Lamentations 3
1 I [, the one who am writing this, ] am a man who has been afflicted/punished [MTY] by Yahweh because he was angry.
[Aleph.] Je suis l’homme qui ai vu l’affliction par la verge de sa fureur.
2 [It was as though] he caused me to walk in a very dark place without any light [at all].
Il m’a conduit et amené dans les ténèbres, et non dans la lumière.
3 He has punished [IDM] me many times, all day, [every] day.
Certes il s’est tourné contre moi, il a tous les jours tourné sa main [contre moi].
4 He has caused my skin and my flesh to become old. He has broken my bones.
[Beth.] Il a fait vieillir ma chair et ma peau, il a brisé mes os.
5 He has surrounded me [DOU] with bitterness and suffering.
Il a bâti contre moi, et m’a environné de fiel et de travail.
6 [It is as though] he has buried me in a dark place like [SIM] [the graves of] those who have been dead for a long time.
Il m’a fait tenir dans des lieux ténébreux, comme ceux qui sont morts dès longtemps.
7 [It is as though] [MET] he has built a wall around me, and fastened/tied me with heavy chains, and I cannot escape.
[Guimel.] Il a fait une cloison autour de moi, afin que je ne sorte point; il a appesanti mes fers.
8 Although I call out and cry out for him to help me, he does not pay attention to my prayers.
Même quand je crie et que j’élève ma voix, il rejette ma requête.
9 [It is as though] he has blocked my path with a [high] stone [wall] and has caused my path to become crooked.
Il a fait un mur de pierres de taille [pour fermer] mes chemins, il a renversé mes sentiers.
10 He has waited to attack me like [SIM] a bear or a lion hides and waits [to attack other animals].
[Daleth.] Ce m’est un ours qui est aux embûches, et un lion qui se tient dans un lieu caché.
11 [It is as though] he has dragged me off the path and (mauled me/torn me into pieces), and left me without help.
Il a détourné mes chemins, et m’a mis en pièces, il m’a rendu désolé.
12 [It is as though] [MET] he bent his bow and caused me to become the target [at which he shot] his arrows.
Il a tendu son arc, et m’a mis comme une butte pour la flèche.
13 [It is as though] he shot his arrows deep into my body.
[He.] Il a fait entrer dans mes reins les flèches dont son carquois est plein.
14 All my relatives laugh at me; all day, [every] day they sing songs that make fun of me.
J’ai été en risée à tous les peuples, et leur chanson, tout le jour.
15 He has filled me with (bitterness/great suffering), [like] [MET] someone who drinks a very bitter liquid suffers.
Il m’a rassasié d’amertume, il m’a enivré d’absinthe.
16 [It is as though] he has caused me to chew gravel that broke my teeth, and he has trampled me in the dirt.
[Vau.] Il m’a cassé les dents avec du gravier, il m’a couvert de cendre;
17 Things no longer go well for me; I no longer remember being prosperous.
Tellement que la paix s’est éloignée de mon âme; j’ai oublié ce que c’est que d’être à son aise.
18 I [continued to] say [to myself], “I no longer expect to live much longer; I no longer confidently expect [to receive good things] from Yahweh!”
Et j’ai dit: ma force est perdue, et mon espérance aussi que j’avais en l’Eternel.
19 When I think about my suffering and my wandering [away from home], [it is like drinking] a very bitter [DOU] liquid.
[Zajin.] Souviens-toi de mon affliction, et de mon pauvre état, qui n’est qu’absinthe et que fiel.
20 I will never forget this time when I feel very depressed/discouraged [IDM].
Mon âme s’[en] souvient sans cesse, et elle est abattue au dedans de moi.
21 However, I confidently expect [Yahweh to do good things for me again] when I think about this:
[Mais] je rappellerai ceci en mon cœur, [et] c’est pourquoi j’aurai espérance;
22 Yahweh never stops faithfully loving [us], and he never stops being kind to us.
[Heth.] Ce sont les gratuités de l’Eternel que nous n’avons point été consumés, parce que ses compassions ne sont point taries.
23 [He is the one whom we can] always trust/lean on. Every morning he is merciful [to us again].
Elles se renouvellent chaque matin; [c’est] une chose grande que ta fidélité.
24 [So] I say to myself, “Yahweh is all that I need; so I will confidently wait for him [to do good things for me].”
L’Eternel est ma portion, dit mon âme, c’est pourquoi j’aurai espérance en lui.
25 Yahweh is good to [all] those who depend on him, to those who seek his [help].
[Teth.] L’Eternel est bon à ceux qui s’attendent à lui, [et] à l’âme qui le recherche.
26 [So] it is good for us to wait quietly for Yahweh to save/rescue [us].
C’est une chose bonne qu’on attende, même en se tenant en repos, la délivrance de l’Eternel.
27 And it is good for us to [patiently] endure [suffering] while we are young.
C’est une chose bonne à l’homme de porter le joug en sa jeunesse.
28 Those [who seek his help] should sit by themselves, silently, [knowing that] it is Yahweh who has allowed/caused them to suffer.
[Jod.] Il est assis solitaire et se tient tranquille, parce qu’on l’a chargé sur lui.
29 They should lie in the dirt, with their faces on the ground, [because] they can still hope [that Yahweh will help them].
Il met sa bouche dans la poussière, si peut-être il y aura quelque espérance.
30 If someone strikes us on one cheek, we should turn the other cheek toward that person [in order that he may strike it, too], and accept/endure it when we are insulted.
Il présente la joue à celui qui le frappe; il est accablé d’opprobre.
31 Yahweh does not abandon [us his people] forever.
[Caph.] Car le Seigneur ne rejette point à toujours.
32 Sometimes he causes us to suffer, but sometimes he is kind [to us] because he continually and faithfully loves [us].
Mais s’il afflige quelqu’un, il en a aussi compassion selon la grandeur de ses gratuités.
33 And he is not happy about causing human beings to suffer or to be sad.
Car ce n’est pas volontiers qu’il afflige et contriste les fils des hommes.
34 If people (mistreat all the prisoners/crush all the prisoners under their feet)
[Lamed.] Lorsqu’on foule sous ses pieds tous les prisonniers du monde;
35 or if they rebel against God by refusing to give to people the things that it is right for them [to receive],
Lorsqu’on pervertit le droit de quelqu’un en la présence du Très-haut;
36 or if they cause judges to decide matters unjustly, (does Yahweh not see all those things?/Yahweh certainly sees all those things!) [RHQ]
Lorsqu’on fait tort à quelqu’un dans son procès, le Seigneur ne le voit-il point?
37 No one can [RHQ] command something to happen [and then cause it to happen] if Yahweh has not already decided that it should happen.
[Mem.] Qui est-ce qui dit que cela a été fait, [et] que le Seigneur ne l’[a] point commandé?
38 God in heaven [MTY] is [RHQ] the one who causes disasters to happen, and he [also] causes good things to happen.
Les maux, et les biens ne procèdent-ils point de l’ordre du Très-haut?
39 [So] it is certainly not [RHQ] right for us, who are only humans, to complain when he punishes us for the sins that we have committed.
Pourquoi se dépiterait l’homme vivant, l’homme, [dis-je], à cause de ses péchés?
40 Instead, we should (examine/think carefully about) our behavior; we should turn back to Yahweh.
[Nun.] Recherchons nos voies, et [les] sondons, et retournons jusqu’à l’Eternel.
41 We should pray [IDM] sincerely and lift up our arms toward God in heaven, [and say, ]
Levons nos cœurs et nos mains au [Dieu] Fort qui est aux cieux, [en disant]:
42 “We have sinned and rebelled [against you], and you have not forgiven [us].
Nous avons péché, nous avons été rebelles, tu n’as point pardonné.
43 You have surrounded us with your anger and pursued us; you have slaughtered [us] without pitying us.
[Samech.] Tu nous as couverts de [ta] colère, et nous as poursuivis, tu as tué, tu n’as point épargné.
44 You have hidden yourself in a cloud, with the result that you do not hear [us] when we pray.
Tu t’es couvert d’une nuée, afin que la requête ne passât point.
45 You have caused [the people of other] nations to consider us to be only garbage [DOU].
Tu nous as fait être la raclure et le rebut au milieu des peuples.
46 All our enemies have insulted us.
[Pe.] Tous nos ennemis ont ouvert leur bouche sur nous.
47 We are constantly afraid [DOU], [because] we have experienced disasters and ruin [DOU].”
La frayeur et la fosse, le dégât et la calamité nous sont arrivés.
48 I cry a lot because my people have been destroyed.
Mon œil s’est fondu en ruisseaux d’eaux à cause de la plaie de la fille de mon peuple.
49 My tears continually flow; they will not stop
[Hajin.] Mon œil verse des larmes, et ne cesse point, parce qu’il n’y a aucun relâche.
50 until Yahweh looks down from heaven and sees [us].
Jusques à ce que l’Eternel regarde et voie des cieux.
51 I am very grieved because of [what has happened to] the women of my city.
Mon œil afflige mon âme à cause de toutes les filles de ma ville.
52 Those who are my enemies hunted for me like [SIM] [people hunt for] a bird [to kill it] [even though] there was no reason [for them to do that].
[Tsadi.] Ceux qui me sont ennemis sans cause m’ont poursuivi à outrance, comme on chasse après l’oiseau.
53 They threw me into a pit to kill me, and they threw stones on top of me.
Ils ont enserré ma vie dans une fosse, et ont roulé une pierre sur moi.
54 The water [in the pit] rose above my head, and I said [to myself], “I am about to die/drown!”
Les eaux ont regorgé par-dessus ma tête; je disais: je suis retranché.
55 But from the bottom of the pit I cried out to you [MTY], “Yahweh, [help me]!”
[Koph.] J’ai invoqué ton Nom, ô Eternel! d’une des plus basses fosses.
56 I pleaded with you, “Do not refuse to heed [MTY] me while I cry out to you!”
Tu as ouï ma voix, ne ferme point ton oreille, afin que je n’expire point à force de crier.
57 Then you answered me and said, “Do not be afraid!”
Tu t’es approché au jour que je t’ai invoqué, et tu as dit: ne crains rien.
58 Yahweh, you defended me; you did not allow me to die.
[Resch.] Ô Seigneur! tu as plaidé la cause de mon âme; et tu as garanti ma vie.
59 [Now], Yahweh, you have seen the evil things that my enemies have done to me, [so] decide my case [and show that I am right]!
Tu as vu, ô Eternel! le tort qu’on me fait, fais-moi droit.
60 You know the evil things that they have planned to do to me.
Tu as vu toutes les vengeances dont ils ont usé, et toutes leurs machinations contre moi.
61 Yahweh, you have heard them insult [me] and what they have planned to do to me.
[Scin.] Tu as ouï, ô Eternel! leur opprobe et toutes leurs machinations contre moi.
62 Every day they whisper and mutter things about me, all day long.
Les discours de ceux qui s’élèvent contre moi, et leur dessein qu’ils ont contre moi tout le long du jour.
63 Look at them! Whether they are standing or sitting they make fun of me with the songs that they sing.
Considère quand ils s’asseyent, et quand ils se lèvent, [car] je suis leur chanson.
64 Yahweh, cause them to suffer in return for their causing [me] to suffer!
[Thau.] Rends-leur la pareille, ô Eternel! selon l’ouvrage de leurs mains.
65 Curse them [IDM] [for] their being very stubborn [IDM].
Donne-leur un tel ennui qu’il leur couvre le cœur; donne-leur ta malédiction.
66 Because you are angry with them, pursue them and get rid of them, [until none of them remain] on the earth.
Poursuis-les en ta colère, et les efface de dessous les cieux de l’Eternel.
