Jeremiah 4
1 Yahweh says, “You Israeli [people], come back to me! If you get rid of those detestable idols and do not turn away from me [again],
Israël, si tu reviens, si tu reviens à moi, dit l'Éternel, si tu ôtes tes abominations de devant moi, tu ne seras plus errant.
2 and if you declare, ‘Just as surely as Yahweh lives, what he says is true,’ and if you [start to] always say what is true and act justly/fairly and righteously, then the [people in the other] nations [of the world] will request that I bless them [as I have blessed you], and they will [all come and] honor/praise me.”
Et tu jureras: L'Éternel est vivant! en vérité, en équité et en justice. Alors les nations seront bénies en lui, et se glorifieront en lui.
3 This is what Yahweh says to the people of Jerusalem and [the other cities in] Judah: “[Prepare yourselves to receive my messages] like farmers plow up hard ground [in order that they can plant seed in it]. Just as farmers do not [waste good seed by] sowing seeds among thorny plants, [I do not want to waste my time telling you messages that you are not ready to receive].
Car ainsi a dit l'Éternel aux hommes de Juda et de Jérusalem
4 Purify your inner beings and your minds for me. If you do not do that, my being angry with you [MTY] because of [all] the sins that you have committed will be like a fire that will be impossible to extinguish.”
Soyez circoncis à l'Éternel, et circoncisez vos cœurs, hommes de Juda, habitants de Jérusalem! De peur que ma fureur ne sorte comme un feu, et qu'elle ne s'enflamme, sans que personne ne l'éteigne, à cause de la méchanceté de vos actions.
5 “Declare this [DOU] to [all the people in] Jerusalem and [the rest of] Judea; blow the trumpets everywhere in the land [to warn the people]. Tell them that they should flee to the cities that have high walls around them.
Annoncez en Juda, et publiez à Jérusalem, et dites: Sonnez de la trompette dans le pays. Criez à pleine voix, dites: Assemblez-vous, et allons aux villes fortes!
6 Shout to the people of Jerusalem, ‘Run away [now]! Do not delay, because I am about to cause you to experience a terrible disaster [DOU] that will come from the north.
Élevez l'étendard vers Sion! Fuyez et ne vous arrêtez pas! Car j'amène du Nord le mal, une grande ruine.
7 [An army] that has destroyed [many] nations will attack you [like] [MET] a lion that comes out of its den [to attack other animals]. [The soldiers of that army] have taken down their tents and they are ready to march toward your land. They will destroy your cities and leave them without any people still living in them.’
Le lion monte hors de son fourré; le destructeur des nations est en marche; il est sorti de son lieu pour faire de ton pays une désolation, pour que tes villes soient ruinées, et qu'il n'y ait plus d'habitants.
8 So, put on sackcloth/rough clothes and weep and beat your chests [to show that you are very sorry for what you have done], because Yahweh is still very angry with us.
C'est pourquoi ceignez-vous de sacs, lamentez-vous et gémissez; car l'ardeur de la colère de l'Éternel ne s'est point détournée de vous.
9 Yahweh said that at the time [he punishes you], the King of Judah and [all his] officials will be very afraid. The priests and the prophets will be terrified.
Et en ce jour-là, dit l'Éternel, le cœur du roi et le cœur des chefs seront éperdus; les sacrificateurs seront troublés, et les prophètes seront stupéfaits.
10 Then I replied, “Yahweh [my] God, you completely deceived the people by telling them that there would be peace in Jerusalem, but now [our enemies] [PRS] are ready to slaughter us with their swords!”
Et je dis: Ah! Seigneur Éternel! Tu as donc véritablement abusé ce peuple et Jérusalem, en disant: Vous aurez la paix! et l'épée a pénétré jusqu'à l'âme.
11 When that happens, [Yahweh] will say to the people of Jerusalem, [“A huge army will come to attack you]. They will not [be like a gentle breeze that] separates wheat from chaff. [They will be like] a very hot wind [that blows in] from the desert [MET].
En ce temps-là, il sera dit à ce peuple et à Jérusalem: Un vent brûlant souffle des lieux élevés du désert, sur le chemin de la fille de mon peuple; non pour vanner, ni pour nettoyer.
12 [They will be like] [MET] a strong blast that I will send. Now I am declaring that I will punish/destroy you.”
Plus impétueux est le vent qui viendra de ma part. Maintenant je prononcerai mes jugements sur eux.
13 [Our enemies] are about to rush down on us; their chariots are like [SIM] whirlwinds. Their horses are faster than eagles. It will be terrible for us!
Voici, il monte comme des nuées, et ses chars sont comme un tourbillon. Ses chevaux sont plus légers que les aigles. Malheur à nous, car nous sommes détruits!
14 [You people of] Jerusalem [APO], purify your hearts/inner beings, in order that Yahweh will rescue you. How long will you continue to think about [doing] evil things?
Jérusalem, purifie ton cœur du mal, afin que tu sois délivrée. Jusqu'à quand entretiendras-tu des pensées mauvaises au-dedans de toi?
15 From Dan [city in the far north] to the hills of Ephraim [a few miles/kilometers north of Jerusalem] messengers are proclaiming that disasters are coming.
Car une voix apporte des nouvelles de Dan; elle annonce l'affliction depuis la montagne d'Éphraïm.
16 Tell this to the [people in other] nations [but also] announce it in Jerusalem: [Yahweh says], “An army is coming to Jerusalem from far away; they will shout [a battle-cry] against the cities in Judah.
Rappelez-le aux nations! Voici, publiez-le contre Jérusalem! Les assiégeants viennent d'un pays éloigné, et ils ont jeté leur cri contre les villes de Juda.
17 They will set up tents around Jerusalem like people set up temporary shelters [SIM] around a field [at harvest time]. That will happen because the people of Judah have rebelled against me.
Ils se sont mis tout autour d'elle, comme ceux qui gardent un champ; car elle m'a été rebelle, dit l'Éternel.
18 You will be punished very severely; it will [be as though a sword] has stabbed your inner beings. But you are causing those things to happen to you because of the evil things that you have done.”
Ta conduite, tes actions t'ont préparé ces choses; c'est là le fruit de ta méchanceté; oui, cela est amer, cela pénètre jusqu'à ton cœur.
19 I am extremely anguished/sad; the pain in my inner being is very severe. My heart beats wildly. But I cannot remain silent because I have heard [our enemies] blowing their trumpets to announce that the battle [against Judah will start immediately].
Mes entrailles! mes entrailles! Je sens de la douleur; le dedans de mon cœur, le cœur me bat. Je ne puis me taire! Car, ô mon âme! tu as entendu le son de la trompette, le cri du combat.
20 Disasters will occur one after another until the whole land is ruined. Suddenly [all] our tents will be destroyed; [even] the curtains [inside the tents] will be ripped apart.
Ruine sur ruine est annoncée; car tout le pays est détruit; mes tentes sont détruites tout d'un coup, mes pavillons en un moment!
21 How long will this battle continue? How long will I continue to see the enemy battle flags and hear the sound of their trumpets being blown?
Jusqu'à quand verrai-je l'étendard, entendrai-je le bruit de la trompette?
22 [Yahweh says], “My people are [very] foolish! They do not have a relationship with me. They are [like] [MET] stupid children who do not understand [anything]. They very cleverly do what is wrong, but they do not know how to do what is good.”
C'est que mon peuple est insensé. Ils ne me connaissent pas. Ce sont des enfants insensés, dépourvus d'intelligence. Ils sont habiles pour faire le mal; mais ils ne savent pas faire le bien.
23 [God gave me a vision in which] I saw that the earth was barren and without form. I looked at the sky, and there was no light there.
Je regarde la terre, et voici elle est informe et vide; et les cieux, et leur lumière n'est plus.
24 I looked at the mountains and hills, and they shook and moved from side to side.
Je regarde les montagnes, et voici, elles chancellent, et toutes les collines sont ébranlées.
25 I looked and saw that there were no [more] people, and all the birds had flown away.
Je regarde, et voici, il n'y a pas un seul homme, et tous les oiseaux des cieux ont fui.
26 I looked and saw that the fields that previously were fertile had become a desert. The cities were all ruined; they had all been destroyed by Yahweh because he was extremely angry.
Je regarde, et voici, le Carmel est un désert, et toutes ses villes sont détruites, devant l'Éternel, devant l'ardeur de sa colère.
27 This is what Yahweh is saying: “The entire land [of Judah] will be ruined, but I will not destroy it completely.
Car ainsi a dit l'Éternel: Tout le pays sera dévasté; quoique je ne fasse pas une destruction entière.
28 I will do to my people what I said that I would do, and I will not change my mind. So [when that happens, it will be as though] the earth will mourn and the sky will become very dark.”
A cause de cela, la terre sera dans le deuil, et les cieux en haut seront noirs, parce que je l'ai dit, je l'ai résolu; je n'en reviendrai pas; je ne m'en repentirai point.
29 [When the people hear] the sound of the [enemy] army marching, [they will be terrified as] they flee from their cities. Some of them will find places to hide in the bushes, and others will run toward the mountains/hills [to escape being killed by their enemies]. All the cities [in Judah] will be abandoned; not one person will remain in them.
Au bruit des cavaliers et des tireurs d'arc toutes les villes prennent la fuite; ils entrent dans les bois, montent sur les rochers; toutes les villes sont abandonnées, il n'y reste plus d'habitants.
30 So you who will surely be destroyed, [why are you doing the things that you are doing now]? Why are you wearing beautiful clothes and jewelry? Why are you putting paint around your eyes? Doing those things will not help you, because the people [in other countries that you think] love you [actually] despise you, and they will try to kill you.
Et toi, dévastée, que fais-tu? Quoique tu te revêtes de pourpre, que tu te pares d'ornements d'or, et que tu bordes tes yeux de fard, tu t'embellis en vain: tes amants t'ont méprisée; c'est ta vie qu'ils cherchent.
31 [It is as though] I already hear [the people in Jerusalem] crying very loudly, like [SIM] a woman cries when she is giving birth to her first child; she gasps for breath and pleads for someone to help her. [It is as though Jerusalem] is crying, “Something terrible is happening to me! They are about to murder me!”
Car j'entends comme le cri d'une femme en travail, comme l'angoisse d'une femme à son premier enfantement; c'est le cri de la fille de Sion qui soupire, étendant les mains: “Ah! malheur à moi! car mon âme succombe sous les meurtriers! “
