1 Rois 21

1 Voici ce qui arriva à la suite de ces événements. Naboth, le Jezreélite, demeurant à Jezreël, possédait une vigne auprès du palais d’Achab, roi de Samarie.

King Ahab had a palace in Jezreel [city]. Near the palace was a vineyard owned by a man from that city whose name was Naboth.

2 Achab paria ainsi à Naboth: "Cède-moi ta vigne pour que j’en fasse un jardin potager, car elle est près de ma maison; je te donnerai en échange une vigne meilleure. Si tu le préfères, je t’en remettrai la valeur en argent."

One day, Ahab [went to] Naboth and said to him, “Your vineyard is close to my palace. I would like to buy it, so that I can plant some vegetables there. In exchange, I will give you a better vineyard [somewhere else], or if you prefer, I will pay you for your vineyard.”

3 Naboth répondit à Achab: "Le Seigneur me préserve de te céder l’héritage de mes pères!"

But Naboth replied, “That land belonged to my ancestors, [so I want to keep it]. I hope that Yahweh will never allow me to give that land to you!”

4 Achab rentra chez lui triste et abattu, à cause de la réponse que lui avait faite Naboth le Jézreélite, en disant: "Je ne te céderai pas l’héritage de mes pères." Il se jeta sur son lit, la face tournée vers le mur, et ne prit point d’aliments.

So Ahab became very sullen and angry because of what Naboth had said. He went home and lay down on his bed. He turned his face toward the wall, and he refused to eat anything.

5 Jézabel, sa femme, vint le voir et lui dit: "Pourquoi ton esprit est-il abattu et ne prends-tu pas de nourriture?"

His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so depressed? Why are you refusing to eat anything?”

6 Il lui répondit: "C’Est que j’ai parlé à Naboth, le Jezreélite, et lui ai dit: "Donne-moi ta vigne à prix d’argent, ou, si tu le préfères, je t’en donnerai une autre à la place. Il a répondu: Je ne te donnerai point ma vigne."

Ahab replied, “I talked to Naboth, that man from Jezreel. I told him that [I wanted] his vineyard. [I said, ] ‘I will buy it from you, or I will give you another vineyard for it.’ But he refused [to let me have it].”

7 Jézabel, sa femme, lui répondit: "Est-ce bien toi qui exerces aujourd’hui la royauté sur Israël? Lève-toi, prends de la nourriture et sois de bonne humeur; c’est moi qui te procurerai la vigne de Naboth, le Jezreélite."

His wife replied, “You are [RHQ] the king of Israel, [so you can get whatever you want] Get up, and eat some food and do not worry [about what Naboth said]. I will get Naboth’s vineyard for you.”

8 Elle écrivit des lettres au nom d’Achab, les scella du sceau royal et les expédia aux anciens et aux nobles de sa ville, qui demeuraient près de Naboth.

Then Jezebel wrote some letters, and she signed Ahab’s name on them. She used his official seal to seal them. Then she sent them to the older leaders and other important men who lived in Naboth’s town.

9 Elle avait écrit dans ces lettres: "Proclamez un jeûne, faites asseoir Naboth à la tête du peuple;

This is what she wrote in the letters: “Proclaim a day when all the people will [gather together and] (fast/abstain from eating food). Give to Naboth an important place to sit among them.

10 placez en face de lui deux individus sans scrupules, qui déposeront contre lui, en disant: Tu as outragé Dieu et le Roi. Puis on le fera sortir, et on le tuera à coups de pierres."

Then find two men who always cause trouble. Give them places to sit opposite/facing him. Tell these men to testify that they heard Naboth say things that criticized God and the king. Then take Naboth out of the city and kill him by throwing stones at him.”

11 Les anciens et les nobles, qui habitaient dans sa ville, exécutèrent l’ordre de Jézabel, tel qu’il était consigné dans les lettres qu’elle leur avait envoyées.

The leaders [received the letters and] did what Jezebel had written in the letters for them to do.

12 Ils proclamèrent un jeûne, et placèrent Naboth à la tête du peuple.

They declared a day on which the people would all (fast/abstain from food). And they gave Naboth a seat in a place where honored people sat, in front of the people.

13 Les deux hommes, des gens pervers, vinrent s’asseoir en face de lui, et déposèrent contre Naboth en présence du peuple en disant: "Naboth a outragé Dieu et le roi." On l’emmena hors de la ville, on le lapida, et il mourut.

Two men who always caused trouble sat opposite/facing Naboth. While everyone was listening, they stated that they had heard Naboth say things that criticized God and the king. So the people seized Naboth. They took him outside the city and killed him [by throwing] stones at him.

14 Puis on envoya dire à Jézabel: "Naboth a été lapidé, il est mort."

Then those leaders sent a message to Jezebel, saying “We have executed Naboth.”

15 En recevant cette nouvelle, Jézabel dit à Achab: "Va, prends possession de la vigne de Naboth, le Jezreélite, qui avait refusé de te la céder à prix d’argent; Naboth a cessé de vivre, et il est mort."

When Jezebel found out that Naboth had been killed, she told Ahab, “Naboth is dead. Now you can go and take possession of the vineyard that he refused to sell to you.”

16 En apprenant la mort de Naboth, Achab se leva et se dirigea vers la vigne de Naboth pour en prendre possession.

When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went to the vineyard to claim that he now owned it.

17 Mais la parole de l’Eternel s’adressa à Elie, le Tisbite, en ces termes:

Then Yahweh spoke to Elijah the prophet. He said,

18 "Lève-toi, va au-devant d’Achab, roi d’Israël, qui est à Samarie; il se trouve dans la vigne de Naboth, où il est descendu pour en prendre possession.

“Go to Samaria and talk to Ahab, the king of Israel. He is in the vineyard of a man named Naboth. He has gone there to claim that he now owns it.

19 Tu lui parleras en ces termes: Ainsi a dit l’Eternel: Quoi! Tu as assassiné et maintenant tu prends possession! Ainsi parle l’Eternel: A cette même place où les chiens ont léché le sang de Naboth, ils lécheront aussi le tien."

Tell Ahab that this is what I, Yahweh, say to him: ‘You have murdered Naboth and taken his land.’ So I am telling you this: ‘In the same place where [Naboth died and] dogs came and licked up Naboth’s blood, [you will die and] the dogs will lick up your blood, too!’”

20 Achab dit à Elie: "Tu m’as donc atteint, ô mon ennemi? Je t’ai atteint, répondit-il, parce que tu t’es livré toi-même en faisant ce qui déplaît à l’Eternel.

So when Elijah met with Ahab, Ahab said to him, “You, my enemy, have found me!” [RHQ] Elijah answered, “Yes, I have found you. You have never stopped doing the things that Yahweh says are wrong.

21 Eh bien! Moi, (dit l’Eternel), je susciterai le malheur contre toi, je balaierai tes derniers vestiges, je ne laisserai point subsister d’Achab la plus infime créature, ni retraite, ni ressources en Israël.

So this is what Yahweh says to you: ‘I will soon get rid of you. I will kill you, and I will also kill every male in your household, including those who are slaves and those who are not slaves.

22 Bref, je traiterai ta maison comme celle de Jéroboam, fils de Nebat, et comme celle de Baasa, fils d’Ahiyya, parce que tu as provoqué mon irritation et fait pécher Israël.

Your family will all be killed, just like the family of King Jeroboam and like the family of King Baasha were killed. I will get rid of you because you have caused me to become very angry, and you have also led the Israeli people to sin.’

23 Et sur Jézabel aussi le Seigneur a dit cette parole: Les chiens dévoreront Jézabel dans le territoire de Jezreël.

Yahweh has also told me that [your wife] Jezebel [will be killed, and] dogs in Jezreel will eat her corpse.

24 Ceux d’Achab qui mourront dans la ville seront dévorés par les chiens, et ceux qui mourront dans la campagne seront la proie des oiseaux du ciel."

The [dead bodies of the] members of your family who die in this city [will not be buried, they] will be eaten by dogs, and [the corpses of] those who die in the fields will be eaten by vultures.”

25 En vérité, personne encore ne s’était, comme Achab, adonné à faire ce qui déplaît à l’Eternel, entraîné qu’il fut par sa femme Jézabel.

There was no man no man like Ahab who always did things that Yahweh considered to be evil. His wife Jezebel incited/urged him to do [many of] those things.

26 Il commit force abominations, en adoptant le culte des impures idoles, comme avaient fait les Amorréens, que l’Eternel avait dépossédés en faveur des enfants d’Israël.

The most abominable/detestable thing that Ahab did was to worship idols, just like the Amor people-group had done. And that is why Yahweh took the Amor people’s land from them and gave it to the Israelis.

27 Lorsque Achab entendit ces paroles, il déchira ses vêtements, se couvrit le corps d’un cilice et jeûna; il coucha dans ce cilice, et se traînait en marchant.

After Elijah finished talking to Ahab, Ahab tore his clothes [to show that he was sorry for all the sins that he had committed]. He put on rough clothes that were made from sacks, and he refused to eat anything. He even wore those rough clothes made from sacks when he slept, to show that he was sorry.

28 Alors l’Eternel s’adressa en ces termes à Elie, le Tisbite:

Then Yahweh said this to Elijah:

29 "Tu as vu comme Achab s’est humilié devant moi! Pour prix de cette humilité, je ne susciterai pas le malheur sous son règne; c’est du temps de son fils que je susciterai le malheur sur sa maison."

“I have seen [RHQ] that Ahab is now very sorry for all the evil things that he has done. So the things that I promised to do to his [family] will not happen while he is still alive. I will cause them to happen after his son becomes king. Then those things will happen to his family.” [MTY]