| 1 God created man from the earth, and he made him according to his own image. | 1 Dieu a créé l'homme de la terre, et Il l'a formé à Son image. |
| 2 And he returned him again to it, and he clothed him with virtue according to himself. | 2 Il le fait ensuite rentrer dans la terre, et Il l'a revêtu de force selon sa nature. |
| 3 He gave him the number and time of his days, and he gave him authority over all the things that are upon the earth. | 3 Il lui a assigné un temps et des jours comptés, et Il lui a donné le pouvoir sur tout ce qui est sur la terre. |
| 4 He placed the fear of him over all flesh, and he had dominion over wild beasts and flying things. | 4 Il l'a fait craindre de toute chair, et lui a donné l'empire sur les bêtes et sur les oiseaux. |
| 5 He created from him a helper, similar to himself. He gave them counsel, and language, and sight, and hearing, and a heart, in order to think. And he filled them with the discipline of understanding. | 5 Il lui a créé de sa substance une aide semblable à lui; Il leur a donné le discernement, une langue, des yeux, des oreilles, et un coeur pour penser, et Il les a remplis de science et d'intelligence. |
| 6 He created within them the knowledge of the spirit. He filled their heart with understanding, and he showed them both good and evil. | 6 Il a créé en eux la science de l'esprit; Il a rempli leur coeur de sens, et Il leur a fait voir les biens et les maux. |
| 7 He set his eye upon their hearts, to reveal to them the greatness of his works, | 7 Il a fait luire Son oeil sur leurs coeurs, pour leur montrer la grandeur de Ses oeuvres; |
| 8 so that they might highly praise the name of sanctification, and give glory to his wonders, so that they might declare the greatness of his works. | 8 afin qu'ils pussent louer la sainteté de Son nom, se glorifier de Ses merveilles, et publier la magnificence de Ses oeuvres. |
| 9 In addition, he gave them discipline and the law of life, as their inheritance. | 9 Il leur a donné en outre l'instruction, et les a constitués héritiers de la loi de vie. |
| 10 He established an eternal covenant with them, and he revealed to them his justice and judgments. | 10 Il a fait avec eux une alliance éternelle, et leur a montré les préceptes de Sa justice. |
| 11 And their eye saw the greatness of his honor, and their ears heard the honor of his voice, and he said to them: “Beware of all iniquity.” | 11 Leurs yeux ont vu les merveilles de Sa gloire, et leurs oreilles ont entendu la majesté de Sa voix. Et Il leur a dit: Gardez-vous de toute iniquité. |
| 12 And he commanded each one concerning his neighbor. | 12 Et Il a donné à chacun d'eux des ordres au sujet de son prochain. |
| 13 Their ways are always in his sight; they are not hidden from his eyes. | 13 Leurs voies lui sont toujours présentes; elles ne sont pas cachées à Ses yeux. |
| 14 Over each and every people, he has appointed a ruler. | 14 A chaque nation Il a préposé un prince; |
| 15 And Israel was made to be the manifest portion of God. | 15 mais Israël a été visiblement le partage de Dieu. |
| 16 And in the sight of God, all their works are like the sun. And his eyes, without ceasing, inspect their ways. | 16 Toutes leurs oeuvres sont devant Dieu comme le soleil, et Ses yeux considèrent sans cesse leurs voies. |
| 17 The covenants are not hidden by their iniquity, and all their iniquities are in the sight of God. | 17 Les lois n'ont point été obscurcies par leur iniquité, et toutes leurs offenses sont devant Dieu. |
| 18 The almsgiving of a man is like a seal upon him, which will guard the grace of a man like the pupil of an eye. | 18 L'aumône de l'homme est pour Dieu comme un sceau, et Il conserve le bienfait de l'homme comme la prunelle de l'oeil. |
| 19 And afterward, it will rise up and repay them their reward, each one upon his head, and it will return to the hidden places of the earth. | 19 Ensuite Il Se lèvera, et Il fera retomber sur la tête de chacun d'eux ce qu'il aura mérité, et Il les fera rentrer dans les parties intérieures de la terre. |
| 20 Now, to the repentant, he has given the way of justice, and he has strengthened those lacking in patience, and he has fastened them to a destiny of truth. | 20 Mais Il donne aux pénitents la voie de la justice, et Il affermit ceux dont la patience s'affaiblit, et Il leur destine la vérité pour partage. |
| 21 Convert to the Lord, and relinquish your sins. | |
| 22 Make supplication before the face of the Lord, and diminish your offenses. | |
| 23 Return to the Lord, and turn away from your injustice, and have immense hatred for abomination. | |
| 24 And acknowledge the justices and judgments of God, and stand firm in the circumstances set before you and in prayer to the most high God. | |
| 25 Go to the side of the holy generation, to those who live in order to give praise to God. | |
| 26 You should not linger in the error of the impious; confess before death. Confession perishes from the dead as if it were nothing. | |
| 27 Confess while living; you should give thanks while you are still alive and healthy. And you should praise God and glory in his compassion. | |
| 28 How great is the mercy of the Lord, and his forgiveness, for those who convert to him! | |
| 29 For not all things can be in men, because the son of man is not immortal, and because they are pleased by the emptiness of malice. | |
| 30 What is brighter than the sun? Yet this will fail. Or what is more wicked than that which flesh and blood has invented? And this will be reproved. | |
| 31 He beholds the power of the heights of heaven. And all men are earth and ashes. | |