Isaïe 38
1 En ce temps-là, Ézéchias fut malade à la mort. Le prophète Isaïe, fils d’Amos, vint auprès de lui et lui dit: « Ainsi dit Yahweh: Donne tes ordres à ta maison, car tu vas mourir, et tu ne vivras plus. »
About that time, Hezekiah became [very] ill and was close to dying. [So] I went to see him. And I gave him this message: “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You should tell the people in your palace what you want them to do after you die, because you will not recover from this illness. You are going to die’”
2 Ézéchias tourna son visage contre le mur et pria Yahweh; il dit:
Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed this:
3 « Souvenez-vous, ô Yahweh, que j’ai marché devant votre face avec fidélité et intégrité, et que j’ai fait ce qui est bien à vos yeux! » Et Ézéchias versa des larmes abondantes.
“Yahweh, do not forget that I have always served you very faithfully, and I have done things that pleased you!” Then Hezekiah [started to] cry loudly.
4 Et la parole de Yahweh fut adressée à Isaïe en ces termes:
[I left his room, but] Yahweh gave me this message:
5 « Va, et dis à Ézéchias: « Ainsi dit Yahweh, le Dieu de David, ton père: J’ai entendu ta prière, j’ai vu tes larmes; voici que j’ajouterai à tes jours quinze années.
“Go [back] to Hezekiah and tell him that this is what I, the God to whom your ancestor King David belonged, say: ‘I have heard what you prayed, and I have seen you crying. So listen: I will enable you to live 15 years more.
6 Je te délivrerai, toi et cette ville, de la main du roi d’Assyrie; je protégerai cette ville.
And, I will rescue you and this city from the power [MTY] of the King of Assyria. I will defend this city.
7 Et voici pour toi le signe donné par Yahweh, auquel tu connaîtras que Yahweh accomplira cette parole qu’il a dite:
And this is what I will do to prove that I will do what I have just now promised. I will cause the shadow of the sun to move ten steps backward on the sundial that was built by King Ahaz.’”
8 Voici que je vais faire reculer l’ombre en arrière, des degrés qu’elle a descendus sur les degrés d’Achaz sous l’ influence du soleil, soit de dix degrés. Et le soleil recula de dix degrés sur les degrés qu’il avait descendus.
So the shadow of the sun on the sundial moved backward ten steps.
9 Écrit d’Ézéchias, roi de Juda, lorsqu’il fut malade et qu’il guérit de sa maladie:
When King Hezekiah was almost well again, he wrote this:
10 Je disais: Dans la paix de mes jours je m’en vais aux portes du schéol; je suis privé du reste de mes ans! (Sheol h7585)
I thought to myself, “Is it necessary for me to die and go to the place where the dead people are during this time of my life when I am still strong? Is Yahweh going to rob me of the remaining years that I [should live]?” (Sheol h7585)
11 Je disais: Je ne verrai plus Yahweh, Yahweh sur la terre des vivants; je ne verrai plus les hommes, parmi les habitants du silencieux séjour!
I said, “I will not see Yahweh [again] in this world where people are alive. I will not see my friends again, or be with others who [now] are alive in this world.
12 Ma demeure est enlevée, emportée loin de moi comme une tente de bergers. Comme un tisserand, j’ourdissais ma vie; il me retranche du métier! Du jour à la nuit tu en auras fini avec moi!
[It is as if] my life has been taken away like [SIM] a tent [whose pegs] have been pulled up by a shepherd and taken away. My time to live has been cut short, like a piece of cloth that a weaver [cuts and] rolls up [after he has finished weaving a cloth].” Suddenly, [it seemed that] my life was ending.
13 Je me suis tu jusqu’au matin; comme un lion, il brisait tous mes os; du jour à la nuit tu en auras fini avec moi!
I waited patiently all during the night, but [my pain was as though] [MET] I was being torn apart by lions. [It seemed that] my life was finished.
14 Comme l’hirondelle, comme la grue, je crie; je gémis comme la colombe; mes yeux se sont lassés à regarder en haut: « Yahweh, on me fait violence; sois mon garant! »
[I was delirious, and] I chirped like a swift or a swallow, and moaned like a dove. My eyes became tired looking up [toward heaven] for help. I cried out, Lord, help me, [because] I am distressed!’
15 Que dirais-je? Il m’a dit, il l’ a fait. Je marcherai humblement pendant toutes mes années, me souvenant de l’amertume de mon âme.
But there was really nothing [RHQ] that I could say and ask him to reply to me, because it was Yahweh who sent this illness. [So now] I will live humbly during my [remaining] years because I am very anguished.
16 Seigneur, c’est en cela qu’est la vie, en tout cela est la vie de mon esprit. Vous me guérissez, vous me rendez la vie:
Yahweh, the sufferings (OR, the promises) that you give are good, [because] what you do and what you say bring [new] life and health to us. And you restore/heal me and allow me [to continue] to live!
17 voici que ma suprême amertume se change en paix! Vous avez retiré mon âme de la fosse de perdition; vous avez jeté derrière votre dos tous mes péchés.
Truly, my suffering was good for me; you loved me, and as a result you have rescued me from dying and have also forgiven all my sins.
18 Car le schéol ne vous célèbre pas, la mort ne chante pas vos louanges; ceux qui descendent dans la fosse n’espèrent plus en votre fidélité. (Sheol h7585)
Dead people [MTY] cannot praise you; they cannot sing to praise you. Those who have descended to their graves cannot confidently expect you to faithfully [do things for them]. (Sheol h7585)
19 Le vivant, le vivant, c’est lui qui vous célèbre, comme je le fais en ce jour; père fera connaître à ses enfants votre fidélité.
Only people who are still alive, like I am, can praise you. Fathers tell their children how you are faithful, [and if I remain alive, I will do the same thing].
20 Yahweh a été prompt à me sauver; nous ferons résonner les cordes de ma harpe, tous les jours de notre vie, devant la maison de Yahweh.
[I know that] Yahweh will fully heal me, [so] I will sing to praise him while others praise him playing musical instruments; I will do that every day of my life, in the temple of Yahweh.”
21 Isaïe dit: « Qu’on apporte une masse de figues, et qu’on l’applique sur l’ulcère et que le roi guérisse! »
I had [previously] said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Prepare an ointment from [mashed] figs, and spread it on his boil, and then he will recover.” [So they did that, and Hezekiah recovered].
22 Et Ézéchias dit: « À quel signe connaîtrai-je que je monterai à la maison de Yahweh? »
And Hezekiah had [previously] asked, “What will Yahweh do to prove that I will [recover and be able to] go to his temple?”
