Hosea 12
1 [The leaders of] Israel are constantly wavering [about seeking help from other countries]. [Seeking their help is as useless as] [MET] chasing the wind. They pile up their lies and violent acts. [First, ] they make a treaty with Assyria, and [then they] send olive oil to [the rulers of] Egypt [to seek their help].
Ephraïm se repaît de vent et poursuit un air brûlant; tout le jour il multiplie le mensonge et la dévastation; il a fait alliance avec les Assyriens et il portait de l’huile en Egypte.
2 Yahweh [says that he] will bring accusations against [the leaders of] Judah, and that he will punish [the descendants of] Jacob for what they have done.
Voici donc venir le jugement du Seigneur avec Juda, et sa visite sur Jacob; il lui rendra selon ses voies et ses inventions.
3 [When Jacob was] in his mother’s womb, he grabbed his brother [Esau’s] heel [because he wanted to be born first]. When Jacob grew up, he wrestled with God.
Dans le sein maternel il supplanta son frère; par sa force il lutta avec l’ange.
4 He struggled with [the one who had appeared to him in the form of] an angel, and Jacob defeated him, but [then] he cried and asked the angel to bless him. [Later], God came to Jacob at Bethel and talked with him there.
Et il prévalut contre l’ange et il fut fortifié; il pleura, et le pria: il le trouva à Béthel, et là le Seigneur nous parla.
5 [That was] the Commander of the armies of angels whose name is Yahweh [who talked with him]!
Et le Seigneur, le Dieu des armées, le Seigneur devint l’objet de son souvenir.
6 But you [people of Israel] must return to your God! You must faithfully love [him], and you must do what is fair/just and always depend on him.
Et toi, Israël, à ton Dieu tu te convertiras; garde la miséricorde et le jugement, et espère en ton Dieu, toujours.
7 The merchants [among you] use scales that do not weigh correctly; they love/like to cheat people.
Quant à Chanaan, dans sa main est une balance trompeuse; il a aimé l’oppression.
8 [The people of] Israel boast, saying “We are [very] rich [DOU]; and we got all that money by our own efforts, and without committing any sin.”
Et Ephraïm a dit: Cependant je suis devenu riche, j’ai trouvé une idole pour moi; aucun de mes travaux ne trouvera l’iniquité par laquelle j’ai péché.
9 “I am Yahweh your God, [the one who brought your ancestors] out of Egypt. [And some day] I will force you to live in tents again [like your ancestors did] when [they celebrated] the Festival [of Living in Temporary Shelters].
Et moi, je suis le Seigneur ton Dieu, depuis que je t’ai retiré de la terre d’Egypte; je te ferai encore demeurer dans des tabernacles comme aux jours de fête.
10 [Many times] I spoke to the prophets, and I gave them many visions, and I gave them parables to tell [to the people].”
Et j’ai parlé aux prophètes, et c’est moi qui ai multiplié les visions; et par le ministère des prophètes j’ai été assimilé aux hommes.
11 [The people of] Gilead [city] are [RHQ] extremely wicked; they are worthless. The people sacrifice bulls in Gilgal [city], but their altars will [soon] become like [SIM] piles of stone [at the edge of] a plowed field.
Si Galaad était une idole, c’est donc en vain qu’ils sacrifiaient aux bœufs de Galgal; car leurs autels sont comme des monceaux de pierre sur les sillons des champs.
12 [Your ancestor] Jacob fled [from his brother Esau] and went to northwest Mesopotamia. He worked [for his uncle Laban for many years] to get a wife; he took care of [his uncle’s] sheep [to pay] for her.
Jacob a fui dans la contrée de Syrie, et Israël a servi pour une femme, et pour une autre femme il a servi.
13 [Many years later, ] Yahweh enabled a prophet to bring the [ancestors of you] people of Israel here from Egypt; that prophet, [Moses], took care of them.
Par un prophète, le Seigneur a tiré Israël de l’Egypte, et par un prophète il a été conservé.
14 [But now the people of] Israel have caused [Yahweh] to become very angry; Yahweh says that they deserve to die because they caused [many others] to die [MTY]; he will pay them back for the sins that they have committed against him and for insulting him.
Par ses plaintes amères, Ephraïm m’a provoqué au courroux; et son sang retombera sur lui, et son opprobre, le Seigneur le lui rendra.
