2 Kings 18
1 After King Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost three years, Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, began to rule Judah.
La troisième année d'Hosée, fils d'Éla, roi d'Israël, Ezéchias, fils d'Achaz, roi de Juda, devint roi.
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 à son avènement et il régna vingt-neuf ans à Jérusalem. Or le nom de sa mère était Abi, 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 de l'Éternel, en tout point comme David, son père, avait fait.
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.
Lui il abolit les tertres, et brisa les colonnes et extirpa les Aschères, et mit en pièces le serpent d'airain qu'avait fait Moïse; car jusqu'à cette époque les enfants d'Israël l'avaient encensé, et on l'appelait Nehustan (serpent d'airain).
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.
C'est dans l'Éternel, Dieu d'Israël, qu'il mit sa confiance et après lui il n'y eut pas son pareil entre tous les rois de Juda, non plus que parmi ses prédécesseurs.
6 He remained loyal to Yahweh and never disobeyed him. He carefully obeyed all the commandments that Yahweh had given to Moses.
Et il fut attaché à l'Éternel: il ne Le déserta point, et il garda ses commandements, que l'Éternel avait prescrits 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 l'Éternel fut avec lui: il réussit dans toutes ses expéditions. Et il rompit avec le roi d'Assyrie et ne fut point dans sa dépendance.
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.
Il battit les Philistins jusqu'à Gaza et [ravagea] leur territoire depuis la tour d'observation aux villes fortes.
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].
Et la quatrième année du roi Ezéchias, qui est la septième année d'Hosée, fils d'Éla, roi d'Israël, Salmanassar, roi d'Assyrie, s'avança contre Samarie et 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 s'en empara au bout de trois ans: ce fut la sixième année d'Ezéchias, c'est-à-dire, la neuvième année d'Hosée, roi d'Israël, que Samarie fut prise.
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.
Et et roi d'Assyrie déporta les Israélites en Assyrie et les établit à Halah et au Chabor, fleuve de Gozan, et dans les villes 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 qu'ils n'avaient pas écouté la voix de l'Éternel, leur Dieu, et qu'ils avaient transgressé son alliance: tout ce qu'avait prescrit Moïse, serviteur de l'Éternel, ils ne l'avaient ni écouté, ni fait.
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.
La quatorzième année du roi Ezéchias, Sanchérib, roi d'Assyrie, s'avança contre toutes les villes fortes de Juda, et s'en empara.
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 Ezéchias, roi de Juda, dépêcha vers le roi d'Assyrie à Lachis pour lui dire: J'ai forfait! retire-toi de chez moi et je subirai ce que tu m'imposeras. Et le roi d'Assyrie imposa à Ezéchias, roi de Juda, trois cents talents d'argent et trente 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 Ezéchias délivra tout l'argent qui se trouvait dans le temple de l'Éternel et dans les trésors du palais royal.
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.
Dans cette circonstance Ezéchias coupa les portes du temple de l'Éternel et leurs cadres qu'avait plaqués Ezéchias, roi de Juda, et les remit au roi d'Assyrie.
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.
Néanmoins le roi d'Assyrie envoya Tharthan et Rabsaris et Rabsaké de Lachis contre le roi Ezéchias avec des forces considérables à Jérusalem: et ils s'avancèrent et arrivèrent à Jérusalem; et quand on se fut avancé et qu'on fut arrivé, ils se placèrent à l'aqueduc de l'étang supérieur 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.
Et ils appelèrent le roi. Alors sortit vers eux Eliakim, fils d'Hilkia, préfet du palais, et Sebna, le Secrétaire, et Joah, fils d'Asaph, le Chancelier.
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 Rabsaké leur dit: Allez dire à Ezéchias: Ainsi parle le grand roi, le roi d'Assyrie: Qu'est-ce que cette confiance où tu mets ton appui?
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 dis (pur vain parler): J'ai pour faire la guerre conseil et bravoure. Eh bien! sur qui as-tu mis ton appui pour rompre avec moi?
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].
Eh bien! voilà que tu t'appuies sur ce roseau cassé, sur l'Egypte, lequel perce la main de qui s'en étaie: tel est Pharaon, roi d'Egypte, pour tous ceux qui s'appuient sur 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]?”’
Que si vous me dites: C'est dans l'Éternel, notre Dieu, que nous nous confions; n'est-ce pas lui dont Ezéchias a aboli les tertres et les autels, et Ezéchias qui a dit à Juda et à Jérusalem: Devant cet autel vous adorerez à 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!
Maintenant donc fais un accord avec mon Maître, le roi d'Assyrie, et je te donnerai deux mille chevaux,
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!
si tu peux te donner les cavaliers pour les monter. Et comment repousserais-tu un seul général des moindres serviteurs de mon Maître? mais tu te confies dans l'Egypte pour chars et cavaliers!
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!”
Hé! est-ce sans l'Éternel que je me suis avancé jusqu'à cette place pour la saccager? L'Éternel m'a dit: Marche contre ce pays-là et le saccage!
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 Eliakim, fils d'Hilkia, et Sebna et Joah dirent à Rabsaké: Parle donc à tes serviteurs dans la langue syrienne que nous comprenons et ne nous parle pas dans la langue juive aux oreilles de ce peuple qui est sur la muraille.
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].”
Et Rabsaké leur dit: Est-ce à ton maître et à toi que mon Maître m'a envoyé porter ces paroles? n'est-ce pas aux gens assis sur la muraille pour manger leurs excréments et boire leur urine avec vous?
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,
Se présentant alors, Rabsaké cria d'une voix forte en langue juive, et parla et dit: Écoutez la parole du grand roi, roi d'Assyrie!
29 ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you. He will not be able to rescue you from my power [MTY].
Ainsi parle le roi: Qu'Ezéchias ne vous abuse pas, car il ne saurait vous sauver de ma main.
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!’
Et qu'Ezéchias ne vous fasse pas avoir confiance dans l'Éternel en disant: L'Éternel veut nous sauver et cette ville-ci ne sera point livrée aux mains du roi d'Assyrie.
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 pas Ezéchias! car ainsi parle le roi d'Assyrie: Faites amitié avec moi et passez de mon côté; et vous jouirez chacun de sa vigne, et chacun de son figuier, et vous vous désaltérerez chacun à 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 vienne pour vous emmener dans un pays pareil à votre pays, dans un pays de blé et de vin, un pays de pain et de vignes, un pays d'oliviers à huile, et de miel, et vous vivrez et ne mourrez pas. N'écoutez donc pas Ezéchias, quand il vous leurre en disant: L'Éternel nous sauvera.
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 ont-ils, l'un ou l'autre, sauvé son pays de la main du roi d'Assyrie?
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 sont les dieux de Hamath ou d'Arpad? Où les dieux de Sepharvaïm, Héna et Ivva, pour sauver Samarie de ma main?
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]?’”
Quels sont parmi tous les dieux des États ceux qui ont sauvé leur État de ma main pour croire que l'Éternel sauvera Jérusalem de ma main?
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 fut muet et ne lui répondit mot, car tel était l'ordre du roi qui avait dit: Ne 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 Eliakim, fils d'Hilkia, préfet du palais, et Sebna, le Secrétaire, et Joah, fils d'Asaph, le Chancelier, se présentèrent à Ezéchias, les habits déchirés, et lui redirent les discours de Rabsaké.
