Psaumes 78
1 Pour instruire. D’Asaph. Prête l’oreille à ma loi, mon peuple! inclinez vos oreilles aux paroles de ma bouche.
Maschil. Of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; let your ears be bent down to the words of my mouth.
2 J’ouvrirai ma bouche en paraboles, j’annoncerai les énigmes [des jours] d’autrefois,
Opening my mouth I will give out a story, even the dark sayings of old times;
3 Que nous avons entendues et connues, et que nos pères nous ont racontées.
Which have come to our hearing and our knowledge, as they were given to us by our fathers.
4 Nous ne les cèlerons pas à leurs fils; nous raconterons à la génération à venir les louanges de l’Éternel, et sa force, et ses merveilles qu’il a faites.
We will not keep them secret from our children; we will make clear to the coming generation the praises of the Lord and his strength, and the great works of wonder which he has done.
5 Il a établi un témoignage en Jacob, et il a mis en Israël une loi qu’il a commandée à nos pères, pour qu’ils les fassent connaître à leurs fils,
He put up a witness in Jacob, and made a law in Israel; which he gave to our fathers so that they might give knowledge of them to their children;
6 Afin que la génération à venir, les fils qui naîtraient, les connaissent, [et] qu’ils se lèvent et les annoncent à leurs fils,
So that the generation to come might have knowledge of them, even the children of the future, who would give word of them to their children;
7 Et qu’ils mettent leur confiance en Dieu, et qu’ils n’oublient pas les œuvres de Dieu, et qu’ils observent ses commandements,
So that they might put their hope in God, and not let God's works go out of their minds, but keep his laws;
8 Et qu’ils ne soient pas, comme leurs pères, une génération indocile et rebelle, une génération qui n’a point affermi son cœur, et dont l’esprit n’a pas été fidèle à Dieu.
And not be like their fathers, a stiff-necked and uncontrolled generation; a generation whose heart was hard, whose spirit was not true to God.
9 Les fils d’Éphraïm, armés [et] tirant de l’arc, ont tourné le dos le jour du combat.
The children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.
10 Ils n’ont pas gardé l’alliance de Dieu, et ont refusé de marcher selon sa loi;
They were not ruled by God's word, and they would not go in the way of his law;
11 Et ils ont oublié ses actes et ses œuvres merveilleuses, qu’il leur avait fait voir.
They let his works go out of their memory, and the wonders which he had made them see.
12 Il fit des merveilles devant leurs pères dans le pays d’Égypte, dans la campagne de Tsoan.
He did great works before the eyes of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
13 Il fendit la mer, et les fit passer: il fit se dresser les eaux comme un monceau;
The sea was cut in two so that they might go through; the waters were massed together on this side and on that.
14 Et il les conduisit, le jour par une nuée, et toute la nuit par une lumière de feu.
In the daytime he was guiding them in the cloud, and all through the night with a light of fire.
15 Il fendit les rochers dans le désert, et les abreuva comme aux abîmes, abondamment;
The rocks of the waste land were broken by his power, and he gave them drink as out of the deep waters.
16 Et il fit sortir des ruisseaux du rocher, et fit couler les eaux comme des fleuves.
He made streams come out of the rock; and waters came flowing down like rivers.
17 Et ils péchèrent de nouveau contre lui, irritant le Très-haut dans le désert;
And they went on sinning against him even more, turning away from the Most High in the waste land;
18 Et ils tentèrent Dieu dans leurs cœurs, en demandant de la viande selon leur désir;
Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.
19 Et ils parlèrent contre Dieu; ils dirent: Dieu pourrait-il dresser une table dans le désert?
They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land?
20 Voici, il a frappé le rocher, et les eaux ont coulé, et des rivières ont débordé: pourrait-il aussi donner du pain, ou préparer de la chair à son peuple?
See, the rock was cut open by his power, so that the water came rushing out, and overflowing streams; is he able to give us bread? is he able to get meat for his people?
21 C’est pourquoi l’Éternel les entendit, et se mit en grande colère; et le feu s’alluma contre Jacob, et la colère aussi monta contre Israël,
So these things came to the Lord's ears, and he was angry; and a fire was lighted against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel;
22 Car ils ne crurent pas Dieu, et ne se fièrent pas en son salut,
Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation.
23 Bien qu’il ait commandé aux nuées d’en haut, et qu’il ait ouvert les portes des cieux,
And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open;
24 Et qu’il ait fait pleuvoir sur eux la manne pour manger, et qu’il leur ait donné le blé des cieux:
And he sent down manna like rain for their food, and gave them the grain of heaven.
25 L’homme mangea le pain des puissants; il leur envoya des vivres à satiété.
Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure.
26 Il fit lever dans les cieux le vent d’orient, et il amena par sa puissance le vent du midi;
He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power.
27 Et il fit pleuvoir sur eux de la chair comme de la poussière, et, comme le sable des mers, des oiseaux ailés;
He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea,
28 Et il les fit tomber au milieu de leur camp, autour de leurs demeures.
And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents.
29 Et ils en mangèrent, et en furent abondamment rassasiés. Il leur envoya ce qu’ils convoitaient.
So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire;
30 Ils ne s’étaient pas encore détournés de leur convoitise, leur viande était encore dans leur bouche,
But they were not turned from their desires; and while the food was still in their mouths,
31 Que la colère de Dieu monta contre eux; et il tua de leurs hommes forts, et abattit les hommes d’élite d’Israël.
The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel.
32 Avec tout cela ils péchèrent encore, et ne crurent point par ses œuvres merveilleuses;
For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.
33 Et il consuma leurs jours par la vanité, et leurs années par la frayeur.
So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.
34 S’il les tuait, alors ils le recherchaient, et ils se retournaient, et cherchaient Dieu dès le matin;
When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;
35 Et ils se souvenaient que Dieu était leur rocher, et Dieu, le Très-haut, leur rédempteur;
In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.
36 Mais ils le flattaient de leur bouche et ils lui mentaient de leur langue;
But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;
37 Et leur cœur n’était pas ferme envers lui, et ils ne furent pas fidèles dans son alliance.
And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him.
38 Mais lui, étant miséricordieux, pardonna l’iniquité et ne [les] détruisit pas; mais il détourna souvent sa colère, et n’éveilla pas toute sa fureur.
But he, being full of pity, has forgiveness for sin, and does not put an end to man: frequently turning back his wrath, and not being violently angry.
39 Et il se souvint qu’ils étaient chair, un souffle qui passe et ne revient pas.
So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again.
40 Que de fois ils l’irritèrent dans le désert, [et] le provoquèrent dans le lieu désolé!
How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!
41 Et ils recommencèrent et tentèrent Dieu, et affligèrent le Saint d’Israël:
Again they put God to the test, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.
42 Ils ne se souvinrent pas de sa main au jour où il les avait délivrés de l’oppresseur,
They did not keep in mind the work of his hand, or the day when he took them from the power of their haters;
43 Lorsqu’il mit ses signes en Égypte, et ses prodiges dans les campagnes de Tsoan,
How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan;
44 Et qu’il changea en sang leurs canaux et leurs courants d’eau, de sorte qu’ils n’en puissent pas boire;
So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams.
45 Il envoya contre eux des mouches qui les dévorèrent, et des grenouilles qui les détruisirent;
He sent different sorts of flies among them, poisoning their flesh; and frogs for their destruction.
46 Et il livra leurs fruits à la locuste, et leur travail à la sauterelle.
He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.
47 Il fit périr leurs vignes par la grêle, et leurs sycomores par les grêlons;
He sent ice for the destruction of their vines; their trees were damaged by the bitter cold.
48 Et il livra leur bétail à la grêle, et leurs troupeaux à la foudre.
Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks.
49 Il envoya sur eux l’ardeur de sa colère, la fureur, et l’indignation, et la détresse, une troupe d’anges de malheur.
He sent on them the heat of his wrath, his bitter disgust, letting loose evil angels among them.
50 Il fraya un chemin à sa colère; il ne préserva pas leurs âmes de la mort, et livra leur vie à la peste;
He let his wrath have its way; he did not keep back their soul from death, but gave their life to disease.
51 Et il frappa tout premier-né en Égypte, les prémices de la vigueur dans les tentes de Cham.
He gave to destruction all the first sons of Egypt; the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;
52 Et il fit partir son peuple comme des brebis, et les mena comme un troupeau dans le désert;
But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock.
53 Et il les conduisit sains et saufs, et ils furent sans crainte; et la mer couvrit leurs ennemis.
He took them on safely so that they had no fear; but their haters were covered by the sea.
54 Et il les introduisit dans les confins de sa sainte [terre], cette montagne que sa droite s’est acquise.
And he was their guide to his holy land, even to the mountain, which his right hand had made his;
55 Et il chassa de devant eux les nations, et leur partagea un héritage, et fit habiter dans leurs tentes les tribus d’Israël.
Driving out nations before them, marking out the line of their heritage, and giving the people of Israel their tents for a resting-place.
56 Mais ils tentèrent et irritèrent le Dieu Très-haut, et ne gardèrent pas ses témoignages,
But they were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws;
57 Et se retirèrent, et agirent infidèlement, comme leurs pères; ils tournèrent comme un arc trompeur.
Their hearts were turned back and untrue like their fathers; they were turned to one side like a twisted bow.
58 Et ils le provoquèrent à colère par leurs hauts lieux, et l’émurent à jalousie par leurs images taillées.
They made him angry with their high places; moving him to wrath with their images.
59 Dieu l’entendit, et se mit en grande colère, et il méprisa fort Israël.
When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely;
60 Et il abandonna la demeure de Silo, la tente où il avait habité parmi les hommes;
So that he went away from the holy place in Shiloh, the tent which he had put among men;
61 Et il livra à la captivité sa force, et sa magnificence en la main de l’ennemi;
And he let his strength be taken prisoner, and gave his glory into the hands of his hater.
62 Et il livra son peuple à l’épée, et se mit en grande colère contre son héritage:
He gave his people up to the sword, and was angry with his heritage.
63 Le feu dévora leurs jeunes hommes, et leurs vierges ne furent pas célébrées;
Their young men were burned in the fire; and their virgins were not praised in the bride-song.
64 Leurs sacrificateurs tombèrent par l’épée, et leurs veuves ne se lamentèrent pas.
Their priests were put to death by the sword, and their widows made no weeping for them.
65 Alors le Seigneur s’éveilla comme un homme qui dort, et comme un homme puissant qui, [animé] par le vin, pousse des cris.
Then was the Lord like one awaking from sleep, and like a strong man crying out because of wine.
66 Et il frappa ses ennemis par-derrière, il les livra à un opprobre éternel.
His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever.
67 Et il méprisa la tente de Joseph, et ne choisit pas la tribu d’Éphraïm;
And he put the tent of Joseph on one side, and took not the tribe of Ephraim;
68 Mais il choisit la tribu de Juda, la montagne de Sion qu’il aima.
But he took the tribe of Judah for himself, and the mountain of Zion, in which he had pleasure.
69 Et il bâtit son sanctuaire comme des lieux très hauts, comme la terre qu’il a fondée pour toujours.
And he made his holy place like the high heaven, like the earth which is fixed by him for ever.
70 Et il choisit David, son serviteur, et le prit des parcs des brebis;
He took David to be his servant, taking him from the place of the flocks;
71 Il le fit venir d’auprès des brebis qui allaitent, pour paître Jacob, son peuple, et Israël, son héritage.
From looking after the sheep which were giving milk, he took him to give food to Jacob his people, and to Israel his heritage.
72 Et il les fit paître selon l’intégrité de son cœur, et les conduisit par l’intelligence de ses mains.
So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.
