1 T hen Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:

Tsophar de Naama prit la parole et dit:

2 “ Therefore my anxious thoughts make me answer, Because of the turmoil within me.

Mes pensées me forcent à répondre, Et mon agitation ne peut se contenir.

3 I have heard the rebuke that reproaches me, And the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer.

J'ai entendu des reproches qui m'outragent; Le souffle de mon intelligence donnera la réplique.

4 “ Do you not know this of old, Since man was placed on earth,

Ne sais-tu pas que, de tout temps, Depuis que l'homme a été placé sur la terre,

5 T hat the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment?

Le triomphe des méchants a été court, Et la joie de l'impie momentanée?

6 T hough his haughtiness mounts up to the heavens, And his head reaches to the clouds,

Quand il s'élèverait jusqu'aux cieux, Et que sa tête toucherait aux nues,

7 Y et he will perish forever like his own refuse; Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

Il périra pour toujours comme son ordure, Et ceux qui le voyaient diront: Où est-il?

8 H e will fly away like a dream, and not be found; Yes, he will be chased away like a vision of the night.

Il s'envolera comme un songe, et on ne le trouvera plus; Il disparaîtra comme une vision nocturne;

9 T he eye that saw him will see him no more, Nor will his place behold him anymore.

L'oeil qui le regardait ne le regardera plus, Le lieu qu'il habitait ne l'apercevra plus.

10 H is children will seek the favor of the poor, And his hands will restore his wealth.

Ses fils seront assaillis par les pauvres, Et ses mains restitueront ce qu'il a pris par violence.

11 H is bones are full of his youthful vigor, But it will lie down with him in the dust.

La vigueur de la jeunesse, qui remplissait ses membres, Aura sa couche avec lui dans la poussière.

12 “ Though evil is sweet in his mouth, And he hides it under his tongue,

Le mal était doux à sa bouche, Il le cachait sous sa langue,

13 T hough he spares it and does not forsake it, But still keeps it in his mouth,

Il le savourait sans l'abandonner, Il le retenait au milieu de son palais;

14 Y et his food in his stomach turns sour; It becomes cobra venom within him.

Mais sa nourriture se transformera dans ses entrailles, Elle deviendra dans son corps un venin d'aspic.

15 H e swallows down riches And vomits them up again; God casts them out of his belly.

Il a englouti des richesses, il les vomira; Dieu les chassera de son ventre.

16 H e will suck the poison of cobras; The viper’s tongue will slay him.

Il a sucé du venin d'aspic, La langue de la vipère le tuera.

17 H e will not see the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and cream.

Il ne reposera plus ses regards sur les ruisseaux, Sur les torrents, sur les fleuves de miel et de lait.

18 H e will restore that for which he labored, And will not swallow it down; From the proceeds of business He will get no enjoyment.

Il rendra ce qu'il a gagné, et n'en profitera plus; Il restituera tout ce qu'il a pris, et n'en jouira plus.

19 F or he has oppressed and forsaken the poor, He has violently seized a house which he did not build.

Car il a opprimé, délaissé les pauvres, Il a ruiné des maisons et ne les a pas rétablies.

20 “ Because he knows no quietness in his heart, He will not save anything he desires.

Son avidité n'a point connu de bornes; Mais il ne sauvera pas ce qu'il avait de plus cher.

21 N othing is left for him to eat; Therefore his well-being will not last.

Rien n'échappait à sa voracité; Mais son bien-être ne durera pas.

22 I n his self-sufficiency he will be in distress; Every hand of misery will come against him.

Au milieu de l'abondance il sera dans la détresse; La main de tous les misérables se lèvera sur lui.

23 W hen he is about to fill his stomach, God will cast on him the fury of His wrath, And will rain it on him while he is eating.

Et voici, pour lui remplir le ventre, Dieu enverra sur lui le feu de sa colère, Et le rassasiera par une pluie de traits.

24 H e will flee from the iron weapon; A bronze bow will pierce him through.

S'il échappe aux armes de fer, L'arc d'airain le transpercera.

25 I t is drawn, and comes out of the body; Yes, the glittering point comes out of his gall. Terrors come upon him;

Il arrache de son corps le trait, Qui étincelle au sortir de ses entrailles, Et il est en proie aux terreurs de la mort.

26 T otal darkness is reserved for his treasures. An unfanned fire will consume him; It shall go ill with him who is left in his tent.

Toutes les calamités sont réservées à ses trésors; Il sera consumé par un feu que n'allumera point l'homme, Et ce qui restera dans sa tente en deviendra la pâture.

27 T he heavens will reveal his iniquity, And the earth will rise up against him.

Les cieux dévoileront son iniquité, Et la terre s'élèvera contre lui.

28 T he increase of his house will depart, And his goods will flow away in the day of His wrath.

Les revenus de sa maison seront emportés, Ils disparaîtront au jour de la colère de Dieu.

29 T his is the portion from God for a wicked man, The heritage appointed to him by God.”

Telle est la part que Dieu réserve au méchant, Tel est l'héritage que Dieu lui destine.