Isaiah 36
1 When King Hezekiah had been [ruling Judah] for almost 14 years, King Sennacherib of Assyria came [with his army] to attack the cities in Judah that had walls around them. [They did not conquer Jerusalem, but] they conquered all the other cities.
Dans la quatorzième année du règne d’Ezéchias, Sennachérib, roi d’Assyrie, marcha contre toutes les villes fortes de la Judée et s’en empara.
2 Then 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 in their positions alongside the aqueduct/channel in which water flows into the upper pool [into Jerusalem], near the road to the field where the women wash clothes.
De Lakhich, le roi d’Assyrie envoya Rabchakè, avec une puissante armée, à Jérusalem contre le roi Ezéchias; il s’établit près de l’aqueduc de la Piscine supérieure, sur la route qui conduit au Champ des foulons.
3 The Israeli officials who went out of the city to talk with them were Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, the (palace administrator/man who supervised the workers in the palace), Shebna the king’s secretary, and Asaph’s son Joah, who wrote down the government decisions.
Elyakim, fils de Hilkiyyahou, l’intendant du palais, Chebna, le secrétaire, et Yoah, fils d’Assaf, l’archiviste, se rendirent auprès de lui.
4 Then 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?
Rabchakè leur dit: "Veuillez rapporter à Ezéchias ces paroles du grand roi, le roi d’Assyrie: Quel est donc l’appui dans lequel tu mets ta confiance?
5 You say that you have weapons to fight us and some country’s 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]?
Je me disais: Ce ne sont que de vaines bravades, la guerre exige de la prudence et de la force. Sur qui donc comptes-tu, pour t’être révolté contre moi?
6 Listen to me! You are relying on [the army of] Egypt. But [that will be 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].
Ah oui, tu espères prendre pour soutien ce roseau brisé, l’Egypte, qui, lorsque quelqu’un s’y appuie, pénètre dans la main et la transperce! Car tel est Pharaon, roi d’Egypte, pour tous ceux qui se fient à lui.
7 But perhaps you will say to me, ‘[No], we are relying on 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]?’
Tu me répliqueras peut-être: "Nous mettons notre confiance dans l’Eternel, notre Dieu!" Mais n’est-ce pas ce Dieu dont Ezéchias a fait disparaître les hauts-lieux et les autels en disant aux gens de Juda et de Jérusalem: Vous ne vous prosternerez que devant cet autel?
8 So I suggest that you make a deal with my master/boss, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses, but [I do not think that] you can find 2,000 of your men who can ride on them!
Eh bien! Prends donc cet engagement envers mon maître, le roi d’Assyrie: je te fournirai deux mille chevaux, si tu peux trouver des cavaliers pour les monter.
9 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!
Tu ne serais pas capable de repousser un simple gouverneur, un des moindres serviteurs de mon maître, et tu comptes sur l’Egypte pour avoir des chars et des cavaliers!
10 Furthermore, [do not think that] [RHQ] we have come here to attack and destroy this land without Yahweh’s orders! It is Yahweh himself who told us to come here and destroy this land!”
D’Ailleurs, est-ce sans l’assentiment de l’Eternel que j’ai envahi ce pays pour le ravager? C’Est Dieu qui m’a dit: "Marche contre cette région et saccage-la."
11 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the official from Assyria, “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 become frightened].”
Elyakim, Chebna et Yoah dirent alors à Rabchakè: "Daigne parler à tes serviteurs en araméen, nous le comprenons; mais ne nous parle pas en judéen, qu’entendent les gens qui se trouvent sur les remparts."
12 But the official replied, “Do you think that my master sent me to say these things [only] to you, and not to the people standing on the wall [RHQ]? [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].”
Rabchakè répondit: "Est-ce à ton maître et à toi que mon souverain m’a donné le mandat de tenir ce discours? N’Est-ce pas plutôt à ceux qui sont installés sur les remparts, condamnés en votre compagnie à manger leurs excréments et à boire leur urine?"
13 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!
Puis se mettant debout, il prononça d’une voix retentissante ces paroles en langue judéenne: "Ecoutez le message du grand roi, le roi d’Assyrie!
14 He says, ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you! He will not be able to rescue you!
Voici ce qu’il dit: Ne vous laissez pas abuser par Ezéchias, car il est incapable de vous sauver.
15 Do not allow him to persuade you to trust in Yahweh, saying that Yahweh will rescue you, and that [the army of] the King of Assyria will never capture this city!’
Ne vous laissez pas non plus induire par lui à mettre votre confiance en Dieu, lorsqu’il vous déclare: L’Eternel nous délivrera certainement, et cette ville ne tombera pas au pouvoir du roi d’Assyrie.
16 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 well.
N’Écoutez pas Ezéchias, car voici ce que propose le roi d’Assyrie Manifestez à mon égard des sentiments pacifiques, rendez-vous auprès de moi, et chacun mangera les produits de sa vigne et de son figuier, et chacun boira l’eau de sa citerne,
17 [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] new wine and, and where we make lots of bread.’
jusqu’à ce que je vienne vous emmener dans un pays semblable au vôtre, un pays de blé et de vin, un pays de pain et de vignes.
18 Do not allow Hezekiah to mislead you by saying, “Yahweh will rescue us.” The gods that people of other nations worship have never [RHQ] rescued any of them from the power [MTY] of the King of Assyria!
Prenez garde qu’Ezéchias ne vous abuse par ces paroles: "L’Eternel vous enverra le salut." Quelque dieu des autres nations a-t-il pu protéger son pays contre le roi d’Assyrie?
19 Why were the gods of Hamath and Arpad [cities], and the gods of Sepharvaim unable to rescue Samaria from my power [MTY]?
Où sont donc les dieux de Hamad et d’Arpad, où les dieux de Sefarvayim? Ont-ils arraché Samarie à ma domination?
20 No, no god [RHQ] of any nation has been able to rescue their people from me. So why do you think that Yahweh will rescue you people of Jerusalem from my power [MTY]?’”
De tous les dieux de ces contrées, quel est celui qui a soustrait son pays à mon pouvoir? Et l’Eternel protègerait Jérusalem contre moi!"
21 But the people [who were listening] were silent. No one said anything, because King [Hezekiah] had commanded, “[When the official from Assyria talks to you], do not answer him.”
On garda le silence, personne ne dit mot, car tel était l’ordre du roi: "Vous ne lui répondrez rien." Elyakim, fils de Hilkiyyahou, l’intendant du palais, Chebna, le secrétaire, et Yoah, l’archiviste, retournèrent alors auprès d’Ezéchias, les vêtements déchirés, et lui rapportèrent les paroles de Rabchakè.
22 Then Eliakim and Shebna and Joah returned to Hezekiah with their clothes torn [because they were extremely distressed]. They told him what the official from Assyria had said.
Elyakim, fils de Hilkiyyahou, l’intendant du palais, Chebna, le secrétaire, et Yoah, l’archiviste, retournèrent alors auprès d’Ezéchias, les vêtements déchirés, et lui rapportèrent les paroles de Rabchakè.
