Jonah 4
1 But Jonah was very distressed [that God had not destroyed Nineveh]. He became very angry. [The people of Nineveh were non-Jews, and Jonah did not think that God should act mercifully toward anyone who was not a Jew].
Et Jonas fut affligé d’une grande affliction, et il s’irrita;
2 He prayed to Yahweh, “O Yahweh, what you have done is what I thought that you would do, before I left home [RHQ]. That is why I [decided] immediately to run away, and go to Tarshish [city], because I knew that you, O God, act very kindly and compassionately [toward all people]. You do not quickly become angry with people who do evil things. You love people very much, and you change your mind about punishing [people who sin].
Et il pria le Seigneur, et dit: Je vous conjure, Seigneur, n’est-ce pas là ce que je disais, lorsque j’étais encore dans mon pays? c’est à cause de cela que je me suis empressé de fuir à Tharsis; car je sais que vous êtes un Dieu clément et miséricordieux, patient, et d’une grande commisération, et pardonnant le mal,
3 [So] now, O Yahweh, [since you will not destroy Nineveh city as you said you would], allow me to die, because it would be better for me to die than to [continue to] live.”
Et maintenant. Seigneur, retirez, je vous prie, mon âme de moi; parce que mieux vaut la mort pour moi que la vie.
4 Yahweh replied, “(Why is it right for you to be angry [about my not destroying the city]?/It is not right for you to be angry [about my not destroying the city]!) [RHQ]”
Et le Seigneur lui dit: Penses-lu qu’il est bien que tu t’irrites, toi?
5 Jonah [did not reply]. He went out of the city to the east [side of it]. He made a small shelter in order that he could sit under it and be protected from the sun. He sat under the shelter and waited to see what would happen to the city.
Et Jonas sortit de Ninive et demeura à l’orient de la cité; et il se fit là un petit couvert, et y demeura dessous à l’ombre, jusqu’à ce qu’il vît ce qui arriverait à la cité.
6 Then Yahweh God caused a vine to grow up [immediately] to shade Jonah’s head from the sun and make him [feel] more comfortable. Jonah was very happy about [having] the vine [over his head].
Et le Seigneur Dieu prépara un lierre qui s’éleva au-dessus de la tête de Jonas, afin qu’il y eût une ombre sur sa tête pour le protéger; car il s’était fatigué; et Jonas se réjouit au sujet de son lierre, d’une joie très grande.
7 But before dawn the next day, God sent a worm that chewed the vine, with the result that the vine withered.
Et Dieu prépara le lendemain, à la levée de l’aurore, un ver qui rongea le lierre, et il se dessécha.
8 Then, when the sun rose [high in the sky], God sent a very hot wind from the east, and the sun shone very strongly on Jonah’s head, with the result that he felt faint. He wanted to die, and he said, “It would be better for me to die than to [continue to] live!”
Et lorsque le soleil se fut levé, Dieu commanda à un vent chaud et brûlant; et le soleil frappa sur la tête de Jonas, et il étouffait de chaleur; et il demanda pour son âme qu’elle mourût, et il dit: Mieux vaut pour moi mourir que de vivre.
9 But God asked Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about [what happened to] the vine?” Jonah replied, “[Yes], it is right! [Now] I am very angry and I want to die!”
Et le Seigneur dit à Jonas: Penses-tu qu’il est bien que tu t’irrites, toi, pour ce lierre? Et il dit: Il est bien que je m’irrite, moi, jusqu’à la mort.
10 But Yahweh said [to him], “You have been concerned about my [causing] that vine [to wither], even though you did not take care of it, and you did not make it grow. It just grew up during one night, and it completely withered [at the end of] the next night.
Et le Seigneur lui dit: Tu t’affliges pour un lierre, pour lequel tu n’as pas pris de peine, et que tu n’as pas fait croître, qui en une nuit est né, et en une nuit a péri;
11 But there are more than 120,000 people in Nineveh who [are very young, and because of that], they cannot tell which is their right hand and which is their left hand, and there are also many cattle, [and none of these have done anything to displease me]. So (is it not right for me to be concerned about the people of that huge city, [and not want to destroy them]?/it is certainly right for me to be concerned about the people of that huge city [and not want to destroy them]!) [RHQ]”
Et moi, je ne pardonnerai pas à Ninive, la grande cité, dans laquelle se trouvent plus de cent vingt mille hommes qui ne savent pas quelle différence il y a entre leur droite et leur gauche, et vivent des animaux en grand nombre.
