1 Mais Job répondit, et dit :

2 Ô! que tu as été d'un grand secours à l'homme destitué de vigueur; et que tu as soutenu le bras qui n'avait point de force.

3 Ô! que tu as donné de [bons] conseils à l'homme qui manquait de sagesse; et que tu as fait paraître d'intelligence.

4 A qui as-tu tenu ces discours? et l'esprit de qui, est sorti de toi?

5 Les choses inanimées sont formées au dessous des eaux, et les [poissons] aussi qui habitent dans les eaux.

6 L'abîme est à découvert devant lui, et le gouffre n'[a] point de couverture.

7 Il étend l'Aquilon sur le vide, et il suspend la terre sur le néant.

8 Il serre les eaux dans ses nuées, sans que la nuée se fende sous elles.

9 Il maintient le dehors de [son] trône, et il étend sa nuée par dessus.

10 Il a compassé des bornes sur les eaux tout autour, jusqu'à ce qu'il n'y ait plus ni lumière ni ténèbres.

11 Les colonnes des cieux s'ébranlent et s'étonnent à sa menace.

12 Il fend la mer par sa puissance, et il frappe par son intelligence les flots quand ils s'élèvent.

13 Il a orné les cieux par son Esprit, et sa main a formé le serpent traversant.

14 Voilà, tels sont les bords de ses voies; mais combien est petite la portion que nous en connaissons? Et qui est-ce qui pourra comprendre le bruit éclatant 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.