Job 29
La Bible du Semeur
Dernier discours de Job
Job évoque sa condition passée
29 Job prononça un autre discours et dit :
2 Qui me fera revivre ╵les saisons d’autrefois,
comme en ces jours passés ╵où Dieu veillait sur moi,
3 où il faisait briller ╵sa lampe sur ma tête
et qu’avec sa lumière ╵j’affrontais les ténèbres ?
4 Ah ! si j’étais encore ╵aux jours de ma vigueur,
quand ma demeure jouissait ╵de l’intimité avec Dieu,
5 et quand le Tout-Puissant ╵était encore à mes côtés,
et mes enfants ╵autour de moi,
6 quand je baignais mes pieds ╵dans le lait fermenté
et quand le roc versait ╵pour moi des torrents d’huile[a].
7 Lorsque je me rendais ╵aux portes de la ville,
quand je dressais mon siège ╵sur la place publique[b],
8 les jeunes me voyaient ╵et ils se retiraient,
les vieillards se levaient ╵et ils restaient debout[c],
9 les notables arrêtaient ╵leurs propos
et se mettaient ╵une main sur la bouche.
10 Les grands baissaient la voix
et ils tenaient leur langue ╵collée à leur palais.
11 Celui qui m’écoutait ╵me déclarait heureux,
celui qui me voyait ╵parlait de moi en bien.
12 Car je sauvais le pauvre ╵qui appelait à l’aide
ainsi que l’orphelin ╵privé de tout secours.
13 Ceux qui allaient mourir ╵me bénissaient,
et je mettais la joie ╵dans le cœur de la veuve.
14 J’endossais la justice : ╵c’était mon vêtement.
Ma robe et mon turban, ╵c’était ma probité.
15 J’étais l’œil de l’aveugle
et les pieds du boiteux,
16 et j’étais comme un père ╵pour ceux qui étaient pauvres.
J’examinais à fond ╵le cas des inconnus[d].
17 Je brisais les mâchoires ╵de l’homme inique
et je lui arrachais ╵la proie d’entre les dents.
18 Je me disais alors : ╵« Je mourrai dans mon nid,
j’aurai des jours nombreux ╵comme les grains de sable[e].
19 La source de l’eau vive ╵baignera mes racines,
la rosée passera ╵la nuit sur ma ramure.
20 Ma gloire auprès de moi ╵se renouvellera
et, dans ma main, ╵mon arc rajeunira. »
21 Alors on m’écoutait[f] ╵attendant mon avis
et l’on faisait silence ╵pour avoir mon conseil.
22 Lorsque j’avais parlé, ╵on ne discutait pas.
Ma parole, sur eux, ╵se répandait avec douceur.
23 Et ils comptaient sur moi ╵comme on attend la pluie.
Ils ouvraient grand la bouche, ╵comme pour recueillir ╵les ondées du printemps.
24 Quand je leur souriais ╵ils n’osaient pas y croire,
on ne pouvait éteindre ╵l’éclat de mon visage[g].
25 C’est moi qui choisissais ╵la voie qu’ils devaient suivre. ╵Je siégeais à leur tête,
je trônais comme un roi ╵au milieu de ses troupes,
comme un consolateur ╵pour les gens affligés.
Footnotes
- 29.6 Images classiques de la prospérité : le roc désigne le pressoir d’olives dont la base d’où s’écoulait l’huile était faite en pierre.
- 29.7 Le conseil des notables siégeait sur la place publique près des portes de la ville. Ce conseil fonctionnait aussi comme tribunal. Les v. 7-10 illustrent les habitudes de politesse orientale.
- 29.8 Jusqu’à ce que Job se soit assis.
- 29.16 Autre traduction : les cas que je ne savais pas trancher.
- 29.18 D’autres comprennent : comme le phœnix, oiseau légendaire qui vivait 500 ans puis brûlait avec son nid pour renaître aussitôt de ses cendres. L’ancienne version grecque a : comme le palmier.
- 29.21 Suite des v. 7-10.
- 29.24 Autre traduction : ils ne négligeaient aucun signe favorable sur mon visage.
Job 29
New Life Version
Job Tells of His Past Days
29 Then Job spoke again and said, 2 “If only I could be now as I was in the months past when God watched over me! 3 His lamp shined over my head then and by His light I walked through darkness. 4 Those days were my best days when God was my friend watching over my tent. 5 The All-powerful was still with me, and my children were around me. 6 My path was washed with milk, and the rock poured out rivers of oil for me. 7 When I went to the city gate and took my place with the leaders of the city, 8 the young men saw me and let me go by. The old men rose and stood. 9 The leaders stopped talking, and put their hands on their mouths. 10 The voices of the rulers were quiet. Their tongues held to the roof of their mouths. 11 Those who heard me, honored me. Those who saw me, respected me, 12 because I helped the poor man when he cried for help and the child without parents who had no one to help him. 13 Good came to me from the man who was dying. And I made the heart of the woman whose husband had died sing for joy. 14 I put on what was right and good, and it clothed me. The right things done were my coat and head-covering. 15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the man who could not walk. 16 I was a father to those in need. And I helped those I did not know who had a need. 17 I broke the jaws of the sinful, and took from their teeth what they had taken. 18 Then I thought, ‘I will die in my nest. My days will be as many as the sand. 19 My roots go to the water. As the water is on the grass in the early morning, it will be all night on my branches. 20 My honor is always new to me, and my bow is new in my hand.’
21 “Men listened to me and waited. They were quiet so they could hear my words of wisdom. 22 After I spoke, they did not speak again. My words stayed with them. 23 They waited for me as for rain. And they opened their mouths as for the spring rain. 24 I looked at them with joy when they were not sure of themselves, and the light of my face gave them comfort. 25 I decided the way for them and sat as their leader. I lived as a king among his army, and like one who gives comfort to those in sorrow.
Job 29
New King James Version
Job’s Summary Defense
29 Job further continued his discourse, and said:
2 “Oh, that I were as in months (A)past,
As in the days when God (B)watched over me;
3 (C)When His lamp shone upon my head,
And when by His light I walked through darkness;
4 Just as I was in the days of my prime,
When (D)the friendly counsel of God was over my tent;
5 When the Almighty was yet with me,
When my children were around me;
6 When (E)my steps were bathed with [a]cream,
And (F)the rock poured out rivers of oil for me!
7 “When I went out to the gate by the city,
When I took my seat in the open square,
8 The young men saw me and hid,
And the aged arose and stood;
9 The princes refrained from talking,
And (G)put their hand on their mouth;
10 The voice of nobles was hushed,
And their (H)tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ear heard, then it blessed me,
And when the eye saw, then it approved me;
12 Because (I)I delivered the poor who cried out,
The fatherless and the one who had no helper.
13 The blessing of a perishing man came upon me,
And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
14 (J)I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a turban.
15 I was (K)eyes to the blind,
And I was feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the poor,
And (L)I searched out the case that I did not know.
17 I broke (M)the fangs of the wicked,
And plucked the victim from his teeth.
18 “Then I said, (N)‘I shall die in my nest,
And multiply my days as the sand.
19 (O)My root is spread out (P)to the waters,
And the dew lies all night on my branch.
20 My glory is fresh within me,
And my (Q)bow is renewed in my hand.’
21 “Men listened to me and waited,
And kept silence for my counsel.
22 After my words they did not speak again,
And my speech settled on them as dew.
23 They waited for me as for the rain,
And they opened their mouth wide as for (R)the spring rain.
24 If I mocked at them, they did not believe it,
And the light of my countenance they did not cast down.
25 I chose the way for them, and sat as chief;
So I dwelt as a king in the army,
As one who comforts mourners.
La Bible Du Semeur (The Bible of the Sower) Copyright © 1992, 1999 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
