Ézéchiel 31
1 La onzième année, au troisième mois, le premier du mois, la parole de Yahweh me fut adressée en ces termes:
Almost eleven years [after we had been taken to Babylonia], on the first day of the third month [of that year], Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
2 « Fils de l’homme, dis à Pharaon, roi d’Égypte, et à sa multitude: À qui ressembles-tu dans ta grandeur?
“You human, say to the King of Egypt and all of his people, ‘[You think that] there is [RHQ, IRO] no country whose power is as great as the power of your country.
3 Voilà qu’Assur était un cèdre sur le Liban, à la belle ramure, à l’ombrage épais, à la taille élevée, et ayant sa cime dans les nues.
You think that your country is as great as Assyria was: Assyria was previously like [MET] a tall cedar tree in Lebanon; [it was as though] it had big beautiful branches that provided shade for [other trees in] the forest. It was very tall; its top was above the leaves of the other trees.
4 Les eaux l’avaient fait croître, l’abîme l’avait fait grandir, en faisant couler ses fleuves autour du lieu où il était planté et en envoyant ses ruisseaux à tous les arbres des champs.
Water came from deep springs, and as a result that cedar tree grew tall and very green. Then water flowed around the base of the tree into channels that took water to other nearby trees.
5 C’est pourquoi sa taille s’élevait, plus haute que les arbres des champs; ses branches avaient grandi, ses rameaux s’étaient allongés, grâce aux eaux abondantes du temps de sa croissance.
That huge tree grew very tall, higher than all the other trees around it. Its branches grew very thick and long [DOU] because of the abundant water [at the base of the tree].
6 Dans ses branches tous les oiseaux du ciel nichaient; sous ses rameaux mettaient bas tous les animaux des champs, et à son ombre étaient assises des nations nombreuses.
Birds built their nests in the branches, and wild animals gave birth to their babies under those branches. [And it was as though people of] all the great nations lived in the shade of that tree.
7 Il était beau par sa grandeur, par la longueur de ses branches, car ses racines plongeaient dans des eaux abondantes.
It was majestic and beautiful; its branches spread out widely because the roots of the tree grew down into the ground where there was a plentiful supply of water.
8 Les cèdres ne l’obscurcissaient pas dans le jardin de Dieu, les cyprès n’égalaient pas ses branches, et les platanes n’étaient pas comme ses rameaux; aucun arbre dans le jardin de Dieu ne l’égalait en beauté.
The cedar trees in my garden [in Eden] were not as great as that tree, and the branches of the pine/cypress trees were not as long and thick as the branches of that cedar tree. And the branches of the plane trees were not as long and thick, either. No tree in my garden was as beautiful as that cedar tree.
9 Je l’avais rendu beau par la multitude de ses rameaux; tous les arbres d’Éden lui portaient envie, tous ceux qui sont dans le jardin de Dieu.
Because I caused that tree to become very beautiful with its magnificent green branches, [all the leaders of other countries represented by] [MET] those other trees in Eden envied [the country represented by] that tree.’
10 C’est pourquoi ainsi parle le Seigneur Yahweh: Parce qu’il s’est élevé en hauteur, parce qu’il a porté sa cime jusque dans les nues; et que son cœur s’est enorgueilli de son élévation,
Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘That tree, which [represents Assyria], grew very tall, and its top was higher than the other trees, and it became very proud because of being very tall.
11 je l’ai livré aux mains du dieu des nations, qui le traitera à sa guise; à cause de sa méchanceté, je l’ai chassé.
Therefore, I enabled another mighty nation to conquer it and to destroy it as it deserved to be destroyed. I have already discarded it.
12 Des étrangers l’ont coupé, — nation féroce entre toutes, — et laissé là; sur les montagnes et dans toutes les vallées; ses branches sont tombées; ses rameaux brisés gisent dans tous les ravins du pays; tous les peuples de la terre se sont éloignés de son ombre et l’ont abandonné.
A foreign army, one that has caused people of other nations to be terrified, cut it down and left it. Its branches fell on the mountains and in the valleys. Some of its branches lay broken in all the ravines in the land. All the people of other nations came out from being under its shade and left it.
13 Sur ses débris tous les oiseaux du ciel viennent se poser, et dans ses rameaux se sont retirés tous les animaux des champs:
Birds (settled/went to live) on the fallen tree, and wild animals lived among its branches.
14 afin qu’aucun arbre planté sur les eaux ne s’élève en hauteur et ne porte sa cime jusque dans les nues, et qu’aucun de ceux qui s’abreuvent d’eau ne s’appuie sur lui-même dans son orgueil. Car ils sont tous voués à la mort, aux profondeurs de la terre, mêlés aux enfants des hommes; à ceux qui descendent dans la fosse.
The result of what I have done is that no other trees, even if they have plenty of water, will ever grow very high and become proud, and lift their tops above the branches of other trees. I do not want any other tree to grow high like that cedar tree did; trees will all certainly die and decay in the ground, like people die and go down to their graves.’
15 Ainsi parle le Seigneur Yahweh: Le jour où il descendit au schéol, j’ai fait mener le deuil; à cause de lui j’ai voilé l’abîme, j’ai retenu le cours de ses fleuves, et les grandes eaux se sont arrêtées; à cause de lui, j’ai assombri le Liban, et à cause de lui, tous les arbres des champs ont langui. (Sheol h7585)
This is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘When that great tree was cut down, [it was as though] the springs that watered it mourned for it, because I caused the plentiful water [from the springs] to dry up. I caused [the mountains in] Lebanon to become black, and all the trees there to wither. (Sheol h7585)
16 Au bruit de sa chute, j’ai fait trembler les nations, quand je l’ai fait descendre au schéol, avec ceux qui descendent dans la fosse. Ils se sont consolés dans les profondeurs de la terre, tous les arbres d’Éden, les plus beaux et les plus magnifiques du Liban, tous ceux que les eaux abreuvaient. (Sheol h7585)
I caused the people of other nations to tremble when they heard that tree fall to the ground. [They realized] that it would decay, like all people who die and are buried decay. And all the [leaders of other countries represented by] other beautiful trees in my garden in Eden and in Lebanon, were like beautiful trees [that were very proud]. They were ones which had roots that grew down deep into the [ground where there was plenty of] water. They were comforted when [the king represented by] [MET] that cedar tree was there with them in the place where the dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
17 Ceux-là aussi sont descendus avec lui au schéol, vers les victimes de l’épée, qui étaient son bras et étaient assises à son ombre au milieu des nations. (Sheol h7585)
The [leaders of other countries represented by] [MET] trees that grew in the shade of the huge tree, [the allies of] the great nation [that the cedar tree represents], had also joined those who had been killed by the sword and gone down to where the dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
18 Ainsi à qui ressembles-tu en gloire et en grandeur, parmi les arbres d’Éden? Tu seras précipité avec les arbres d’Éden, dans les profondeurs de la terre, pour être couché au milieu d’incirconcis, avec ceux que l’épée a transpercés. Tel sera le sort de Pharaon et de toute sa multitude; — oracle du Seigneur Yahweh. »
[This parable is about you] people of Egypt. [You think that] [RHQ, IRO] there is no other nation that is as great and glorious as yours is. But your nation will also be destroyed, [as Assyria was], along with those other nations. Your people will be there among the other people who are not fit to worship me, people who have been killed by their enemies’ swords. That is what will happen to the king of Egypt and all his people. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, [have predicted it].’”
