Zacharie 7
1 Et il arriva, la quatrième année du roi Darius, que la parole de l’Éternel vint à Zacharie, le quatrième [jour] du neuvième mois, [au mois] de Kislev,
When Darius had been the emperor for almost four years, on December 7, Yahweh gave me [another] message.
2 quand Béthel envoya Sharétser et Réguem-Mélec et ses hommes pour implorer l’Éternel,
The people of Bethel [city] sent two men, Sharezer and Regem-Melech, along with some other men, [to the temple of Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels, ] to request that Yahweh bless them.
3 pour parler aux sacrificateurs qui étaient dans la maison de l’Éternel des armées, et aux prophètes, disant: Pleurerai-je au cinquième mois, en me séparant comme j’ai fait, voici tant d’années?
They also asked the priests at Yahweh’s temple and the prophets [this question]: “For many years, during the fifth month [and during the seventh month of each year], we have mourned and (fasted/abstained from eating food). Should we [continue to do that]?”
4 Et la parole de l’Éternel des armées vint à moi, disant:
Then the Commander of the armies of angels gave me a message.
5 Parle à tout le peuple du pays, et aux sacrificateurs, disant: Quand vous avez jeûné et que vous vous êtes lamentés au cinquième et au septième [mois], et cela pendant 70 ans, est-ce réellement pour moi, pour moi, que vous avez jeûné?
[He said], “Tell [RHQ] the priests and all the [other] people of Judah that during the past 70 years, when they mourned and fasted during the fifth and seventh months [of each year], it was not really [RHQ] me, [Yahweh], whom they were [honoring].
6 Et quand vous avez mangé et bu, n’est-ce pas vous qui mangiez et qui buviez?
And when they ate and drank, it was really [RHQ] to [benefit] themselves.
7 Ne sont-ce pas là les paroles que l’Éternel a criées par les premiers prophètes, alors que Jérusalem était habitée et jouissait de la paix, ainsi que ses villes qui l’entouraient, et que le midi et le pays plat étaient habités?
That is certainly [RHQ] what I continually told the former prophets to proclaim [to the people], when Jerusalem and the nearby towns were prosperous and filled with people, and people [also] lived in the desert area to the south and in the foothills [to the west].”
8 Et la parole de l’Éternel vint à Zacharie, disant:
Yahweh gave another message to me, saying
9 Ainsi parle l’Éternel des armées, disant: Prononcez des jugements de vérité, et usez de bonté et de miséricorde l’un envers l’autre,
“[Tell the people that] this is what the Commander of the armies of angels says: ‘Do what is just/right, and act kindly and mercifully toward each other.
10 et n’opprimez pas la veuve et l’orphelin, l’étranger et l’affligé; et ne méditez pas le mal dans votre cœur, l’un contre l’autre.
Do not (oppress/treat cruelly) widows or orphans or foreigners or poor people. Do not even think about doing evil to anyone else.’”
11 Mais ils refusèrent d’être attentifs, et opposèrent une épaule revêche, et appesantirent leurs oreilles pour ne pas entendre,
But the people refused to pay attention [to what Yahweh said]. They turned their backs [to him], and put their hands over their ears in order to not hear [what he said].
12 et rendirent leur cœur [dur comme] un diamant, pour ne pas écouter la loi et les paroles que l’Éternel des armées envoyait par son Esprit, par les premiers prophètes; et il y eut une grande colère de la part de l’Éternel des armées.
They were very stubborn [IDM], and they would not listen to the laws [that God gave to Moses] or the messages that the Commander of the armies of angels told his Spirit to give to the prophets who were now dead. So the Commander of the armies of angels was very angry.
13 Et il arriva que, comme il cria et qu’ils n’écoutèrent pas, de même ils crièrent, et je n’écoutai pas, dit l’Éternel des armées;
The Commander of the armies of angels says, “When I called/spoke [to the people], they would not listen. So when they called/prayed [to me], I did not listen.
14 et je les dispersai, comme par un tourbillon, parmi toutes les nations qu’ils ne connaissaient pas, et le pays fut désolé derrière eux, de sorte qu’il n’y avait ni allants ni venants; et ils rendirent désolé le pays désirable.
And I caused them to be scattered among many nations, where they were strangers. [It was as though] [MET] a whirlwind [picked them up and carried them away from their country]. The country/land that they [were forced to] leave was ruined, with the result that no one could [live there or even] travel through it. [It was previously] a delightful land, but they caused it to become (desolate/like a desert).”
