Judges 11
1 [There was a man] from [the] Gilead [region] named Jephthah. He was a great warrior. His father was also named Gilead. But his mother was a prostitute.
Il y avait alors un vaillant guerrier, Jephté le Galaadite; c’était le fils d’une femme prostituée, et Ghilad était son père.
2 Gilead’s wife gave birth to several sons. When they grew up, they forced Jephthah to leave home, saying to him, “You are the son of a prostitute, [not the son of our mother]. So [when] our father [dies], you will not receive any of his property.”
Mais la femme de Ghilad lui donna aussi des fils. Ceux-ci, devenus grands, expulsèrent Jephté en lui disant: "Tu n’as pas droit à l’héritage de notre père, car tu es le fils d’une femme étrangère."
3 So Jephthah ran away from his brothers, and he went to the Tob region. While he was there, some worthless men started to spend a lot of time with him.
Jephté dut s’éloigner de ses frères et alla s’établir au pays de Tob. Là il devint le centre d’un ramas d’aventuriers, qui firent avec lui des incursions.
4 Some time later, the Ammon people-group started to fight against the Israelis.
Ce fut quelque temps après, qu’eut lieu la guerre des Ammonites contre Israël.
5 When that happened [DOU], the leaders of [the] Gilead [region] went to Jephthah to bring him back from the Tob region [to their area].
Les Ammonites ayant attaqué Israël, les anciens de Galaad allèrent chercher Jephté au pays de Tob.
6 They said to him, “Come [with us] and lead our army, and [help us to] fight against the men from the Ammon people-group!”
Ils dirent à Jephté: "Viens, sois notre chef, que nous puissions combattre les enfants d’Ammon."
7 But Jephthah replied, “You hated me [RHQ] previously! You forced me to leave my father’s house! So why are you coming to me now, [asking me to help you] when you are experiencing trouble?”
Jephté répondit aux anciens de Galaad: "Est-ce que vous n’êtes pas mes ennemis, qui m’avez chassé de la maison de mon père? Pourquoi donc venez-vous à moi, maintenant que vous êtes dans la détresse?"
8 The leaders from Gilead replied, “[Yes, we are having trouble, and] that is the reason that we have come to you now. If you come with us and [help us to] fight against the Ammon people-group, [after we defeat them, we will appoint] you to be the leader of all us people in [the] Gilead [region].”
"Oui vraiment, dirent les anciens de Galaad à Jephté, maintenant nous revenons à toi, afin que tu marches avec nous, que tu combattes les enfants d’Ammon, et que tu deviennes notre chef à tous, habitants du Galaad."
9 Jephthah replied, “If I go back to Gilead with you to fight against the Ammon people-group, and if Yahweh helps us to defeat them, will you truly appoint me to be your leader?”
Alors Jephté dit aux anciens de Galaad: "Si vous me déterminez à revenir pour guerroyer avec les Ammonites et que l’Eternel me les livre, je veux rester votre chef."
10 They replied, “Yahweh is listening to everything that we say. [So he will punish us] if we do not do everything that you tell us to do.”
Et les anciens de Galaad lui répondirent: "Par l’Eternel qui nous entend les uns et les autres, nous jurons de faire comme tu l’as dit!"
11 So Jephthah went with them back to [the] Gilead [region], and the people appointed him to be their leader and the commander of their army. And Jephthah solemnly promised to Yahweh there at Mizpah [to serve him well].
Jephté partit alors avec les anciens de Galaad, et le peuple le nomma son chef et son capitaine, et Jephté répéta toutes ses paroles devant l’Eternel, à Miçpa.
12 Jephthah sent some messengers to the king of the Ammon people-group. They asked the king, “What have we [done to make you angry, with the result] that your army is coming to fight [against the people] in our land?”
Puis Jephté envoya une députation au roi des Ammonites, pour lui dire: "Qu’ai-je à démêler avec toi, que tu sois venu porter la guerre dans mon pays?"
13 The king replied, “[We have come to fight against you Israelis because] you took our land when you came here from Egypt. You took all our land east of the Jordan [River], from the Arnon [River in the south] to the Jabbok [River in the north]. So if you now give it back to us, there (will be peace between us/we will not fight against you).”
Le roi des Ammonites répondit aux envoyés de Jephté: "C’Est qu’Israël, étant sorti d’Egypte, s’empara de mon pays, depuis l’Arnon jusqu’au Jaboc et jusqu’au Jourdain. Et maintenant, rends-le moi à l’amiable."
14 [The messengers returned to Jephthah and told him what the king had said]. So Jephthah sent the messengers to the king again.
Jephté envoya une nouvelle députation au roi des Ammonites,
15 They said to him, “This is what Jephthah says: ‘It is not [true] that we Israelis took the land from the Moab people-group and the Ammon people-group.
et lui fit dire: "Ainsi parla Jephté: Israël ne s’est emparé ni du territoire de Moab, ni de celui des enfants d’Ammon.
16 When the Israeli people came out of Egypt, they walked through the desert to the Red Sea, and then [walked across it and traveled to Kadesh town at the border of the Edom region].
En effet, après être sorti d’Egypte, Israël s’avança dans le désert jusqu’à la mer des Joncs, puis il arriva à Kadêch.
17 They sent messengers to the king of the Edom people-group, to say to him, “Please allow us Israelis to walk across your land.” But the king of the Edom people-group refused. Later we sent the same message to the king of the Moab people-group, but he also refused to allow the Israelis to go through his land. So the Israelis stayed at Kadesh [for a long time].
Et Israël envoya des émissaires au roi d’Edom pour lui dire: "Je voudrais passer par ton pays." Mais le roi d’Edom n’y consentit point. On envoya pareil message au roi de Moab, qui refusa également, et Israël resta à Kadêch.
18 Then the Israelis went into the desert and walked outside the borders of the Edom and Moab regions. They walked east of the Moab region, east of the Arnon [River, which is the eastern border of the Moab region]. They did not cross that river to enter [the] Moab [region].
Alors, prenant par le désert, il tourna les pays d’Edom et de Moab, arriva jusqu’au pays de Moab du côté de l’Orient, et ils campèrent au bord de l’Arnon; mais ils ne franchirent point la limite de Moab, car c’est l’Arnon qui forme cette limite.
19 ‘Then the Israelis sent a message to Sihon, the king of the Amor people-group, who lived in Heshbon [city]. They asked him, “Will you please allow us Israeli people to cross through your land to arrive at the land to which we [are going].”
Et Israël envoya des députés à Sihôn, roi des Amorréens, qui régnait à Hesbon, et il lui fit dire: "Laisse-nous traverser ton pays pour gagner notre destination."
20 But Sihon did not trust the Israelis; [he thought that they would steal some of the things in his land]. So he gathered all his troops and they set up their tents at Jahaz [village] and then they attacked the Israelis.
Mais Sihôn n’eut pas assez de confiance en Israël pour le laisser franchir sa frontière: il rassembla donc tout son peuple, ils prirent position à Yahça et attaquèrent Israël.
21 But Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], enabled the Israeli army to defeat [IDM] Sihon and his army. Then they (took possession of/started to live in) all the land where the Amor people-group had lived.
L’Eternel, Dieu d’Israël, livra Sihôn et toute son armée au pouvoir d’Israël, qui les défit et qui prit possession de tout le pays des Amorréens, habitants de cette contrée.
22 The Israelis took all the land that belonged to the Amor people-group, from the Arnon [River in the south] to the Jabbok [River in the north], and from the desert [in the east] to the Jordan [River in the west].
Ils possédèrent ainsi tout le territoire amorréen, depuis l’Arnon jusqu’au Jaboc, et depuis le désert jusqu’au Jourdain.
23 ‘It was Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], who forced the Amor people-group to leave as the Israelis advanced. So do you now think that you can force the Israelis to leave [RHQ]?
Ainsi l’Eternel, Dieu d’Israël, a évincé l’Amorréen pour son peuple Israël, et tu voudrais déposséder celui-ci!
24 You take the land that your god Chemosh has given to you. And we will live in the land that Yahweh our God has given to us!
N’Est-ce pas, ce que ton Dieu Camos te fait conquérir devient ta possession? Eh bien! tout ce que l’Eternel, notre Dieu, nous a fait conquérir, restera la nôtre.
25 (You are no/Are you) better than Zippor’s son Balak, who was the king of the Moab people-group? He never [RHQ] quarreled with the Israeli people, and he never started to fight against us [RHQ]!
Au surplus, es-tu mieux fondé en droit que Balak, fils de Cippor, le roi de Moab? Osa-t-il contester avec Israël? osa-t-il lui faire la guerre?
26 For 300 years the Israeli people have lived in Heshbon and Aroer [cities in your region], and in the surrounding towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon [River]. Why have you people of the Ammon people-group not taken back those cities during all those years [RHQ]?
Israël est établi, depuis trois cents ans, dans Hesbon et sa banlieue, dans Aror et sa banlieue, dans toutes les villes qui bordent l’Arnon: pourquoi donc, durant toute cette période, ne les avez-vous point reprises?
27 We have not sinned against you, but you are sinning against me by attacking me [and my army]. I trust that Yahweh, the great judge, will decide whether we Israelis are right, or whether you people of the Ammon people-group are right.’”
Pour moi, je ne t’ai point lésé, et tu agis mal à mon égard en me faisant la guerre. Que l’Eternel, le vrai Juge, prononce maintenant entre les enfants d’Israël et les enfants d’Ammon!"
28 But the king of the Ammon people-group did not pay attention to that message from Jephthah.
Mais le roi des Ammonites ne tint pas compte des paroles que Jephté lui avait fait adresser.
29 Then the Spirit of Yahweh took control of Jephthah. Jephthah went through [the] Gilead [region] and through the area where the tribe of Manasseh lived, [to enlist/gather men for his army]. [He finally gathered them together] in Mizpah [city] in [the] Gilead [region] to fight against the Ammon people-group.
Alors, animé de l’esprit de l’Eternel, Jephté traversa le Galaad et Manassé, atteignit Miçpé-Ghilad, et de là s’avança jusqu’aux Ammonites.
30 There Jephthah made a solemn promise to Yahweh. He said, “If you will enable my army to defeat [IDM] the Ammon people-group,
Et Jephté fit un vœu à l’Eternel en disant: "Si tu livres en mon pouvoir les enfants d’Ammon,
31 when I return from the battle, I will sacrifice to you the first person who comes out of my house [to greet me]. It will be a sacrifice that will be completely burned [on the altar].”
la première créature qui sortira de ma maison au-devant de moi, quand je reviendrai vainqueur des enfants d’Ammon, sera vouée à l’Eternel, et je l’offrirai en holocauste."
32 Then Jephthah [and his men] went from Mizpah to attack the Ammon people-group, and Yahweh enabled his army to defeat them.
Jephté marcha alors sur les Ammonites pour les combattre, et l’Eternel les livra en sa main.
33 Jephthah and his men killed them, from Aroer [city] all the way to the area around the city of Minnith. They destroyed 20 cities, as far as [the city of] Abel Keramim. So the Israelis [completely] defeated the Ammon people-group.
Il les battit depuis Aroêr jusque vers Minnit (vingt villes), et jusqu’à Abel-Keramim; défaite considérable, qui abaissa les Ammonites devant les enfants d’Israël.
34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, his daughter was the first one to come out of the house to meet him. She was [joyfully] playing a tambourine and dancing. She was his only child; he had no sons and no other daughters.
Comme Jephté rentrait dans sa maison à Miçpa, voici venir sa fille à sa rencontre, avec des tambourins et des chœurs de danse. C’Était son unique enfant; hors d’elle il n’avait ni fils ni fille.
35 When Jephthah saw his daughter, he tore his clothes [to show that he was very sad about what he was going to do]. He said to her, “My daughter, you have caused me to become very sad [DOU] because I made a solemn promise to Yahweh [to sacrifice the first one who came out of my house], and I must do what I promised.”
Quand il la vit, il déchira ses vêtements et s’écria: "Hélas! ma fille, tu m’accables! c’est toi qui fais mon malheur! Mais je me suis engagé devant l’Eternel, je ne puis m’en dédire."
36 His daughter said, “My father, you made a solemn promise to Yahweh. So you must do to me what you promised, because [you said that you would do that if] Yahweh helped you to defeat our enemies, the Ammon people-group.”
Elle lui répondit: "Mort père, tu t’es engagé devant Dieu, fais-moi ce qu’a promis ta bouche, maintenant que l’Eternel t’a vengé de tes ennemis, les Ammonites.
37 Then she also said, “But allow me to do one thing. (First/before you do what you promised), allow me to go up into the hilly area and wander around for two months. Since I will never be married [and have children], allow me and my friends to go and cry together.”
Seulement, ajouta-t-elle, qu’on m’accorde cette faveur, de me laisser deux mois de répit, afin que j’aille, retirée sur les montagnes, pleurer avec mes amies sur ma virginité."
38 Jephthah replied, “All right, you may go.” So she left for two months. She and her friends stayed in the hills and they cried for her because she would never be married.
"Va", dit-il. Et il la laissa libre pour deux mois; et elle s’en alla avec ses compagnes sur les monts, où elle pleura sa virginité.
39 After two months, she returned to her father Jephthah, and he did to her what he had vowed. So his daughter never was married. Because of that, the Israelis now have a custom.
Au bout de deux mois, elle revint chez son père, qui accomplit à son égard le vœu qu’il avait prononcé. Elle n’avait jamais connu d’homme. Et cela devint une coutume en Israël:
40 Every year the young Israeli women go [into the hills] for four days to remember [and cry about what happened to] the daughter of Jephthah.
d’année en année, quatre jours de suite, les filles israélites se réunissaient pour pleurer la mémoire de la fille de Jephté le Galaadite.
