Job 27
La Bible du Semeur
Nouveau discours de Job
Job maintient qu’il est innocent
27 Job prononça un nouveau discours et dit :
2 Par le Dieu vivant[a] qui refuse ╵de me rendre justice
et par le Tout-Puissant ╵qui m’a aigri le cœur,
3 aussi longtemps ╵que je respirerai,
et tant que le souffle reçu de Dieu ╵sera dans mes narines,
4 je jure que mes lèvres ╵ne diront rien de faux
et que, jamais, ma langue ╵ne dira de mensonge.
5 Loin de moi la pensée ╵de vous donner raison !
Jusqu’à mon dernier souffle, ╵non, je ne renoncerai pas ╵à affirmer mon innocence.
6 Je maintiens fermement ╵que ma conduite est juste, ╵je ne faiblirai pas
car ma conscience ╵ne me reproche pas ╵ce qu’a été ma vie.
7 Oh ! que ce soit mon ennemi ╵qui soit considéré ╵comme étant le coupable,
et que mon adversaire ╵ait le sort des méchants.
8 Que peut espérer l’homme impie
quand il est retranché,
quand Dieu lui prend la vie ?
9 Dieu entend-il son cri
quand la détresse fond sur lui ?
10 Trouve-t-il du plaisir ╵auprès du Tout-Puissant ?
Lui adressera-t-il ╵sa prière en tout temps ?
11 Je vous enseignerai ╵quelle est l’action de Dieu ;
je ne cacherai pas ╵ce qu’il en est ╵du Tout-Puissant.
12 Vous tous, vous l’avez observé !
Alors pourquoi vous perdre ╵dans des raisonnements absurdes ?
13 Voici la part que Dieu ╵a réservée pour le méchant[b],
et le lot qu’un tyran ╵reçoit du Tout-Puissant :
14 si ses fils sont nombreux, ╵le glaive les attend,
et ses petits-enfants ╵souffriront de la faim.
15 La peste engloutira ╵tous ceux qui survivront,
leurs veuves elles-mêmes ╵ne les pleureront pas[c].
16 S’il amasse l’argent ╵comme de la poussière,
et, comme de la glaise, ╵entasse des habits,
17 qu’il les entasse donc : ╵le juste s’en revêtira,
les innocents auront ╵son argent en partage.
18 La maison qu’il bâtit ╵vaut celle d’une teigne,
c’est comme la cabane ╵que se fait un guetteur.
19 Il se couche avec ses richesses, ╵c’est la dernière fois[d].
Lorsqu’il ouvre les yeux, ╵il ne retrouve rien.
20 Les terreurs le submergent ╵comme une inondation
au milieu de la nuit, ╵un tourbillon l’enlève.
21 Le vent d’orient l’emporte ╵et le fait disparaître,
il l’arrache à son lieu.
22 On lance contre lui ╵des flèches sans pitié.
Lui s’efforce de fuir ╵cette main menaçante.
23 On applaudit sa ruine.
Du lieu qu’il habitait,
on siffle contre lui.
Footnotes
- 27.2 Le plus solennel des serments (voir Gn 42.15).
- 27.13 Dans les v. 13-23, Job veut montrer à ses amis qu’il sait aussi bien qu’eux ce qu’enseigne la sagesse traditionnelle, mais que celle-ci s’avère trop simpliste, et, dira-t-il au chap. suivant : la sagesse divine, qui peut la connaître ?
- 27.15 Comme il fallait enterrer immédiatement les cadavres des pestiférés, leurs veuves n’avaient pas le temps d’organiser des funérailles décentes, avec les lamentations d’usage.
- 27.19 c’est la dernière fois: avec un léger changement de voyelles en hébreu et selon les anciennes versions grecque et syriaque. Le texte hébreu traditionnel a : il ne sera pas recueilli, c’est-à-dire, peut-être, pas enseveli.
Job 27
Complete Jewish Bible
27 Iyov continued his speech:
2 “I swear by the living God,
who is denying me justice,
and by Shaddai,
who deals with me so bitterly,
3 that as long my life remains in me
and God’s breath is in my nostrils,
4 my lips will not speak unrighteousness,
or my tongue utter deceit.
5 Far be it from me to say you are right;
I will keep my integrity till the day I die.
6 I hold to my righteousness; I won’t let it go;
my heart will not shame me as long as I live.
7 “May my enemy meet the doom of the wicked;
my foe the fate of the unrighteous.
8 For what hope does the godless have from his gain
when God takes away his life?
9 Will God hear his cry
when trouble comes upon him?
10 Will he take delight in Shaddai
and always call on God?
11 “I am teaching you how God uses his power,
not hiding what Shaddai is doing.
12 Look, you all can see for yourselves;
so why are you talking such empty nonsense?
13 “This is God’s reward for the wicked man,
the heritage oppressors receive from Shaddai:
14 if his sons become many, they go to the sword;
and his children never have enough to eat.
15 Those of his who remain are buried by plague,
and their widows do not weep.
16 Even if he piles up silver like dust
and stores away clothing [in mounds] like clay —
17 he may collect it, but the just will wear it,
and the upright divide up the silver.
18 He builds his house weak as a spider’s web,
as flimsy as a watchman’s shack.
19 He may lie down rich, but his wealth yields nothing;
when he opens his eyes, it isn’t there.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood;
at night a whirlwind steals him away.
21 The east wind carries him off, and he’s gone;
it sweeps him far from his place.
22 Yes, it hurls itself at him, sparing nothing;
he does all he can to flee from its power.
23 [People] clap their hands at him in derision
and hiss him out of his home.
Job 27
King James Version
27 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;
3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
7 Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.
8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?
9 Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?
10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?
11 I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.
12 Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain?
13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty.
14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
15 Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.
16 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay;
17 He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.
18 He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh.
19 The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not.
20 Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night.
21 The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.
22 For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.
23 Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.
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Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.