2 Kings 20
1 About that time, Hezekiah became very ill. [He thought that he] was about to die. Isaiah the prophet came to him and said, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You should tell the people in your palace what you want them to do after you die, because you are not going to recover from this illness. You are going to die.’”
En ces jours-là, Ezéchias tomba malade d'une maladie mortelle; le prophète Isaïe, fils d'Amos, l'alla trouver, et lui dit: Voici ce que dit le Seigneur: Donne tes ordres à ta maison; tu mourras, tu n'as plus guère à vivre.
2 Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and prayed,
Mais Ezéchias se retourna du côté du mur, et il pria le Seigneur, disant:
3 “Yahweh, do not forget that I have always served you faithfully, and I have done things that pleased you.” Then Hezekiah started to cry loudly.
Seigneur, souvenez-vous que j'ai marché devant vous dans la vérité et de tout mon cœur, et que j'ai fait ce que bon vous a semblé. Puis, Ezéchias se prit à pleurer amèrement.
4 Isaiah left the king, but before he had crossed the middle courtyard of the palace, Yahweh gave him a message
Isaïe était alors au milieu du parvis, et la parole du Seigneur vint à lui, disant:
5 which said, “Go back to Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, and say to him, ‘I, Yahweh, the God whom your ancestor King David [worshiped], have heard what you prayed. And I have seen your tears. So, listen: I will heal you. Two days from now you will [be able to] go up to my temple.
Rentre, et dis à Ezéchias, chef de mon peuple: Voici ce que dit le Seigneur Dieu de David, ton aïeul: J'ai entendu ta prière, j'ai vu tes larmes, je te guérirai; dans trois jours tu monteras au temple.
6 I will enable you to live for 15 more years. And I will rescue you and this city again from the power [MTY] of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for the sake of my own reputation and because of what I promised King David, who served me [well].’”
Et j'ajouterai quinze ans à ta vie; je sauverai toi et cette ville du roi des Assyriens; j'étendrai mon bouclier sur cette ville, à cause de moi-même et à cause de David, mon serviteur.
7 So Isaiah [returned to the palace and told Hezekiah what Yahweh had said. Then he] [to Hezekiah’s servants], “Bring a paste made of boiled figs. Put some of it on his boil, and he will get well.”
Et le prophète dit: Que l'on prenne un cabas de figues, qu'on les applique sur l'ulcère, et il sera guéri.
8 Then Hezekiah replied to Isaiah, “What will Yahweh do to prove that he will heal me and that two days from now I will be able to go up to the temple?”
Et Ezéchias dit au prophète: A quel signe reconnaîtrai-je que le Seigneur me guérira, et que dans trois jours je monterai au temple?
9 Isaiah replied, “Yahweh will do something that will prove to you that he will do what he promised. Do you want him to cause the shadow on the stairway/sundial to go back ten steps/degrees, or to go forward ten steps/degrees?”
Isaïe répondit: Voici le signe' du Seigneur, qui te montrera que sa parole doit s'accomplir: L'ombre s'avancera-t-elle où reculera-t-elle de dix degrés?
10 Hezekiah replied, “It is easy to cause the shadow to move forward, [because that is what it always does]. Tell him to cause it to move backward ten steps/degrees.”
Le roi reprit: L'ombre avancera facilement de dix degrés. Ce n'est point cela que je demande, mais que sur les marches elle recule de dix degrés.
11 So Isaiah prayed earnestly to Yahweh, and Yahweh caused the shadow to go backward ten steps/degrees on the stairway/sundial that King Ahaz had made (OR, that workers had built for King Ahaz).
Et le prophète cria au Seigneur; et l'ombre, sur les marches, recula de dix degrés.
12 At that time, King Merodach-Baladan, the son of Baladan the [previous] King of Babylonia, heard a report that King Hezekiah had been very sick. So he wrote some letters and gave them to some messengers to take to Hezekiah, along with a gift.
En ce temps-là, Marodach, fils de Baladan, roi de Babylone, envoya à Ezéchias une lettre et des présents, parce qu'il avait appris qu'Ezéchias était malade.
13 [When the messengers arrived], Hezekiah welcomed them gladly. Then he showed them everything that was in his (treasure houses/places where very valuable things were stored)—the silver and gold, the spices, the nice-smelling olive oil, and all the weapons [for his soldiers]. He showed them all the [valuable] things in his storerooms and everywhere else in his kingdom [HYP]; he showed them everything.
Ezéchias en fut réjoui, et il montra aux messagers d'abord toute la maison des épices, l'argent et l'or, les aromates et la bonne huile; ensuite, l'arsenal; puis, tout ce qui se trouvait en ses trésors. Il n'y eut rien qu'Ezéchias ne fit voir dans son palais et dans ses domaines.
14 Then the prophet Isaiah went to Hezekiah and asked him, “Where did those men come from, and what did they say to you?” Hezekiah replied, “They came from a country very far from here. They came from Babylonia.”
Mais le prophète Isaïe alla trouver le roi Ezéchias, et il lui dit: Que t'ont dit ces hommes, et d'où sont-ils venus? Le roi répondit: Ils sont venus vers moi d'une contrée lointaine, de Babylone.
15 Isaiah asked, “What did they see in your palace?” Hezekiah replied, “They saw everything. I showed them absolutely everything that I own—all my valuable things.”
Le prophète reprit: Qu'ont-ils vu dans ton palais? Le roi dit: Ils ont vu ce que mon palais renferme; il n'y a rien que je ne leur aie montré, soit dans mon palais, soit dans mes trésors.
16 [Isaiah knew that Hezekiah had done a very foolish thing]. So Isaiah said to him, “Listen to what Yahweh says to you.
Et le prophète Isaïe dit à Ezéchias: Écoute la parole du Seigneur:
17 There will be a time when everything that is still in your palace, all the valuable things that were put there by you and your ancestors, will be carried away to Babylon. There will be nothing left here! [That is what] Yahweh says [to you]
Les jours approchent où tout ce que renferme ton palais sera pris, où tous les trésors que tes pères ont amassés jusqu'à ce moment, iront à Babylone. Et la parole du Seigneur ne sera pas en défaut.
18 Furthermore, some of your own descendants will be forced to go there, and they will be castrated in order that they may become servants in the palace of the King of Babylon.”
Quant à tes fils, qui sortiront de toi, que tu auras engendrés, l'ennemi les prendra, et ils seront eunuques dans le palais du roi de Babylone.
19 Then Hezekiah replied to Isaiah, “That message from Yahweh that you have given to me is good.” He said that because he was thinking, “Even if that happens, there will be peace and security [in Israel] all the rest of my life.”
Et Ezéchias dit à Isaïe: La parole que le Seigneur a dite est bonne; mais que la paix se maintienne tout le temps de ma vie.
20 [If you want to know more about] [RHQ] all the other things that Hezekiah did, about his brave deeds in battle, about his ordering a reservoir to be built in the city and a tunnel [to be dug] to bring water into the reservoir, they are all written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Judah’.
Quant au reste de l'histoire d'Ezéchias, à ses guerres, à toutes ses actions, à la fontaine, l'aqueduc et l'eau qu'il a amenée dans la ville, ne sont-ils pas écrits au livre des Faits et gestes des rois de Juda?
21 Later Hezekiah died [EUP], and his son Manasseh became the king.
Et Ezéchias s'endormit avec ses pères, et Manassé, son fils, régna à sa place.
