Daniel 4

1 [Several years after] Nebuchadnezzar [started to rule, he sent this message] to [the people of] every nation and people-group and all language groups in his empire. [He wrote, ] “I wish/hope that everything is going very well with you!

" Le roi Nabuchodonosor à tous les peuples, nations et langues qui habitent sur toute la terre: la paix vous soit donnée en abondance!

2 I want you to know about [all] the wonderful miracles [DOU] that the Supreme God has performed for me.

Il m'a paru bon de faire connaître les signes et les prodiges que le Dieu Très-Haut a opérés envers moi.

3 He performs great miracles, and does wonderful things. His kingdom will last forever; his rule [over people] will never end.

Que ses signes sont grands et que ses prodiges sont puissants! Son règne est un règne éternel et sa domination subsiste d'âge en âge.

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in my palace. I was living luxuriantly, and everything was going very well for me.

Moi, Nabuchodonosor, j'étais tranquille dans ma maison et florissant dans mon palais.

5 But one night I had a dream that caused me to be very afraid. I saw visions that terrified me as I lay on my bed.

Je vis un songe qui m'épouvanta, et mes pensées sur ma couche et les visions de mon esprit me troublèrent.

6 So I summoned all the wise men in Babylon, in order that they would come and tell me what it meant.

Je publiai un décret pour qu'on fit venir devant moi tous les sages de Babylone, pour me faire savoir la signification du songe.

7 All the men who worked magic, the fortune-tellers, the men who worked sorcery, and men who studied the stars came to me. I told them what I had dreamed, but they could not tell me what it meant.

Alors vinrent les lettrés, les magiciens, les Chaldéens et les astrologues; je dis le songe devant eux, mais ils ne m'en firent pas savoir la signification.

8 Finally, Daniel came to me, and I [decided to] tell him what I had dreamed. One of my officials had given him a new name, Belteshazzar, to honor my own god. I knew that the spirit of the holy gods was in him.

Enfin se présenta devant moi Daniel, dont le nom est Baltassar, d'après le nom de mon dieu, et qui a en lui l'esprit des dieux saints, et je dis le songe devant lui:

9 So, [using the name that had been given to him], I said, ‘Belteshazzar, you are the most important of all my fortune-tellers. I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and that you can reveal all mysteries. There is none that is too difficult for you. So, tell me what my dream means.

" Baltassar, chef des lettrés, comme je sais que l'esprit des dieux saints est en toi et qu'aucun mystère ne t'embarrasse, expose-moi les visions que j'ai vues en songe, et leur signification.

10 This is what I dreamed while I was lying on my bed: I saw a large tree [growing] in the middle of the land.

Voici quelles étaient les visions de mon esprit sur ma couche: Je vis, et voici au milieu de la terre un arbre dont la hauteur était grande.

11 The tree was very strong and had grown very tall; [it seemed that] its top reached up to the sky, with the result that everyone in the world [HYP] could see it.

L'arbre grandit et devint fort; sa cime atteignait le ciel, et on le voyait des extrémités de toute la terre.

12 It had beautiful leaves, and it had produced a lot of fruit for people to eat. Wild animals rested in the shade of that tree, and birds built nests in its branches. All the living creatures everywhere in the world got food from that tree.

Son feuillage était beau et ses fruits abondants, et il y avait sur lui de la nourriture pour tous; sous son ombre les bêtes des champs s'abritaient, dans ses branches demeuraient les oiseaux du ciel, et de lui toute chair se nourrissait.

13 While I was still lying on my bed, I saw another vision. In the vision I saw a holy angel coming down from heaven.

Je contemplai ces visions de mon esprit sur ma couche, et voici qu'un veillant, un saint, descendait du ciel.

14 The angel shouted, “Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches! Strip/Shake off all of its leaves, and scatter its fruit. Chase away the animals that are lying in the shade of the tree, and the birds that are in its branches.

Il cria avec force et parla ainsi: Abattez l'arbre et coupez ses branches; secouez son feuillage et dispersez ses fruits; que les animaux s'enfuient de dessous lui, et que les oiseaux quittent ses branches.

15 But leave the stump of the tree and its roots in the ground. Fasten a band of iron and bronze around the stump, and allow it to stay there with grass around it.”

Toutefois laissez en terre la souche de ses racines, mais dans des chaînes de fer et d'airain, au milieu du gazon des champs. Qu'il soit trempé de la rosée du ciel et qu'il partage avec les animaux l'herbe de la terre.

16 [That tree seems to have represented a man, because the angel also said], “Cause that man to live [out in the fields] among the animals and plants. Cause the dew from the sky to make his body damp [each morning]. Do not allow him to [continue to] have a mind like humans; instead, cause him to have a mind like animals have, for seven years.

Que son cœur ne soit plus un cœur d'homme, et qu'un cœur de bête lui soit donné, et que sept temps passent sur lui.

17 The holy angels have decided what must happen. They want to inform everyone that the Supreme God rules over all the kingdoms in this world. He is the one who chooses who will rule these kingdoms. He [sometimes] allows very unimportant people to become rulers.”

Cette sentence repose sur un décret des veillants, et cette affaire est un ordre des saints, afin que les vivants sachent que le Très-Haut domine sur la royauté humaine, qu'il la donne à qui il veut, et qu'il y élève le plus humble des hommes.

18 Belteshazzar, that is what I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw in my dream. Now tell me what the dream means. No one else can tell me. [I asked] all the very wise men in my kingdom [to tell me] what it means, [but they were unable to do that]. But you can [tell me], because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

Tel est le songe que j'ai vu, moi, le roi Nabuchodonosor; et toi, Baltassar, dis-en la signification, car tous les sages de mon royaume ne peuvent m'en faire savoir la signification; mais toi, tu le peux, car l'esprit des dieux saints est en toi. "

19 I, whose [new] name was Belteshazzar, did not say anything for some time, [because] I was very worried/disturbed [about the meaning of the dream. Finally], the king said to me, “Belteshazzar, do not be afraid about the dream and about what it means.” I replied, “Sir, I wish that the events that were predicted in your dream would happen to your enemies, [and not to you].

Alors Daniel, dont le nom est Baltassar, demeura quelque temps interdit, et ses pensées le troublaient. Le roi reprit et dit: " Que le songe et sa signification ne te troublent point! " Baltassar répondit en disant: " Mon seigneur, que le songe soit pour tes ennemis, et sa signification pour tes adversaires.

20 [In your dream/vision] you saw a very strong and very tall tree. It [seemed to] reach to the sky, [with the result that] everyone in the world could see it.

L'arbre que tu as vu, qui grandit et devint fort, dont la cime atteignait au ciel et qu'on voyait de toute la terre;

21 It had beautiful leaves and it had produced a lot of fruit for people to eat. Wild animals rested in the shade of that tree, and birds built nests in its branches.

dont le feuillage était beau et les fruits abondants; où il y avait de la nourriture pour tous; sous lequel s'abritaient les animaux des champs, et dans les branches duquel demeuraient les oiseaux du ciel,

22 (Your majesty/O King), that tree [represents] you! You have become very powerful. [It is as though] your greatness reaches up to the sky, and you rule people all over the world.

cet arbre, c'est toi, ô roi, qui es devenu grand et fort, dont la grandeur s'est accrue et a atteint au ciel, et dont la domination s'étend jusqu'aux extrémités de la terre.

23 [Then] you saw a holy angel coming down from heaven. That angel said, ‘Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches! Strip/Shake off all of its leaves, and scatter its fruit. But leave the stump of the tree and its roots in the ground. Fasten a band of iron and bronze around the stump and [allow it to stay there] with grass around it. [Each morning] cause the dew from the sky to make this man, [who was represented by the tree], damp. Cause him to live in the fields with the animals for seven years.’

Si le roi a vu un veillant, un saint, descendant du ciel et disant: Abattez l'arbre et détruisez-le; toutefois laissez en terre la souche de ses racines, mais dans des chaînes de fer et d'airain, au milieu du gazon des champs; qu'il soit trempé de la rosée du ciel, et qu'il fasse sa part avec les animaux des champs, jusqu'à ce que sept temps aient passé sur lui:

24 (Your Majesty/O King), that is what your dream means. That is what the Supreme God has declared will happen to you.

en voici la signification, ô roi! C'est un décret du Très-Haut qui s'accomplira sur mon seigneur le roi:

25 [Your advisors] will force you to live away from other people. You will live in the fields with the wild animals. You will eat grass like cows do, and dew from the sky will cause your [body] to be damp/wet [every morning]. You will live that way for seven years, until you learn that it is the Supreme God who rules over the kingdoms of the world, and he appoints the ones whom he chooses [to rule them].

On te chassera du milieu des hommes, et ta demeure sera parmi les animaux des champs; on te donnera, comme aux bœufs, de l'herbe à manger et on te laissera tremper par la rosée du ciel, et sept temps passeront sur toi, jusqu'à ce que tu saches que le Très-Haut domine sur la royauté des hommes et qu'il la donne à qui il lui plaît.

26 But the stump of the tree and its roots were left [in the ground]. That means that you will rule your kingdom again when you learn that it is God [MTY] who is [really] the ruler.

Et si on a ordonné de laisser la souche des racines de l'arbre, c'est que ta royauté te sera rendue quand tu auras reconnu que le ciel a la domination.

27 (Your Majesty/O King), please do what I am telling you to do. Stop sinning, and do what is right. Turn away from your evil behavior. Act mercifully to poor people. If you do that, perhaps you will continue to be sucessful.”

C'est pourquoi, ô roi, que mon conseil soit agréé devant toi: rachète tes péchés par la justice et tes iniquités par la miséricorde envers les malheureux, si ta prospérité doit se prolonger encore. "

28 But [the king refused to stop sinning. So what was predicted in the dream is] what happened to him.

Toutes ces choses arrivèrent au roi Nabuchodonosor.

29 Twelve months later, [one day] he was walking [on the flat roof] of his palace in Babylon.

Au bout de douze mois, comme il se promenait sur les terrasses du palais royal de Babylone,

30 As he [looked out over/across the city], he said [to those around him], “I have built this great [city of] Babylon to be the place where I rule! I have built it to display my own power, in order [to show people] my glory, to show them that I am very great!”

le roi prit la parole et dit: " N'est-ce pas là Babylone la grande, que j'ai bâtie comme résidence royale par la puissance de ma force et pour la gloire de ma majesté. "

31 While he was still saying this, God [MTY] spoke from heaven and said, “King Nebuchadnezzar, this is what I am saying to you: You are no longer the ruler of this kingdom!

La parole était encore dans la bouche du roi, qu'une voix descendit du ciel: " On te fait savoir, roi Nabuchodonosor, que ta royauté a passé loin de toi.

32 [Your advisors] will force you to live away from [other] people. You will live in the fields with wild animals, and you will eat grass like cows do. You will live that way for seven years, until you learn that [it is] I, the Supreme God, who rules over the kingdoms of this world, and I appoint the ones whom I have chosen to rule them.”

On te chassera du milieu des hommes, et ta demeure sera avec les animaux des champs; on te donnera, comme aux bœufs, de l'herbe a manger, et sept temps passeront sur toi, jusqu'à ce que tu saches que le Très-Haut domine sur la royauté des hommes, et qu'il la donne à qui il lui plaît. "

33 Immediately what [God] predicted happened. Nebuchadnezzar [became insane, so his advisors] forced him to live away from other people. He ate grass like cows [do], and dew from the sky caused his body to be damp/wet [every morning. He lived like that] until his hair was as long as eagles’ feathers, and his fingernails became like birds’ claws.

Au même moment, la parole s'accomplit sur Nabuchodonosor; il fut chassé du milieu des hommes; il mangea de l'herbe comme les bœufs, et son corps fut trempé de la rosée du ciel, jusqu'à ce que ses cheveux crussent comme les plumes des aigles, et ses ongles comme ceux des oiseaux.

34 “After those [seven] years ended, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven, [and I acknowledged that what God said was true]. Then I could think correctly again. I praised and worshiped the Supreme God, and I honored him, the one who lives forever. He rules forever; his kingdom will never end.

Mais, à la fin des jours, moi, Nabuchodonosor, je levai les yeux vers le ciel, et ma raison me revint. Je bénis le Très-Haut, et je louai et glorifiai Celui qui vit éternellement, dont la domination est une domination éternelle, et dont le règne subsiste de génération en génération.

35 All the people in the world are very insignificant; we are not like him. He has the power to do whatever he wants to do, among the angels in heaven and among us people who live on the earth. [So] no one can stop him [SYN], and no one can [challenge him], saying to him, ‘Why [are you doing these things]?’

Tous les habitants de la terre ne comptent pour rien devant lui; il agit comme il lui plaît avec l'armée des cieux et avec les habitants de la terre, et il n'y a personne pour lui frapper sur la main et lui dire: " Que faites-vous? "

36 When I was able to think correctly again, I was honored again, and I [was able to] rule my glorious/great kingdom again. My advisors came to me again [to talk about what should be done], and I became greater and more powerful than I was before.

Dans le même temps, ma raison me revint et, pour la gloire de ma royauté, ma majesté et ma splendeur me revinrent; mes conseillers et mes grands me rappelèrent, je fus rétabli dans ma royauté, et ma puissance s'accrut encore.

37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and honor [DOU] [God], the king who rules in heaven. All of his actions are just and right. And he is able to cause to become humble those who are proud, [like I was].”

Maintenant, moi, Nabuchodonosor, je loue, j'exalte et je glorifie le roi du ciel, dont toutes les œuvres sont vraies et les voies justes, et qui peut humilier ceux qui marchent avec orgueil. "