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Job 35
New Catholic Bible
Job 35
New Catholic Bible
Elihu’s Third Speech[a]
Chapter 35
How Does Human Conduct Affect God? 1 Then Elihu continued his speech, saying:
2 “Do you think that you can defend your uprightness
by claiming that you are just before God?
3 For you said: ‘What does it mean to you?
Or what would you gain if I sinned?’
4 I will provide an answer for you
and your three friends as well.
5 “Look up to the skies and see;
observe the clouds towering above you.
6 If you sin, how can that affect God?
And if your offenses are multiplied, how do you hurt him?
7 If you are righteous, what do you give him?
What does he receive from your hand?
8 Your wickedness affects only someone like you,
and your righteousness affects only your fellow men.
No One Asks, “Where Is God?”
9 “People cry out under the weight of oppression;
they cry for help against the power of the mighty.
10 But not one of them asks, ‘Where is God, my Maker,
who protects me during the night,
11 who gave us greater intelligence than the animals of the earth
and made us wiser than the birds of the air?’
12 Although they cry out, God does not answer
because of the pride of the wicked.
13 “But it is foolish to say that God does not hear
or that the Almighty does not pay attention.
14 Even though you do not see him,
he is aware of your plight,
and you must wait for his decision.
15 But now, because God does not grow angry and punish
and because he allows transgressions to go unheeded,
16 Job gives vent to his anger with empty talk
and babbles a stream of utter nonsense.”
Footnotes
- Job 35:1 The silence of God is what upsets human beings. Is the Eternal One perhaps indifferent to human tragedies? Elihu looks for a different explanation: God is silent because unhappy human beings lack faith in their prayers, and they sin through pride. But the entire passage is obscure in its development.
Job 35
La Bible du Semeur
Job 35
La Bible du Semeur
Job tient des propos insensés
35 Elihou reprit la parole et dit :
2 Penses-tu être dans ton droit ╵quand tu affirmes :
« Oui, je suis plus juste que Dieu[a] ! » ?
3 Et tu ajoutes : ╵« A quoi me sert-il donc ╵d’éviter le péché ? »
et : « Quel profit ╵Dieu peut-il en tirer ? »
4 Moi, je te répondrai
ainsi qu’à tes amis.
5 Vois le ciel et regarde,
contemple les nuages : ╵combien ils te dominent !
6 Or, si tu agis mal, ╵en quoi nuis-tu à Dieu ?
Multiplie tes révoltes, ╵quel tort lui causes-tu ?
7 Si tu es juste, ╵que lui apportes-tu ?
Que reçoit-il de toi ?
8 Car ta méchanceté ╵n’atteint que tes semblables,
de même ta justice ╵n’est utile qu’aux hommes.
9 Le poids de l’oppression ╵fait crier les victimes,
contre la violence des puissants, ╵on appelle au secours.
10 Mais nul ne songe à dire : ╵« Où est Dieu qui m’a fait ?
Lui qui, en pleine nuit, ╵donne des chants joyeux,
11 lui qui nous instruit mieux ╵que les bêtes des champs
et qui nous rend plus sages ╵que les oiseaux du ciel ? »
12 Alors on crie, ╵mais Dieu ne répond pas,
à cause de l’orgueil ╵de ceux qui font le mal.
13 Oui, c’est en vain qu’ils crient ╵car Dieu n’exauce pas[b] :
le Tout-Puissant ╵n’y fait pas attention.
14 Cependant, bien que tu prétendes ╵que tu ne le vois pas,
ta cause est devant lui ╵tu peux compter sur lui.
15 Parce que sa colère ╵n’intervient pas encore
et qu’il ne semble guère ╵faire cas des pires révoltes[c],
16 Job a la bouche pleine ╵de paroles en l’air
et multiplie les discours insensés.
Job 35
New International Version
Job 35
New International Version
35 Then Elihu said:
2 “Do you think this is just?
You say, ‘I am in the right,(A) not God.’(B)
3 Yet you ask him, ‘What profit is it to me,[a]
and what do I gain by not sinning?’(C)
4 “I would like to reply to you
and to your friends with you.
5 Look up at the heavens(D) and see;
gaze at the clouds so high above you.(E)
6 If you sin, how does that affect him?
If your sins are many, what does that do to him?(F)
7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him,(G)
or what does he receive(H) from your hand?(I)
8 Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself,(J)
and your righteousness only other people.(K)
9 “People cry out(L) under a load of oppression;(M)
they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful.(N)
10 But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,(O)
who gives songs(P) in the night,(Q)
11 who teaches(R) us(S) more than he teaches[b] the beasts of the earth
and makes us wiser than[c] the birds in the sky?’
12 He does not answer(T) when people cry out
because of the arrogance(U) of the wicked.(V)
13 Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea;
the Almighty pays no attention to it.(W)
14 How much less, then, will he listen
when you say that you do not see him,(X)
that your case(Y) is before him
and you must wait for him,(Z)
15 and further, that his anger never punishes(AA)
and he does not take the least notice of wickedness.[d](AB)
16 So Job opens his mouth with empty talk;(AC)
without knowledge he multiplies words.”(AD)
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