Néhémie 9

1 Et le vingt-quatrième jour de ce mois, les fils d’Israël s’assemblèrent avec jeûne et vêtus de sacs, et avec de la terre sur eux.

On October 31, the people gathered together again. They (fasted/abstained from eating food), they wore clothes made from rough cloth, and they put dirt on their heads [to show that they were sorry for their sins].

2 Et la race d’Israël se sépara de tous les fils de l’étranger; et ils se tinrent là et confessèrent leurs péchés et les iniquités de leurs pères.

The Israeli people separated themselves from all the foreigners. They stood there and confessed their sins and the sins that their ancestors had committed.

3 Et ils se levèrent à leurs places, et lurent dans le livre de la loi de l’Éternel, leur Dieu, pendant un quart de la journée; et pendant un quart, ils firent confession et se prosternèrent devant l’Éternel, leur Dieu.

The scroll that contained the laws of Yahweh, the God whom they [worshiped], was read to them for three hours. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and they worshiped Yahweh.

4 Et les lévites, Jéshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebania, Bunni, Shérébia, Bani, et Kenani, se levèrent sur l’estrade et crièrent à haute voix à l’Éternel, leur Dieu.

[Some of] the descendants of Levi were standing on the stairs. They were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, [another] Bani, and Kenani.

5 Et les lévites, Jéshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabnia, Shérébia, Hodija, Shebania et Pethakhia, dirent: Levez-vous, bénissez l’Éternel, votre Dieu, d’éternité en éternité! Et qu’on bénisse le nom de ta gloire, qui est haut élevé au-dessus de toute bénédiction et de toute louange.

Then [the leaders of] the Levites called out to the people. They were Jeshua, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah. They said, “While you are standing there, praise Yahweh your God, who has always lived and will live forever!” [Then one of them continued by praying this to God], “Yahweh, we praise your glorious name! You are much greater than anything that we can think about or talk about!

6 Tu es le Même, toi seul, ô Éternel; tu as fait les cieux, les cieux des cieux et toute leur armée, la terre et tout ce qui est sur elle, les mers et tout ce qui est en elles. Et c’est toi qui fais vivre toutes ces choses, et l’armée des cieux t’adore.

“You only are God. You made the sky and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and everything that is on it, and you made the seas/oceans and everything that is in them. You are the one who gives life to everything and helps them remain alive. All the angels who are in heaven worship you.

7 Tu es le Même, ô Éternel, Dieu, qui as choisi Abram et l’as fait sortir d’Ur des Chaldéens, et lui as donné le nom d’Abraham.

“Yahweh, you are God. You chose Abram and brought him out of Ur [city] in Chaldea [region]. You gave him a new name, Abraham.

8 Et tu trouvas son cœur fidèle devant toi, et tu fis avec lui une alliance pour donner le pays du Cananéen, du Héthien, de l’Amoréen, et du Phérézien, et du Jébusien, et du Guirgasien, pour le donner à sa semence; et tu as accompli tes paroles, car tu es juste.

You saw that he was trustworthy. Then you made (an agreement with/a promise to) him, saying that you would give [to him and] to his descendants the land that the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Amor, Periz, Jebus, and Girgash lived in. And you have done what you promised, because you always do what is right.

9 Et tu vis l’affliction de nos pères en Égypte, et tu entendis leur cri vers la mer Rouge,

“You saw what our ancestors were suffering in Egypt. You heard them cry to you for help when they were at the Red Sea.

10 et tu opéras des signes et des prodiges sur le Pharaon, et sur tous ses serviteurs, et sur tout le peuple de son pays, car tu savais qu’ils avaient agi avec fierté contre eux, et tu t’acquis un nom, comme [il paraît] aujourd’hui.

Because you knew that the leaders of Egypt were treating our ancestors very arrogantly, you performed many kinds of miracles that caused the king and his officials and all his people to suffer. As a result, you became famous then, and you are still famous!

11 Et tu fendis la mer devant eux, et ils passèrent à sec par le milieu de la mer; et ceux qui les poursuivaient, tu les jetas dans les abîmes, comme une pierre dans les eaux puissantes.

You caused the Red Sea to divide, with the result that your people walked through it on the ground without [getting their feet] wet. [After they were all safely on the other side, ] you [caused the water to come back again], and you hurled into the deep water the [soldiers of the Egyptian army] that were pursuing our ancestors. Their soldiers sank into the deep sea like stones!

12 Et tu les conduisis de jour par une colonne de nuée, et de nuit par une colonne de feu, afin d’éclairer pour eux le chemin dans lequel ils devaient marcher.

During each day you led our ancestors with a bright cloud that resembled a huge pillar, and each night you led them by a flaming cloud that gave them light to show them where to walk.

13 Et tu descendis sur la montagne de Sinaï, et tu parlas avec eux depuis les cieux, et tu leur donnas des ordonnances droites et des lois de vérité, de bons statuts et [de bons] commandements.

“When our ancestors were at Sinai Mountain, you came down from heaven and spoke to them. You gave them many regulations and instructions that are just and reliable, and you gave them commands and laws that are good.

14 Et tu leur fis connaître ton saint sabbat, et tu leur prescrivis des commandements et des statuts et une loi, par ton serviteur Moïse.

You taught them about your holy (Sabbath/day of rest), and you gave many kinds of laws to your servant Moses for him to tell to the people.

15 Et des cieux tu leur donnas du pain pour leur faim, et tu leur fis sortir du rocher de l’eau pour leur soif, et tu leur dis d’entrer pour prendre possession du pays que tu avais juré de leur donner.

When they were hungry, you gave them manna from the sky; and when they were thirsty, you gave them water from a rock. You commanded them to go and take, from the people who lived there, the land which you had promised to give to them.

16 Mais eux, savoir nos pères, agirent avec fierté, et roidirent leur cou, et n’écoutèrent pas tes commandements,

“But our ancestors were very proud and stubborn [IDM], and they did not do what you commanded them to do.

17 et refusèrent d’entendre, et ne se souvinrent pas de tes merveilles que tu avais faites pour eux; mais ils roidirent leur cou, et dans leur rébellion ils établirent un chef, pour retourner à leur servitude. Mais toi, tu es un Dieu de pardons, faisant grâce, et miséricordieux, lent à la colère, et grand en bonté, et tu ne les as point abandonnés.

They refused to heed you, and they forgot about all the miracles that you had performed for them. Instead, they became stubborn [IDM], and they appointed someone to lead them back to Egypt, where they would be slaves again! But you are a God who forgives us and who is kind and merciful [to us]. You do not quickly become angry. You always faithfully love us.

18 Même quand ils se firent un veau de fonte, et dirent: C’est ici ton dieu qui t’a fait monter d’Égypte, – et qu’ils te firent de grands outrages,

So, even though their [leaders] made an idol that resembled a calf and insulted you by saying [about the idol], ‘This is our god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ you did not desert them.

19 toi, dans tes grandes compassions, tu ne les abandonnas point dans le désert; la colonne de nuée ne se retira point de dessus eux, le jour, pour les conduire dans le chemin, ni la colonne de feu, la nuit, pour les éclairer, et [leur montrer] le chemin dans lequel ils devaient marcher.

“Because you always act mercifully, you did not abandon them when they were in the desert. The bright cloud which was like a huge pillar continued to lead them during the daytime, and the fiery cloud showed them where to walk at night.

20 Et tu [leur] donnas ton bon Esprit pour les rendre intelligents, et tu ne refusas pas ta manne à leur bouche, et tu leur donnas de l’eau pour leur soif.

You sent your good Spirit to instruct them. You continued to provide water when they were thirsty.

21 Et tu les entretins 40 ans dans le désert: ils ne manquèrent de rien; leurs vêtements ne s’usèrent point, et leurs pieds n’enflèrent point.

For 40 years you took care of them in the desert. During all that time, they had everything [that they needed]. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell up [even though they were continually walking].

22 Et tu leur donnas des royaumes et des peuples, et tu les leur partageas par contrées, et ils prirent possession du pays de Sihon, du pays du roi de Hesbon, aussi bien que du pays d’Og, roi de Basan.

“You helped our ancestors to defeat armies of great kings who ruled many people-groups. By doing that, you enabled our ancestors to (occupy/live in) even the most distant places in this land. They occupied the land over which King Sihon ruled from Heshbon [city] and the land over which King Og ruled in [the] Bashan [area].

23 Et tu multiplias leurs fils comme les étoiles des cieux, et tu les introduisis dans le pays dont tu avais dit à leurs pères, qu’ils y entreraient pour le posséder.

You caused our ancestors’ descendants to become as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into this land, the land that you told their fathers to enter and occupy.

24 Et leurs fils entrèrent et possédèrent le pays. Et tu subjuguas devant eux les habitants du pays, les Cananéens, et tu les livras en leur main, leurs rois et les peuples du pays, pour leur faire selon leur bon plaisir.

Their sons went in and took the land [from the people that lived there]. You enabled them to defeat the descendants of Canaan who lived here in this land. You enabled them to conquer the descendants of Canaan and their kings and the people whom they ruled. You enabled our ancestors to do to those people whatever they wanted to do.

25 Et ils prirent des villes fortifiées, et un pays gras, et ils possédèrent des maisons pleines de tout bien, des puits creusés, des vignes et des oliviers, et des arbres fruitiers en abondance; et ils mangèrent, et furent rassasiés, et s’engraissèrent; et ils vécurent dans les délices par ta grande bonté.

Our ancestors captured cities that had walls around them, and they took possession of fertile land. They took possession of houses that were full of good things, where there were wells that were already dug. They took possession of many vineyards and groves of olive trees and fruit trees. They ate all that they wanted to and became fat. They were delighted in all these good things that you gave to them.

26 Mais ils se rebellèrent et se révoltèrent contre toi, et jetèrent ta loi derrière leur dos, et tuèrent tes prophètes qui rendaient témoignage contre eux pour les ramener à toi, et ils te firent de grands outrages.

“But they disobeyed you and rebelled against you. They (turned their backs on/rejected) your laws. They killed the prophets who warned them that they should return to you. They badly insulted you.

27 Et tu les livras en la main de leurs adversaires qui les opprimèrent. Et au temps de leur détresse ils crièrent à toi, et toi, tu entendis des cieux, et selon tes grandes compassions tu leur accordas des sauveurs qui les sauvèrent de la main de leurs oppresseurs.

So you allowed their enemies to defeat them. But when their enemies caused them to suffer, they called out to you. You heard them from heaven, and because you are very merciful, you sent them people to help them, and those leaders rescued them from their enemies.

28 Mais quand ils avaient du repos, ils recommençaient à faire le mal devant toi, et tu les abandonnais en la main de leurs ennemis, et ceux-ci dominaient sur eux. Et de nouveau ils criaient à toi, et toi, tu entendais des cieux, et tu les délivras maintes fois, selon tes compassions.

“But after there was a time of peace again, our ancestors again did things that displeased you. So again you allowed their enemies to conquer them. But whenever they cried out to you again [to help them], you heard them from heaven, and because you act mercifully, you rescued them many times.

29 Et tu rendis témoignage contre eux pour les ramener à ta loi; mais ils agirent avec fierté, et n’écoutèrent pas tes commandements, et péchèrent contre tes ordonnances, par lesquelles, s’il les pratique, un homme vivra; et ils opposèrent une épaule revêche, et roidirent leur cou, et n’écoutèrent pas.

“You warned them that they should again [obey] your laws, but they became proud and stubborn, and they disobeyed your commands. They sinned by disobeying what you commanded them to do, the things that would enable them to live a good long life [if they obeyed them]. They stubbornly refused [IDM] to listen to you and continued sinning.

30 Et tu différas à leur égard pendant beaucoup d’années, et tu rendis témoignage contre eux par ton Esprit, par le moyen de tes prophètes; mais ils ne prêtèrent pas l’oreille, et tu les livras en la main des peuples des pays.

You were patient with them for many years. You warned them trough [the messages] your Spirit gave to the prophets. But they did not (heed/pay attention to) those messages. So again you allowed [the armies of] other nations to defeat them.

31 Toutefois, dans tes grandes compassions, tu n’en finis pas avec eux, et tu ne les abandonnas pas; car tu es un Dieu faisant grâce, et miséricordieux.

But because you act very mercifully, you did not get rid of them completely or abandon them [forever]. You are a very gracious/kind and merciful God!

32 Et maintenant, notre Dieu, le Dieu grand, puissant et terrible, qui gardes l’alliance et la bonté, que ce ne soit pas peu de chose devant toi que toutes les peines qui nous ont atteints, nous, nos rois, nos princes, et nos sacrificateurs, et nos prophètes, et nos pères, et tout ton peuple, depuis les jours des rois d’Assyrie jusqu’à ce jour-ci.

“Our God, you are great! You are mighty! You are awesome! You faithfully love us as [you promised in] your agreement with us that you would do! But now we are experiencing great difficulties/hardships. Great troubles have come to us, to our kings, to our [other] leaders, to our priests, and to our prophets. We have been experiencing these troubles since [the armies of] the kings of Assyria [conquered us], and we are still experiencing them. We ask that you sincerely think about [LIT] all these things.

33 Mais tu es juste dans tout ce qui nous est survenu, car tu as agi avec vérité, et nous, nous avons agi méchamment.

[We know that] you acted justly each time that you punished us. We have sinned greatly, but you have treated us fairly.

34 Et nos rois, nos princes, nos sacrificateurs, et nos pères, n’ont pas pratiqué ta loi, et n’ont pas été attentifs à tes commandements et à tes témoignages que tu as rendus au milieu d’eux.

Our kings and other leaders and our priests and our other ancestors did not obey your laws. They did not heed your commands or the warnings that you gave to them.

35 Et ils ne t’ont pas servi dans leur royaume, et dans l’abondance des biens que tu leur avais donnés, et dans le spacieux et gras pays que tu avais mis devant eux, et ils ne sont pas revenus de leurs mauvaises actions.

Even when they had their own kings, and they enjoyed the good things that you did for them in this large and fertile land that you gave to them, they did not serve you. They refused to quit doing what was evil.

36 Voici, nous sommes aujourd’hui serviteurs; et quant au pays que tu donnas à nos pères pour qu’ils en mangent le fruit et les bons produits, voici, nous y sommes serviteurs;

“So now we are [like] slaves here in this land that you gave to our ancestors, the land that you gave to them in order that they could enjoy all the good things that grow here.

37 et il rapporte beaucoup aux rois que tu as établis sur nous à cause de nos péchés; et ils dominent à leur gré sur nos corps et sur notre bétail, et nous sommes dans une grande détresse.

Because we have sinned, [we cannot eat the things that grow here]. The kings that now rule over us are enjoying the things that grow here. They rule us and [take] our cattle. We have to serve them and do the things that please them. We are experiencing great misery/distress.

38 Et pour tout cela, nous faisons une ferme alliance, et nous l’écrivons. Et à l’apposition des sceaux [se trouvèrent] nos princes, nos lévites, [et] nos sacrificateurs.

“However, we [Israeli] people now are making an agreement/promise [to obey you], and we are writing this agreement/promise [on a scroll]. We will write on it the names of our leaders and the names of the Levites and the names of the priests, and then we will seal it.”