Job 20
1 Tsophar de Naama prit la parole et dit:
Then responded Zophar the Naamathite, and said: —
2 Mes pensées me forcent à répondre, Et mon agitation ne peut se contenir.
Not so, do my thoughts answer me, and to this end, is my haste within me:
3 J’ai entendu des reproches qui m’outragent; Le souffle de mon intelligence donnera la réplique.
The correction meant to confound me, I must hear, but, the spirit—out of my understanding, will give me a reply.
4 Ne sais-tu pas que, de tout temps, Depuis que l’homme a été placé sur la terre,
Knowest thou, this—from antiquity, from the placing of man upon earth: —
5 Le triomphe des méchants a été court, Et la joie de l’impie momentanée?
That, the joy-shout of the lawless, is short, and, the rejoicing of the impious, for a moment?
6 Quand il s’élèverait jusqu’aux cieux, Et que sa tête toucherait aux nues,
Though his elevation mount up to the heavens, and, his head, to the clouds, doth reach,
7 Il périra pour toujours comme son ordure, Et ceux qui le voyaient diront: Où est-il?
Like his own stubble, shall he utterly perish, They who had seen him, shall 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, shall he fly away, and they shall not find him, yea he shall be chased away, as a vision of the night.
9 L’œil qui le regardait ne le regardera plus, Le lieu qu’il habitait ne l’apercevra plus.
The eye that hath scanned him, shall not do it again, neither, any more, shall his place behold him:
10 Ses fils seront assaillis par les pauvres, Et ses mains restitueront ce qu’il a pris par violence.
His children, shall seek the favour of the poor, and, his own hand, shall give back his wealth.
11 La vigueur de la jeunesse, qui remplissait ses membres, Aura sa couche avec lui dans la poussière.
His bones, are full of youthful vigour, yet, with him—in the dust, shall it lie down.
12 Le mal était doux à sa bouche, Il le cachait sous sa langue,
Though, a sweet taste in his mouth, be given by vice, though he hide it under his tongue;
13 Il le savourait sans l’abandonner, Il le retenait au milieu de son palais;
Though he spare it, and will not let it go, but retain it in the midst of his mouth,
14 Mais sa nourriture se transformera dans ses entrailles, Elle deviendra dans son corps un venin d’aspic.
His food, in his stomach, is changed, the gall of adders, within him!
15 Il a englouti des richesses, il les vomira; Dieu les chassera de son ventre.
Wealth, hath he swallowed, and hath vomited the same, Out of his belly, shall, GOD, drive it forth:
16 Il a sucé du venin d’aspic, La langue de la vipère le tuera.
The poison of adders, shall he suck, The tongue of the viper shall slay him;
17 Il ne reposera plus ses regards sur les ruisseaux, Sur les torrents, sur les fleuves de miel et de lait.
Let him not see in the channels the flowings of torrents of honey and milk.
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.
In vain, he toiled, he shall not swallow, like wealth to be restored, in which he cannot exult!
19 Car il a opprimé, délaissé les pauvres, Il a ruiné des maisons et ne les a pas rétablies.
For he hath oppressed—hath forsaken the poor, A house, hath he seized, which he cannot rebuild.
20 Son avidité n’a point connu de bornes; Mais il ne sauvera pas ce qu’il avait de plus cher.
Surely he hath known no peace in his inmost mind, —With his dearest thing, shall he not get away:
21 Rien n’échappait à sa voracité; Mais son bien-être ne durera pas.
Nothing escaped his devouring greed, —For this cause, shall his prosperity not continue:
22 Au milieu de l’abondance il sera dans la détresse; La main de tous les misérables se lèvera sur lui.
When his abundance is gone, he shall be in straits, All the power of distress, shall come upon 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.
It shall be that, to fill his belly, he will thrust at him the glow of his anger, and rain [it] upon him for his punishment.
24 S’il échappe aux armes de fer, L’arc d’airain le transpercera.
He shall flee from the armour of iron, —There shall pierce him, a bow of bronze!
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 hath drawn it out, and it hath come forth out of his back, —yea the flashing arrow-head, out of his gall, There shall march on him—terrors:
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.
Every misfortune, is laid up for his treasures, —There shall consume, a fire, not blown up, —it shall destroy what remaineth in his tent:
27 Les cieux dévoileront son iniquité, Et la terre s’élèvera contre lui.
The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and, the earth, be rising up against him:
28 Les revenus de sa maison seront emportés, Ils disparaîtront au jour de la colère de Dieu.
The increase of his house shall vanish, melting away in the day of his anger.
29 Telle est la part que Dieu réserve au méchant, Tel est l’héritage que Dieu lui destine.
This, is the portion of the lawless man, from God, and the inheritance decreed him from the Mighty One.
