Jeremiah 6
1 “You people in Jerusalem who are from [the tribe of] Benjamin, flee from this city! Blow the trumpets in Tekoa [city south of Jerusalem]! Send up a [smoke] signal in Beth-Haccherem [town] [to warn the people of the coming danger]! A powerful [army] will come from the north, and they will cause great destruction.
Fuyez, enfants de Benjamin, du milieu de Jérusalem! Sonnez de la trompette à Thécua, et élevez des signaux à Béthacarem! Car un malheur s’avance du septentrion, et un grand désastre.
2 Jerusalem is [like] a beautiful pasture [full of sheep], but it will soon be destroyed.
La belle et la voluptueuse, je la détruis, la fille de Sion!
3 [Enemy kings, not] shepherds [MET], will come [with their armies] and set up their tents around the city, and each [king will choose a part of the city for his soldiers to destroy like] [MET] shepherds divide their pastures for their flocks of sheep.
Vers elle viennent des bergers avec leurs troupeaux; ils planteront leurs tentes autour d’elle; chacun pâturera son quartier.
4 [The kings will tell their troops], “Get ready for the battle. We should attack them before noontime. But [if we arrive there late in the afternoon] when the shadows are becoming long,
Inaugurez le combat contre elle: levez-vous, montons à l’assaut en plein midi! Malheur à nous, car le jour baisse, les ombres du soir s’allongent.
5 we will attack them at night and tear down their fortresses.”
Levez-vous, escaladons de nuit, et détruisons son palais!
6 Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels in heaven, says this: “[I will command those soldiers to] cut down the trees [outside Jerusalem] and to build dirt ramps up to the top of the city walls [in order that they can enter the city]. This city must be punished because everyone there continually oppresses others.
Car ainsi parle Yahweh des armées: Abattez ses arbres, élevez des terrasses contre Jérusalem; c’est la ville à punir, il n’y a dans son sein qu’injustice.
7 [It is as though] the wicked things that the people do pour out of the city like [SIM] water flows out of a spring. [The noise from people doing] violent and destructive actions is heard everywhere. I continually see [people who are] suffering and wounded.
Comme un puits fait sourdre ses eaux, ainsi fait-elle sourdre sa méchanceté. On n’y entend que violence et que ruine; plaies et blessures y sont constamment devant ma face.
8 Listen to what I am warning you, [you people of] [APO] Jerusalem, because if you do not listen, I will reject you and cause your land to become desolate, a land where no one lives.”
Amende-toi, Jérusalem, de peur que mon âme ne se détache de toi, que je ne fasse de toi un désert, un pays inhabité.
9 Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels in heaven, also says this: “[I will tell your enemies] to cause your country to become as desolate [SIM] as a vineyard from which all the grapes have been completely stripped from the vines. [Their soldiers will seize the possessions of] those who remain in Israel [after the others have been exiled] like [SIM] farmers go to the vines again to pick any grapes [that were (left/not picked)].”
Ainsi parle Yahweh des armées: On grappillera comme une vigne les restes d’Israël; mets et remets la main, comme fait le vendangeur aux sarments.
10 [Then I said, “If I speak to the Israeli people] to warn them, (who will listen to me?/No one will listen to me.) [RHQ] [It is as though] their ears are closed, [and as a result] they cannot hear [what I say]. They scorn Yahweh’s messages; they do not want to listen to them at all.
A qui parler, qui adjurer pour qu’il m’entende? Voici que leurs oreilles sont incirconcises, et ils sont incapables de faire attention. Voici que la parole de Yahweh est devenue pour eux un opprobre; et ils n’y prennent aucun plaisir.
11 So [now] I am extremely angry, like Yahweh is angry, and I cannot restrain it any longer.” [So] Yahweh said [to me], “Tell everyone that you are very angry with them. Tell the children in the streets and the young men who gather together. Tell the men and their wives; tell the very old people [DOU], also.
Mais je suis rempli de la colère de Yahweh, je suis las de la contenir. Verse-la sur l’enfant dans la rue et sur la réunion des jeunes gens! Car le mari et la femme, tous seront pris, ainsi que le vieillard et l’homme chargé de jours.
12 [Tell the men that] I will give their houses to [their enemies], and I will give their property/fields and their wives to them, also, when I punish [IDM] the people who live in this land.
Leurs maisons passeront à d’autres, leurs champs et leurs femmes également; car j’étendrai ma main sur les habitants du pays, — oracle de Yahweh.
13 Everyone is trying to get money by tricking others, from the most [important people] to the least [important people]; even the prophets and the priests are trying to deceive [people to get money].
Car du plus petit au plus grand, tous se livrent à la rapine, et du prophète au prêtre, tous pratiquent le mensonge.
14 [They act as though the sins of my people are like] [MET] small wounds that they do not need to put bandages on. They continually [greet people by] saying ‘I hope things are going well with you,’ when things are not going well.
Ils traitent à la légère la plaie de la fille de mon peuple, en disant: Paix, paix! alors qu’il n’y a pas de paix.
15 They should be [RHQ] ashamed about the disgusting things that they do, but they are not ashamed at all. They do not [even] know how to (blush/show on their faces that they are ashamed). So, they also will be among those who will be killed. They will be destroyed when I punish them.”
Ils seront confondus, car ils ont commis des abominations; mais ils ne savent même plus rougir, et ils ne connaissent plus la honte! C’est pourquoi ils tomberont avec ceux qui tombent; ils s’affaisseront au jour où je les visiterai, dit Yahweh.
16 This is [also] what Yahweh said [to the Israeli people]: “Stand at the crossroads and look [at the people who pass by]. Ask them what was the good behavior [that their ancestors had] long ago. [And when they tell you], behave that way. If you do that, you will find rest for your souls.” But you replied, ‘We do not want to do that!’
Ainsi parle Yahweh: Tenez-vous sur les routes, et voyez; informez-vous des sentiers d’autrefois; Quelle est la voie du salut? et suivez-la, et vous trouverez du repos pour vos âmes. Mais ils ont répondu: « Nous n’y marcherons pas! »
17 I sent [my prophets who were like] [MET] watchmen. They said, ‘Listen carefully when we blow the trumpets [to warn you that your enemies are approaching],’ but you said, ‘[No], we do not want to listen.’
J’ai placé près de vous des sentinelles: « Soyez attentifs au son de la trompette! » Mais ils ont répondu: « Nous n’y ferons pas attention! »
18 Therefore, you people in the other nations, listen to this: Pay attention to what is going to happen to the [Israeli people].
Aussi, écoutez, nations; sache, assemblée des peuples, ce qui leur arrivera;
19 Listen, all of you! I am going to cause the [Israeli] people to experience disasters. That is what will happen to them because they have refused to listen to what I told them. They have refused to obey my laws.
terre, écoute: Voici que je fais venir un malheur contre ce peuple, le fruit de ses pensées; car ils n’ont pas été attentifs à mes paroles; et ils ont rejeté ma loi.
20 [You Israeli people], when you burn frankincense that came from [far away in] Sheba, and [when you offer to me] sweet-smelling anointing oil that came from far away, I will not [RHQ] be pleased with your sacrifices. I will not accept the sacrifices that are completely burned on the altar; I am not pleased with [any of] your sacrifices.
Que me fait l’encens venu de Saba et le roseau précieux d’un pays lointain? Vos holocaustes ne me plaisent point, vos sacrifices ne me sont pas agréables.
21 Therefore, I will put obstacles on the roads on which my people will travel. Men and their sons and people’s neighbors and friends will stumble over those obstacles and fall down; everyone will die.”
C’est pourquoi ainsi parle Yahweh: Voici que je mets devant ce peuple des pierres d’achoppement; les pères et les fils s’y heurteront ensemble, l’habitant et son voisin périront.
22 Yahweh [also] says this: “You will see a [huge] army marching [towards you] from the north. [An army of] a great nation very far away is preparing [to attack you].
Ainsi parle Yahweh: Voici qu’un peuple arrive du pays du septentrion, qu’une grande nation se lève des extrémités de la terre.
23 They have bows [and arrows] and spears; they are [very] cruel, and do not act mercifully [to anyone]. As they ride along on their horses, the horses’ feet sound like the roaring of the ocean [waves]; they are riding in battle formation to attack you people of Jerusalem.”
Ils manient l’arc et le javelot; ils ont cruels et sans pitié, leur voix gronde comme la mer; ils sont montés sur des chevaux, prêts à combattre comme un seul homme, contre toi, fille de Sion.
24 [The people of Jerusalem say], “We have heard reports about the enemy; [so] we are very frightened, with the result that we feel weak. We are very afraid, and worried, like [SIM] women who are about to give birth to babies.
A la nouvelle de leur approche, nos mains ont défailli, l’angoisse nous a saisis, les douleurs d’une femme qui enfante.
25 [So one person says to another], ‘Do not go out into the fields! Do not go on the roads, because the enemy [soldiers] have swords [and they are everywhere]; they are coming from all directions, and we are extremely afraid.’”
Ne sortez pas aux champs, n’allez pas sur les chemins; car l’ennemi tient l’épée, et l’épouvante règne à l’entour.
26 [So I say], “My dear people, put on (sackcloth/rough clothes) and sit in ashes [to show that you are sorry for your sins]. Mourn and cry very much, like [SIM] [a woman would cry] if her only son had died, because your enemies are very near, and they are going to destroy [everything].”
Fille de mon peuple, ceins le cilice, roule-toi dans la cendre, prends le deuil comme pour un fils unique, fais des lamentations amères; car soudain le dévastateur arrive sur nous.
27 [Then Yahweh said to me], “[Jeremiah], I have caused you to become [like] [MET] someone who heats metal very hot [to completely burn the impurities]. You will examine my people’s behavior.
Je t’ai établi dans mon peuple comme un essayeur, une forteresse, pour que tu connaisses et éprouves leurs voies.
28 You will find out that they are very stubborn rebels, they are always slandering others. [Their inner beings] are as hard as bronze or iron; they all [continually] deceive others.
Ils sont tous des rebelles entre les rebelles; ils sèment la calomnie; c’est du cuivre et du fer; tous sont corrompus.
29 [A metalworker causes] the bellows to blow very hard to [make the fire very hot to] completely burn up the impurities [MET]. [But just as] a fire does not cause all the waste material to run off, it is impossible to separate [the righteous people from the wicked people, and punish only] the wicked people.
Le soufflet est devenu la proie du feu, le plomb est épuisé; en vain l’on épure, l’on épure; les méchants ne se détachent pas.
30 [I], Yahweh, have rejected them; I say that they are [like] [MET] worthless silver.”
« Argent de rebut! » dira-t-on; car Yahweh les a mis au rebut.
