2 Chronicles 18
1 Jehoshaphat became very wealthy and was greatly honored. But then he arranged for one of his family to marry someone from the family of King Ahab [of Israel].
Josaphat, comblé de richesses et de gloire, s’allia par un mariage avec Achab.
2 Several years later, he went down [from Jerusalem] to Samaria to visit Ahab. Ahab welcomed him and the people who had come with him by slaughtering many sheep and cattle [for a feast].
Au bout de quelque temps il alla rendre visite à Achab dans Samarie, et Achab fit tuer quantité de brebis et de bœufs pour son hôte et pour sa suite, et il l’incita à marcher contre Ramot en Galaad.
3 Then he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you [and your army] go with my army to attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region]?” Jehoshaphat replied, “My soldiers and I will go to the battle when you tell us to go.”
Achab, roi d’Israël, dit donc à Josaphat, roi de Juda: "Marcheras-tu contre Ramot en Galaad de concert avec moi?" Il lui répondit: "Nous ne faisons qu’un, toi et moi, ton peuple et mon peuple: je serai ton auxiliaire dans cette campagne."
4 Then he added, “But we should ask Yahweh first, to find out what he wants us to do.”
Josaphat dit encore au roi d’Israël: "De grâce, consulte donc en ce jour l’oracle du Seigneur."
5 So the king of Israel gathered all his 400 prophets and asked them, “Should we go to attack the people of Ramoth [city], or should we not do that?” They replied, “Yes, go [and attack them] because God will enable your army to defeat them.”
Le roi d’Israël réunit les prophètes, au nombre de quatre cents, et leur dit: "Devons-nous aller en guerre contre Ramot en Galaad, ou dois-je m’abstenir?" Ils répondirent: "Va, l’Eternel livrera la ville au pouvoir du roi."
6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here whom we can ask?”
Mais Josaphat insista: "N’Y a-t-il pas ici encore un prophète de l’Eternel que nous puissions interroger?"
7 The king of Israel replied, “There is still one man here, whom we can ask to find out what Yahweh wants, his name is Micaiah, the son of Imlah. But I hate him because he never says anything good about me. He always predicts [that] bad [things will happen to me].” Jehoshaphat replied, “King Ahab, you should not say that!”
Il y a bien encore un homme, dit le roi d’Israël à Josaphat, à qui nous pourrions demander ce que dit l’Eternel, mais je le hais, car il ne me prédit jamais rien de bon, mais toujours du mal. C’Est Mikhayou, fils de Yimla." Josaphat se récria: "Que le roi ne tienne pas un pareil langage!"
8 So the king of Israel told one of his officials to summon Micaiah immediately.
Le roi d’Israël manda un officier et lui ordonna d’amener à la hâte Mikhayou, fils de Yimla.
9 The king of Israel and the king of Judah were sitting there on their thrones, wearing their royal robes. They were at the place where people threshed grain, near the gate of Samaria [city]. All of [Ahab’s] prophets were standing in front of them, predicting what was going to happen.
Cependant, le roi d’Israël et Josaphat, roi de Juda, revêtus de leurs insignes, étaient assis chacun sur son trône, dans une aire, à l’entrée de la porte de Samarie, et tous les prophètes prophétisaient devant eux.
10 [One of them whose name was] Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, had made from iron something that resembled the horns of a bull. He proclaimed to Ahab, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘With horns [like these], your [army] will keep attacking the army of Syria [like a bull attacks another animal], until you completely destroy them.’”
Sédécias, fils de Kenaana, se fit des cornes de fer et dit: "Telle est la parole du Seigneur: Avec ces cornes tu terrasseras Aram, au point de l’anéantir."
11 All the other prophets [of Ahab] agreed. They said, “Yes! If you attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region], you will be successful, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat them.”
Tous les prophètes prophétisaient de même et parlaient ainsi: "Monte contre Ramot en Galaad, et tu triompheras; l’Eternel livrera la ville au pouvoir du roi."
12 The messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Listen to me! All the other prophets are unitedly predicting that the king will be successful [in the battle]. So be sure to agree with them and say that the king’s army will be successful!”
De son côté, le messager qui était allé appeler Mikhayou lui avait dit: "Les prédictions des prophètes sont unanimement favorables au roi; prononce donc le même oracle qu’eux tous. Annonce le succès."
13 But Micaiah said, “As surely as Yahweh lives, I will tell the king only what Yahweh tells me to say.”
Mais Mikhayou avait répondu: "Vive Dieu! ce que l’Eternel me dictera, je le dirai."
14 When Micaiah arrived, the king [of Israel] asked him, “Should we go to attack Ramoth, or not?” Micaiah replied, “Sure, go! Yahweh will enable your army to defeat them!”
Il vint auprès du roi, qui lui dit: "Mikha, irons-nous en guerre contre Ramot en Galaad, ou m’abstiendrai-je?" Il répondit: "Allez, et vous triompherez; ils seront livrés en votre pouvoir."
15 But King Ahab [realized that Micaiah was lying, so he] said to Micaiah, “I have told you many times that you must always tell only the truth when you say what Yahweh [has revealed to you]!”
Le roi lui dit: "Combien de fois t’adjurerai-je de me dire uniquement la vérité au nom de l’Eternel?"
16 Then Micaiah replied, “[The truth is that in a vision] I saw all the troops of Israel scattered on the mountains. They seemed to be like sheep that did not have a shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘Their master has been killed. So tell them all to go home peacefully.’”
Il répondit: "J’Ai vu tout Israël dispersé sur les montagnes, comme un troupeau sans pasteur; et l’Eternel disait: Plus de chefs pour les diriger; qu’ils retournent, chacun chez soi, en paix!"
17 Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I told you that he never predicts that anything good will happen to me! He [always] predicts that bad things will happen to me.”
Le roi d’Israël dit alors à Josaphat: "Ne t’avais-je pas prévenu que cet homme ne me prédit que le mal et jamais le bien?"
18 But Micaiah continued, saying, “Listen to what Yahweh showed to me! [In a vision] I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, with all the armies of heaven [standing around him], on his right side and on his left side.
"Ecoutez donc, reprit Mikhayou, la parole de l’Eternel: j’ai vu le Seigneur assis sur son trône, tandis que toute l’armée céleste se tenait debout à sa droite et à sa gauche.
19 And Yahweh said, ‘Who can persuade Ahab, the king of Israel, to go to fight against the people of Ramoth, in order that he may be killed there?’ “Some suggested one thing, and others suggested something else.
Et l’Eternel dit: Qui ira séduire Achab, roi d’Israël, afin qu’il monte contre Ramot en Galaad, et y succombe? Celui-ci répondit de telle façon, celui-là de telle autre.
20 “Finally one spirit, [having received a message from Satan], came to Yahweh and said, ‘I can do it!’ “Yahweh asked him, ‘How will you do it?’
Mais l’Esprit s’avança droit devant l’Eternel et dit: Moi, je veux l’égarer. Et comment cela? demanda le Seigneur.
21 “The spirit replied, ‘I will go and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to tell lies.’ Yahweh said, ‘You will be successful; go and do it!’
Il répondit: J’Irai, et je serai un esprit de mensonge dans la bouche de tous ses prophètes. Tu réussiras à le tromper, reprit le Seigneur; va donc et fais cela.
22 “So now [I tell you that] Yahweh has caused your prophets to lie to you. Yahweh has decided that something terrible will happen to you.”
Et maintenant, oui, l’Eternel a mis un esprit de mensonge dans la bouche de tes prophètes que voici, parce qu’il a résolu ta perte."
23 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked over to Micaiah and slapped him on his face. He said, “Do you think that Yahweh’s Spirit left me in order to speak to you?”
Alors Sédécias, fils de Kenaana, s’approcha de Mikhayou et le frappa au visage, en disant: "Par quelle voie l’esprit du Seigneur a-t-il passé de moi à toi pour te parler?"
24 Micaiah replied, “You will find out for yourself [to which of us Yahweh’s Spirit has truly spoken] on the day when you go into a room of some house to hide [from the Syrian soldiers]!”
Mikhayou répondit: "Tu le verras le jour où tu iras te réfugier de chambre en chambre pour te mettre à l’abri."
25 King Ahab commanded [his soldiers], “Seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of this city, and to my son Joash.
Le roi d’Israël ordonna aussitôt de se saisir de Mikhayou et de le remettre à Amôn, le gouverneur de la ville, et au prince royal Joas,
26 Tell them that I have commanded that they should put this man in prison and give him only bread and water. Do not give him anything else to eat until I return safely [from the battle]!”
à qui il fit dire: "Suivant l’ordre du roi, jetez cet homme en prison et nourrissez-le du pain et de l’eau de misère jusqu’à mon heureux retour."
27 Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, [it will be clear that] it was not Yahweh who told me what to say to you!” Then he said [to all those who were standing there], “Do not forget what I have said [to King Ahab]!”
"Ah! si tu reviens en paix, s’écria Mikhayou, ce n’est pas l’Eternel qui m’aura inspiré." Il ajouta: "Soyez-en témoins, vous tous ici réunis!"
28 So the king of Israel and the king of Judah [led their armies] to Ramoth, in [the] Gilead [region].
Cependant le roi d’Israël et Josaphat, roi de Juda, montèrent contre Ramot en Galaad.
29 King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I will put on different clothes, [in order that no one will recognize that I am the king.] But you should wear your royal robe.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they both went into the battle.
Le roi d’Israël dit à Josaphat: "Moi, je vais me déguiser pour aller au combat, mais toi, revêts ton costume royal;" le roi d’Israël se déguisa, et ainsi ils allèrent en guerre.
30 The King of Syria told his soldiers who were driving the chariots, “Attack only the king of Israel!”
Or, le roi de Syrie avait donné l’ordre suivant aux commandants de sa cavalerie: "Ne dirigez vos coups contre petit ni grand, mais visez uniquement le roi d’Israël."
31 So when the soldiers who were driving the Syrian chariots saw Jehoshaphat [wearing the royal robes], they thought “He must be the king of Israel!”
Lorsque les chefs de la cavalerie aperçurent Josaphat, ils se dirent: "Ce n’est autre que le roi d’Israël", et ils cherchèrent à l’entourer pour le frapper. Josaphat poussa des cris, et l’Eternel, venant à son secours, les détourna de lui.
32 So they turned to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat cried out, Yahweh helped him, and they realized that he was not the king of Israel. And God caused them to stop pursuing him.
Les chefs de la cavalerie reconnurent que ce n’était pas le roi d’Israël et s’éloignèrent.
33 But one [Syrian] soldier shot an arrow at Ahab, without knowing that it was Ahab. The arrow struck Ahab between the places where the parts of his armor joined together. Ahab told the driver of his chariot, “Turn the chariot around and take me out of here! I have been [severely] wounded!”
Mais un soldat tira de l’arc au hasard et atteignit le roi au défaut de la cuirasse. Achab dit à son conducteur: "Tourne bride et fais-moi sortir de la mêlée, car je suis grièvement blessé."
34 The battle continued all that day. Ahab was sitting propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrian soldiers. And late in the afternoon, when the sun was setting, he died.
La bataille fut rude en ce jour. Cependant le roi d’Israël était resté debout sur son char, en face du Syrien, jusqu’au soir. Il expira vers le moment du coucher du soleil.
