Psalms 78
1 Maschil. Of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; let your ears be bent down to the words of my mouth.
Cantique d’Asaph. Mon peuple, écoute mes instructions! Prêtez l’oreille aux paroles de ma bouche!
2 Opening my mouth I will give out a story, even the dark sayings of old times;
J’ouvre la bouche par des sentences, Je publie la sagesse des temps anciens.
3 Which have come to our hearing and our knowledge, as they were given to us by our fathers.
Ce que nous avons entendu, ce que nous savons, Ce que nos pères nous ont raconté,
4 We will not keep them secret from our children; we will make clear to the coming generation the praises of the Lord and his strength, and the great works of wonder which he has done.
Nous ne le cacherons point à leurs enfants; Nous dirons à la génération future les louanges de l’Éternel, Et sa puissance, et les prodiges qu’il a opérés.
5 He put up a witness in Jacob, and made a law in Israel; which he gave to our fathers so that they might give knowledge of them to their children;
Il a établi un témoignage en Jacob, Il a mis une loi en Israël, Et il a ordonné à nos pères de l’enseigner à leurs enfants,
6 So that the generation to come might have knowledge of them, even the children of the future, who would give word of them to their children;
Pour qu’elle fût connue de la génération future, Des enfants qui naîtraient, Et que, devenus grands, ils en parlassent à leurs enfants,
7 So that they might put their hope in God, and not let God's works go out of their minds, but keep his laws;
Afin qu’ils missent en Dieu leur confiance, Qu’ils n’oubliassent pas les œuvres de Dieu, Et qu’ils observassent ses commandements,
8 And not be like their fathers, a stiff-necked and uncontrolled generation; a generation whose heart was hard, whose spirit was not true to God.
Afin qu’ils ne fussent pas, comme leurs pères, Une race indocile et rebelle, Une race dont le cœur n’était pas ferme, Et dont l’esprit n’était pas fidèle à Dieu.
9 The children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.
Les fils d’Éphraïm, armés et tirant de l’arc, Tournèrent le dos le jour du combat.
10 They were not ruled by God's word, and they would not go in the way of his law;
Ils ne gardèrent point l’alliance de Dieu, Et ils refusèrent de marcher selon sa loi.
11 They let his works go out of their memory, and the wonders which he had made them see.
Ils mirent en oubli ses œuvres, Ses merveilles qu’il leur avait fait voir.
12 He did great works before the eyes of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
Devant leurs pères il avait fait des prodiges, Au pays d’Égypte, dans les campagnes de Tsoan.
13 The sea was cut in two so that they might go through; the waters were massed together on this side and on that.
Il fendit la mer et leur ouvrit un passage, Il fit dresser les eaux comme une muraille.
14 In the daytime he was guiding them in the cloud, and all through the night with a light of fire.
Il les conduisit le jour par la nuée, Et toute la nuit par un feu éclatant.
15 The rocks of the waste land were broken by his power, and he gave them drink as out of the deep waters.
Il fendit des rochers dans le désert, Et il donna à boire comme des flots abondants;
16 He made streams come out of the rock; and waters came flowing down like rivers.
Du rocher il fit jaillir des sources, Et couler des eaux comme des fleuves.
17 And they went on sinning against him even more, turning away from the Most High in the waste land;
Mais ils continuèrent à pécher contre lui, A se révolter contre le Très-Haut dans le désert.
18 Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.
Ils tentèrent Dieu dans leur cœur, En demandant de la nourriture selon leur désir.
19 They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land?
Ils parlèrent contre Dieu, Ils dirent: Dieu pourrait-il Dresser une table dans le désert?
20 See, the rock was cut open by his power, so that the water came rushing out, and overflowing streams; is he able to give us bread? is he able to get meat for his people?
Voici, il a frappé le rocher, et des eaux ont coulé, Et des torrents se sont répandus; Pourra-t-il aussi donner du pain, Ou fournir de la viande à son peuple?
21 So these things came to the Lord's ears, and he was angry; and a fire was lighted against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel;
L’Éternel entendit, et il fut irrité; Un feu s’alluma contre Jacob, Et la colère s’éleva contre Israël,
22 Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation.
Parce qu’ils ne crurent pas en Dieu, Parce qu’ils n’eurent pas confiance dans son secours.
23 And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open;
Il commanda aux nuages d’en haut, Et il ouvrit les portes des cieux;
24 And he sent down manna like rain for their food, and gave them the grain of heaven.
Il fit pleuvoir sur eux la manne pour nourriture, Il leur donna le blé du ciel.
25 Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure.
Ils mangèrent tous le pain des grands, Il leur envoya de la nourriture à satiété.
26 He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power.
Il fit souffler dans les cieux le vent d’orient, Et il amena par sa puissance le vent du midi;
27 He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea,
Il fit pleuvoir sur eux la viande comme de la poussière, Et comme le sable des mers les oiseaux ailés;
28 And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents.
Il les fit tomber au milieu de leur camp, Tout autour de leurs demeures.
29 So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire;
Ils mangèrent et se rassasièrent abondamment: Dieu leur donna ce qu’ils avaient désiré.
30 But they were not turned from their desires; and while the food was still in their mouths,
Ils n’avaient pas satisfait leur désir, Ils avaient encore leur nourriture dans la bouche,
31 The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel.
Lorsque la colère de Dieu s’éleva contre eux; Il frappa de mort les plus vigoureux, Il abattit les jeunes hommes d’Israël.
32 For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.
Malgré tout cela, ils continuèrent à pécher, Et ne crurent point à ses prodiges.
33 So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.
Il consuma leurs jours par la vanité, Et leurs années par une fin soudaine.
34 When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;
Quand il les frappait de mort, ils le cherchaient, Ils revenaient et se tournaient vers Dieu;
35 In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.
Ils se souvenaient que Dieu était leur rocher, Que le Dieu Très-Haut était leur libérateur.
36 But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;
Mais ils le trompaient de la bouche, Et ils lui mentaient de la langue;
37 And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him.
Leur cœur n’était pas ferme envers lui, Et ils n’étaient pas fidèles à son alliance.
38 But he, being full of pity, has forgiveness for sin, and does not put an end to man: frequently turning back his wrath, and not being violently angry.
Toutefois, dans sa miséricorde, il pardonne l’iniquité et ne détruit pas; Il retient souvent sa colère et ne se livre pas à toute sa fureur.
39 So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again.
Il se souvint qu’ils n’étaient que chair, Un souffle qui s’en va et ne revient pas.
40 How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!
Que de fois ils se révoltèrent contre lui dans le désert! Que de fois ils l’irritèrent dans la solitude!
41 Again they put God to the test, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.
Ils ne cessèrent de tenter Dieu, Et de provoquer le Saint d’Israël.
42 They did not keep in mind the work of his hand, or the day when he took them from the power of their haters;
Ils ne se souvinrent pas de sa puissance, Du jour où il les délivra de l’ennemi,
43 How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan;
Des miracles qu’il accomplit en Égypte, Et de ses prodiges dans les campagnes de Tsoan.
44 So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams.
Il changea leurs fleuves en sang, Et ils ne purent en boire les eaux.
45 He sent different sorts of flies among them, poisoning their flesh; and frogs for their destruction.
Il envoya contre eux des mouches venimeuses qui les dévorèrent, Et des grenouilles qui les détruisirent.
46 He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.
Il livra leurs récoltes aux sauterelles, Le produit de leur travail aux sauterelles.
47 He sent ice for the destruction of their vines; their trees were damaged by the bitter cold.
Il fit périr leurs vignes par la grêle, Et leurs sycomores par la gelée.
48 Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks.
Il abandonna leur bétail à la grêle, Et leurs troupeaux au feu du ciel.
49 He sent on them the heat of his wrath, his bitter disgust, letting loose evil angels among them.
Il lança contre eux son ardente colère, La fureur, la rage et la détresse, Une troupe de messagers de malheur.
50 He let his wrath have its way; he did not keep back their soul from death, but gave their life to disease.
Il donna libre cours à sa colère, Il ne sauva pas leur âme de la mort, Il livra leur vie à la mortalité;
51 He gave to destruction all the first sons of Egypt; the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;
Il frappa tous les premiers-nés en Égypte, Les prémices de la force sous les tentes de Cham.
52 But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock.
Il fit partir son peuple comme des brebis, Il les conduisit comme un troupeau dans le désert.
53 He took them on safely so that they had no fear; but their haters were covered by the sea.
Il les dirigea sûrement, pour qu’ils fussent sans crainte, Et la mer couvrit leurs ennemis.
54 And he was their guide to his holy land, even to the mountain, which his right hand had made his;
Il les amena vers sa frontière sainte, Vers cette montagne que sa droite a acquise.
55 Driving out nations before them, marking out the line of their heritage, and giving the people of Israel their tents for a resting-place.
Il chassa devant eux les nations, Leur distribua le pays en héritage, Et fit habiter dans leurs tentes les tribus d’Israël.
56 But they were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws;
Mais ils tentèrent le Dieu Très-Haut et se révoltèrent contre lui, Et ils n’observèrent point ses ordonnances.
57 Their hearts were turned back and untrue like their fathers; they were turned to one side like a twisted bow.
Ils s’éloignèrent et furent infidèles, comme leurs pères, Ils tournèrent, comme un arc trompeur.
58 They made him angry with their high places; moving him to wrath with their images.
Ils l’irritèrent par leurs hauts lieux, Et ils excitèrent sa jalousie par leurs idoles.
59 When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely;
Dieu entendit, et il fut irrité; Il repoussa fortement Israël.
60 So that he went away from the holy place in Shiloh, the tent which he had put among men;
Il abandonna la demeure de Silo, La tente où il habitait parmi les hommes;
61 And he let his strength be taken prisoner, and gave his glory into the hands of his hater.
Il livra sa gloire à la captivité, Et sa majesté entre les mains de l’ennemi.
62 He gave his people up to the sword, and was angry with his heritage.
Il mit son peuple à la merci du glaive, Et il s’indigna contre son héritage.
63 Their young men were burned in the fire; and their virgins were not praised in the bride-song.
Le feu dévora ses jeunes hommes, Et ses vierges ne furent pas célébrées;
64 Their priests were put to death by the sword, and their widows made no weeping for them.
Ses sacrificateurs tombèrent par l’épée, Et ses veuves ne pleurèrent pas.
65 Then was the Lord like one awaking from sleep, and like a strong man crying out because of wine.
Le Seigneur s’éveilla comme celui qui a dormi, Comme un héros qu’a subjugué le vin.
66 His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever.
Il frappa ses adversaires en fuite, Il les couvrit d’un opprobre éternel.
67 And he put the tent of Joseph on one side, and took not the tribe of Ephraim;
Cependant il rejeta la tente de Joseph, Et il ne choisit point la tribu d’Éphraïm;
68 But he took the tribe of Judah for himself, and the mountain of Zion, in which he had pleasure.
Il préféra la tribu de Juda, La montagne de Sion qu’il aimait.
69 And he made his holy place like the high heaven, like the earth which is fixed by him for ever.
Et il bâtit son sanctuaire comme les lieux élevés, Comme la terre qu’il a fondée pour toujours.
70 He took David to be his servant, taking him from the place of the flocks;
Il choisit David, son serviteur, Et il le tira des bergeries;
71 From looking after the sheep which were giving milk, he took him to give food to Jacob his people, and to Israel his heritage.
Il le prit derrière les brebis qui allaitent, Pour lui faire paître Jacob, son peuple, Et Israël, son héritage.
72 So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.
Et David les dirigea avec un cœur intègre, Et les conduisit avec des mains intelligentes.
