaillis par les pauvres, Et ses mains restitueront ce qu’il a pris par violence.
His children will suffer oppression from the indigent, and his hands will have to restore his [ill-gotten] wealth.
11 La vigueur de la jeunesse, qui remplissait ses membres, Aura sa couche avec lui dans la poussière.
[Now] his bones are full of his youthful vigor; but it will [suddenly] lie down with him in the dust.
12 Le mal était doux à sa bouche, Il le cachait sous sa langue,
If the evil be sweet in his mouth, he will conceal it under his tongue;
13 Il le savourait sans l’abandonner, Il le retenait au milieu de son palais;
He will cherish it, and not forsake it; and hold it back within his palate;
14 Mais sa nourriture se transformera dans ses entrailles, Elle deviendra dans son corps un venin d’aspic.
His food is thus changed within his bowels, and becometh the venom of asps within him.
15 Il a englouti des richesses, il les vomira; Dieu les chassera de son ventre.
The wealth which he hath swallowed, will he have to vomit up again; God will drive it out of his belly.
16 Il a sucé du venin d’aspic, La langue de la vipère le tuera.
The poison of asps will he have to suck; the viper's tongue will slay him.
17 Il ne reposera plus ses regards sur les ruisseaux, Sur les torrents, sur les fleuves de miel et de lait.
He shall not look with pleasure on streams, on flowing brooks of honey and cream.
18 Il rendra ce qu’il a gagné, et n’en profitera plus; Il restituera tout ce qu’il a pris, et n’en jouira plus.
He restoreth what he hath labored for, and will not swallow it down; however much he may have obtained by toil, he will not have any joy of it.
19 Car il a opprimé, délaissé les pauvres, Il a ruiné des maisons et ne les a pas rétablies.
Because he oppressed and forsook the indigent; because he took violently away a house, shall he not rebuild it;
20 Son avidité n’a point connu de bornes; Mais il ne sauvera pas ce qu’il avait de plus cher.
Because he knew not quietness in his bosom, shall he not escape through what is the most precious to him.
21 Rien n’échappait à sa voracité; Mais son bien-être ne durera pas.
Nothing was spared from his craving to eat: therefore shall his wealth not prosper.
22 Au milieu de l’abondance il sera dans la détresse; La main de tous les misérables se lèvera sur lui.
In the fulness of his abundance will distress assail him: every hand of [those he] troubled will come against him.
23 Et voici, pour lui remplir le ventre, Dieu enverra sur lui le feu de sa colère, Et le rassasiera par une pluie de traits.
In order to fill his belly, [God] will send out against him the fury of his wrath, and will rain it upon him for his eating.
24 S’il échappe aux armes de fer, L’arc d’airain le transpercera.
If he flee from the iron weapon, the brazen bow will strike him through.
25 Il arrache de son corps le trait, Qui étincelle au sortir de ses entrailles, Et il est en proie aux terreurs de la mort.
He draweth it, and it cometh out of the body; yea, out of his gall the glittering [arrow] cometh forth: over him come the terrors [of death].
26 Toutes les calamités sont réservées à ses trésors; Il sera consumé par un feu que n’allumera point l’homme, Et ce qui restera dans sa tente en deviendra la pâture.
Entire darkness is laid by for his treasures: a fire not urged by blowing will consume him; it will destroy any one that is left in his tent.
27 Les cieux dévoileront son iniquité, Et la terre s’élèvera contre lui.
The heavens will lay open his iniquity; and the earth will raise herself up against him.
28 Les revenus de sa maison seront emportés, Ils disparaîtront au jour de la colère de Dieu.
The product of his house will be banished, flowing away on the day of his wrath.
29 Telle est la part que Dieu réserve au méchant, Tel est l’héritage que Dieu lui destine.
This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and his decreed heritage from God.
