2 Samuel 11
1 Now in the spring, at the time when kings go out to war, David sent Joab and his servants and all Israel with him; and they made waste the land of the children of Ammon, and took up their position before Rabbah, shutting it in. But David was still at Jerusalem.
Au renouvellement de l’année, époque où les rois entrent en campagne, David envoya Joab avec ses officiers et tout Israël, avec ordre de porter le ravage chez les Ammonites et d’assiéger Rabba, tandis que lui-même restait à Jérusalem.
2 Now one evening, David got up from his bed, and while he was walking on the roof of the king's house, he saw from there a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.
Vers le soir, David se leva de sa couche et se promena sur la terrasse de la demeure royale, d’où il aperçut une femme qui se baignait: cette femme était fort belle.
3 And David sent to get knowledge who the woman was. And one said, Is this not Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hittite?
David prit des informations sur cette femme. On lui répondit: "Mais c’est Bethsabée, la fille d’Eliam, l’épouse d’Urie le Héthéen!"
4 And David sent and took her; and she came to him, and he took her to his bed: (for she had been made clean; ) then she went back to her house.
David envoya des émissaires pour la chercher; elle se rendit auprès de lui, et il cohabita avec elle (elle venait de se purifier de son impureté), puis elle retourna dans sa maison.
5 And the woman became with child; and she sent word to David that she was with child.
Cette femme devint enceinte et elle envoya dire à David: "Je suis enceinte."
6 And David sent to Joab saying, Send Uriah the Hittite to me. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
David fit parvenir ce message à Joab: "Envoie-moi Urie le Héthéen;" et Joab envoya Urie à David.
7 And when Uriah came to him, David put questions to him about how Joab and the people were, and how the war was going.
Urie étant arrivé chez lui, David s’informa du bien-être de Joab, du bien-être du peuple et du succès de la campagne.
8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to your house and let your feet be washed. And Uriah went away from the king's house, and an offering from the king was sent after him.
Puis David dit à Urie: "Rentre chez toi et lave-toi les pieds." Urie sortit de la maison du roi, et on le fit suivre d’un présent du roi.
9 But Uriah took his rest at the door of the king's house, with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.
Mais Urie se coucha à l’entrée de la maison royale, avec les autres serviteurs de son maître, et ne rentra point dans sa demeure.
10 And when word was given to David that Uriah had not gone down to his house, David said to Uriah, Have you not come from a journey? why did you not go down to your house?
On apprit à David qu’Urie n’était pas rentré chez lui; et David dit à Urie: "Eh quoi! tu reviens de voyage, pourquoi donc n’es-tu pas descendu dans ta demeure?"
11 And Uriah said to David, Israel and Judah with the ark are living in tents, and my lord Joab and the other servants of my lord are sleeping in the open field; and am I to go to my house and take food and drink, and go to bed with my wife? By the living Lord, and by the life of your soul, I will not do such a thing.
Urie répondit à David: "L’Arche, Israël et Juda logent sous la tente, mon maître Joab et les officiers de mon prince campent en plein champ, et moi j’entrerais dans ma maison pour manger et boire, et pour reposer avec ma femme! Par ta vie, par la vie de ton âme, je ne ferai point pareille chose."
12 And David said to Uriah, Be here today, and after that I will let you go. So Uriah was in Jerusalem that day and the day after.
David répliqua à Urie "Reste ici aujourd’hui encore et demain je te laisserai partir. Urie resta à Jérusalem ce jour-là et le lendemain.
13 And when David sent for him, he took meat and drink with him, and David made him the worse for drink: and when evening came, he went to rest on his bed with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.
David le manda, le fit manger et boire devant lui, et l’enivra. Urie le quitta le soir, coucha dans le même gîte avec les serviteurs de son maître, mais ne descendit pas dans sa demeure.
14 Now in the morning, David gave Uriah a letter to take to Joab.
Le lendemain matin, David écrivit une lettre à Joab et chargea Urie de la remettre.
15 And in the letter he said, Take care to put Uriah in the very front of the line, where the fighting is most violent, and go back from him, so that he may be overcome and put to death.
Il avait écrit dans cette lettre "Placez Urie à l’endroit où la lutte est la plus violente, puis éloignez-vous de lui, pour qu’il soit battu et qu’il succombe."
16 So while Joab was watching the town, he put Uriah in the place where it was clear to him the best fighters were.
Or, comme Joab observait la ville, il plaça Urie à l’endroit où il savait que se trouvaient les plus braves.
17 And the men of the town went out and had a fight with Joab: and a number of David's men came to their death in the fight, and with them Uriah the Hittite.
Les gens de la ville firent une sortie et attaquèrent Joab; un certain nombre tombèrent parmi le peuple, parmi les serviteurs de David; Urie le Héthéen périt avec eux.
18 Then Joab sent David news of everything which had taken place in the war:
Joab envoya un rapport à David sur tous les détails du combat.
19 And he gave orders to the man who took the news, saying, After you have given the king all the news about the war,
Et il donna l’ordre suivant au messager: "Quand tu auras fini de narrer au roi tous les détails du combat,
20 If the king is angry and says, Why did you go so near the town for the fight? was it not certain that their archers would be on the wall?
si alors le roi entre en colère et qu’il te dise: Pourquoi vous êtes-vous approchés de la ville pour l’attaquer? Ne savez-vous pas qu’on lance des projectiles du haut de la muraille?
21 Who put Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, to death? did not a woman send a great stone down on him from the wall, putting him to death at Thebez? why did you go so near the wall? Then say to him, Your servant Uriah the Hittite is among the dead.
Qui frappa Abimélec, fils de Yérubbéchet? N’Est-ce pas une femme qui lui lança de la crête de la muraille un fragment de meule, de sorte qu’il mourut à Tébeç? Pourquoi vous êtes-vous approchés de la muraille? Tu répondras: Ton serviteur Urie le Héthéen est mort lui aussi."
22 So the man went, and came to David, and gave him all the news which Joab had sent him to give; then David was angry with Joab and said, Why did you go so near the town for the fight? was it not certain that their archers would be on the wall? who put Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, to death? did not a woman send a great stone down on him from the wall, putting him to death at Thebez? why did you go so near the wall?
Le messager partit et arriva auprès de David, à qui il rapporta tout ce dont Joab l’avait chargé.
23 And the man said to David, Truly the men got the better of us, and came out against us into the open country, but we sent them back to the very doors of the town.
Et il dit à David: "Ces hommes avaient eu d’abord le dessus en marchant sur nous en rase campagne, puis nous les avons refoulés jusqu’au seuil de la porte.
24 And the archers sent their arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king's servants are dead, and among them is your servant Uriah the Hittite.
Mais, du haut de la muraille, les archers ont tiré sur tes serviteurs, et plusieurs des serviteurs du roi ont péri, et ton serviteur Urie le Héthéen a péri également."
25 Then David said to the man, Go and say to Joab, Do not let this be a grief to you; for one man may come to his death by the sword like another: put up an even stronger fight against the town, and take it: and do you put heart into him.
David répondit au messager: "Parle ainsi à Joab: Ne te chagrine pas de cet événement, le glaive frappe ainsi de ci de là. Attaque avec vigueur la ville et détruis-la! Et relève ainsi son courage."
26 And when the wife of Uriah had news that her husband was dead, she gave herself up to weeping for him.
Lorsque la femme d’Urie apprit la mort de son époux, elle le pleura.
27 And when the days of weeping were past, David sent for her, and took her into his house, and she became his wife and gave him a son. But the Lord was not pleased with the thing David had done.
Le temps du deuil écoulé, David la fit amener dans sa demeure, la prit pour femme, et elle lui donna un fils… L’Action commise par David déplut à l’Eternel.
