1 Eliphaz de Témân prit la parole et dit: | 1 And Eliphaz the Themanite, answered, and said: |
2 Un sage répond-il par des raisons en l'air et se repaît-il d'un vent d'est? | 2 Will a wise man answer as if he were speaking in the wind, and fill his stomach with burning heat? |
3 Se défend-il avec des mots inutiles et des discours sans profit? | 3 Thou reprovest him by words, who is not equal to thee, and thou speakest that which is not good for thee. |
4 Tu fais plus: tu supprimes la crainte, tu discrédites les pieux entretiens devant Dieu. | 4 As much as is in thee, thou hast made void fear, and hast taken away prayers from before God. |
5 Ta faute te dicte de telles paroles et tu adoptes le langage des astucieux. | 5 For thy iniquity hath taught thy mouth, and thou imitatest the tongue of blasphemers. |
6 Ta propre bouche te condamne, et non pas moi, tes lèvres mêmes témoignent contre toi. | 6 Thy own mouth shall condemn thee, and not I: and thy own lips shall answer thee. |
7 Es-tu né le premier des hommes? Est-ce qu'on t'enfanta avant les collines? | 7 Art thou the first man that was born, or wast thou made before the hills ? |
8 As-tu écouté au conseil de Dieu et accaparé la sagesse? | 8 Hast thou heard God's counsel, and shall his wisdom be inferior to thee? |
9 Que sais-tu que nous ne sachions, que comprends-tu qui nous dépasse? | 9 What knowest thou that we are ignorant of? what dost thou understand that we know not? |
10 Il y a même parmi nous une tête chenue, un vieillard, chargé d'ans plus que ton père. | 10 There are with us also aged and ancient men, much elder than thy fathers. |
11 Fais-tu peu de cas de ces consolations divines et du ton modéré de nos paroles? | 11 Is it a great matter that God should comfort thee? but thy wicked words hinder this. |
12 Comme la passion t'emporte! Et quels yeux tu roules, | 12 Why doth thy heart elevate thee, and why dost thou stare with thy eyes, as if they were thinking great things ? |
13 quand tu tournes contre Dieu ta colère en proférant tes discours! | 13 Why doth thy spirit swell against God, to utter such words out of thy mouth ? |
14 Comment l'homme serait-il pur, resterait-il juste, l'enfant de la femme? | 14 What is man that he should be without spot, and he that is born of a woman that he should appear just? |
15 A ses saints mêmes Dieu ne fait pas confiance, et les Cieux ne sont pas purs à ses yeux. | 15 Behold among his saints none is unchangeable, and the heavens are not pure in his sight. |
16 Combien moins cet être abominable et corrompu, l'homme, qui boit l'iniquité comme l'eau! | 16 How much more is man abominable, and unprofitable, who drinketh iniquity like water? |
17 Je veux t'instruire, écoute-moi, te faire part de mon expérience | 17 I will shew thee, hear me : and I mill tell thee what I have seen. |
18 et de la tradition des Sages, restés fidèles à leurs Pères, | 18 Wise men confess and hide not their fathers. |
19 à qui seuls fut donné le pays, sans qu'aucun étranger se fût mêlé à eux. | 19 To whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger hath passed among them. |
20 "La vie du méchant est un tourment continuel, les années réservées au tyran sont comptées. | 20 The wicked man is proud all his days, and the number of the years of his tyranny is uncertain. |
21 Le cri d'alarme résonne à ses oreilles, en pleine paix le dévastateur fond sur lui. | 21 The sound of dread is always in his ears: and when there is peace, he always suspecteth treason. |
22 Il ne compte plus échapper aux ténèbres et se voit désigné pour l'épée, | 22 He believeth not that he may return from darkness to light, looking round about for the sword on every side. |
23 assigné en pâture au vautour. Il sait que sa ruine est imminente. L'heure des ténèbres | 23 When he moveth himself to seek bread, he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand. |
24 l'épouvante, la détresse et l'angoisse l'envahissent, comme lorsqu'un roi décide l'assaut. | 24 Tribulation shall terrify him, and distress shall surround him, as a king that is prepared for the battle. |
25 Il levait la main contre Dieu, il osait braver Shaddaï! | 25 For he hath stretched out his hand against God, and hath strengthened himself against the Almighty. |
26 Il fonçait sur lui la tête baissée, avec un bouclier aux bosses massives. | 26 He hath run against him with his neck raised up, and is armed with a fat neck. |
27 Son visage s'était couvert de graisse, le lard s'était accumulé sur ses reins. | 27 Fatness hath covered his face, and the fat hangeth down on his sides. |
28 Il avait occupé des villes détruites, des maisons inhabitées et prêtes à tomber en ruines; | 28 He hath dwelt in desolate cities, and in desert houses that are reduced into heaps. |
29 mais il ne s'enrichira pas, sa fortune ne tiendra pas, il ne couvrira plus le pays de son ombre, (iln'échappera pas aux ténèbres), | 29 He shall not be enriched, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he push his root in the earth. |
30 la flamme desséchera ses jeunes pousses, sa fleur sera emportée par le vent. | 30 He shall not depart out of darkness: the flame shall dry up his branches, and he shall be taken away by the breath of his own month. |
31 Qu'il ne se fie pas à sa taille élevée, car il se ferait illusion. | 31 He shall not believe, being vainly deceived by error, that he may be redeemed with any price. |
32 Avant le temps se flétriront ses palmes et ses rameaux ne reverdiront plus. | 32 Before his days be full he shall perish: and his hands shall wither away. |
33 Comme une vigne il secouera ses fruits verts, il rejettera, tel l'olivier, sa floraison. | 33 He shall be blasted as a vine when its grapes are in the first flower, and as an olive tree that casteth its flower. |
34 Oui, l'engeance de l'impie est stérile, un feu dévore la tente de l'homme vénal. | 34 For the congregation of the hypocrite is barren, and fire shall devour their tabernacles, who love to take bribes. |
35 Qui conçoit la peine engendre le malheur et porte en soi un fruit de déception." | 35 He hath conceived sorrow, and hath brought forth iniquity, and his womb prepareth deceits. |