Exode 19
1 A la troisième néoménie depuis le départ des Israélites du pays d’Égypte, le jour même, ils arrivèrent au désert de Sinaï.
The Israeli people then left Rephidim, and exactly two months after leaving Egypt, they/we came to the desert near Sinai [Mountain]. They/We set up their/our tents at the base of the mountain.
2 Partis de Refidim, ils entrèrent dans le désert de Sinaï et y campèrent, Israël y campa en face de la montagne.
3 Pour Moïse, il monta vers le Seigneur et le Seigneur, l’appelant du haut de la montagne, lui dit: "Adresse ce discours à la maison de Jacob, cette déclaration aux enfants d’Israël:
Moses/I climbed up the mountain [to talk with] God. Yahweh called to [him/me] from [the top of] the mountain and said, “This is what I want you to say to the Israeli people, the descendants of Jacob:
4 ‘Vous avez vu ce que j’ai fait aux Égyptiens; vous, je vous ai portés sur l’aile des aigles, je vous ai rapprochés de moi.
‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You have seen [what I did for all of you] and how I brought you here to me. It was as though I [lifted you up as] an eagle [carries its young eaglets] on its wings [MET].
5 Désormais, si vous êtes dociles à ma voix, si vous gardez mon alliance, vous serez mon trésor entre tous les peuples! Car toute la terre est à moi,
So now, if you will do what I tell you and obey all that I command you, you will be my own people. All the people-groups on the earth are mine, but you will be (dearer/more special) to me than all the other people-groups.
6 mais vous, vous serez pour moi une dynastie de pontifes et une nation sainte.’ Tel est le langage que tu tiendras aux enfants d’Israël."
You will be people over whom I will rule, and you will all (be like priests/represent me to other nations as priests represent me to one nation) [MET], and you will be completely dedicated to me.’ That is what you must tell the Israeli people.”
7 Moïse, de retour, convoqua les anciens du peuple et leur transmit toutes ces paroles comme le Seigneur le lui avait prescrit.
So Moses/I went [down the mountain] and summoned the elders/leaders of the people. He/I told them everything that Yahweh had told him/me to tell them.
8 Le peuple entier répondit d’une voix unanime: "Tout ce qu’a dit l’Éternel, nous le ferons!" Et Moïse rapporta les paroles du peuple au Seigneur.
The people all said, “We will do everything that Yahweh has told us to do.” Then Moses/I [climbed back up the mountain and] reported to Yahweh what the people had said.
9 L’Éternel dit à Moïse: "Voici, moi-même je t’apparaîtrai au plus épais du nuage, afin que le peuple entende que c’est moi qui te parle et qu’en toi aussi ils aient foi constamment." Alors Moïse redit à l’Éternel les paroles du peuple.
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “[Listen carefully]: I am going to appear to you from inside a thick cloud. When I am speaking to you, the people will hear it, and they will always trust in you.” Then Moses/I went [down the mountain and reported to the people what Yahweh said. Then he/I went back up the mountain and] told Yahweh what the people replied.
10 Et l’Éternel dit à Moïse: "Rends-toi près du peuple, enjoins-leur de se tenir purs aujourd’hui et demain et de laver leurs vêtements,
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Go [back down] to the people [again]. [Tell them to] purify themselves today and tomorrow. [Tell them to] wash their clothes, too.
11 afin d’être prêts pour le troisième jour; car, le troisième jour, le Seigneur descendra, à la vue du peuple entier, sur le mont Sinaï.
They must do that to be ready on the day after tomorrow. On that day I will come down to Sinai Mountain to where all the people can see me.
12 Tu maintiendras le peuple tout autour, en disant: ‘Gardez-vous de gravir cette montagne et même d’en toucher le pied, quiconque toucherait à la montagne serait mis à mort.
You must make a boundary around the base of the mountain, and tell them, ‘Be sure that you do not climb the mountain or even go near it. Anyone who even touches the base of the mountain must be executed.’
13 On ne doit pas porter la main sur lui, mais le lapider ou le percer de flèches; homme ou bête, il cesserait de vivre. Mais aux derniers sons du cor, ceux-ci monteront sur la montagne’".
Do not let anyone touch any person or any animal that touches the mountain. You must [kill any person or animal that touches the mountain] by throwing stones at it or shooting it [with arrows]. But when you hear a long [loud] trumpet sound, the people can come close to the [base of the] mountain.”
14 Moïse descendit de la montagne vers le peuple, lui enjoignit la pureté et ils lavèrent leurs vêtements.
So Moses/I went down the mountain [again] and told the people to purify themselves. They did what Moses/I told them to do, and they also washed their clothes.
15 II dit au peuple: "Tenez-vous prêts pour le troisième jour; n’approchez point d’une femme."
Then Moses/I said to the people, “Be ready on the day after tomorrow. And [you men] must not have sex with [EUP] [your wives] until after then.”
16 Or, au troisième jour, le matin venu, il y eut des tonnerres et des éclairs et une nuée épaisse sur la montagne et un son de cor très intense. Tout le peuple frissonna dans le camp.
Two days later, during the morning, there was thunder and lightning, and a very dark cloud on the mountain. A trumpet sounded very loudly, with the result that the people in the camp shook/trembled because they [were very afraid].
17 Moïse fit sortir le peuple du camp au-devant de la Divinité et ils s’arrêtèrent au pied de la montagne.
Then Moses/I led the people outside the camp to meet with God. They stood at the base of the mountain.
18 Or, la montagne de Sinaï était toute fumante, parce que le Seigneur y était descendu au sein de la flamme; sa fumée montait comme la fumée d’une fournaise et la montagne entière tremblait violemment.
All of Sinai Mountain was covered in smoke, because Yahweh had descended on it, surrounded by a fire. The smoke rose up like the smoke from [the chimney of] a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently.
19 Le son du cor allait redoublant d’intensité; Moïse parlait et la voix divine lui répondait."
As the sound of the trumpet continued to become louder, Moses/I spoke [to Yahweh], and Yahweh answered [him/me] in [a loud voice that sounded like] thunder.
20 Le Seigneur, étant descendu sur le mont Sinaï, sur la cime de cette montagne, y appela Moïse; Moïse monta,
Then Yahweh came down [again] onto the top of Sinai Mountain, and he summoned Moses/me to come up to the top of the mountain. So Moses/I went up.
21 et le Seigneur lui dit: "Descends avertir le peuple: ils pourraient se précipiter vers le Seigneur pour contempler sa gloire et beaucoup d’entre eux périraient.
Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Go down again and warn the people not to cross the boundary in order to look [at me]. If they [do] that, many of them will die.
22 Que les pontifes aussi, plus rapprochés du Seigneur, s’observent religieusement; autrement il pourrait sévir parmi eux."
Also, the priests who habitually come near me must purify themselves. If they do not do that, I will punish them.”
23 Moïse répondit au Seigneur: "Le peuple ne saurait monter sur le mont Sinaï, puisque tu nous as avertis par ces paroles: ‘Défends la montagne et déclare-la sainte!’"
Then Moses/I said to Yahweh, “The people will not climb the mountain, because you commanded them, saying, ‘Set a boundary around the mountain, to make it sacred/taboo.’”
24 Le Seigneur lui repartit: "Descends, dis-je, puis tu remonteras accompagné d’Aaron. Mais que les pontifes et le peuple ne s’aventurent pas à monter vers le Seigneur, il pourrait sévir contre eux."
Yahweh replied, “Go down the mountain, and bring Aaron back up with you. But do not allow the priests or other people to cross the boundary to come up to me. If they cross it, I will punish them.”
25 Moïse redescendit vers le peuple et lui en fit part.
So Moses/I went down the mountain [again] and told the people [what Yahweh had said].
