1 Mon fils, si tu t’es décidé à servir le Seigneur, prépare-toi à l’épreuve! | 1 Son, when thou comest to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation. |
2 Garde un cœur droit et sois résolu, ne te démonte pas quand viennent les difficultés. | 2 Humble thy heart, and endure: incline thy ear, and receive the words of understanding: and make not haste in the time of clouds. |
3 Attache-toi au Seigneur, ne t’écarte pas de lui; si tu fais ainsi, tu arriveras à bon port à la fin de tes jours. | 3 Wait on God with patience: join thyself to God, and endure, that thy life may be increased in the latter end. |
4 Accepte tout ce qui t’arrive et sois patient quand tu te retrouves à terre. | 4 Take all that shall be brought upon thee: and in thy sorrow endure, and in thy humiliation keep patience. |
5 Car on purifie l’or par le feu, et de même ceux qui plaisent à Dieu passent par le creuset de l’humiliation. | 5 For gold and silver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation. |
6 Aie confiance en lui et il prendra soin de toi; suis le droit chemin et espère en lui. | 6 Believe God, and he will recover thee: and direct thy way, and trust in him. Keep his fear, and grow old therein. |
7 Vous qui craignez le Seigneur, attendez sa miséricorde; ne vous détournez pas de lui: vous tomberiez. | 7 Ye that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy: and go not aside from him, lest ye fall. |
8 Vous qui craignez le Seigneur, ayez confiance en lui: vous ne perdrez pas votre récompense. | 8 Ye that fear the Lord, believe him: and your reward shall not be made void. |
9 Vous qui craignez le Seigneur, attendez-vous à recevoir tout ce qui vaut la peine: espérez miséricorde et joie éternelle. | 9 Ye that fear the Lord, hope in him: and mercy shall come to you for your delight. |
10 Rappelez-vous ce qui est arrivé à vos ancêtres: qui a mis sa confiance dans le Seigneur et s’en est repenti? Qui a persévéré dans sa crainte et a été abandonné? Qui a fait appel à lui et n’a pas été écouté? | 10 Ye that fear the Lord, love him, and your hearts shall be enlightened. |
11 Car le Seigneur est tendresse et miséricorde; il pardonne nos péchés et nous sauve au temps de la détresse. | 11 My children behold the generations of men: and know ye that no one hath hoped in the Lord, and hath been confounded. |
12 Malheur aux lâches qui laissent tomber leurs bras, malheur au pécheur qui se refuse à choisir! | 12 For who hath continued in his commandment, and hath been forsaken? or who hath called upon him, and he despised him? |
13 Malheur aux lâches qui n’ont pas confiance! pour cette raison ils ne seront pas protégés. | 13 For God is compassionate and merciful, and will forgive sins in the day of tribulation: and he is a protector to all that seek him in truth. |
14 Malheur à vous qui n’avez pas persévéré: que ferez-vous quand le Seigneur vous demandera des comptes? | 14 Woe to them that are of a double heart and to wicked lips, and to the hands that do evil, and to the sinner that goeth on the earth two ways. |
15 Ceux qui craignent le Seigneur ne désobéissent pas à ses commandements; ceux qui sont fidèles à l’aimer marchent sur ses chemins. | 15 Woe to them that are fainthearted, who believe not God: and therefore they shall not be protected by him. |
16 Ceux qui craignent le Seigneur cherchent à lui plaire; ceux qui l’aiment se nourrissent de sa loi. | 16 Woe to them that have lost patience, and that have forsaken the right ways, and have gone aside into crooked ways. |
17 Ceux qui craignent le Seigneur gardent leur cœur disponible; ils s’humilient devant lui et disent: | 17 And what will they do, when the Lord shall begin to examine? |
18 “Tombons entre les mains du Seigneur plutôt qu’entre les mains des hommes, car sa miséricorde n’est pas moindre que sa puissance!” | 18 They that fear the Lord, will not be incredulous to his word: and they that love him, will keep his way. |
| 19 They that fear the Lord, will seek after the things that are well pleasing to him: and they that love him, shall be filled with his law. |
| 20 They that fear the Lord, will prepare their hearts, and in his sight will sanctify their souls. |
| 21 They that fear the Lord, keep his Commandments, and will have patience even until his visitation, |
| 22 Saying: If we do not penance, we shall fall into the hands of the Lord, and not into the hands of men. |
| 23 For according to his greatness, so also is his mercy with him. |