2 Kings 20
1 About that time, Hezekiah became very ill. [He thought that he] was about to die. Isaiah the prophet came to him and said, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You should tell the people in your palace what you want them to do after you die, because you are not going to recover from this illness. You are going to die.’”
Dans ces jours-là Ezéchias fut malade à la mort. Alors Ésaïe, fils d'Amots, le prophète, vint le trouver et lui dit: Ainsi parle l'Éternel: Donne tes ordres pour ta maison, car tu mourras et ne guériras point.
2 Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and prayed,
Alors Ezéchias tourna son visage vers la paroi et fit sa prière à l'Éternel en ces termes:
3 “Yahweh, do not forget that I have always served you faithfully, and I have done things that pleased you.” Then Hezekiah started to cry loudly.
Oh! Éternel, daigne te rappeler que j'ai marché en ta présence avec fidélité et avec un cœur non partagé, et pratiqué ce qui est bien à tes yeux.
4 Isaiah left the king, but before he had crossed the middle courtyard of the palace, Yahweh gave him a message
Et Ezéchias versa d'abondantes larmes. Et Ésaïe qui était sorti, n'avait pas atteint le milieu de la cour, que la parole de l'Éternel lui fut adressée en ces termes:
5 which said, “Go back to Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, and say to him, ‘I, Yahweh, the God whom your ancestor King David [worshiped], have heard what you prayed. And I have seen your tears. So, listen: I will heal you. Two days from now you will [be able to] go up to my temple.
Retourne et dis à Ezéchias, prince de mon peuple: Ainsi parle l'Éternel, Dieu de David, ton père: J'ai entendu ta prière, vu tes larmes; voici, je vais te rétablir: dans trois jours tu monteras au temple de l'Éternel.
6 I will enable you to live for 15 more years. And I will rescue you and this city again from the power [MTY] of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for the sake of my own reputation and because of what I promised King David, who served me [well].’”
Et j'ajouterai à tes jours quinze années et te sauverai de la main du roi d'Assyrie, ainsi que cette ville, et je protégerai cette ville pour l'amour de moi, et pour l'amour de David, mon serviteur.
7 So Isaiah [returned to the palace and told Hezekiah what Yahweh had said. Then he] [to Hezekiah’s servants], “Bring a paste made of boiled figs. Put some of it on his boil, and he will get well.”
Et Ésaïe dit: Procurez un gâteau de figues. Et on l'apporta, et l'appliqua sur l'ulcère, et il guérit.
8 Then Hezekiah replied to Isaiah, “What will Yahweh do to prove that he will heal me and that two days from now I will be able to go up to the temple?”
Et Ezéchias dit à Ésaïe: Quel signe me prouvera que l'Éternel va me rétablir et que dans trois jours je monterai au temple de l'Éternel?
9 Isaiah replied, “Yahweh will do something that will prove to you that he will do what he promised. Do you want him to cause the shadow on the stairway/sundial to go back ten steps/degrees, or to go forward ten steps/degrees?”
Et Ésaïe dit: Aie ceci comme signe de par l'Éternel de l'exécution de la promesse à toi faite par l'Éternel: L'ombre doit-elle avancer de dix degrés ou reculer de dix degrés?
10 Hezekiah replied, “It is easy to cause the shadow to move forward, [because that is what it always does]. Tell him to cause it to move backward ten steps/degrees.”
Et Ezéchias dit: Il est facile que l'ombre se projette de dix degrés: non! il faut que l'ombre recule de dix degrés.
11 So Isaiah prayed earnestly to Yahweh, and Yahweh caused the shadow to go backward ten steps/degrees on the stairway/sundial that King Ahaz had made (OR, that workers had built for King Ahaz).
Alors Ésaïe, le prophète, invoqua l'Éternel, et Il fit reculer l'ombre au cadran solaire où elle était descendue, au cadran solaire d'Achaz, de dix degrés.
12 At that time, King Merodach-Baladan, the son of Baladan the [previous] King of Babylonia, heard a report that King Hezekiah had been very sick. So he wrote some letters and gave them to some messengers to take to Hezekiah, along with a gift.
Dans ce temps-là Berodach-Baladan, fils de Baladan, roi de Babel, envoya une lettre et un présent à Ezéchias, sur ce qu'il avait appris la maladie d'Ezéchias.
13 [When the messengers arrived], Hezekiah welcomed them gladly. Then he showed them everything that was in his (treasure houses/places where very valuable things were stored)—the silver and gold, the spices, the nice-smelling olive oil, and all the weapons [for his soldiers]. He showed them all the [valuable] things in his storerooms and everywhere else in his kingdom [HYP]; he showed them everything.
Et Ezéchias leur donna audience, et il leur montra tout son trésor, l'argent et l'or, et les aromates et l'huile fine et tout son arsenal et tout ce qui se trouvait dans ses trésors; il n'y eut rien qu'Ezéchias ne leur montrât dans son palais et dans toute sa souveraineté.
14 Then the prophet Isaiah went to Hezekiah and asked him, “Where did those men come from, and what did they say to you?” Hezekiah replied, “They came from a country very far from here. They came from Babylonia.”
Alors Ésaïe, le prophète, vint trouver le roi Ezéchias et lui dit: Qu'ont dit ces gens? et d'où sont-ils venus chez toi? Et Ezéchias dit: Ils viennent d'un pays lointain, de Babel.
15 Isaiah asked, “What did they see in your palace?” Hezekiah replied, “They saw everything. I showed them absolutely everything that I own—all my valuable things.”
Et Ésaïe dit: Qu'ont-ils vu dans ton palais? Et Ezéchias dit: Ils ont vu tout ce qui est dans mon palais; il n'est rien que je ne leur aie montré dans mes trésors.
16 [Isaiah knew that Hezekiah had done a very foolish thing]. So Isaiah said to him, “Listen to what Yahweh says to you.
Alors Ésaïe dit à Ezéchias: Écoute la parole de l'Éternel!
17 There will be a time when everything that is still in your palace, all the valuable things that were put there by you and your ancestors, will be carried away to Babylon. There will be nothing left here! [That is what] Yahweh says [to you]
Voici, les jours viennent où sera emporté tout ce qui est dans ton palais et tout ce qu'ont amassé tes pères jusqu'à ce jour, à Babel; il ne restera rien, dit l'Éternel.
18 Furthermore, some of your own descendants will be forced to go there, and they will be castrated in order that they may become servants in the palace of the King of Babylon.”
Et parmi tes fils qui seront issus de toi, que tu engendreras, ils en prendront pour en faire des eunuques dans le palais du roi de Babel.
19 Then Hezekiah replied to Isaiah, “That message from Yahweh that you have given to me is good.” He said that because he was thinking, “Even if that happens, there will be peace and security [in Israel] all the rest of my life.”
Et Ezéchias dit à Ésaïe: Bénigne est la parole de l'Éternel que tu as exprimée! et il dit: Qu'il y ait du moins ma vie durant salut et stabilité!
20 [If you want to know more about] [RHQ] all the other things that Hezekiah did, about his brave deeds in battle, about his ordering a reservoir to be built in the city and a tunnel [to be dug] to bring water into the reservoir, they are all written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Judah’.
Le reste des actes d'Ezéchias, et tous ses exploits et l'exécution de l'étang et de l'aqueduc, et l'introduction de l'eau dans la ville, cela est d'ailleurs consigné dans le livre des annales des rois de Juda.
21 Later Hezekiah died [EUP], and his son Manasseh became the king.
Et Ezéchias reposa avec ses pères, et Manassé, son fils, devint roi en sa place.
