1 Job prit la parole et dit:

2 Comme tu sais bien venir en aide à la faiblesse! Comme tu prêtes secours au bras sans force!

3 Quels bons conseils tu donnes à celui qui manque d'intelligence! Quelle abondance de sagesse tu fais paraître!

4 A qui s'adressent tes paroles? Et qui est-ce qui t'inspire?

5 Devant Dieu les ombres tremblent Au-dessous des eaux et de leurs habitants;

6 Devant lui le séjour des morts est nu, L'abîme n'a point de voile.

7 Il étend le septentrion sur le vide, Il suspend la terre sur le néant.

8 Il renferme les eaux dans ses nuages, Et les nuages n'éclatent pas sous leur poids.

9 Il couvre la face de son trône, Il répand sur lui sa nuée.

10 Il a tracé un cercle à la surface des eaux, Comme limite entre la lumière et les ténèbres.

11 Les colonnes du ciel s'ébranlent, Et s'étonnent à sa menace.

12 Par sa force il soulève la mer, Par son intelligence il en brise l'orgueil.

13 Son souffle donne au ciel la sérénité, Sa main transperce le serpent fuyard.

14 Ce sont là les bords de ses voies, C'est le bruit léger qui nous en parvient; Mais qui entendra le tonnerre de sa puissance?

1 Then Job made answer and said,

2 How have you given help to him who has no power! how have you been the salvation of the arm which has no strength!

3 How have you given teaching to him who has no wisdom, and fully made clear true knowledge!

4 To whom have your words been said? and whose spirit came out from you?

5 The shades in the underworld are shaking; the waters and those living in them.

6 The underworld is uncovered before him, and Destruction has no veil.

7 By his hand the north is stretched out in space, and the earth is hanging on nothing.

8 By him the waters are shut up in his thick clouds, and the cloud does not give way under them.

9 By him the face of his high seat is veiled, and his cloud stretched out over it.

10 By him a circle is marked out on the face of the waters, to the limits of the light and the dark.

11 The pillars of heaven are shaking, and are overcome by his sharp words.

12 By his power the sea was made quiet; and by his wisdom Rahab was wounded.

13 By his wind the heavens become bright: by his hand the quickly moving snake was cut through.

14 See, these are only the outskirts of his ways; and how small is that which comes to our ears about him! But the thunder of his acts of power is outside all knowledge.