Ezra 7
1 [Many/Fifty years] later, while Artaxerxes was the king of Persia, I, Ezra came from Babylon here to Jerusalem. I am the son of Seraiah and the grandson of Azariah, and the great-grandson of Hilkiah.
Après ces choses, sous le règne d'Artaxerxès, roi de Perse, Esdras, fils de Seraja, fils d'Azaria, fils de Hilkija,
2 Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
fils de Schallum, fils de Tsadok, fils d'Ahitub,
3 who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
fils d'Amaria, fils d'Azaria, fils de Meraïoth,
4 who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
fils de Zérachia, fils d'Uzzi, fils de Bukki,
5 who was the son of Abishua, who was the son of Phinehas, who was the son of Eleazar, who was the son of Aaron, the [first] Supreme Priest.
fils d'Abischua, fils de Phinées, fils d'Éléazar, fils d'Aaron, le grand prêtre,
6 I am a man who knows very well the laws that Moses [wrote]. Those were the laws that Yahweh, the God whom we Israeli people ([worship/belong to]), had given to us Israeli people. When I arrived in Jerusalem, Yahweh my God was kind to me, and as a result the [people] gave me everything that I had requested the king to [tell them to] give to me.
cet Esdras monta de Babylone. Il était un scribe habile dans la loi de Moïse, que Yahvé, le Dieu d'Israël, avait donnée; et le roi lui accorda tout ce qu'il demandait, selon la main de Yahvé, son Dieu, sur lui.
7 Some of the priests, some [other] descendants of Levi, [some] singers, [some] (gatekeepers/men who guarded the gates of the temple), and [some] men who worked in the temple, and some other [Israeli] people came up with me here to Jerusalem. That was during the seventh year that Artaxerxes was the king [of Persia].
Quelques-uns des enfants d'Israël, dont une partie des prêtres, des lévites, des chantres, des portiers et des serviteurs du temple, montèrent à Jérusalem la septième année du roi Artaxerxès.
8 We left Babylon on April 8, which was the first day of the Jewish year. Because God was very kind to us, we arrived [safely] in Jerusalem on August 4 of that year.
Il arriva à Jérusalem au cinquième mois, c'est-à-dire la septième année du roi.
En effet, le premier jour du premier mois, il commença à monter de Babylone, et le premier jour du cinquième mois, il arriva à Jérusalem, selon la bonne main de son Dieu sur lui.
10 During my entire life, I devoted myself to studying the laws of Yahweh, and how to obey those laws. I had also taught those laws and all their regulations to the Israeli people [for many years].
Car Esdras avait mis son cœur à rechercher la loi de Yahvé et à la mettre en pratique, et à enseigner les lois et les ordonnances en Israël.
11 King Artaxerxes [knew that] I am a priest who knows the Jewish laws very well. [He knew that for many years] I had studied those laws and had taught all the rules and regulations of those laws to the Israeli people. [So before I left Babylon to come to Jerusalem, ] he wrote a letter, and gave a copy to me. [This is what he wrote]:
Et voici la copie de la lettre que le roi Artaxerxès donna au sacrificateur Esdras, le scribe, le rédacteur des paroles des commandements de l'Éternel et de ses statuts pour Israël:
12 [“This letter is] from me, Artaxerxes, the greatest of the kings. [I am giving it] to Ezra the priest, who has studied very well all the rules and regulations that the God [who is/rules] in heaven [gave to the Israeli people].
Artaxerxès, roi des rois, A Esdras le prêtre, le scribe de la loi du Dieu parfait du ciel. Or,
13 “Ezra, I command that when you return to Jerusalem, any of the Israeli people in my kingdom who want to are allowed to go with you. That includes any priests and [other] descendants of Levi [who will work in the temple] who want to go.
je décrète que tous ceux du peuple d'Israël, de ses prêtres et des lévites qui se trouvent dans mon royaume et qui ont l'intention de se rendre à Jérusalem de leur plein gré, iront avec vous.
14 I, along with my seven counselors/advisors, am sending you to Jerusalem, in order that you can determine what is happening there and in [other towns in] Judah. You are taking with you [MTY] a copy of God’s laws; make sure that the people are doing everything that is written in those laws.
Car tu es envoyé par le roi et ses sept conseillers pour enquêter sur Juda et Jérusalem, selon la loi de ton Dieu qui est entre tes mains,
15 [We are also saying that] you should take with you the silver and gold that I and my advisors are wanting to give to you, in order that you will present it to be an offering to the God who [rules] the Israeli people and who lives in Jerusalem.
et pour porter l'argent et l'or que le roi et ses conseillers ont offert librement au Dieu d'Israël, dont la demeure est à Jérusalem,
16 You should also take any silver and gold that the people in the entire Babylonia province give to you, and the money that the priests and [other] Israeli people have happily said that they would give to you to be offerings for building the temple of their God in Jerusalem.
et tout l'argent et l'or que tu trouveras dans toute la province de Babylone, avec les offrandes volontaires du peuple et des prêtres pour la maison de leur Dieu qui est à Jérusalem.
17 With this money, you should buy the bulls, rams, lambs, and the grain and wine that the priests will burn on the altar [outside] the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
Tu achèteras avec cet argent des taureaux, des béliers et des agneaux, avec leurs offrandes et leurs libations, et tu les offriras sur l'autel de la maison de ton Dieu qui est à Jérusalem.
18 “If there is any silver or gold that remains [you have bought all those things], you and your companions/colleagues are permitted to use it to [buy] whatever you desire, but buy only things that [you know that] God wants you to buy.
Tout ce que vous et vos frères jugerez bon de faire avec le reste de l'argent et de l'or, faites-le selon la volonté de votre Dieu.
19 We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
Les objets qui vous seront donnés pour le service de la maison de votre Dieu, livrez-les devant le Dieu de Jérusalem.
20 If you need any other things for the temple, you are permitted to get the money for those things from the building here where my government’s money is kept/stored.
Tout ce qui sera nécessaire pour la maison de ton Dieu et que tu auras l'occasion de donner, donne-le de la maison du trésor du roi.
21 “And I, King Artaxerxes, command this to all the treasurers in the province west of the [Euphrates] River: 'Give to Ezra, the priest who has studied very well the laws of the God [who is/rules] in heaven, everything that he requests, and give it to him quickly.
Moi, le roi Artaxerxès, j'ordonne à tous les trésoriers qui sont de l'autre côté du fleuve que tout ce que le prêtre Esdras, le scribe de la loi du Dieu des cieux, vous demandera, vous le ferez avec toute la diligence voulue,
22 The most that you should give to him is (7,500 pounds/3,400 kg.) of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, and 550 gallons of [olive] oil, but give to him all the salt that they need.
jusqu'à cent talents d'argent, cent cors de froment, cent baths de vin, cent baths d'huile, et du sel, sans qu'il soit nécessaire d'en indiquer la quantité.
23 Be sure that you provide whatever their God requires for his temple, because we certainly do not [RHQ] want him to be angry with me or with my descendants who will later be kings.
Tout ce qui est ordonné par le Dieu des cieux, que cela soit fait exactement pour la maison du Dieu des cieux; car pourquoi y aurait-il de la colère contre le royaume du roi et de ses fils?
24 We are also commanding that none of the priests, descendants of Levi, musicians, temple guards, or other men who work in the temple, will be required to pay any kind of taxes.'
Nous vous informons également qu'il ne sera pas permis d'imposer un tribut, une coutume ou un péage aux prêtres, aux lévites, aux chantres, aux gardiens des portes, aux employés du temple ou aux ouvriers de cette maison de Dieu.
25 “Ezra, your God has enabled you to become very wise. Using that wisdom, appoint men in the province west of the [Euphrates] River who will judge cases involving the people, and men who will judge cases involving the government. You must appoint men who know the laws of your God. All of you must teach God’s laws to others who do not know them.
Toi, Esdras, selon la sagesse de ton Dieu qui est dans ta main, nomme des magistrats et des juges qui puissent juger tout le peuple qui est au-delà du fleuve, qui tous connaissent les lois de ton Dieu, et instruire celui qui ne les connaît pas.
26 Everyone who does not obey God’s laws or the laws of my government must be punished severely. Some of them will be executed, some will be put in prison, some will be sent out of the country or have all their property taken away from them.”
Si quelqu'un ne se conforme pas à la loi de ton Dieu et à la loi du roi, que le jugement soit exécuté sur lui avec toute la diligence voulue, que ce soit la mort, le bannissement, la confiscation des biens ou la prison.
27 [Because King Artaxerxes was very kind like that, I said], “Praise Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors [worshiped/belonged to]! He has caused the king to want to honor the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem.
Béni soit Yahvé, le Dieu de nos pères, qui a mis une telle chose dans le cœur du roi, pour embellir la maison de Yahvé qui est à Jérusalem;
28 Because God was very kind to me, the king and all his advisors and all his powerful officials have also been kind to me. So, because God has helped me, I have become encouraged, and I have [been able to] persuade some of the Israeli leaders to go up to Jerusalem with me.”
et qui m'a accordé sa bienveillance devant le roi et ses conseillers, et devant tous les princes puissants du roi. J'ai été fortifié selon la main de Yahvé mon Dieu sur moi, et j'ai rassemblé des chefs d'Israël pour monter avec moi.
