Job 31
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Job 31
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J`avais fait un pacte avec mes yeux, Et je n`aurais pas arrêté mes regards sur une vierge. | I made an agreement with my eyes; how then might my eyes be looking on a virgin? |
Quelle part Dieu m`eût-il réservée d`en haut? Quel héritage le Tout Puissant m`eût-il envoyé des cieux? | For what is God's reward from on high, or the heritage given by the Ruler of all from heaven? |
La ruine n`est-elle pas pour le méchant, Et le malheur pour ceux qui commettent l`iniquité? | Is it not trouble for the sinner, and destruction for the evil-doers? |
Dieu n`a-t-il pas connu mes voies? N`a-t-il pas compté tous mes pas? | Does he not see my ways, and are not my steps all numbered? |
Si j`ai marché dans le mensonge, Si mon pied a couru vers la fraude, | If I have gone in false ways, or my foot has been quick in working deceit; |
Que Dieu me pèse dans des balances justes, Et il reconnaîtra mon intégrité! | (Let me be measured in upright scales, and let God see my righteousness:) |
Si mon pas s`est détourné du droit chemin, Si mon coeur a suivi mes yeux, Si quelque souillure s`est attachée à mes mains, | If my steps have been turned out of the way, or if my heart went after my eyes, or if the property of another is in my hands; |
Que je sème et qu`un autre moissonne, Et que mes rejetons soient déracinés! | Let me put seed in the earth for another to have the fruit of it, and let my produce be uprooted. |
Si mon coeur a été séduit par une femme, Si j`ai fait le guet à la porte de mon prochain, | If my heart went after another man's wife, or if I was waiting secretly at my neighbour's door; |
Que ma femme tourne la meule pour un autre, Et que d`autres la déshonorent! | Then let my wife give pleasure to another man and let others make use of her body. |
Car c`est un crime, Un forfait que punissent les juges; | For that would be a crime; it would be an act for which punishment would be measured out by the judges: |
C`est un feu qui dévore jusqu`à la ruine, Et qui aurait détruit toute ma richesse. | It would be a fire burning even to destruction, and taking away all my produce. |
Si j`ai méprisé le droit de mon serviteur ou de ma servante Lorsqu`ils étaient en contestation avec moi, | If I did wrong in the cause of my man-servant, or my woman-servant, when they went to law with me; |
Qu`ai-je à faire, quand Dieu se lève? Qu`ai-je à répondre, quand il châtie? | What then will I do when God comes as my judge? and what answer may I give to his questions? |
Celui qui m`a créé dans le ventre de ma mère ne l`a-t-il pas créé? Le même Dieu ne nous a-t-il pas formés dans le sein maternel? | Did not God make him as well as me? did he not give us life in our mothers' bodies? |
Si j`ai refusé aux pauvres ce qu`ils demandaient, Si j`ai fait languir les yeux de la veuve, | If I kept back the desire of the poor; if the widow's eye was looking for help to no purpose; |
Si j`ai mangé seul mon pain, Sans que l`orphelin en ait eu sa part, | If I kept my food for myself, and did not give some of it to the child with no father; |
Moi qui l`ai dès ma jeunesse élevé comme un père, Moi qui dès ma naissance ai soutenu la veuve; | (For I was cared for by God as by a father from my earliest days; he was my guide from the body of my mother;) |
Si j`ai vu le malheureux manquer de vêtements, L`indigent n`avoir point de couverture, | If I saw one near to death for need of clothing, and that the poor had nothing covering him; |
Sans que ses reins m`aient béni, Sans qu`il ait été réchauffé par la toison de mes agneaux; | If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm; |
Si j`ai levé la main contre l`orphelin, Parce que je me sentais un appui dans les juges; | If my hand had been lifted up against him who had done no wrong, when I saw that I was supported by the judges; |
Que mon épaule se détache de sa jointure, Que mon bras tombe et qu`il se brise! | May my arm be pulled from my body, and be broken from its base. |
Car les châtiments de Dieu m`épouvantent, Et je ne puis rien devant sa majesté. | For the fear of God kept me back, and because of his power I might not do such things. |
Si j`ai mis dans l`or ma confiance, Si j`ai dit à l`or: Tu es mon espoir; | If I made gold my hope, or if I ever said to the best gold, I have put my faith in you; |
Si je me suis réjoui de la grandeur de mes biens, De la quantité des richesses que j`avais acquises; | If I was glad because my wealth was great, and because my hand had got together a great store; |
Si j`ai regardé le soleil quand il brillait, La lune quand elle s`avançait majestueuse, | If, when I saw the sun shining, and the moon moving on its bright way, |
Et si mon coeur s`est laissé séduire en secret, Si ma main s`est portée sur ma bouche; | A secret feeling of worship came into my heart, and my hand gave kisses from my mouth; |
C`est encore un crime que doivent punir les juges, Et j`aurais renié le Dieu d`en haut! | That would have been another sin to be rewarded with punishment by the judges; for I would have been false to God on high. |
Si j`ai été joyeux du malheur de mon ennemi, Si j`ai sauté d`allégresse quand les revers l`ont atteint, | If I was glad at the trouble of my hater, and gave cries of joy when evil overtook him; |
Moi qui n`ai pas permis à ma langue de pécher, De demander sa mort avec imprécation; | (For I did not let my mouth give way to sin, in putting a curse on his life;) |
Si les gens de ma tente ne disaient pas: Où est celui qui n`a pas été rassasié de sa viande? | If the men of my tent did not say, Who has not had full measure of his meat? |
Si l`étranger passait la nuit dehors, Si je n`ouvrais pas ma porte au voyageur; | The traveller did not take his night's rest in the street, and my doors were open to anyone on a journey; |
Si, comme les hommes, j`ai caché mes transgressions, Et renfermé mes iniquités dans mon sein, | If I kept my evil doings covered, and my sin in the secret of my breast, |
Parce que j`avais peur de la multitude, Parce que je craignais le mépris des familles, Me tenant à l`écart et n`osant franchir ma porte... | For fear of the great body of people, or for fear that families might make sport of me, so that I kept quiet, and did not go out of my door; |
Oh! qui me fera trouver quelqu`un qui m`écoute? Voilà ma défense toute signée: Que le Tout Puissant me réponde! Qui me donnera la plainte écrite par mon adversaire? | If only God would give ear to me, and the Ruler of all would give me an answer! or if what he has against me had been put in writing! |
Je porterai son écrit sur mon épaule, Je l`attacherai sur mon front comme une couronne; | Truly I would take up the book in my hands; it would be to me as a crown; |
Je lui rendrai compte de tous mes pas, Je m`approcherai de lui comme un prince. | I would make clear the number of my steps, I would put it before him like a prince! The words of Job are ended. |
Si ma terre crie contre moi, Et que ses sillons versent des larmes; | If my land has made an outcry against me, or the ploughed earth has been in sorrow; |
Si j`en ai mangé le produit sans l`avoir payée, Et que j`aie attristé l`âme de ses anciens maîtres; | If I have taken its produce without payment, causing the death of its owners; |
Qu`il y croisse des épines au lieu de froment, Et de l`ivraie au lieu d`orge! Fin des paroles de Job. | Then in place of grain let thorns come up, and in place of barley evil-smelling plants. |