Lamentations 4
1 [Previously our people were like] [MET] pure gold, but now they are worthless. [Like] [MET] the sacred stones in the temple have been scattered, [our young men have been scattered].
Comment l’or s’est-il terni, l’or pur s’est-il altéré, les pierres sacrées ont-elles été dispersées au coin de toutes les rues?
2 The young men of Jerusalem were as valuable as [MET] large amounts of gold, but now people consider that they are as worthless as [ordinary] clay pots.
Les plus nobles fils de Sion, estimés au poids de l’or fin, comment ont-ils été comptés pour des vases de terre, ouvrage des mains d’un potier?
3 Even the [female] jackals/wolves feed their pups, but my people act cruelly [toward their children]; they are like [SIM] ostriches in the desert [that abandon their eggs].
Même les chacals présentent les mamelles, et allaitent leurs petits; la fille de mon peuple est devenue cruelle, comme les autruches dans le désert.
4 [My people’s] infants’ tongues cling to the roofs/tops of their mouths because they are [extremely] thirsty; the children plead for some food, but no one gives them [any].
La langue du nourrisson s’attache à son palais, à cause de la soif; les petits enfants demandent du pain, et personne ne leur en donne.
5 People who [previously] ate fine food are [now] starving in the streets; those who previously lived luxuriously [MTY] [now] paw/dig through rubbish heaps [to find some food].
Ceux qui se nourrissaient de mets délicats tombent d’inanition dans les rues; ceux qu’on portait sur la pourpre embrassent le fumier.
6 [The people of] Sodom were struck with a disaster very suddenly, and there was no one to rescue them; but my people have been punished more severely than [the people of] Sodom were punished.
Et l’iniquité de la fille de mon peuple a été plus grande que le péché de Sodome, qui fut renversée en un instant, sans que des mains se levassent contre elle.
7 Our leaders’ [behavior] was [previously] very pure, whiter [and brighter] than snow and milk; their bodies were redder than [red] coral/stones; they were very strong and healthy [MET].
Ses princes surpassaient la neige en éclat, le lait en blancheur; leur corps était plus vermeil que le corail, leur figure était un saphir.
8 But now their faces are blacker than soot, and no one recognizes them in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones, and it has become as dry as [SIM] a wooden [stick].
Leur aspect est plus sombre que le noir même; on ne les reconnaît plus dans les rues; leur peau est collée à leurs os, elle est sèche comme du bois.
9 It is better to die in a battle [MTY] than to die of hunger. There was no food to harvest in the fields, so the people slowly starved until they died.
Plus heureuses sont les victimes de l’épée que les victimes de la faim, qui s’épuisent lentement, blessées, faute des produits des champs! JOD.
10 Women who [usually/previously] were very kind have [killed and] cooked their own children; they ate them [when there was no other food], when Jerusalem was surrounded [by enemy soldiers].
Des femmes compatissantes ont de leurs mains fait cuire leurs enfants; ils leur ont servi de nourriture, dans le désastre de la fille de mon peuple.
11 Yahweh has shown that he was extremely angry; [it is as though] he started/ignited a fire in Jerusalem that burned everything to ashes.
Yahweh a épuisé sa fureur; il a répandu l’ardeur de sa colère, et a allumé dans Sion un feu qui en a dévoré les fondements.
12 None of the kings on the earth or anyone else believed that any of our enemies could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
Ils ne croyaient pas, les rois de la terre, ni tous les habitants du monde, que l’adversaire, l’ennemi entrerait dans les portes de Jérusalem.
13 [But that is what happened]; it happened because the prophets sinned; and the priests [also] sinned by causing innocent people to be executed [MTY].
C’est à cause des péchés de ses prophètes, des iniquités de ses prêtres, qui répandaient dans son enceinte le sang des justes.
14 The prophets and priests wandered through the streets [as though they were] blind. No one would touch them because their clothes were stained with the blood [of people who had been killed].
Ils erraient comme des aveugles dans les rues, souillés de sang, de sorte qu’on ne pouvait toucher leurs vêtements.
15 The people [who were alive] shouted, “Stay away [from us] [DOU]! You are defiled/untouchable! Do not touch us!” So the prophets and priests fled [from Israel], and they wandered around from one country to another, because people [in each country] kept saying to them, “You cannot stay here!”
« Écartez-vous! Un impur! » leur criait-on. « Écartez-vous! Écartez-vous! Ne le touchez pas! » Ils erraient, et l’on disait parmi les nations: « Qu’ils ne séjournent pas ici! »
16 It is Yahweh himself who has scattered them; he no longer is concerned about them. People do not respect [our] priests or leaders.
La face irritée de Yahweh les a dispersés; il ne les regarde plus. L’ennemi n’a eu ni respect pour les prêtres, ni pitié pour les vieillards.
17 We [SYN] continued to look for someone to help [us], but it was useless. We continued to watch to see if one of our allies would save us, but none of the nations that we were waiting for could help [us].
Et nous, nos yeux se consumaient encore à attendre un vain secours; du haut de nos tours, nous regardions vers une nation qui ne peut sauver.
18 [Our] enemies were hunting for us, so we could not [even] walk in our streets [lest they seize us]. We were about to be captured; it was time for us to be killed.
Ils épiaient nos pas, nous empêchant de marcher dans nos places. Notre fin approche, nos jours sont accomplis; oui, notre fin est arrivée!
19 Those who pursued us were faster than eagles [flying] in the sky. Even if we fled to the mountains or hid in the desert, they [went there ahead of us and] waited [to attack] us.
Ceux qui nous poursuivaient ont été plus légers que les aigles du ciel; ils nous ont pourchassés sur les montagnes; ils nous ont dressé des embûches dans le désert.
20 [Our king, ] whom Yahweh appointed, was the one who enabled us to remain alive [MTY]; he was the one whom we trusted to protect us [IDM] from [the armies of] other nations. But he was [captured] [like animals are] [MET] caught in a pit.
Le souffle de nos narines, l’oint de Yahweh, a été pris dans leurs fosses, lui dont nous disions: « A son ombre nous vivrons parmi les nations. » SIN.
21 You people of [IDM] Edom and Uz, [you may] be happy [about what is happening to us now], but [Yahweh] will be punishing [MTY] you [also]. You will become drunk and will be ashamed [because your enemies] will have stripped off your clothes.
Réjouis-toi et sois dans l’allégresse, fille d’Edom, qui habite au pays de Hus! A toi aussi passera la coupe; tu t’enivreras et tu te mettras à nu.
22 You [people of] [APO] Jerusalem, the time of your being punished will end; Yahweh will not allow you to continue to live in (exile/foreign countries). But [you people of] [APO] Edom, Yahweh will punish [you]; he will reveal the wicked things that you have done.
Ton iniquité a pris fin, fille de Sion, il ne t’enverra plus en exil. Il visite ton iniquité, fille d’Edom; il met à découvert tes péchés.
