Isaïe 49
1 Iles, écoutez-moi, et vous, peuples des contrées lointaines, soyez attentifs! L’Eternel m’a désigné dès le berceau; il a énoncé mon nom dès le sein de ma mère.
All you people who live on islands [in the ocean] and in other distant areas, pay attention [DOU] to what I will say! Yahweh called/chose me before I was born; he chose/appointed me when I was still in my mother’s womb.
2 Il a rendu ma bouche semblable à un glaive tranchant et m’a abrité à l’ombre de sa main; il a fait de moi une flèche reluisante et m’a serré dans son carquois.
[When I grew up], he caused my messages to be like [SIM] a sharp sword. He has protected me with his hand [SYN]. [He protects me] [MET] like someone protects sharp arrows in a quiver.
3 Et il m’a dit: "Tu es mon serviteur; Israël, c’est par toi que je me couvre de gloire."
He said to me, “You will serve my Israeli [people], and you will cause people to honor me.”
4 Cependant moi je pensais: "En vain je me suis fatigué, c’est pour le vide et le néant que j’ai dépensé ma force." Mais non, mon droit est auprès de l’Eternel, et ma récompense auprès de mon Dieu.
I replied, “My work has been useless; I have used my strength, but I have accomplished nothing worthwhile; everything that I have done has been (in vain/useless). However, Yahweh can honor me as he pleases; my God is the one who will reward me [as I deserve].”
5 Et maintenant, s’adressant à moi, l’Eternel qui m’a créé pour être son serviteur, pour lui ramener Jacob et grouper Israël autour de lui car grand est mon prix aux yeux de l’Eternel et mon Dieu est ma force,
Yahweh formed me when I was in [my mother’s] womb in order that I would serve him; he appointed me to bring [the people of] Israel back to himself [DOU]. Yahweh has honored me, and he is the one who has caused me to be strong.
6 l’Eternel me dit: "C’Est trop peu que tu sois mon serviteur, pour relever les tribus de Jacob et rétablir les ruines d’Israël; je veux faire de toi la lumière des nations, mon instrument de salut jusqu’aux confins de la terre."
He says to me, “It is not enough for you to serve me by bringing the descendants of Jacob back to worship me again [DOU]; I also want you to be like [MET] a light for the non-Jews; I want you to take my [my message] about how to be saved to [people] all over the world.”
7 Ainsi parle l’Eternel, le libérateur d’Israël, son Saint, à celui qui est un objet de mépris pour les hommes, de répulsion pour les peuples, à l’esclave des puissants: "Des rois, en le voyant, se lèveront, des princes se prosterneront, par égard pour l’Eternel, qui est fidèle à ses promesses, du Saint d’Israël qui t’a élu."
Yahweh, the one who saves us, the Holy God of us Israeli [people], says to the one who was despised and rejected by the [people of many] nations, the one who is the slave of rulers, “[Some day] kings will stand up to respect you when they see you, and princes will bow down before you because [you serve] me, Yahweh, the one who faithfully [does what I promise]. I am the Holy God to whom you Israelis belong, the one who has chosen you.”
8 Ainsi parle l’Eternel: "À l’heure de la clémence, je t’exauce; au jour du salut, je viens à ton secours. Je veille sur toi, je fais de toi un gage d’alliance parmi les nations, pour restaurer la terre et restituer les patrimoines en ruines,
This is also what Yahweh says: “At a time when it pleases me, I will answer your prayers. On the day when you will be rescued [from your oppressors], I will help you. I will protect you and enable you to establish an agreement with other nations. And by what you do, I will re-establish your nation of Israel and allow you to live/settle again in your land that was abandoned.
9 pour dire aux prisonniers: Sortez! à ceux qui sont retenus dans les ténèbres: Paraissez au grand jour! Ils se nourriront sur les routes et trouveront une pâture sur toutes les hauteurs dénudées.
I will say to those who were captured [and (exiled/taken to Babylonia)], ‘Leave [Babylonia] and return to your own country!’ And I will say to those who are in dark prisons, ‘Come out into the light!’ When that happens, they will again be like [MET] sheep that eat grass in green pastures, on hills where [previously] there was no grass.
10 Ils n’éprouveront ni faim ni soif; ni sécheresse ni soleil brûlant ne les feront souffrir, car Celui qui les a pris en pitié les dirigera et les mènera près des sources d’eau.
They will not be hungry or thirsty [any more]; the hot sun will not beat upon them again [DOU]. I, Yahweh, will act mercifully toward them and lead them; I will lead them to where there are springs of cool water.
11 Je transformerai toutes mes montagnes en chemins faciles, et mes routes seront rehaussées.
And I will cause the mountains to become [as though they were] level roads, and I will prepare good highways [for my people to travel on, to return to Jerusalem].
12 Voici venir les uns de pays éloignés, voici venir les autres du Septentrion et du Couchant, d’autres arrivent du pays de Sinnîm.
My people will return from far away; some will come from the north, some from the west, some from southern Egypt.”
13 Cieux, jubilez, terre, sois dans l’allégresse, et vous, montagnes, entonnez des chants joyeux! Car Dieu console son peuple, il prend en pitié ses humbles."
[Because of what Yahweh has promised to do], everything should shout joyfully— the sky and the earth and the mountains should sing, because Yahweh comforts his people, and he will pity those who are suffering.
14 Sion avait dit: "L’Eternel m’a délaissée, le Seigneur m’a oubliée."
[The people of] Jerusalem say, “Yahweh has abandoned us; he has forgotten about us.”
15 Est-ce qu’une femme peut oublier son nourrisson, ne plus aimer le fruit de ses entrailles? Fût-elle capable d’oublier, moi je ne t’oublie point!
But [Yahweh replies], “That is not true! (Can a woman forget the infant that she is nursing?/A woman certainly cannot forget the infant that she is nursing!) [RHQ] (Can she stop being kind to the child to whom she has given birth?/She certainly cannot stop being kind to the child to whom she has given birth!) [RHQ] But even if a woman would do that, I will not forget you!
16 Oui, j’ai gravé ton nom sur la paume de mes mains, tes remparts sont constamment devant mes yeux.
Note that I have written your [names] on the palms of my hands; in my mind I can always see the walls of your city.
17 Tes enfants s’empressent d’accourir; tes destructeurs et les auteurs de ta ruine s’éloignent de toi.
Soon your children will be returning there (OR, Those who rebuild your city will work more quickly than those who destroyed it), and all those who destroyed your city will leave.
18 Porte tes regards à l’entour et vois: tous en masse ils te reviennent! Vrai comme je suis vivant, dit l’Eternel, tu les revêtiras tous comme une parure, tu te ceindras d’eux comme une fiancée.
You will look around and see all of your children coming back to you. As surely as I live, they will be around you [for you to show to people] like [SIM] a bride shows her wedding ornaments!
19 Oui, tes ruines, tes solitudes, cette terre couverte de tes décombres, elles seront trop étroites pour leurs habitants; mais tes exploiteurs auront fui loin de toi.
Your land has been ruined and caused to become desolate/abandoned [DOU], but [some day] it will be filled with people, and those who conquered you will be far away.
20 Un jour, ces enfants que tu croyais perdus, tu les entendras dire: "Je suis à l’étroit en ces lieux, fais-moi place pour que je m’établisse."
The children who were born while you were (exiled/in Babylonia) [MET] will return [to Jerusalem] and say, ‘This city is too small for us; We need more space to live in!’
21 Et tu diras en ton cœur: "Qui me les a enfantés, tous ceux-là, à moi qui étais privée d’enfants et solitaire? J’Étais proscrite et délaissée, ceux-là, qui les a élevés? J’Étais demeurée seule, ceux-là, où étaient-ils?"
Then you will think to yourselves [MTY], ‘It is amazing that we have [RHQ] all these children! Most of our children were dead, and the rest were exiled. We were left here alone; so we do not know [RHQ] where all these children have come from! Who raised them?'”
22 Ainsi parle le Seigneur-Eternel: "Voici, j’étendrai ma main sur les nations, et du côté des peuples je dresserai ma bannière; et ils apporteront tes fils dans leur giron, et ils chargeront tes filles sur leurs épaules.
This is what Yahweh our God says: “Watch! [It is as though] I will lift up my hand to signal to those who are not Israelis. And they will carry your little sons and daughters on their shoulders and bring them back to you.
23 Des rois seront tes nourriciers, et leurs princesses tes nourrices; leur front jusqu’à terre se courbera devant toi, et ils baiseront la poussière de tes pieds. Et tu reconnaîtras que je suis l’Eternel, qui ne trompe jamais l’attente de ceux qui espèrent en moi."
Kings will serve you and will tutor/teach your children, and their queens will take care of your young children. They will prostrate themselves in front of you and [humble themselves by] licking the dust off your feet. When that happens, you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do]; and those who trust in me will never be disappointed.”
24 Quoi! Arrachera-t-on au fort son butin? La capture faite aux dépens du juste sera-t-elle reprise?
There is no one [RHQ] who can snatch valuable things from a soldier who has captured those things [in a war]; there is no one [RHQ] who can force a (tyrant/cruel man) to free the people whom he has captured.
25 Or, ainsi parle l’Eternel: "Oui, le butin du fort lui sera arraché; oui, la capture du tyran lui échappera! Car moi-même je serai ton champion contre tes adversaires, et je porterai secours à tes enfants.
But Yahweh says this: “[Some day], those who have been captured will be freed, and the valuable things that (tyrants/cruel men) have snatched from others will be returned, because I will fight against those who fight against you, and I will rescue your children.
26 Et je ferai dévorer à tes persécuteurs leur propre chair, et ils s’enivreront de leur sang comme d’un vin exquis; et toute créature saura que c’est moi, l’Eternel, qui te protège, que ton libérateur est le Puissant de Jacob."
And I will cause your enemies to destroy themselves [MET] instead of murdering others. When that happens, everyone [in the world] will know that I, Yahweh, am the one who saves you, the one who rescues you from your enemies; everyone will know that I am the mighty God to whom [you descendants of] [MTY] Jacob belong.”
