Esther 6
1 Cette nuit-là le sommeil fuyait le roi, et il ordonna d’apporter le livre d’annales des chroniques, et on les lut devant le roi;
That night the king was unable to sleep, so he [summoned] a servant [and] told [him] to bring the records of what had happened during all the time he had been king. [So the servant brought the records] and read some of them to the king.
2 et on y trouva écrit que Mardochée avait fait connaître, à l’égard de Bigthan et de Théresh, les deux eunuques du roi, gardiens du seuil, qu’ils avaient cherché à porter la main sur le roi Assuérus.
[The servant read about] Bigthana and Teresh, the two men who had guarded the entrance to the king’s rooms. He read the account of when Mordecai had found out that they planned to assassinate the king [and that he had told the king about it].
3 Et le roi dit: Quel honneur et quelle distinction a-t-on conférés à Mardochée, à cause de cela? Et les serviteurs du roi qui le servaient, dirent: On n’a rien fait pour lui.
The king asked [some of his servants], “What did we do to reward Mordecai or show that we appreciate what he did?” The servants replied, “We did not do anything for him.”
4 Et le roi dit: Qui est dans la cour? Or Haman était venu dans la cour extérieure de la maison du roi, pour dire au roi de faire pendre Mardochée au bois qu’il avait dressé pour lui.
At that moment, Haman entered the outer courtyard of the palace. He wanted to talk to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows that he had [just] set up. The king [saw him and] said, “Who is [that out there] in the courtyard?”
5 Et les serviteurs du roi lui dirent: Voici Haman, qui se tient dans la cour. Et le roi dit: Qu’il entre.
His servants replied, “That is Haman standing there in the courtyard.” The king said, “Bring him in [here]!”
6 Et Haman entra. Et le roi lui dit: Que faut-il faire à l’homme que le roi se plaît à honorer? Et Haman pensa dans son cœur: À quel autre qu’à moi plairait-il au roi de faire honneur?
When Haman came in, the king asked him, “What should I do for a man whom I want to honor?” Haman thought to himself, “(Whom would the king like to honor more than me?/I think there is no one whom the king would like to honor more than me!)” [RHQ]
7 Et Haman dit au roi: Quant à l’homme que le roi se plaît à honorer,
So he replied to the king, “If there is someone you wish to honor,
8 qu’on apporte le vêtement royal dont le roi se revêt, et le cheval que le roi monte, et sur la tête duquel on met la couronne royale;
you should [tell your servants to] bring him one of the robes you wear [you to show that you are] the king. Also tell them to bring one of the horses you have ridden. Tell them to put a fancy headdress on the horse’s head to show that it belongs to you, the king.
9 et que le vêtement et le cheval soient remis aux mains d’un des princes du roi les plus illustres; et qu’on revête l’homme que le roi se plaît à honorer, et qu’on le promène par les rues de la ville, monté sur le cheval, et qu’on crie devant lui: C’est ainsi qu’on fait à l’homme que le roi se plaît à honorer.
Then tell one of your very important officials to put the robe on the man whom you want to honor, and tell that man to sit on the horse, and then lead the horse through the city streets. And tell that official to keep shouting, ‘This is what (the king does/is doing) for the man whom he wants to honor!’”
10 Et le roi dit à Haman: Hâte-toi, prends le vêtement et le cheval, comme tu l’as dit, et fais ainsi à Mardochée, le Juif, qui est assis à la porte du roi. N’omets rien de tout ce que tu as dit.
The king replied to Haman, “[Fine]! Go and do what you said immediately! Get my robe and my horse, and do just what you suggested! Do it for Mordecai, the Jew, who is sitting [outside] at the gate of the palace. Do not forget anything that you suggested!”
11 Et Haman prit le vêtement et le cheval, et revêtit Mardochée et le promena à cheval par les rues de la ville, et il criait devant lui: C’est ainsi qu’on fait à l’homme que le roi se plaît à honorer!
So Haman did what the king said. He got the robe and the horse. He put the robe on Mordecai, and as Mordecai sat on the horse, Haman led the horse through the city streets proclaiming “This is what the king (does/is doing) for the man whom the king wants to honor!”
12 Et Mardochée revint à la porte du roi. Et Haman se rendit en hâte à sa maison, triste et la tête couverte.
Then, Mordecai returned [and sat] at the gate of the palace. But Haman hurried home, covering his face [because he felt] completely disgraced/humiliated.
13 Et Haman raconta à Zéresh, sa femme, et à tous ses amis, tout ce qui lui était arrivé. Et ses sages et Zéresh, sa femme, lui dirent: Si Mardochée devant lequel tu as commencé de tomber est de la race des Juifs, tu ne l’emporteras pas sur lui, mais tu tomberas certainement devant lui.
He told his wife Zeresh and his friends everything that had happened to him that day. Then his wife and his friends said to him, “Mordecai, the man who has caused you to be completely disgraced/humiliated, is a Jew. [It is clear that the God whom the Jews worship is fighting for them.] So you will never be able to defeat Mordecai. He will defeat you!”
14 Comme ils parlaient encore avec lui, les eunuques du roi s’approchèrent et se hâtèrent de conduire Haman au festin qu’Esther avait préparé.
And while they were still talking, some of the king’s officials arrived to take Haman quickly to the banquet/feast that Esther had prepared.
