Nehemiah 9
1 On October 31, the people gathered together again. They (fasted/abstained from eating food), they wore clothes made from rough cloth, and they put dirt on their heads [to show that they were sorry for their sins].
Et le vingt-quatrième jour de ce mois-là les enfants d'Israël s'assemblèrent en jeûne, et vêtus de cilices, et ils se couvrirent de poussière.
2 The Israeli people separated themselves from all the foreigners. They stood there and confessed their sins and the sins that their ancestors had committed.
Et la race d'Israël fut séparée de tous les enfants de l'étranger. Et ils se présentèrent et confessèrent leurs péchés et les égarements de leurs pères.
3 The scroll that contained the laws of Yahweh, the God whom they [worshiped], was read to them for three hours. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and they worshiped Yahweh.
Et ils se levèrent à leur place et lurent dans le livre de la Loi de l'Éternel, leur Dieu, pendant le quart de la journée, et pendant l'autre quart ils firent leur confession et se prosternèrent devant l'Éternel, leur Dieu.
4 [Some of] the descendants of Levi were standing on the stairs. They were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, [another] Bani, and Kenani.
Et à l'estrade des Lévites parurent Jésuah et Bani, Cadmiel, Sebania, Bunni, Sérébia, Bani, Chenani, et à voix forte ils crièrent vers l'Éternel, leur Dieu.
5 Then [the leaders of] the Levites called out to the people. They were Jeshua, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah. They said, “While you are standing there, praise Yahweh your God, who has always lived and will live forever!” [Then one of them continued by praying this to God], “Yahweh, we praise your glorious name! You are much greater than anything that we can think about or talk about!
Et les Lévites Jésuah et Cadmiel, Bani, Hasabnia, Sérébia, Hodia, Sebania, Pethahia, dirent: Sus! bénissez l'Éternel, votre Dieu, de l'Éternité jusqu'à l'Éternité! Que l'on bénisse Ton Nom glorieux élevé au-dessus de toute bénédiction et louange!
6 “You only are God. You made the sky and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and everything that is on it, and you made the seas/oceans and everything that is in them. You are the one who gives life to everything and helps them remain alive. All the angels who are in heaven worship you.
C'est Toi, Éternel, toi seul qui as fait les Cieux, les Cieux des Cieux, et toute leur armée, la terre et tout ce qui la couvre, les mers et tout ce qui est en elles. Et tu fais vivre tous ces êtres, et l'armée des Cieux t'adore.
7 “Yahweh, you are God. You chose Abram and brought him out of Ur [city] in Chaldea [region]. You gave him a new name, Abraham.
C'est toi, Éternel, ô Dieu, qui fis choix d'Abram et le tiras d'Ur en Chaldée et lui conféras le nom de Abraham.
8 You saw that he was trustworthy. Then you made (an agreement with/a promise to) him, saying that you would give [to him and] to his descendants the land that the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Amor, Periz, Jebus, and Girgash lived in. And you have done what you promised, because you always do what is right.
Et tu trouvas son cœur fidèle devant toi et tu conclus avec lui l'engagement de lui donner le pays des Cananéens, des Héthiens, des Amoréens et des Phérézites et des Jébusites et des Girgésiens, de le donner à sa postérité. Et tu as tenu Ta Parole, car tu es juste!
9 “You saw what our ancestors were suffering in Egypt. You heard them cry to you for help when they were at the Red Sea.
Et tu vis la misère de nos pères en Egypte et entendis leurs cris vers la mer aux Algues;
10 Because you knew that the leaders of Egypt were treating our ancestors very arrogantly, you performed many kinds of miracles that caused the king and his officials and all his people to suffer. As a result, you became famous then, and you are still famous!
et tu opéras des signes et des miracles sur Pharaon et sur tous ses serviteurs et sur tout le peuple de son pays; car tu savais qu'ils les traitaient avec orgueil, et tu te fis un Nom tel qu'il est aujourd'hui.
11 You caused the Red Sea to divide, with the result that your people walked through it on the ground without [getting their feet] wet. [After they were all safely on the other side, ] you [caused the water to come back again], and you hurled into the deep water the [soldiers of the Egyptian army] that were pursuing our ancestors. Their soldiers sank into the deep sea like stones!
Et tu partageas la mer devant eux, et ils passèrent à sec par le milieu de la mer, et ceux qui les poursuivaient, tu les abîmas dans les flots comme une pierre dans les eaux puissantes.
12 During each day you led our ancestors with a bright cloud that resembled a huge pillar, and each night you led them by a flaming cloud that gave them light to show them where to walk.
Et dans une colonne de nuée tu les guidais le jour, et la nuit dans une colonne de feu pour leur éclairer la voie où ils avaient à marcher.
13 “When our ancestors were at Sinai Mountain, you came down from heaven and spoke to them. You gave them many regulations and instructions that are just and reliable, and you gave them commands and laws that are good.
Et tu descendis sur le mont Sinaï, et du Ciel tu parlas avec eux et leur donnas des lois justes, et des règles vraies, et des statuts et commandements excellents.
14 You taught them about your holy (Sabbath/day of rest), and you gave many kinds of laws to your servant Moses for him to tell to the people.
Et tu leur révélas ton saint Sabbat, et leur prescrivis des commandements, des statuts et une Loi par l'organe de Moïse, ton serviteur.
15 When they were hungry, you gave them manna from the sky; and when they were thirsty, you gave them water from a rock. You commanded them to go and take, from the people who lived there, the land which you had promised to give to them.
Et pour leur faim tu leur donnas un pain céleste, et pour leur soif tu leur fis sourdre l'eau du rocher. Et tu leur dis de marcher à la conquête du pays que tu avais levé la main de leur donner.
16 “But our ancestors were very proud and stubborn [IDM], and they did not do what you commanded them to do.
Et eux, nos pères, ils furent orgueilleux et roidirent leur col et n'obéirent point à tes commandements.
17 They refused to heed you, and they forgot about all the miracles that you had performed for them. Instead, they became stubborn [IDM], and they appointed someone to lead them back to Egypt, where they would be slaves again! But you are a God who forgives us and who is kind and merciful [to us]. You do not quickly become angry. You always faithfully love us.
Et ils refusèrent l'obéissance et ne se souvinrent plus de tes merveilles que tu avais opérées pour eux, et ils roidirent leur col, et dans leur rébellion se donnèrent un chef pour rentrer sous leur esclavage. Mais tu es un Dieu qui pardonnes, clément et miséricordieux, patient et riche d'amour, et tu ne les abandonnas pas.
18 So, even though their [leaders] made an idol that resembled a calf and insulted you by saying [about the idol], ‘This is our god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ you did not desert them.
Même quand ils se fabriquèrent un veau en fonte et dirent: Voilà ton Dieu qui t'a retiré de l'Egypte! et qu'ils firent de grands blasphèmes,
19 “Because you always act mercifully, you did not abandon them when they were in the desert. The bright cloud which was like a huge pillar continued to lead them during the daytime, and the fiery cloud showed them where to walk at night.
alors même, dans ton immense miséricorde, tu ne les abandonnas pas au Désert. La colonne de nuée ne leur fit point défaut le jour pour les guider dans le trajet, ni de nuit la colonne de feu pour leur éclairer la voie où ils avaient à marcher.
20 You sent your good Spirit to instruct them. You continued to provide water when they were thirsty.
Et tu leur donnas ton bon esprit pour les instruire, et ne refusas point ta manne à leur bouche, et tu leur fournis de l'eau pour leur soif.
21 For 40 years you took care of them in the desert. During all that time, they had everything [that they needed]. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell up [even though they were continually walking].
Et quarante ans tu les entretins au Désert; ils n'eurent point de disette; leurs habits ne s'usèrent point, et leurs pieds n'enflèrent point.
22 “You helped our ancestors to defeat armies of great kings who ruled many people-groups. By doing that, you enabled our ancestors to (occupy/live in) even the most distant places in this land. They occupied the land over which King Sihon ruled from Heshbon [city] and the land over which King Og ruled in [the] Bashan [area].
Et tu leur livras des royaumes et des peuples, et tu les répartis dans tous les sens; et ils conquirent le pays de Sihon, et le pays du roi de Hesbon, et le pays de Og, roi de Basan.
23 You caused our ancestors’ descendants to become as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into this land, the land that you told their fathers to enter and occupy.
Et tu multiplias leurs fils comme les étoiles du ciel, et tu les introduisis dans le pays que tu avais promis à leurs pères pour qu'ils en vinssent faire la conquête.
24 Their sons went in and took the land [from the people that lived there]. You enabled them to defeat the descendants of Canaan who lived here in this land. You enabled them to conquer the descendants of Canaan and their kings and the people whom they ruled. You enabled our ancestors to do to those people whatever they wanted to do.
Et les fils vinrent faire la conquête du pays. Et tu fis plier devant eux les habitants du pays, les Cananéens, et tu les livras à leurs mains, ainsi que leurs rois et les peuples du pays pour les traiter à leur gré.
25 Our ancestors captured cities that had walls around them, and they took possession of fertile land. They took possession of houses that were full of good things, where there were wells that were already dug. They took possession of many vineyards and groves of olive trees and fruit trees. They ate all that they wanted to and became fat. They were delighted in all these good things that you gave to them.
Et ils occupèrent des villes fortes et un sol gras, et s'emparèrent de maisons remplies de tous les biens, de puits creusés, de vignes, d'olivaies et d'arbres à fruit en quantité. Et ils mangèrent et se rassasièrent et s'engraissèrent et vécurent dans les délices par ta grande bonté.
26 “But they disobeyed you and rebelled against you. They (turned their backs on/rejected) your laws. They killed the prophets who warned them that they should return to you. They badly insulted you.
Mais ils furent rebelles et s'insurgèrent contre toi, et jetèrent ta Loi derrière leur dos et massacrèrent tes prophètes qui les sommaient de revenir à toi, et ils se portèrent à de grands blasphèmes.
27 So you allowed their enemies to defeat them. But when their enemies caused them to suffer, they called out to you. You heard them from heaven, and because you are very merciful, you sent them people to help them, and those leaders rescued them from their enemies.
Alors tu les livras aux mains de leurs ennemis qui les opprimèrent. Mais à l'heure de leur détresse ils crièrent vers toi, et toi des Cieux tu exauças, et en vertu de la grande miséricorde tu leur accordas des libérateurs qui les sauvèrent des mains de leurs oppresseurs.
28 “But after there was a time of peace again, our ancestors again did things that displeased you. So again you allowed their enemies to conquer them. But whenever they cried out to you again [to help them], you heard them from heaven, and because you act mercifully, you rescued them many times.
Mais quand ils avaient trêve, de nouveau ils faisaient le mal devant toi; alors tu les abandonnais aux mains de leurs ennemis qui les subjuguaient. Alors de nouveau ils criaient vers toi, et toi du ciel tu exauçais, et dans ta grande miséricorde tu les sauvas à maintes époques.
29 “You warned them that they should again [obey] your laws, but they became proud and stubborn, and they disobeyed your commands. They sinned by disobeying what you commanded them to do, the things that would enable them to live a good long life [if they obeyed them]. They stubbornly refused [IDM] to listen to you and continued sinning.
Et tu les sommais de revenir à ta Loi; mais eux ils étaient orgueilleux, et n'écoutaient point tes commandements, et ils péchaient contre tes lois, que l'homme doit pratiquer pour vivre par elles, et ils opposaient une épaule rebelle et raidissaient leur col, et n'obéissaient pas.
30 You were patient with them for many years. You warned them trough [the messages] your Spirit gave to the prophets. But they did not (heed/pay attention to) those messages. So again you allowed [the armies of] other nations to defeat them.
Et tu différas avec eux de longues années et tu les sommas par ton Esprit, par l'organe de tes prophètes, mais ils ne prêtèrent point l'oreille.
31 But because you act very mercifully, you did not get rid of them completely or abandon them [forever]. You are a very gracious/kind and merciful God!
Alors tu les livras aux mains des peuples des nations. Mais en vertu de ta grande miséricorde tu n'en as point fini avec eux, et tu ne les as point abandonnés, parce que tu es un Dieu clément et miséricordieux.
32 “Our God, you are great! You are mighty! You are awesome! You faithfully love us as [you promised in] your agreement with us that you would do! But now we are experiencing great difficulties/hardships. Great troubles have come to us, to our kings, to our [other] leaders, to our priests, and to our prophets. We have been experiencing these troubles since [the armies of] the kings of Assyria [conquered us], and we are still experiencing them. We ask that you sincerely think about [LIT] all these things.
Et maintenant, ô notre Dieu, ô toi, le Grand Dieu, le puissant et le redoutable, qui gardes l'alliance et la grâce, ne tiens pas pour peu de chose toute la tribulation qui nous a atteints, nous, nos Rois, nos Chefs et nos Prêtres et nos Prophètes, et nos pères et tout ton peuple, depuis le jour des rois d'Assyrie jusqu'à ce jour.
33 [We know that] you acted justly each time that you punished us. We have sinned greatly, but you have treated us fairly.
Mais tu as été juste dans tout ce qui nous est advenu; car tu agis fidèlement, et c'est nous qui sommes coupables.
34 Our kings and other leaders and our priests and our other ancestors did not obey your laws. They did not heed your commands or the warnings that you gave to them.
Et nos Rois, nos Chefs, nos Prêtres et nos pères n'ont point pratiqué ta Loi, ni pris garde à tes commandements et à tes sommations par lesquelles tu les as adjurés.
35 Even when they had their own kings, and they enjoyed the good things that you did for them in this large and fertile land that you gave to them, they did not serve you. They refused to quit doing what was evil.
Et dans leur gouvernement et au milieu des bienfaits nombreux dont tu les as comblés, et dans le pays spacieux et fertile que tu avais mis à leur disposition, ils ne t'ont point servi, et n'ont point renoncé à leurs mauvaises œuvres.
36 “So now we are [like] slaves here in this land that you gave to our ancestors, the land that you gave to them in order that they could enjoy all the good things that grow here.
Voici, nous sommes aujourd'hui esclaves, et dans le pays que tu as donné à nos pères, pour jouir de ses fruits et de ses biens, voilà que nous y sommes esclaves; et il multiplie ses produits pour les rois que tu as établis sur nous à cause de nos péchés.
37 Because we have sinned, [we cannot eat the things that grow here]. The kings that now rule over us are enjoying the things that grow here. They rule us and [take] our cattle. We have to serve them and do the things that please them. We are experiencing great misery/distress.
Et ils dominent sur nos personnes et sur notre bétail, selon leur bon plaisir, et nous sommes dans une grande angoisse.
38 “However, we [Israeli] people now are making an agreement/promise [to obey you], and we are writing this agreement/promise [on a scroll]. We will write on it the names of our leaders and the names of the Levites and the names of the priests, and then we will seal it.”
Et avec tout cela nous stipulâmes un pacte que nous mîmes par écrit et qui fut revêtu du seing de nos Chefs, de nos Lévites, de nos Prêtres.
