1 Rois 2

1 Les jours de David approchant de leur fin, il dicta ses volontés à Salomon, son fils, en ces termes:

When David [knew that he] was about to die, he gave these final instructions to his son Solomon:

2 "Je suis près d’aller où va toute chose terrestre; prends courage et sois homme!

“I am about to die [EUP], like everyone else on earth does. Be courageous and conduct yourself as an adult should.

3 Obéis fidèlement à l’Eternel, ton Dieu, en marchant dans ses voies, en observant ses lois, ses préceptes, ses règles et ses statuts, tels qu’ils sont écrits dans la loi de Moïse, afin que tu prospères dans toutes tes œuvres et dans toutes tes entreprises;

Do what Yahweh our God tells you to do. Conduct yourself as he wants you to do. Obey all of his laws and commands and precepts and instructions that are written in the laws that Moses [gave us]. Do this in order that you will prosper in all that you do and wherever you go.

4 afin que l’Eternel accomplisse la parole qu’il m’a adressée, savoir: "Si tes fils sont attentifs à leur voie, marchant devant moi avec droiture, de tout leur cœur et de toute leur âme, nul des tiens, je te le promets, ne sera enlevé au trône d’Israël."

If you continually do that, Yahweh will do what he promised me: He said, ‘If your descendants do what I tell them to do, and faithfully obey my commands with all their inner beings, they will always be [LIT] the ones who will rule [MTY] Israel.’

5 De plus, tu sais tout ce que m’a fait Joab, fils de Cerouya, ce qu’il a fait aux deux chefs des armées d’Israël, à Abner, fils de Ner, et à Amasa, fils de Yéther, qu’il a assassinés, versant en pleine paix le sang comme dans la guerre, et souillant de ce sang la ceinture de ses reins et la chaussure de ses pieds.

“There is something else [that I want you to do]. You know what Joab did to me. He killed my two army commanders, Abner and Amasa. He murdered them violently [MTY] during a time of peace, pretending that it was a time of war. Those two men (were innocent/had not done what was wrong). But Joab [killed them and] their blood to stain his belt and his sandals.

6 Agis selon ta prudence et ne laisse point sa vieillesse descendre en paix dans la tombe. (Sheol h7585)

Because you are wise, do to him what you think is best [for you to do], but do not allow him to become old [MTY] and then die [IDM] peacefully. (Sheol h7585)

7 A l’égard des enfants de Barzillaï, le Galaadite, use de bienveillance, et qu’ils soient admis à ta table; car ils m’ont rendu service en venant à moi, lorsque je fuyais devant Absalon, ton frère.

“But be kind to the sons of Barzillai, the man from [the] Gilead [region], and be sure that they always have enough food to eat [MTY]. Do that because Barzillai helped me when I was running away from your older brother Absalom.

8 Tu as aussi dans ton entourage Séméi, fils de Ghêra, le Benjamite, de Bahourim: celui-là m’accabla des plus cruels outrages lorsque je me retirai à Mahanaïm. Mais il descendit au-devant de moi vers le Jourdain, et je lui jurai par l’Eternel que je ne le ferai point périr par le glaive.

Also, [you remember] Gera’s son Shimei from Bahurim [town] in the area where the descendants of Benjamin live. [You know what he did to me]. He cursed me terribly on the day I [left Jerusalem and] went to Mahanaim [town]. But when he later came down to see me at the Jordan [River], I solemnly promised, while Yahweh listened [MTY], that I would not cause him to be executed.

9 Eh bien! Ne le laisse point impuni, car tu es un homme avisé; tu sauras comment en user avec lui, et tu feras descendre, ensanglantée, sa vieillesse dans la tombe." (Sheol h7585)

But now you must [LIT] surely punish him. You are a wise man, so you will know what you should do to him. He is an old man [MTY], but be sure that he [loses/sheds] a lot of blood when you kill him [MTY].” (Sheol h7585)

10 David s’endormit avec ses pères, et il fut, enseveli dans la cité de David.

Then David died [EUP] and was buried in [that part of Jerusalem which was called] ‘The City of David’.

11 Le temps que David régna sur Israël fut de quarante années: Il régna à Hébron sept années, et trente-trois ans à Jérusalem.

David had been the king of Israel for 40 years: He ruled for seven years in Hebron and for 33 years in Jerusalem.

12 Salomon s’assit sur le trône de David, son père, et sa royauté fut très solidement établie.

Solomon became the ruler/king [MTY] to take the place of his father David and took control of all of the kingdom.

13 Or, Adonias, fils de Hagghit, vint trouver Bethsabée, la mère de Salomon. Elle lui demanda: "Ta visite est-elle pacifique? Oui," répondit-il.

[One day] Adonijah came to Solomon’s mother Bathsheba. She said to him, “Have you come because you want things to go well?” He replied, “Yes.”

14 Il ajouta: "J’Ai à te parler." Elle répondit: "Parle.

But then he said, “I have something to ask you to do.” She said, “Tell me [what you want me to do].”

15 Tu le sais, dit-il, la royauté me revenait, et tous les Israélites avaient jeté les yeux sur moi pour l’occuper; mais elle m’a échappé pour passer à mon frère, le Seigneur la lui ayant conférée.

He said, “You know that all the Israeli people expected me to be their king [because I am David’s oldest surviving son]. But that did not happen. Instead, my [younger] brother became king, because that is what Yahweh wanted.

16 Et maintenant, j’ai une prière à t’adresser; ne m’éconduis point. Parle." dit-elle.

Now I have one thing that I ask you to do. Please do not refuse to do it.” She replied, “Tell me [what you want me to do].”

17 Il reprit: "Veuille demander au roi Salomon, qui ne t’éconduira pas, qu’il me donne pour femme Abisag, la Sunamite.

He said, “Please ask King Solomon to give to me Abishag, the woman from Shunem [town], to be my wife. [I am sure that] he will not refuse.”

18 Bien, répondit Bethsabée; je parlerai pour toi au roi."

Bathsheba replied, “Okay, I will speak to the king for you.”

19 Et Bethsabée alla chez le roi Salomon pour lui parler en faveur d’Adonias. Le roi se leva à sa rencontre et se prosterna devant elle, puis s’assit sur son trône et offrit un siège à sa mère, qui s’assit à sa droite,

So Bathsheba went to King Solomon, to tell him what Adonijah wanted. The king got up [from his throne] and went to greet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne again and asked someone to bring a chair for her. So she sat down at the king’s right side.

20 et dit: "J’Ai une petite demande à t’adresser, ne me refuse point. Demande, ma mère, répondit le roi, je ne te refuserai pas.

Then she said, “I have one small thing which I want you to do; please do not say that you will not do it.” The king replied, “Mother, what do you want? I will not refuse you.”

21 Accorde, dit-elle, Abisag, la Sunamite, pour épouse à ton frère Adonias."

She said, “Allow Abishag to be given to your [older] brother Adonijah to be his wife.”

22 Le roi Salomon répondit à sa mère: "Pourquoi demandes-tu Abisag, la Sunamite, pour Adonias? Que ne demandes-tu pour lui la royauté, puisqu’il est mon frère aîné; pour lui, dis-je, et pour le prêtre Ebiathar, et pour Joab, fils de Cerouya?"

The king replied [angrily], “What? Are you requesting me to give Abishag to Adonijah? [Does he want me] to allow him to rule the kingdom, too? Because he is my older brother, [does he think that he should be the king]? Does he think that Abiathar should be the priest [instead of Zadok], and that Joab [should be the army commander instead of Benaiah] because they supported him [when he tried to become the king]?”

23 Et le roi Salomon jura par le Seigneur en disant: "Dieu m’en fasse autant et plus, si cette parole d’Adonias ne lui coûte pas la vie!

Then Solomon solemnly promised, requesting Yahweh to listen, “I wish God would strike me and kill me if I do not cause Adonijah to be executed for requesting this!

24 Oui, par le Dieu vivant, qui m’a consolidé et établi, sur le trône de David, mon père, qui m’a fondé une maison comme il l’avait promis, oui, Adonias mourra aujourd’hui!"

Yahweh has appointed me to be the king and placed me here to rule [MTY] as my father David did. He has promised that my descendants [MTY] will be the kings of Israel. So just as surely as Yahweh lives, I solemnly promise that Adonijah will be executed today!”

25 Le roi Salomon en donna mission à Benaïahou, fils de Joïada, qui le frappa à mort.

So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah to [go and] kill Adonijah, and Benaiah did that.

26 Pour le prêtre Ebiathar, le roi lui dit: "Va-t’en à Anatot, dans tes terres, car tu es passible de mort; mais aujourd’hui je ne te ferai point mourir, parce que tu as porté l’arche du Seigneur Elohim devant David, mon père, et parce que tu as partagé toutes ses tribulations."

Then Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, “Go to Anathoth [town], to your land there. You deserve to be killed, but I will not execute you now, because you were the one who [supervised the men who] carried Yahweh’s Sacred Chest for David my father, and you endured all the troubles that my father endured.”

27 Salomon chassa ainsi Ebiathar du sacerdoce de l’Eternel, pour accomplir la parole prononcée par l’Eternel sur la maison d’Héli, à Silo.

So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being the priest of Yahweh. By doing that he caused to happen what Yahweh had said [many years previously] at Shiloh, [that some day he would get rid] of the descendants [MTY] of Eli.

28 La nouvelle étant parvenue jusqu’à Joab, qui avait suivi le parti d’Adonias, bien qu’il n’eût pas suivi celui d’Absalon, il se réfugia dans le tabernacle du Seigneur, où il embrassa les cornes de l’autel.

Joab had not supported Absalom [when he tried to become the king], but he had supported Adonijah. So when Joab heard what had happened, he ran to the Sacred Tent, and he grasped the projections on the corners of the altar, [because he knew that no one would kill him there].

29 Le roi Salomon fut informé que Joab s’était réfugié dans le tabernacle et se trouvait près de l’autel. Et Salomon dit à Benaïahou, fils de Joïada: "Va, et frappe-le."

When someone told Solomon that Joab had run to the Sacred Tent and was standing alongside the altar, Solomon told Benaiah, “Go and execute Joab.”

30 Benaïahou entra dans le tabernacle et lui dit: "Le roi t’ordonne de sortir. Non, répondit-il, c’est ici que je mourrai." Benaïahou rapporta la chose au roi, en disant: "Ainsi a parlé Joab et ainsi m’a-t-il répondu."

So Benaiah went to the Sacred Tent and said to Joab, “The king commands you to come out!” But Joab replied, “No, I will die here.” So Benaiah went back to the king and reported [what he had said to Joab, and] what Joab had replied.

31 Le roi lui dit: "Fais ce qu’il a dit lui-même, tue-le, puis tu le feras enterrer. Tu écarteras ainsi de moi et de ma famille la tache du sang innocent répandu par Joab.

The king replied to him, “Do what he has requested. Kill him and bury his body. If you do that, my descendants [MTY] and I will no longer be punished for what Joab did when he killed [MTY] two men who (were innocent/had not done anything that is wrong).

32 Ce sang, Dieu le fera retomber sur sa tête, à lui qui a frappé, qui a fait périr par l’épée, à l’insu de mon père David, deux hommes de bien qui valaient mieux que lui: Abner, fils de Ner, chef de l’armée d’Israël, et Amasa, fils de Yéther, chef de l’armée de Juda.

But Yahweh will punish [MTY] Joab for attacking and killing Abner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa, the commander of the army of Judah, two men who were more righteous and better [DOU] men than he is. My father David did not even know that Joab [was planning to murder them].

33 Oui, leur sang retombera sur la tête de Joab et sur celle de sa postérité à jamais, tandis que David et sa postérité, sa maison et son trône, seront à jamais prospères de par l’Eternel."

Joab and his descendants will be punished [IDM] forever for his murdering Abner and Amasa. But things will forever go well for David’s descendants [MTY] who rule [MTY] as King David did.”

34 Benaïahou, fils de Joïada, monta près de Joab, se jeta sur lui et le tua. On l’enterra dans sa maison, sise au désert.

So Benaiah went [into the Sacred Tent] and killed Joab. Joab was buried on his property in the desert [part of Judah].

35 Le roi le remplaça par Benaïahou, fils de Joïada, comme chef de l’armée, et établit le pontife Çadok à la place d’Ebiathar.

Then the king appointed Benaiah to be the commander of the army instead of Joab, and he appointed Zadok to be the priest instead of Abiathar.

36 Le roi fit ensuite appeler Séméi et lui dit: "Edifie-toi à Jérusalem une maison où tu demeureras, et tu ne la quitteras pas pour aller de côté et d’autre.

Then the king sent [a messenger] to summon Shimei, and the king said to him, “Build a house for yourself here in Jerusalem. Remain there and do not leave the city to go anywhere.

37 Le jour où tu en sortiras, où tu franchiras le torrent de Cédron, sache bien que tu mourras, et que tu seras l’auteur de ta perte.

Be sure that the day that you leave Jerusalem and go across the Kidron Brook, you will be executed, and it will be (your own fault/what you deserve).”

38 Séméi répondit au roi: "C’Est bien; comme a parlé mon seigneur le roi, ainsi fera ton serviteur." Et Séméi demeura de longs jours à Jérusalem.

Shimei replied, “Your Majesty, what you say is good. I will do what you have said.” So Shimei remained in Jerusalem for several years.

39 Or, il advint, au bout de trois ans, que deux esclaves s’enfuirent de chez Séméi auprès d’Akhich, fils de Maakha, roi de Gath. On l’apprit à Séméi en disant: "Tes esclaves sont à Gath."

But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away. They went to stay with Maacah’s son Achish, the king of Gath [city]. When someone told Shimei that they were in Gath,

40 Séméi se leva, sangla son âne et alla à Gath chez Akhich, pour reprendre ses esclaves; après quoi il se remit en route et les ramena de Gath.

he put a saddle on his donkey and [got on it and] went to Gath. He found his slaves staying with King Achish and brought them back home.

41 Or, on apprit à Salomon que Séméi était allé de Jérusalem à Gath et en était revenu.

But someone told King Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned.

42 Le roi envoya appeler Séméi et lui dit: "Ne t’avais-je pas adjuré par l’Eternel et averti solennellement en disant: Le jour où tu sortiras de la ville et t’en iras d’un côté ou de l’autre, sache que tu encours la mort; et ne m’as-tu pas répondu: C’Est bien, j’ai compris?

So the king sent [a soldier] to summon Shimei and said to him, “I told you to solemnly promise, knowing that Yahweh [MTY] was listening, that you must not leave Jerusalem. I told you [RHQ], ‘Be sure that if you ever leave Jerusalem, you will be executed.’ And you replied [RHQ] to me, ‘What you have said is good; I will do what you have said.’

43 Pourquoi donc n’as-tu pas respecté ce serment de l’Eternel et la défense que je t’avais faite?"

So why did you not do what you solemnly promised to Yahweh? Why did you disobey what I commanded you?”

44 Le roi dit encore à Séméi: "Tu sais toi-même tout le mal que tu as fait sciemment à David, mon père. Ce mal, le Seigneur va le faire retomber sur ta tête,

The king also said to Shimei, “You know all the evil things that you did to my father David. So Yahweh will now punish you for the evil things that you did.

45 tandis que le roi Salomon est béni, et que le trône de David sera affermi à jamais devant l’Eternel!"

But Yahweh will bless me, and he will enable David’s descendants [MTY] to rule forever.”

46 Sur l’ordre du roi, Benaïahou, fils de Joïada, alla le frapper et il mourut; et la royauté fut consolidée entre les mains de Salomon.

Then the king gave an order to Benaiah, and he went and killed Shimei. So Solomon was completely in control of the kingdom.