Chapter 78

Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

Cantique d`Asaph. Mon peuple, écoute mes instructions! Prêtez l`oreille aux paroles de ma bouche!

I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

J`ouvre la bouche par des sentences, Je publie la sagesse des temps anciens.

Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

Ce que nous avons entendu, ce que nous savons, Ce que nos pères nous ont raconté,

We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath 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.

For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known 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,

That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare 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,

That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

Afin qu`ils missent en Dieu leur confiance, Qu`ils n`oubliassent pas les oeuvres de Dieu, Et qu`ils observassent ses commandements,

And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

Afin qu`ils ne fussent pas, comme leurs pères, Une race indocile et rebelle, Une race dont le coeur n`était pas ferme, Et dont l`esprit n`était pas fidèle à Dieu.

The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

Les fils d`Éphraïm, armés et tirant de l`arc, Tournèrent le dos le jour du combat.

They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;

Ils ne gardèrent point l`alliance de Dieu, Et ils refusèrent de marcher selon sa loi.

And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.

Ils mirent en oubli ses oeuvres, Ses merveilles qu`il leur avait fait voir.

Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

Devant leurs pères il avait fait des prodiges, Au pays d`Égypte, dans les campagnes de Tsoan.

He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

Il fendit la mer et leur ouvrit un passage, Il fit dresser les eaux comme une muraille.

In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

Il les conduisit le jour par la nuée, Et toute la nuit par un feu éclatant.

He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

Il fendit des rochers dans le désert, Et il donna à boire comme des flots abondants;

He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

Du rocher il fit jaillir des sources, Et couler des eaux comme des fleuves.

And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.

Mais ils continuèrent à pécher contre lui, A se révolter contre le Très Haut dans le désert.

And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.

Ils tentèrent Dieu dans leur coeur, En demandant de la nourriture selon leur désir.

Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

Ils parlèrent contre Dieu, Ils dirent: Dieu pourrait-il Dresser une table dans le désert?

Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh 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?

Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;

L`Éternel entendit, et il fut irrité; Un feu s`alluma contre Jacob, Et la colère s`éleva contre Israël,

Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:

Parce qu`ils ne crurent pas en Dieu, Parce qu`ils n`eurent pas confiance dans son secours.

Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

Il commanda aux nuages d`en haut, Et il ouvrit les portes des cieux;

And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

Il fit pleuvoir sur eux la manne pour nourriture, Il leur donna le blé du ciel.

Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.

Ils mangèrent tous le pain des grands, Il leur envoya de la nourriture à satiété.

He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.

Il fit souffler dans les cieux le vent d`orient, Et il amena par sa puissance le vent du midi;

He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as 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;

And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.

Il les fit tomber au milieu de leur camp, Tout autour de leurs demeures.

So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;

Ils mangèrent et se rassasièrent abondamment: Dieu leur donna ce qu`ils avaient désiré.

They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,

Ils n`avaient pas satisfait leur désir, Ils avaient encore leur nourriture dans la bouche,

The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen 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.

For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.

Malgré tout cela, ils continuèrent à pécher, Et ne crurent point à ses prodiges.

Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

Il consuma leurs jours par la vanité, Et leurs années par une fin soudaine.

When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.

Quand il les frappait de mort, ils le cherchaient, Ils revenaient et se tournaient vers Dieu;

And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.

Ils se souvenaient que Dieu était leur rocher, Que le Dieu Très Haut était leur libérateur.

Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.

Mais ils le trompaient de la bouche, Et ils lui mentaient de la langue;

For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

Leur coeur n`était pas ferme envers lui, Et ils n`étaient pas fidèles à son alliance.

But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

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.

For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

Il se souvint qu`ils n`étaient que chair, Un souffle qui s`en va et ne revient pas.

How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!

Que de fois ils se révoltèrent contre lui dans le désert! Que de fois ils l`irritèrent dans la solitude!

Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

Ils ne cessèrent de tenter Dieu, Et de provoquer le Saint d`Israël.

They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

Ils ne se souvinrent pas de sa puissance, Du jour où il les délivra de l`ennemi,

How he had wrought 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.

And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

Il changea leurs fleuves en sang, Et ils ne purent en boire les eaux.

He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

Il envoya contre eux des mouches venimeuses qui les dévorèrent, Et des grenouilles qui les détruisirent.

He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.

Il livra leurs récoltes aux sauterelles, Le produit de leur travail aux sauterelles.

He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.

Il fit périr leurs vignes par la grêle, Et leurs sycomores par la gelée.

He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

Il abandonna leur bétail à la grêle, Et leurs troupeaux au feu du ciel.

He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

Il lança contre eux son ardente colère, La fureur, la rage et la détresse, Une troupe de messagers de malheur.

He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

Il donna libre cours à sa colère, Il ne sauva pas leur âme de la mort, Il livra leur vie à la mortalité;

And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

Il frappa tous les premiers-nés en Égypte, Les prémices de la force sous les tentes de Cham.

But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

Il fit partir son peuple comme des brebis, Il les conduisit comme un troupeau dans le désert.

And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

Il les dirigea sûrement, pour qu`ils fussent sans crainte, Et la mer couvrit leurs ennemis.

And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.

Il les amena vers sa frontière sainte, Vers cette montagne que sa droite a acquise.

He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

Il chassa devant eux les nations, Leur distribua le pays en héritage, Et fit habiter dans leurs tentes les tribus d`Israël.

Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:

Mais ils tentèrent le Dieu Très Haut et se révoltèrent contre lui, Et ils n`observèrent point ses ordonnances.

But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

Ils s`éloignèrent et furent infidèles, comme leurs pères, Ils tournèrent, comme un arc trompeur.

For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

Ils l`irritèrent par leurs hauts lieux, Et ils excitèrent sa jalousie par leurs idoles.

When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

Dieu entendit, et il fut irrité; Il repoussa fortement Israël.

So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;

Il abandonna la demeure de Silo, La tente où il habitait parmi les hommes;

And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.

Il livra sa gloire à la captivité, Et sa majesté entre les mains de l`ennemi.

He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.

Il mit son peuple à la merci du glaive, Et il s`indigna contre son héritage.

The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.

Le feu dévora ses jeunes hommes, Et ses vierges ne furent pas célébrées;

Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.

Ses sacrificateurs tombèrent par l`épée, Et ses veuves ne pleurèrent pas.

Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

Le Seigneur s`éveilla comme celui qui a dormi, Comme un héros qu`a subjugué le vin.

And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.

Il frappa ses adversaires en fuite, Il les couvrit d`un opprobre éternel.

Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:

Cependant il rejeta la tente de Joseph, Et il ne choisit point la tribu d`Éphraïm;

But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.

Il préféra la tribu de Juda, La montagne de Sion qu`il aimait.

And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.

Et il bâtit son sanctuaire comme les lieux élevés, Comme la terre qu`il a fondée pour toujours.

He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:

Il choisit David, son serviteur, Et il le tira des bergeries;

From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

Il le prit derrière les brebis qui allaitent, Pour lui faire paître Jacob, son peuple, Et Israël, son héritage.

So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

Et David les dirigea avec un coeur intègre, Et les conduisit avec des mains intelligentes.