< Psalms 18 >
1 I will love you, O LORD, my strength.
Au chef des chantres. Par le serviteur de l’Eternel, David, qui prononça en l’honneur du Seigneur les paroles de ce cantique, lorsque l’Eternel l’eut délivré de la main de tous ses ennemis et de la main de Saül. Il dit: Je t’aime, ô Eternel, qui es ma force!
2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
Seigneur, tu es mon rocher et ma forteresse, un libérateur pour moi; mon Dieu tutélaire en qui je m’abrite, mon bouclier, mon puissant sauveur, mon rempart!
3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
Gloire, m’écrié-je, à l’Eternel, et je suis délivré de mes ennemis!
4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
Déjà m’enveloppaient les liens de la mort, les torrents de la perdition me faisaient frémir;
5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. (Sheol )
j’étais enlacé dans les réseaux de la tombe, surpris dans les filets de la mort. (Sheol )
6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
Dans ma détresse, j’invoque le Seigneur, je fais appel à mon Dieu; de son sanctuaire il entend ma voix, mon cri est monté à ses oreilles.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was angry.
Soudain la terre oscille et tremble, les fondements des montagnes sont ébranlés, secoués par la colère de Dieu.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
Des vapeurs s’exhalent, signe de son courroux; de sa bouche sort un feu dévorant, jaillissent de brûlantes étincelles.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
Il incline les cieux et descend; sous ses pieds une brume épaisse.
10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
Porté sur les chérubins, il vole, il plane sur les ailes du vent.
11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
Des ténèbres il se fait une mystérieuse retraite, il s’enveloppe, comme d’un pavillon, des eaux obscures, d’opaques nuages.
12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
De l’éclat qui l’entoure s’élancent ses nuées, la grêle et des flammes ardentes.
13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
Il tonne dans les cieux, l’Eternel, le Dieu suprême fait entendre sa voix, la grêle et les flammes ardentes.
14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and humiliated them.
Il décoche ses flèches et il les disperse, il lance des éclairs et les frappe de stupeur.
15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
Le lit des fleuves s’est découvert, les fondements de la terre ont été mis à nu, à ta voix impérieuse, ô Eternel, au souffle du vent de ta colère.
16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
Il étend d’en haut sa main, me saisit, me retire du sein des grandes eaux;
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
il me délivre de mon puissant ennemi, de mes adversaires trop forts pour moi.
18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
Ils étaient à l’affût de mes malheurs, mais l’Eternel a été mon appui.
19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
Il m’a mis au large, m’a sauvé parce qu’il m’aime.
20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed me.
Le Seigneur me traite selon ma droiture, il récompense la pureté de mes mains.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
C’Est que je suis fidèle aux voies du Seigneur, jamais je n’ai trahi mon Dieu.
22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
Toutes ses lois me sont présentes, ses statuts, je ne m’en écarte point.
23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
Attaché à lui sans réserve, je me suis tenu en garde contre mes fautes.
24 Therefore has the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
Oui, le Seigneur m’a rémunéré selon ma droiture, selon la pureté de mes mains, dont ses yeux sont témoins.
25 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful; with an upright man you will show yourself upright;
Tu te montres aimant pour qui t’aime, loyal envers l’homme loyal,
26 With the pure you will show yourself pure; and with the perverse you will show yourself perverse.
sincère avec les cœurs purs, mais artificieux avec les pervers!
27 For you will save the afflicted people; but will bring down high looks.
Oui, tu viens en aide à un peuple humilié, et tu abaisses les yeux hautains.
28 For you will light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
Oui, tu fais briller ma lumière! L’Eternel, mon Dieu, illumine mes ténèbres.
29 For by you I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
Soutenu par lui, j’attaque un bataillon; grâce à mon Dieu, j’escalade un rempart.
30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
Dieu puissant! parfaite est sa voie; la parole du Seigneur est infaillible, il est le bouclier de quiconque espère en lui.
31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
Qui est Dieu, hormis l’Eternel? Qui un rocher tutélaire, si ce n’est notre Dieu?
32 It is God that girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect.
Ce Dieu me ceint de force, et me fait suivre une voie parfaite.
33 He makes my feet like hinds' feet, and sets me upon my high places.
Il rend mes pieds agiles comme ceux des biches, et m’installe sur mes hauteurs.
34 He teaches my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
Il instruit mes mains aux combats, mes bras à manier l’arc d’airain.
35 You have also given me the shield of your salvation: and your right hand has held me up, and your gentleness has made me great.
Tu me prêtes le bouclier de ton secours, ta droite est mon appui, ta bienveillance fait ma supériorité.
36 You have enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
Tu donnes de l’aisance à mes pas, et empêches mes talons de chanceler.
37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I return till they were consumed.
Je poursuis mes ennemis, je les atteins; point de relâche que je ne les aie détruits.
38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
Je les abats, ils ne pourront plus se relever, ils gisent désormais à mes pieds.
39 For you have girded me with strength unto the battle: you have subdued under me those that rose up against me.
C’Est toi qui m’as armé de vaillance pour la guerre, qui fais plier sous moi mes agresseurs;
40 You have also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
mes ennemis, tu les fais fuir devant moi, et mes adversaires, j’en fais justice.
41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
Ils s’adressent, à bout de ressources, à l’Eternel…: point de réponse!
42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
Je les écrase comme la poussière qu’emporte le vent, comme la fange des rues, je les pulvérise.
43 You have delivered me from the strivings of the people; and you have made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
Tu me fais triompher des factions du peuple, tu me places à la tête des nations; des peuplades inconnues deviennent mes tributaires.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
Au seul bruit de mon nom, ils se soumettent à moi, les fils d’un sol étranger me rendent hommage.
45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
Les fils de l’étranger perdent courage, ils tremblent au fond de leurs retraites.
46 The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
Vivant est le Seigneur, et béni mon rocher! Glorifié le Dieu qui me protège!
47 It is God that avenges me, and subdues the people under me.
O Dieu, c’est toi qui me procures vengeance, qui fais tomber des peuples à mes pieds;
48 He delivers me from mine enemies: yea, you lift me up above those that rise up against me: you have delivered me from the violent man.
qui m’arraches à mes ennemis, me fais triompher de mes agresseurs, et échapper aux hommes de violence.
49 Therefore will I give thanks unto you, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto your name.
Je te rends donc grâce, Seigneur, à la face des peuples, et je chante ta gloire,
50 Great deliverance gives he to his king; and shows mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
ô toi qui assures de grandes victoires à ton roi, qui combles de bienfaits ton oint David et sa postérité à jamais!