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33 Maintenant donc, Job, écoute mes discours, Prête l'oreille à toutes mes paroles!

Voici, j'ouvre la bouche, Ma langue se remue dans mon palais.

C'est avec droiture de coeur que je vais parler, C'est la vérité pure qu'exprimeront mes lèvres:

L'esprit de Dieu m'a créé, Et le souffle du Tout Puissant m'anime.

Si tu le peux, réponds-moi, Défends ta cause, tiens-toi prêt!

Devant Dieu je suis ton semblable, J'ai été comme toi formé de la boue;

Ainsi mes terreurs ne te troubleront pas, Et mon poids ne saurait t'accabler.

Mais tu as dit à mes oreilles, Et j'ai entendu le son de tes paroles:

Je suis pur, je suis sans péché, Je suis net, il n'y a point en moi d'iniquité.

10 Et Dieu trouve contre moi des motifs de haine, Il me traite comme son ennemi;

11 Il met mes pieds dans les ceps, Il surveille tous mes mouvements.

12 Je te répondrai qu'en cela tu n'as pas raison, Car Dieu est plus grand que l'homme.

13 Veux-tu donc disputer avec lui, Parce qu'il ne rend aucun compte de ses actes?

14 Dieu parle cependant, tantôt d'une manière, Tantôt d'une autre, et l'on n'y prend point garde.

15 Il parle par des songes, par des visions nocturnes, Quand les hommes sont livrés à un profond sommeil, Quand ils sont endormis sur leur couche.

16 Alors il leur donne des avertissements Et met le sceau à ses instructions,

17 Afin de détourner l'homme du mal Et de le préserver de l'orgueil,

18 Afin de garantir son âme de la fosse Et sa vie des coups du glaive.

19 Par la douleur aussi l'homme est repris sur sa couche, Quand une lutte continue vient agiter ses os.

20 Alors il prend en dégoût le pain, Même les aliments les plus exquis;

21 Sa chair se consume et disparaît, Ses os qu'on ne voyait pas sont mis à nu;

22 Son âme s'approche de la fosse, Et sa vie des messagers de la mort.

23 Mais s'il se trouve pour lui un ange intercesseur, Un d'entre les mille Qui annoncent à l'homme la voie qu'il doit suivre,

24 Dieu a compassion de lui et dit à l'ange: Délivre-le, afin qu'il ne descende pas dans la fosse; J'ai trouvé une rançon!

25 Et sa chair a plus de fraîcheur qu'au premier âge, Il revient aux jours de sa jeunesse.

26 Il adresse à Dieu sa prière; et Dieu lui est propice, Lui laisse voir sa face avec joie, Et lui rend son innocence.

27 Il chante devant les hommes et dit: J'ai péché, j'ai violé la justice, Et je n'ai pas été puni comme je le méritais;

28 Dieu a délivré mon âme pour qu'elle n'entrât pas dans la fosse, Et ma vie s'épanouit à la lumière!

29 Voilà tout ce que Dieu fait, Deux fois, trois fois, avec l'homme,

30 Pour ramener son âme de la fosse, Pour l'éclairer de la lumière des vivants.

31 Sois attentif, Job, écoute-moi! Tais-toi, et je parlerai!

32 Si tu as quelque chose à dire, réponds-moi! Parle, car je voudrais te donner raison.

33 Si tu n'as rien à dire, écoute-moi! Tais-toi, et je t'enseignerai la sagesse.

Elihu Rebukes Job

33 “But now, hear my speech, O Job,
    and listen to all my words.
Behold, I (A)open my mouth;
    the tongue in my mouth speaks.
My words declare the uprightness of my heart,
    and what my lips know they speak sincerely.
(B)The Spirit of God has made me,
    and (C)the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
(D)Answer me, if you can;
    (E)set your words in order before me; take your stand.
Behold, I am toward God as you are;
    I too was pinched off from a piece of (F)clay.
Behold, no (G)fear of me need terrify you;
    my (H)pressure will not be heavy upon you.

“Surely you have spoken in my ears,
    and I have heard the sound of your words.
You say, ‘I am (I)pure, without (J)transgression;
    I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 Behold, he finds occasions against me,
    he (K)counts me as his enemy,
11 he (L)puts my feet in the stocks
    and (M)watches all my paths.’

12 “Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you,
    for God is greater than man.
13 Why do you (N)contend against him,
    saying, ‘He (O)will answer none of man's[a] words’?[b]
14 For God (P)speaks in one way,
    (Q)and in two, though man (R)does not perceive it.
15 In (S)a dream, in (T)a vision of (U)the night,
    when (V)deep sleep falls on men,
    while they slumber on their beds,
16 then he (W)opens the ears of men
    and terrifies[c] them with warnings,
17 that he may turn man aside from his (X)deed
    and conceal pride from a man;
18 he keeps back his soul from the pit,
    his life from (Y)perishing by the sword.

19 “Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed
    and with continual strife in his (Z)bones,
20 so that his (AA)life loathes bread,
    and his appetite (AB)the choicest food.
21 His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,
    and his bones that were not seen (AC)stick out.
22 His soul draws near (AD)the pit,
    and his life to (AE)those who bring death.
23 If there be for him (AF)an angel,
    (AG)a mediator, (AH)one of the thousand,
    to declare to man what is (AI)right for him,
24 and he is merciful to him, and says,
    ‘Deliver him from going down into the pit;
    I have found (AJ)a ransom;
25 let his flesh (AK)become fresh with youth;
    let him return to the days of his youthful vigor’;
26 then man[d] (AL)prays to God, and he accepts him;
    he (AM)sees his face with a shout of joy,
and he (AN)restores to man his righteousness.
27     He sings before men and says:
‘I (AO)sinned and perverted what was right,
    and it was not repaid to me.
28 He has redeemed my (AP)soul from going down (AQ)into the pit,
    and my life shall (AR)look upon the light.’

29 “Behold, God does all these things,
    twice, (AS)three times, with a man,
30 to bring back his soul from the pit,
    that he may be lighted with (AT)the light of life.
31 Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;
    be silent, and I will speak.
32 If you have any words, (AU)answer me;
    (AV)speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 If not, (AW)listen to me;
    be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 33:13 Hebrew his
  2. Job 33:13 Or He will not answer for any of his own words
  3. Job 33:16 Or seals
  4. Job 33:26 Hebrew he

Elihu Contradicts Job

33 “But please, Job, hear my speech,
And listen to all my words.
Now, I open my mouth;
My tongue speaks in my mouth.
My words come from my upright heart;
My lips utter pure knowledge.
(A)The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
If you can answer me,
Set your words in order before me;
Take your stand.
(B)Truly I am [a]as your spokesman before God;
I also have been formed out of clay.
(C)Surely no fear of me will terrify you,
Nor will my hand be heavy on you.

“Surely you have spoken [b]in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words, saying,
‘I(D) am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 Yet He finds occasions against me,
(E)He counts me as His enemy;
11 (F)He puts my feet in the stocks,
He watches all my paths.’

12 “Look, in this you are not righteous.
I will answer you,
For God is greater than man.
13 Why do you (G)contend with Him?
For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.
14 (H)For God may speak in one way, or in another,
Yet man does not perceive it.
15 (I)In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls upon men,
While slumbering on their beds,
16 (J)Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction.
17 In order to turn man from his deed,
And conceal pride from man,
18 He keeps back his soul from the Pit,
And his life from [c]perishing by the sword.

19 Man is also chastened with pain on his (K)bed,
And with strong pain in many of his bones,
20 (L)So that his life abhors (M)bread,
And his soul [d]succulent food.
21 His flesh wastes away from sight,
And his bones stick out which once were not seen.
22 Yes, his soul draws near the Pit,
And his life to the executioners.

23 “If there is a messenger for him,
A mediator, one among a thousand,
To show man His uprightness,
24 Then He is gracious to him, and says,
‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit;
I have found [e]a ransom’;
25 His flesh shall be young like a child’s,
He shall return to the days of his youth.
26 He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him,
He shall see His face with joy,
For He restores to man His righteousness.
27 Then he looks at men and (N)says,
‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right,
And it (O)did not profit me.’
28 He will (P)redeem [f]his soul from going down to the Pit,
And his life shall see the light.

29 “Behold, God works all these things,
Twice, in fact, three times with a man,
30 (Q)To bring back his soul from the Pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.

31 “Give ear, Job, listen to me;
Hold your peace, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 If not, (R)listen to me;
[g]Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 33:6 Lit. as your mouth
  2. Job 33:8 Lit. in my ears
  3. Job 33:18 Lit. passing
  4. Job 33:20 desirable
  5. Job 33:24 an atonement
  6. Job 33:28 Kt. my
  7. Job 33:33 Keep silent