< Psalms 18 >
1 For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said, I love you, LORD, my strength.
Au chef des chantres. Par le serviteur de l’Eternel, David, qui prononça en l’honneur du Seigneur les paroles de ce cantique, lorsque l’Eternel l’eut délivré de la main de tous ses ennemis et de la main de Saül. Il dit: Je t’aime, ô Eternel, qui es ma force!
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
Seigneur, tu es mon rocher et ma forteresse, un libérateur pour moi; mon Dieu tutélaire en qui je m’abrite, mon bouclier, mon puissant sauveur, mon rempart!
3 I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; and I am saved from my enemies.
Gloire, m’écrié-je, à l’Eternel, et je suis délivré de mes ennemis!
4 The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
Déjà m’enveloppaient les liens de la mort, les torrents de la perdition me faisaient frémir;
5 The cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death came on me. (Sheol )
j’étais enlacé dans les réseaux de la tombe, surpris dans les filets de la mort. (Sheol )
6 In my distress I called on the LORD, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry before him came into his ears.
Dans ma détresse, j’invoque le Seigneur, je fais appel à mon Dieu; de son sanctuaire il entend ma voix, mon cri est monté à ses oreilles.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
Soudain la terre oscille et tremble, les fondements des montagnes sont ébranlés, secoués par la colère de Dieu.
8 Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.
Des vapeurs s’exhalent, signe de son courroux; de sa bouche sort un feu dévorant, jaillissent de brûlantes étincelles.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
Il incline les cieux et descend; sous ses pieds une brume épaisse.
10 He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.
Porté sur les chérubins, il vole, il plane sur les ailes du vent.
11 He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
Des ténèbres il se fait une mystérieuse retraite, il s’enveloppe, comme d’un pavillon, des eaux obscures, d’opaques nuages.
12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire.
De l’éclat qui l’entoure s’élancent ses nuées, la grêle et des flammes ardentes.
13 The LORD also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice: hailstones and coals of fire.
Il tonne dans les cieux, l’Eternel, le Dieu suprême fait entendre sa voix, la grêle et les flammes ardentes.
14 He sent out his arrows, and scattered them. He routed them with great lightning bolts.
Il décoche ses flèches et il les disperse, il lance des éclairs et les frappe de stupeur.
15 Then the channels of waters appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
Le lit des fleuves s’est découvert, les fondements de la terre ont été mis à nu, à ta voix impérieuse, ô Eternel, au souffle du vent de ta colère.
16 He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters.
Il étend d’en haut sa main, me saisit, me retire du sein des grandes eaux;
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
il me délivre de mon puissant ennemi, de mes adversaires trop forts pour moi.
18 They came on me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.
Ils étaient à l’affût de mes malheurs, mais l’Eternel a été mon appui.
19 He brought me out also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
Il m’a mis au large, m’a sauvé parce qu’il m’aime.
20 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands, he has recompensed me.
Le Seigneur me traite selon ma droiture, il récompense la pureté de mes mains.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
C’Est que je suis fidèle aux voies du Seigneur, jamais je n’ai trahi mon Dieu.
22 For all his ordinances were before me. I didn’t put away his statutes from me.
Toutes ses lois me sont présentes, ses statuts, je ne m’en écarte point.
23 I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
Attaché à lui sans réserve, je me suis tenu en garde contre mes fautes.
24 Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
Oui, le Seigneur m’a rémunéré selon ma droiture, selon la pureté de mes mains, dont ses yeux sont témoins.
25 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect.
Tu te montres aimant pour qui t’aime, loyal envers l’homme loyal,
26 With the pure, you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
sincère avec les cœurs purs, mais artificieux avec les pervers!
27 For you will save the afflicted people, but the arrogant eyes you will bring down.
Oui, tu viens en aide à un peuple humilié, et tu abaisses les yeux hautains.
28 For you will light my lamp, LORD. My God will light up my darkness.
Oui, tu fais briller ma lumière! L’Eternel, mon Dieu, illumine mes ténèbres.
29 For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall.
Soutenu par lui, j’attaque un bataillon; grâce à mon Dieu, j’escalade un rempart.
30 As for God, his way is perfect. The LORD’s word is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
Dieu puissant! parfaite est sa voie; la parole du Seigneur est infaillible, il est le bouclier de quiconque espère en lui.
31 For who is God, except the LORD? Who is a rock, besides our God,
Qui est Dieu, hormis l’Eternel? Qui un rocher tutélaire, si ce n’est notre Dieu?
32 the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?
Ce Dieu me ceint de force, et me fait suivre une voie parfaite.
33 He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and sets me on my high places.
Il rend mes pieds agiles comme ceux des biches, et m’installe sur mes hauteurs.
34 He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
Il instruit mes mains aux combats, mes bras à manier l’arc d’airain.
35 You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great.
Tu me prêtes le bouclier de ton secours, ta droite est mon appui, ta bienveillance fait ma supériorité.
36 You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped.
Tu donnes de l’aisance à mes pas, et empêches mes talons de chanceler.
37 I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. I won’t turn away until they are consumed.
Je poursuis mes ennemis, je les atteins; point de relâche que je ne les aie détruits.
38 I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet.
Je les abats, ils ne pourront plus se relever, ils gisent désormais à mes pieds.
39 For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
C’Est toi qui m’as armé de vaillance pour la guerre, qui fais plier sous moi mes agresseurs;
40 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
mes ennemis, tu les fais fuir devant moi, et mes adversaires, j’en fais justice.
41 They cried, but there was no one to save; even to the LORD, but he didn’t answer them.
Ils s’adressent, à bout de ressources, à l’Eternel…: point de réponse!
42 Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mire of the streets.
Je les écrase comme la poussière qu’emporte le vent, comme la fange des rues, je les pulvérise.
43 You have delivered me from the strivings of the people. You have made me the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known shall serve me.
Tu me fais triompher des factions du peuple, tu me places à la tête des nations; des peuplades inconnues deviennent mes tributaires.
44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me.
Au seul bruit de mon nom, ils se soumettent à moi, les fils d’un sol étranger me rendent hommage.
45 The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
Les fils de l’étranger perdent courage, ils tremblent au fond de leurs retraites.
46 The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation,
Vivant est le Seigneur, et béni mon rocher! Glorifié le Dieu qui me protège!
47 even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me.
O Dieu, c’est toi qui me procures vengeance, qui fais tomber des peuples à mes pieds;
48 He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man.
qui m’arraches à mes ennemis, me fais triompher de mes agresseurs, et échapper aux hommes de violence.
49 Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, amongst the nations, and will sing praises to your name.
Je te rends donc grâce, Seigneur, à la face des peuples, et je chante ta gloire,
50 He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.
ô toi qui assures de grandes victoires à ton roi, qui combles de bienfaits ton oint David et sa postérité à jamais!