2 Kings 18
1 After King Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost three years, Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, began to rule Judah.
En la troisième année du règne d'Osée, en Israël, Ezéchias, fils d'Achaz, devint roi de Juda.
2 He was 25 years old when he became the king [of Judah] and he ruled from Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of [a man whose name was] Zechariah.
Il avait vingt-cinq ans quand il monta sur le trône, et il régna vingt- neuf ans à Jérusalem; sa mère se nommait Abu, fille de Zacharie.
3 Hezekiah did things that Yahweh considered to be right, like his ancestor King David had done.
Et il fit ce qui est droit aux yeux du Seigneur, se conformant à tout ce qu'avait fait David, son aïeul.
4 He destroyed the places where people worshiped Yahweh on the tops of hills, and he broke into pieces the stone pillars [for worshiping the goddess Asherah]. He also broke into pieces the bronze [replica/statue of a] snake that Moses had made. He did that because the people had named it Nehushtan, and they were burning incense in front of it to honor it.
Ce fut lui qui détruisit les hauts lieux, qui abattit les colonnes, qui arracha les bois sacrés, et le serpent d'airain qu'avait fait Moïse; car, jusqu'à ces jours-là, les enfants d'Israël l'avaient encensé; Ezéchias lui donna le nom de Neesthan.
5 Hezekiah trusted in Yahweh, the God whom the Israelis [worshiped.] There was no king who ruled Judah before him or after him who was as [devoted to Yahweh as] he was.
En Dieu seul il mit son espérance, et après lui il n'y eut point en Juda de roi qui lui ressemblât, et il n'y en avait pas eu parmi ceux qui l'avaient précédé.
6 He remained loyal to Yahweh and never disobeyed him. He carefully obeyed all the commandments that Yahweh had given to Moses.
Il s'attacha au Seigneur, et il ne cessa pas de le suivre; il observa tous les commandements qu'il avait donnés à Moïse.
7 Yahweh always (helped/was with) him. He was successful in everything that he did. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to (pay taxes to him/do what the king of Assyria wanted him to do).
Et le Seigneur était avec lui, et il montra de la sagesse en toutes ses entreprises; il se révolta contre le roi des Assyriens, et il ne lui resta pas asservi.
8 His army defeated [the soldiers of] Philistia as far [south] as Gaza [city] and the nearby villages. They conquered the entire area, from the smallest watchtower to the largest cities surrounded by walls.
Ce fut lui qui frappa les Philistins jusqu'à Gaza et sa banlieue, depuis les tours des guetteurs jusqu'aux cités fortifiées.
9 After King Hezekiah had been ruling Judah for almost four years, and when King Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost seven years, [the army of] King Shalmaneser of Assyria invaded Israel and surrounded Samaria [city].
En la quatrième année du règne d'Ezéchias (la septième année du règne d'Osée, en Israël), Salmanasar, roi des Assyriens, ayant marché contre Samarie, l'assiégea.
10 In the third year they captured the city. That was when Hezekiah has been ruling Judah for almost six years, and when Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost nine years.
Et il la prit au bout de trois ans, en la huitième année du règne d'Ezéchias (la neuvième du règne d'Osée, celle où tomba Samarie).
11 The king of Assyria commanded that the people of Israel be taken to Assyria. Some of them were taken to Halah [town], some were taken to a place near the Habor [River] in [the] Gozan [region], and some were taken to cities where the Mede people-group live.
Puis, le roi des Assyriens transporta ses habitants en Haba et en Habor, sur le fleuve Gozan, et sur les montagnes des Mèdes;
12 That happened because the Israelis did not obey Yahweh their God. They disobeyed the agreement that Yahweh had made with their ancestors, and all the laws that Moses, the man who served Yahweh [very well], had told them to obey. They would not obey those laws; they would not even listen to them.
Parce que les Samaritains n'avaient point obéi à la voix du Seigneur, qu'ils avaient violé son alliance, qu'ils n'avaient ni écouté, ni pratiqué ce qu'il avait prescrit à son serviteur Moïse.
13 After King Hezekiah had been ruling Judah for almost 14 years, [the army of] King Sennacherib of Assyria attacked all the cities in Judah that had walls around them. They [did not capture Jerusalem, but they] captured all the other cities.
En la quatorzième année du règne d'Ezéchias, Sennachérib, roi des Assyriens, vint assiéger les villes fortes de Juda, et il les prit.
14 King Hezekiah sent a message to Sennacherib, while Sennacherib was in Lachish, saying “What I have done was wrong. Please [tell your soldiers to] stop attacking us. If you do that, I will pay you whatever you tell me to.” So the king of Assyria said that Hezekiah must pay to him (ten tons/9,000 kg.) of silver and (one ton/900 kg.) of gold.
Alors, le roi Ezéchias envoya des messagers au roi des Assyriens à Lachis, disant: J'ai failli, éloigne-toi de moi; ce dont tu me chargeras, je le porterai. Et le roi des Assyriens chargea Ezéchias d'une taxe de trois cents talents d'argent et trois cents talents d'or.
15 So Hezekiah gave to him all the silver that was in the temple and that was stored in the king’s palace.
Et le roi de Juda donna tout l'argent qui se trouva dans le temple et dans les trésors de son palais.
16 Hezekiah’s men also stripped the gold from the doors of the temple and the gold that he himself had put on the doorposts, and he sent all that gold to the king of Assyria.
En ce temps-là, Ezéchias ôta l'or des portes du temple et les lames d'or dont il avait lui-même revêtu les colonnes, et il les donna au roi des Assyriens.
17 But the king of Assyria sent a large army with some of his important officials from Lachish [city] to [persuade] King Hezekiah [to surrender]. When they arrived at Jerusalem, they stood alongside the aqueduct/channel in which water flows from the upper pool into Jerusalem, near the road to the field where the women wash clothes.
Et le roi des Assyriens envoya de Lachis, au roi Ezéchias, Tharthan, Rhaphis et Rhabsacès, accompagnés d'une forte armée; ils arrivèrent devant Jérusalem, et s'arrêtèrent à l'aqueduc de la piscine supérieure qui est sur le chemin du Champ du Foulon.
18 They sent a message requesting King Hezekiah to come to them, but the king sent three of his officials [to talk to them]. He sent Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who supervised the palace; Shebna, the official secretary; and Asaph’s son Joah, who communicated the king’s messages to the people.
De là, ils appelèrent à grands cris Ezéchias; aussitôt Eliacim, fils d'Helcias, l'économe; Sobna le scribe, et Joas, fils de Saphat, l'archiviste, vinrent les trouver.
19 One of Sennacherib’s important officials told them to take this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the king of Assyria, the great king, says: ‘What are you trusting in [to rescue you] [RHQ]?
Et Rhabsacès leur dit: Dites à Ezéchias: Voici ce que dit le grand roi, le roi des Assyriens: Quel est l'appui en qui tu t'es confié?
20 You say that you have weapons to fight us, and some country promises [to help you], [and that will enable you to defeat us, ] but that is only talk [RHQ]. Who do you think will help you to rebel against my [soldiers from Assyria]?
Tu as dit (mais seulement des lèvres): Mon conseil, mon armée, inclinent pour la guerre; maintenant donc, en qui t'es-tu confié, pour te révolter contre nous?
21 Listen to me! You are relying on [the army of] Egypt. But that is like [MET] using a broken reed for a walking stick on which you could lean. But it would pierce the hand of anyone who would lean on it! That is what the king of Egypt would be like for anyone who relied on him [for help].
Voyons, n'as-tu point foi en ce roseau brisé qu'on appelle l'Égypte? Il entrera dans la main de quiconque s'appuiera sur lui, et il la percera. Voilà comment est le Pharaon d'Égypte pour tous ceux qui se fient en lui.
22 But perhaps you will say to me, “No, we are (relying on/trusting in) Yahweh our God [to help us].” [I would reply, ] “Is he not the one whom you [insulted by] tearing down his shrines and altars and forcing everyone in Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah to worship only in front of the altar [in Jerusalem]?”’
Mais, tu m'as dit: Nous nous confions en Dieu le Seigneur. Or, ce Dieu n'est-il pas le même dont Ézéchias a détruit, sur les hauts lieux, les autels, quand il a donné cet ordre à Jérusalem et à Juda: Vous adorerez, devant cet autel seul, dans Jérusalem?
23 So I suggest that you make a deal between you and my master/boss, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses, but [I do not think that] you are able to find 2,000 of your men who can ride on them!
Eh bien! combats aujourd'hui mon maître le roi des Assyriens, et je te donnerai deux mille chevaux, si tu peux te donner toi-même deux mille cavaliers.
24 You are expecting the king of Egypt to send chariots and men riding horses [to assist you]. But they certainly would not [RHQ] be able to resist/defeat even the most insignificant/unimportant official in the army of Assyria!
Comment donc feras-tu reculer le moindre des chefs qui servent mon maître? Et tu mets ta confiance en l'Égypte, en ses chars, en ses chevaux!
25 Furthermore, (do you think that we have come to destroy Jerusalem without Yahweh’s help?/do not think that we have come to Jerusalem without Yahweh’s help.) [RHQ] It is Yahweh himself who told us to come here and destroy this land!”
Est-ce que nous sommes venus détruire cette terre sans le Seigneur? Le Seigneur m'a dit: Marche sur cette terre, et détruis-la.
26 Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the official from Assyria, “Sir, please speak to us in your Aramaic language, because we understand it. Do not speak to us in our Hebrew language, because the people who are standing on the wall will understand it [and be frightened].”
Et Eliacim, fils d'Helcias, Sobna et Joas dirent à Rhabsacès: Parle syrien à tes serviteurs, car nous l'entendons; ne nous parle pas en langue judaïque. Pourquoi parles-tu pour être ouï du peuple qui est sur les remparts?
27 But the official replied, “Do you think [RHQ] that my master sent me to say these things only to you and not to the people who are standing on the wall? [If you reject this message, ] the [people in this city] will soon need to eat their own dung and drink their own urine, just like you will, [because there will be nothing more for you to eat or drink].”
Mais Rhabsacès répondit: Est-ce que mon maître m'a envoyé dire ces paroles à ton maître et à toi? Ne sont-elles pas pour les hommes qui se tiennent sur les remparts, et qui sont réduits comme vous à manger leurs excréments et à boire leur urine?
28 Then the official stood up and shouted in the Hebrew language [to the people sitting on the wall]. He said, “Listen to this message from the great king, the king of Assyria. He says,
Et Rbabsacès, se redressant, éleva la voix, et dit en langue judaïque: Écoutez les paroles du grand roi des Assyriens;
29 ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you. He will not be able to rescue you from my power [MTY].
Voici ce que dit le roi: Qu'Ezéchias ne vous excite point par ses discours, car il ne pourra vous arracher de mes mains.
30 Do not allow him to persuade you to rely on Yahweh, saying that Yahweh will rescue you, and that the army of Assyria will never capture this city!’
Qu'Ézéchias ne vous fasse point espérer au Seigneur, disant: Le Seigneur nous délivrera; il ne livrera point sa ville au roi des Assyriens.
31 “Do not pay attention to what Hezekiah says! This is what the king of Assyria says: ‘Come out of the city and surrender to me. If you do that, I will arrange for each of you to drink the juice from your own grapevines, and to eat figs from your own trees, and to drink water from your own wells.
N'écoutez point Ezéchias; car voici ce que dit le roi des Assyriens: Cherchez auprès de moi votre bénédiction; venez à moi, et chacun boira le vin de sa vigne, chacun mangera les fruits de son figuier, chacun boira l'eau de sa citerne,
32 You will be able to do that until we come and take you to a land that is like your land—a land where there is grain to make bread and vineyards to [produce grapes for making] wine. It will be a land that has plenty of olive trees and honey. If you do what the king of Assyria commands, you will not die. You will continue to live. ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to persuade you to trust in Yahweh saying that he will rescue you!
Jusqu'à ce que je revienne pour vous transporter en une terre comme la vôtre, en une terre de blé et de vignes, terre de pain et de vin, terre d'huile et de miel; et vous vivrez et vous ne mourrez point. N'écoutez point Ezéchias; car il vous trompe, quand il dit: Le Seigneur vous délivrera.
33 The gods that people of other nations worship have never rescued them from the power [MTY] of the king of Assyria [RHQ]!
Les dieux des nations qui tour à tour sont tombées dans les mains du roi, les ont-ils délivrées?
34 Why were the gods of Hamath and Arpad [cities] unable to rescue their people from the king of Assyria [RHQ]? What happened to the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah, [towns that we completely destroyed and their gods disappeared] [RHQ]? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power?
Où est le dieu d'Emath et d'Arphad? Où est le dieu de Sepharvaïm, d'Ana et d'Abe? Ont-ils délivré Samarie de mes mains?
35 No, none of the gods of the countries [that my army attacked] rescued their people [RHQ] from me! So why do you think that Yahweh will rescue you people of Jerusalem from my power [MTY]?’”
Quel est donc celui des dieux, de toutes les nations, qui ait délivré sa terre de mes mains? Le Seigneur délivrera-t-il Jérusalem de mes mains?
36 But the people [who were listening] stayed silent. No one said anything, because King Hezekiah had told them, “[When the official from Assyria talks to you, ] do not answer him.”
Et le peuple resta muet; personne ne répondit à ce discours; car le roi l'avait ainsi ordonné, disant: Ne lui répondez pas.
37 Then Eliakim the palace administrator and Shebna the court secretary and Joah the royal historian went back to Hezekiah with their clothes torn [because they were extremely distressed], and they told him what the official from Assyria had said.
Et l'économe Eliacim, fils d'Helcias, le scribe Sobna et l'archiviste Joas, fils de Saphat, rentrèrent auprès d'Ezéchias après avoir déchiré leurs vêtements; ils lui rapportèrent les paroles de Rhabsacès.
