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].
Comme l'or s'est terni, comme les superbes joyaux se sont altérés! Les pierres sacrées jonchent tous les carrefours.
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 fils de Sion, ses enfants chéris, qui avaient le prix de l'or fin, comme les voilà mis au taux de la vaisselle d'argile, ouvrage des mains du 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].
Les chacals mêmes présentent la mamelle à leurs petits qu'ils allaitent; la fille de mon peuple est barbare, comme l'autruche de la steppe.
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 est collée par la soif à son palais; les enfants demandent du pain, personne ne leur en distribue.
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 mangeaient des mets délicats, souffrent le dénuement dans les rues; ceux qui étaient portés sur la pourpre, prennent le fumier pour leur couche.
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.
Le châtiment de la fille de mon peuple est plus grand que la peine de Sodome qui fut bouleversée en un moment, sans être assaillie par des mains humaines.
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 avaient un éclat plus pur que la neige, plus brillant que le lait; ils avaient un corps vermeil comme le corail, et la beauté du 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 devenu plus sombre que le noir; ils ne sont plus reconnus dans les rues, leur peau s'attache à leurs os, elle a la sécheresse 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.
Les victimes de l'épée ont un meilleur sort que les victimes de la faim, qui dépérissent minées par la disette de ce que rendent les champs.
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].
Les mains de femmes aimantes font cuire leurs propres enfants; ils servent à les nourrir 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.
L'Éternel a achevé ses vengeances, versé le feu de sa colère; dans Sion Il alluma un feu qui dévora ses fondements.
12 None of the kings on the earth or anyone else believed that any of our enemies could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
Les rois de la terre, ni aucun des habitants du monde ne croyaient que l'ennemi et l'adversaire pénétrassent 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].
Ce fut à cause des péchés de leurs prophètes, des crimes de leurs sacrificateurs qui dans son enceinte répandirent 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 dans les rues comme aveugles, souillés de sang, personne ne pouvant 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!”
« Loin de nous, impurs! » leur criait-on, « loin de nous! loin de nous, ne nous touchez pas! » Ils sont maintenant en fuite, ils errent aussi; on dit parmi les nations: « Ils n'auront plus leur demeure! »
16 It is Yahweh himself who has scattered them; he no longer is concerned about them. People do not respect [our] priests or leaders.
L'aspect de l'Éternel les a dissipés, Il ne tourne plus ses regards vers eux; on n'a point égard aux sacrificateurs; on ne prend point pitié des 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].
Nos yeux languissent encore après notre délivrance; vanité! De nos vedettes nous cherchons à découvrir un peuple; il ne nous délivre pas!
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 enlacent nos pas, pour nous empêcher de marcher dans nos rues; notre fin approche, nos temps sont accomplis, oui, notre fin arrive.
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 poursuivent, sont plus légers que les aigles du ciel; sur les montagnes ils nous serrent de près, et en embuscade dans le désert ils nous épient.
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.
L'âme de notre vie, l'Oint de l'Éternel, a été pris dans leurs fosses, lui dont nous disions: Nous vivrons à son ombre au milieu des nations.
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.
Livre-toi à la joie et aux transports, fille d'Édom, habitante du pays de Uts! Mais le calice te sera aussi passé; tu seras enivrée et mise 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.
Fille de Sion, ta peine est achevée; Il ne t'emmènera plus captive; mais Il châtiera ton crime, fille d'Édom, Il mettra tes péchés à découvert.
