< 1 Samuel 13 >
1 When Saul had reigned one year, —and two years he reigned over Israel, —
Saül comptait alors un an de règne. Depuis deux ans il régnait sur Israël,
2 Saul chose for himself three thousand men out of Israel; and there were with Saul two thousand in Michmash and on the mountain of Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gib'ah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent away every man to his tents.
lorsqu’il leva trois mille hommes en Israël, dont deux mille sous ses ordres à Mikhmach et sur la montagne de Béthel, et mille sous Jonathan à Ghibea-de-Benjamin; pour le reste des hommes, il les renvoya dans leurs foyers.
3 And Jonathan smote the outpost of the Philistines that was at Geba', and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the cornet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear it.
Jonathan battit le poste de Philistins qui était à Ghéba, et les Philistins en furent informés. Saül le fit annoncer à son de cor dans tout le pays, se disant: "Il faut que les Hébreux le sachent."
4 And all Israel heard it, saying, Saul hath smitten the outpost of the Philistines, and the Israelites also have put themselves in ill-favor with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.
Tout Israël apprit donc que Saül avait battu le poste des Philistins et qu’ainsi Israël s’était mis en état d’hostilité contre les Philistins; alors le peuple courut se ranger autour de Saül, à Ghilgal.
5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude; and they came up, and encamped in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.
Les Philistins, de leur côté, se rassemblèrent pour combattre Israël: avec trente mille chariots, six mille cavaliers, et une infanterie aussi nombreuse que le sable au bord de la mer, ils allèrent prendre position à Mikhmach, à l’orient de Beth-Avên.
6 And when the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, [for the people were oppressed, ] then did the people hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in strongholds, and in pits.
Les Israélites, voyant leur position critique, car le peuple était serré de près, se refugièrent dans les cavernes, dans les buissons, dans les rochers, dans les donjons et les citernes;
7 And some of the Hebrews passed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gil'ad. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him hastily.
des Hébreux, passant le Jourdain, gagnèrent les pays de Gad et de Galaad. Cependant Saül tenait encore à Ghilgal, et le reste de l’armée le rejoignit en toute hâte.
8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed; but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattering themselves from him.
On attendit sept jours, terme du rendez-vous donné par Samuel; mais celui-ci n’étant pas venu à Ghilgal, le peuple commença à se disperser.
9 And Saul said, Bring hither to me the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings. And he offered the burnt-offering.
Alors Saül dit: "Amenez-moi l’holocauste et le rémunératoire!" et il offrit l’holocauste.
10 And it came to pass, that, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.
Comme il achevait ce sacrifice, voici que Samuel arriva; et Saül s’avança pour lui donner la bienvenue.
11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done: And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattering themselves from me, whereas thou camest not at the appointed day, and the Philistines are gathering themselves together at Michmash;
"Qu’as-tu fait?" demanda Samuel. Saül répondit: "Voyant que mon armée se débandait, que tu n’étais pas venu au jour fixé, que les Philistins s’étaient concentrés à Mikhmach,
12 And I said, The Philistines will now come down unto me to Gilgal, and I have not yet made supplication unto the Lord: wherefore I forced myself, and offered the burnt-offering.
je me suis dit: Les Philistins vont tomber sur moi à Ghilgal, et je n’ai pas encore imploré l’assistance du Seigneur… Alors j’ai pris sur moi d’offrir l’holocauste."
13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he had commanded thee; for now would the Lord have established thy government over Israel for ever.
Samuel dit à Saül: "Tu as follement agi! Si tu avais gardé le commandement que t’a prescrit l’Eternel, ton Dieu, certes l’Eternel aurait maintenu à jamais ta royauté sur Israël.
14 But now thy government shall not endure: the Lord hath sought out for himself a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath ordained him to be chief over his people; because thou hast not kept what the Lord had commanded thee.
Et maintenant, ta royauté ne subsistera point; l’Eternel s’est choisi un homme selon son cœur et l’a institué chef de son peuple, parce que tu n’as pas respecté son commandement!"
15 And Samuel arose, and went up from Gilgal unto Gib'ah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were to be found with him, about six hundred men.
Et Samuel se retira, et se rendit de Ghilgal à Ghibea-de-Benjamin. Saül compta la troupe dont il disposait encore: Il y avait environ six cents hommes.
16 And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were to be found with them, were lying in Geba' of Benjamin; but the Philistines were encamped in Michmash.
Saül vint s’établir à Ghibea-de-Benjamin avec son fils Jonathan et l’armée qui était sous leurs ordres, tandis que les Philistins étaient campés à Mikhmach.
17 And the troop of freebooters went out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned into the way to 'Ophrah, unto the land of Shu'al;
Une armée d’invasion sortit du camp des Philistins en trois bandes, dont la première devait agir dans la direction d’Ofra, au pays de Choual;
18 And another company turned into the way to Beth-choron; and the other company turned into the way to the frontier that looketh over the valley of Zebo'im toward the wilderness.
la seconde, dans la direction de Bethorôn; et la troisième, du côté de la frontière qui domine la vallée des Ceboïm, vers le désert.
19 Now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, So that the Hebrews shall not make themselves swords or spears.
Or, on ne trouvait pas un forgeron dans tout le pays d’Israël, parce que les Philistins craignaient que les Hébreux ne fabriquassent des épées ou des javelots.
20 But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his plough-share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.
Chaque Israélite devait donc aller chez les Philistins, pour faire affiler son soc, son hoyau, sa cognée ou sa faux;
21 And they used a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the three-pronged forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
ou bien on se servait de la lime pour les instruments aratoires, pour les hoyaux, les fourches, les cognées, et pour mettre en état les aiguillons.
22 So it came to pass on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan; but they were found with Saul and with Jonathan his son.
De sorte que, le jour du combat, nul n’avait ni épée ni javelot dans toute l’armée de Saül et de Jonathan, si ce n’est Saül lui-même et Jonathan son fils.
23 And the outpost of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.
Un avant-poste des Philistins s’avança jusqu’au défilé de Mikhmach.