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
English Standard Version
Job's Summary Defense
29 And Job again (A)took up his discourse, and said:
2 “Oh, that I were as in the months of old,
as in the days when God watched over me,
3 when his (B)lamp shone upon my head,
and by his light I walked through darkness,
4 as I was in my prime,[a]
when the (C)friendship of God was upon my tent,
5 when the Almighty was yet with me,
when my (D)children were all around me,
6 when my steps were (E)washed with (F)butter,
and (G)the rock poured out for me streams of (H)oil!
7 When I went out to (I)the gate of the city,
when I prepared my seat in the square,
8 the young men saw me and withdrew,
and the aged rose and stood;
9 the princes refrained from talking
and (J)laid their hand on their mouth;
10 the voice of the nobles was hushed,
and their (K)tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ear heard, it called me blessed,
and when the eye saw, it approved,
12 because I (L)delivered the poor who cried for help,
and the fatherless who had none to help him.
13 (M)The blessing of him who was (N)about to perish came upon me,
and I caused (O)the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 I (P)put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
my justice was like a robe and (Q)a turban.
15 I was (R)eyes to the blind
and feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy,
and I searched out (S)the cause of him whom I did not know.
17 I (T)broke (U)the fangs of the unrighteous
and made him drop his prey from his teeth.
18 (V)Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my (W)nest,
and I shall multiply my days as (X)the sand,
19 my (Y)roots spread out to (Z)the waters,
with the dew all night on my (AA)branches,
20 my glory fresh with me,
and my (AB)bow ever (AC)new in my hand.’
21 “Men listened to me and waited
and kept silence for my counsel.
22 After I spoke they did not speak again,
and my word (AD)dropped upon them.
23 They waited for me as for the rain,
and they (AE)opened their mouths as for the (AF)spring rain.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence,
and (AG)the light of my (AH)face they did not cast down.
25 I chose their way and sat as chief,
and I lived like (AI)a king among his troops,
like one who comforts mourners.
Footnotes
- Job 29:4 Hebrew my autumn days
Job 29
King James Version
29 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
3 When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
7 When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10 The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
17 And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
19 My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
20 My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
22 After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
La Bible Du Semeur (The Bible of the Sower) Copyright © 1992, 1999 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
