1 Rois 20
1 Et Naboth le Jezraélite avait une vigne attenante à l'aire d'Achab, roi de Samarie.
Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, gathered all his army, and he persuaded 32 other kings to join him with their armies and horses and chariots. They marched to Samaria [city, the capital of Israel], and surrounded it, and [prepared to] attack it.
2 Et Achab parla à Naboth, disant: Donne-moi ta vigne, j'en ferai mon jardin potager, car elle près de ma demeure; je te donnerai une vigne meilleure que la tienne. Si tu le préfères, je te donnerai de l'argent pour prix de ta vigne, et elle sera mon jardin potager.
Ben-Hadad sent messengers into the city to King Ahab, to say this to him: “This is what King Ben-Hadad says:
3 Mais, Nabaoth dit à Achab: Dieu me préserve de te donner l'héritage de mon père.
‘[You must give to] me all your silver and gold, your (good-looking/most beautiful) wives/women and strongest children.’”
4 Et l'esprit d'Achab fut troublé; il s'étendit sur sa couche, se voila le visage, et ne mangea pas de pain.
The king of Israel replied to them, “Tell this to King Ben-Hadad: ‘I agree to do what you requested. You can have me and everything that I own.’”
5 Et Jézabel sa femme entra vers lui, et elle lui dit: D'où vient que tu as l'esprit troublé, et que tu ne manges pas de pain?
[The messengers told that to] Ben-Hadad, and he [sent them back with] another message: “I sent a message to you saying that you must give me all your silver and gold and your wives and your children.
6 Il lui répondit: C'est parce que j'ai parlé à Naboth le Jezraélite, disant: Donne-moi à prix d'argent ta vigne, ou, si tu veux, je te donnerai en échange une autre vigne, et qu'il m'a répondu: Je ne te donnerai pas l'héritage de mon père.
But [in addition to that], about this time tomorrow, I will send some of my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials, and to bring to me everything that pleases them.”
7 Jézabel sa femme lui dit: Conduis-toi donc en roi envers Israël, lève- toi, mange du pain, reviens à toi, et moi je te donnerai la vigne de Naboth le Jezraélite.
King Ahab summoned all the leaders of Israel, and said to them, “You can see/realize for yourselves that this man is trying to cause much trouble. He sent me a message insisting that I must give him my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, and I agreed to do that.”
8 Ensuite, elle écrivit au nom d'Achab une lettre qu'elle scella du sceau royal, et elle l'envoya aux anciens et aux premiers de la ville qui demeuraient avec Naboth.
The leaders and all the other people said to him, “Do not pay any attention to him! Do not do what he is requesting!”
9 Or, elle avait écrit ceci dans la lettre: Ordonnez un jeûne et faites asseoir Naboth parmi les premiers du peuple.
So Ahab said to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell the king that I agree to give him the things that he first requested, but I do not agree to allow his officials to take anything that they want from my palace and from the houses of my officials.” So the messengers [reported that to King Ben-Hadad, and they] returned with another message from Ben-Hadad.
10 Puis, devant lui, apostez deux hommes, fils de pervers, qui portent témoignage contre lui, disant: Il a blasphémé contre Dieu et le roi, qu'on l'emmène, qu'on le lapide, qu'il meure.
In that message he said, “[We will destroy] your city [completely, with the result that] there will not be enough dust and rubble left for each of my soldiers to have one handful! I hope/wish that the gods will strike me dead if we do not do that!”
11 Et les hommes de sa ville, les anciens et les plus riches qui demeuraient avec lui, firent comme avait dit Jézabel dans la lettre qu'elle leur avait envoyée.
King Ahab replied [to the messengers], “Tell King Ben-Hadad that a soldier who is putting on his armor [preparing to fight a battle] [MTY] should not boast at that time; he [should wait until] after he wins the battle.”
12 Ils ordonnèrent un jeûne, ils firent asseoir Naboth parmi les chefs du peuple,
Ben-Hadad heard that message while he and the other rulers were drinking [wine] in their temporary shelters. He told his men to prepare to attack [MTY] the city. So his men did that.
13 Et les deux hommes, fils de pervers, entrèrent, et ils s'assirent devant Naboth, et ils portèrent témoignage contre lui, disant: Tu as blasphémé contre Dieu et le roi. Et on l'emmena hors de la ville, on le lapida, et il mourut.
At that moment, a prophet came to King Ahab and said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘[Do not be at all afraid of] [RHQ] the large enemy army that you see! I will enable your army to defeat them today, and you will know that it is I, Yahweh, [who have the power to do what I say that I will do].’”
14 Puis, on envoya un message à Jézabel, disant: Naboth a été lapidé et il est mort.
Ahab asked, “What group [of our army] will defeat them?” The prophet replied, “The young soldiers who are commanded by the district governors will do it.” The king asked, “Who should lead the attack?” The prophet replied, “You should!”
15 Dès que Jézabel eut ouï le message, elle dit à Achab: Lève-toi, hérite de la vigne de Naboth le Jezraélite, qui n'a point voulu te la donner à prix d'argent; car Naboth n'est plus vivant, il est mort.
So Ahab gathered the young soldiers who were commanded by the district governors. There were 232 of those men. Then he also summoned all the Israeli army. There were [only] 7,000 soldiers.
16 Dès qu'Achab ouït que Naboth le Jezraélite était mort, il déchira ses vêtements et se couvrit d'un cilice; mais ensuite, il se leva, et il alla à la vigne de Naboth pour en prendre possession.
They started to attack at noon, while Ben-Hadad and the other rulers were getting drunk in their temporary shelters.
17 Et le Seigneur parla à Elie le Thesbite, disant:
The young soldiers advanced first. Some scouts who had been sent out by Ben-Hadad reported to him, “There are men coming out of Samaria [city]”!
18 Lève-toi, va trouver Achab, roi d'Israël, à Samarie, car il est dans la vigne de Naboth; il y est allé pour en prendre possession.
He said, “It does not matter whether they are coming to fight against us or to ask for peace. Capture them, but do not kill them
19 Et tu lui parleras, disant: Voici que dit le Seigneur: Comme tu as tué et hérité, voici, à cause de cela, ce que dit le Seigneur: En tout lieu où les chiens et les pourceaux ont léché le sang de Naboth, les chiens lécheront ton sang, et les prostituées se baigneront dans ton sang.
The young Israeli soldiers went out of the city to attack [the Syrian army], and the other soldiers in the Israeli army followed them.
20 Et Achab dit à Elie: Tu m'as donc trouvé, ô mon ennemi? Le prophète répondit: Je t'ai trouvé, en ce que tu t'es follement vendu pour faire le mal devant le Seigneur, et l'irriter.
Each [Israeli soldier] killed a [Syrian] soldier. The rest of the Syrian army then ran away, and the Israeli soldiers pursued them. But King Ben-Hadad escaped riding his horse, along with some other men riding horses.
21 Et c'est moi qui ferai fondre sur toi les malheurs, qui, allumerai le feu après toi, qui détruirai tout mâle de la maison d'Achab, tout ce qui est enfermé, tout ce qui reste encore en Israël.
Then the king of Israel went out [of the city], and he and his soldiers captured [all] the [other Syrian] horses and chariots, and also killed a large number of Syrian soldiers.
22 Et je ferai de ta maison ce que j'ai fait de la maison de Jéroboam, fils de Nabat, et de la maison de Baasa, fils d'Achias, parce que tu m'as irrité et que tu as fait tomber dans le péché tout Israël.
Then that same prophet went to King Ahab and said to him, “Go back and prepare your soldiers, and think carefully about what will be necessary for you to do, because the king of Syria with attack with his army again in the springtime of next year.”
23 Ensuite, le Seigneur s'adressant à Jézabel lui dit: Les chiens te dévoreront dans les murs de Jezraël;
[After the Syrian army was defeated, ] Ben-Hadad’s officials said to him, “The gods that the Israelis [worship] are gods [who live] in the hills. [Samaria is built on a hill, and] that is why their soldiers were able to defeat us. But if we fight against them in the plains/lowlands, we certainly will be able to defeat them.
24 Celui de la maison d'Achab qui mourra dans la ville, les chiens le dévoreront; celui qui mourra dans les champs, sera dévoré par les oiseaux du ciel.
So, this is what you should do: You must remove the 32 kings [who are leading your troops] and replace them with army commanders.
25 Quant à Achab, il a follement agi en se vendant pour faire le mal devant le Seigneur, perverti par sa femme Jézabel.
Then gather an army like the army that was defeated. Gather an army that has as many horses and chariots as the first army had. Then we will fight the Israelis in the plains/lowlands, and we will surely defeat them.” Ben-Hadad agreed with them, and he did what they suggested.
26 Il s'est rendu très abominable pour avoir marché à la suite des idoles, et imité tout ce que faisait l'Amorrhéen que le Seigneur a exterminé devant la face des fils d'Israël.
In the spring of the following year, he gathered his soldiers and marched [with them] to Aphek [city east of Galilee Lake], to fight against the Israeli army.
27 A ces mots, Achab fut tout contrit devant la face du Seigneur; il s'en alla pleurant; il déchira sa tunique, il se couvrit le corps d'un cilice et il jeûna (il s'était déjà enveloppé d'un cilice le jour où il avait frappé Naboth le Jezraélite); et il s'en alla tout humilié.
The Israeli army was also gathered together, and they were equipped with the things that they needed [for the battle]. Then they marched out and formed two groups facing the Syrian army. Their army was very small; they resembled two small flocks of goats, whereas the Syrian army [was very large and] spread all over the countryside.
28 Et la parole du Seigneur vint encore à son serviteur Elie au sujet d'Achab, et le Seigneur lui dit:
A prophet came to King Ahab and said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘The Syrians say that I am a god who lives in the hills, and that I am not a god who lives in the valleys. So I will [show that they are wrong by] enabling your men to defeat this huge army [IDM] [in the valley], and you will know that I, Yahweh, [have done it].’”
29 As-tu vu comme Achab était contrit devant ma face? Je ne ferai point fondre sur lui ces malheurs de son vivant, mais ce sera du vivant de son fils.
The two armies stayed in their tents for seven days, in groups that faced each other. Then, on the seventh day, they started fighting. The Israeli army killed 100,000 Syrian soldiers.
30 Cependant Ben-Ader rassembla toute son armée, partit et assiégea Samarie; il avait avec lui trente-deux rois, toute sa cavalerie et tous ses chars. Et ils se mirent en campagne; ils assiégèrent Samarie, et ils donnèrent l'assaut à ses remparts.
The other Syrian soldiers ran away into Aphek City. Then the wall of the city collapsed and killed 27,000 more Syrian soldiers. Ben-Hadad also escaped into the city, and hid in the back room of a house.
31 Puis, le roi de Syrie envoya dans la ville dire à Achab, roi d'Israël: Voici ce que dit Ben-Ader:
His officials went to him and said, “We have heard a report that the Israelis act mercifully. So allow us to go to the king of Israel, wearing coarse sacks around our waists and ropes on our heads/necks [to indicate that we will be his slaves]. Perhaps [if we do that, ] he will allow you to remain alive.”
32 Ton argent et ton or m'appartiennent; tes femmes et tes enfants m'appartiennent.
[The king permitted them to do that, ] so they wrapped coarse sacks around their waists and put ropes on their heads/necks, and they went to the king of Israel and said to him, “Ben-Hadad, who greatly respects you, says, ‘Please do not kill me.’” Ahab replied, “Is he still alive? He is like a brother to me!”
33 Le roi d'Israël répondit: Comme tu l'as dit, ô roi mon maître, je t'appartiens, et toutes les choses que je possède.
Ben-Hadad’s officials were trying to find out if Ahab would act mercifully, and when Ahab said “brother,” they (were optimistic/thought that Ahab would be merciful). So they replied, “Yes, he is like your brother!” Ahab said, “Go and bring him to me.” So they [went and] brought Ben-Hadad to him. [When Ben-Hadad arrived, ] Ahab told him to get in his chariot [and sit with him].
34 Les messagers vinrent encore, et ils dirent: Voici ce que dit Ben-Ader: de t'ai envoyé dire: Tu me livreras ton argent et ton or, et tes femmes et tes enfants.
Ben-Hadad said to him, “I will give back to you the towns that my father’s army took from your father. And I will allow you to set up market areas for your merchants in Damascus [my capital], just as my father did in Samaria [your capital].” Ahab replied, “Because you agree to do that, I will not execute you.” So Ahab made an agreement with Ben-Hadad, and allowed him to go home.
35 Demain donc, à pareille heure, j'enverrai près de toi mes serviteurs; ils fouilleront dans ta maison et dans les maisons de tes serviteurs, et ils prendront toutes les choses désirables à leurs yeux, sur lesquelles ils auront mis la main.
Then Yahweh spoke to a member of a group of prophets and said to him, “Ask one of your fellow prophets to strike and wound you.” [So he did what Yahweh told him to do]. [He said to one of his fellow prophets, ‘Strike me and wound me].’ But that man refused to do it.
36 Alors, le roi d'Israël convoqua tous les anciens de la terre promise, et il dit: Écoutez, voyez quelle lâcheté demande cet homme: il me demande mes femmes, mes fils et mes filles. Quant à mon argent et à mon or, je ne les lui ai point refusés.
So the prophet said to him, “Because you refused to obey what Yahweh told you to do, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me.” And as soon as he left that prophet, a lion suddenly pounced on him and killed him.
37 Et les anciens et tout le peuple s'écrièrent: Ne l'écoute pas, n'y consens point.
Then the prophet found another prophet, and said to him, “Strike me!” So that man hit him [very hard] and injured him.
38 Il dit donc aux messagers de Ben-Ader: Dites à votre maître: Toutes les choses pour lesquelles tu as d'abord envoyé à ton serviteur, je les ferai, mais cette dernière chose je ne puis la faire. Et les hommes partirent, et ils rapportèrent sa réponse à leur maître.
Then the prophet put a large bandage/cloth over his face so that no one would recognize him. Then he went and stood alongside the road, waiting for the king to come by.
39 Ben-Ader envoya encore à lui, disant: Que le Seigneur me punisse, et qu'il me punisse encore, si votre tanière à renards de Samarie suffit pour contenir les piétons de mon armée.
When the king passed by, the prophet cried out to him, saying “Your majesty, [after I was wounded] while I was fighting in a battle, a soldier brought to me one of our enemies that he had captured, and said to me, ‘Guard this man! If he escapes, you must pay me 3,000 pieces of silver, and if you do not pay that, you will be executed!’
40 Le roi d'Israël reprit: C'est assez: que le tortu ne se glorifie pas comme l'homme qui se tient droit.
But while I was busy doing other things, the man escaped!” The king of Israel said to him, “That is your problem! You yourself have said that you deserve to be punished.”
41 Lorsque cette réponse fut rapportée au Syrien, il était à boire sous sa tente avec tous les rois ses alliés, et il dit à ses serviteurs: Elevez un retranchement. Ils firent donc un retranchement autour de la ville.
The prophet immediately took off the bandage, and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets.
42 Or, voilà qu'un prophète arriva devant Achab, roi d'Israël, et dit: Voici ce que dit le Seigneur: As-tu vu cette innombrable multitude? Eh bien! aujourd'hui je te la livre, et tu reconnaîtras que je suis le Seigneur.
And the prophet said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You have allowed that man [Ben-Hadad] to escape after I commanded you to be sure to execute him! Since you did not do that, you will be killed instead. And your army will be destroyed because you allowed [some of] his army to escape!’”
43 Et Achab demanda: Par qui? Et le prophète reprit: Voici ce que dit le Seigneur: Par les jeunes fils des chefs des provinces. Et Achab dit: Qui commencera le combat? Le prophète répondit: Toi.
The king went back home to Samaria, very angry and depressed/dejected.
