Juges 5
1 Ce même jour, Débora et Barak, fils d’Abinoam, chantèrent ce cantique:
On that day, Deborah sang this song, along with Barak:
2 Quand l’anarchie régnait en Israël, une poignée d’hommes s’est dévouée: rendez-en grâce à l’Eternel!
“When the leaders of the Israeli people really lead them, and the people follow them, [it is time to] praise Yahweh!
3 Ecoutez, rois; princes, prêtez l’oreille: je veux, je veux chanter le Seigneur, célébrer l’Eternel, Dieu d’Israël.
Listen, you kings! Pay attention, you leaders! I will sing to Yahweh. With this song I will praise Yahweh, the God we Israelis worship.
4 Eternel! Quand tu sortis de Séir, quand tu t’avanças de la région d’Edom, la terre frissonna, les cieux se fondirent, les nuages se fondirent en eau;
O Yahweh, when you came from Seir, when you marched from that land [better known as] Edom, the earth shook, and rain poured down from the skies.
5 Les monts ruisselèrent à la vue du Seigneur, le Sinaï tressaillit à l’aspect du Dieu d’Israël.
The mountains shook when you came, just like Sinai Mountain shook when you appeared there, because you are Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis worship.
6 Au temps de Samgar, fils d’Anat, aux jours de Jaël, les routes étaient devenues solitaires, les voyageurs suivaient des sentiers détournés.
“When Shamgar was our leader and when Jael ruled us, [we were afraid to walk on] the main roads; instead, caravans of travelers walked on winding [less traveled] roads [to avoid being molested].
7 Plus de ville ouverte en Israël, plus aucune, quand enfin je me suis levée, moi Débora, levée comme une mère au milieu d’Israël.
People left their small villages, [and moved into the walled cities] until I, Deborah, became their leader. [I became like] a mother to the Israeli people.
8 Il avait adopté des dieux nouveaux, dès lors la guerre est à ses portes; et l’on voyait à peine un bouclier, une lance, entre quarante milliers d’Israël.
When the Israeli people [abandoned Yahweh and] chose new gods, enemies attacked the gates of the cities, and then [they took away] the shields and spears from 40,000 Israeli soldiers. Not one shield or spear was left.
9 Mon cœur est à vous, maîtres d’Israël, qui vous êtes dévoués au milieu du peuple, rendez grâce à l’Eternel!
I am thankful for the leaders and soldiers who volunteered [to fight]. Praise Yahweh [for them!]
10 Vous qui montez de blanches ânesses, qui vous asseyez sur des tapis, et vous, humbles piétons du chemin, contez cette merveille!
“You wealthy people who ride on donkeys, sitting on nice padded saddles, and you people who just walk on the road, you all listen!
11 Ceux que le tumulte faisait blottir parmi les auges, maintenant célèbrent les bienfaits du Seigneur, ses bienfaits qui émancipent Israël; maintenant rentre dans ses portes le peuple du Seigneur.
Listen to the voices of the singers who gather at the places where [the animals drink] water. They tell about how Yahweh acted righteously when he enabled the Israeli warriors to conquer [their enemies]. “Yahweh’s people marched down to the gates of our city.
12 Debout, debout, Débora! Eveille-toi, éveille-toi, chante l’hymne! Alerte, ô Barak! Fils d’Abinoam, emmène ta capture!
The people came to my house and shouted, ‘Deborah, wake up! Wake up and start singing!’ They also shouted, ‘Barak, son of Abinoam, get up, and capture our enemies!’
13 Un faible reste triomphe d’une puissante multitude; l’Eternel m’a fait dompter les forts.
Later, some of the Israeli people came down [from Tabor Mountain] with us, their leaders. These men who belonged to Yahweh came with me to fight their strong enemies.
14 Les gens d’Ephraïm ont pris racine en Amalec, à ta suite, ô Benjamin! et près de tes familles; Makhir a produit des législateurs, et plusieurs, dans Zabulon, manient la plume du scribe.
Some came from the tribe descended from Ephraim. They came from land that once belonged to the descendants of Amalek. And men from the tribe descended from Benjamin followed them. Troops from the group descended from Makir also came down, and officers from the tribe descended from Zebulun came down, carrying staffs.
15 Et ces princes d’Issachar, amis de Débora, et Issachar, l’appui de Barak, dans la vallée ils s’étalent à ses pieds. Parmi les groupes de Ruben, grands sont les soucis de la pensée!
Leaders from the tribes descended from Issachar joined Barak and me. They followed Barak, rushing down into the valley. But men from the tribe descended from Reuben could not decide whether or not to join us.
16 Pourquoi es-tu resté entre les collines, écoutant le murmure des troupeaux? C’Est que, pour les groupes de Ruben, grave est la perplexité d’esprit.
Why did you men stay at your sheep pens, waiting to hear the shepherds whistle for their flocks of sheep to come to the pens? Men in the tribe descended from Reuben could not decide whether they would join us to fight our enemies, or not.
17 Galaad, sur la rive du Jourdain demeure immobile; Dan, qui le retient près des vaisseaux? Aser s’est fixé sur le littoral, il se cantonne près de ses ports…
Similarly, the men living in the Gilead area stayed at home, east of the Jordan River. And the men from the tribe descended from Dan, why did they stay home? The tribe descended from Asher sat by the seashore. They stayed in their coves.
18 Zabulon, voilà le peuple qui se dévoue à la mort! Lui et Nepthali, seuls au champ de bataille!
But men from the tribe descended from Zebulun risked (their lives/were ready to die fighting) on the battlefield, and men descended from Naphtali were ready to do that, also.
19 Les rois sont venus, ils ont guerroyé, oui, ils ont guerroyé, les. rois de Canaan, à Taanakh, près des eaux de Meghiddo: les riches dépouilles n’ont pas été pour eux.
“The kings of Canaan fought us at Taanach, near the springs in Megiddo [Valley]. [But since they did not defeat us], they did not carry away any silver or other treasures from the battle.
20 Les cieux ont pris part au combat; les astres, dans leurs orbites, ont fait la guerre à Sisara.
[It was as though] the stars in the sky fought for us [and as though] those stars in their paths fought against Sisera.
21 Le torrent de Kison les a balayés, l’antique torrent, le torrent de Kison… Mon âme, élance-toi, impétueuse!
The Kishon River swept them away— that river that has been there for ages. I will tell myself to be brave and continue marching on.
22 Comme ils résonnaient, les sabots des coursiers, sous la fuite, la fuite rapide de ses vaillants!
The hooves of the horses of Sisera’s [army] pounded the ground. Those powerful horses kept galloping along.
23 Maudissez Méroz, a dit le messager du Seigneur, vouez à l’exécration ses habitants! Car ils ne sont point venus seconder le Seigneur parmi les braves.
The angel sent by Yahweh said, ‘Curse the people of Meroz [town], because they did not come to help Yahweh to defeat the mighty warriors [of Canaan].’
24 Bénie soit, entre les femmes, Jaël, l’épouse du Kénéen Héber; entre les femmes, sous la tente, soit-elle bénie!
“But God is very pleased with Jael, the wife of Heber from the Ken people-group. He is more pleased with her than with all the other women who live in tents.
25 Il demandait de l’eau, elle lui offre du lait; dans un vase précieux elle apporte de la crème.
Sisera asked for some water, but Jael gave him some milk. She brought him some yogurt/curds in a bowl that was suitable for kings.
26 De sa main elle saisit une cheville, de sa droite le marteau du manœuvre; puis elle frappe Sisara, lui fracasse la tête, lui fend, lui transperce la tempe.
Then, [when he was asleep], she reached for a tent peg with her left hand, and she reached for a hammer with her right hand. She hit Sisera hard with it and crushed his head. She pounded the tent peg right through his head.
27 A ses pieds il se tord, il s’affaisse, il succombe; à ses pieds il se tord, il rampe, se débat encore et gît sur place, inanimé…
He collapsed and fell dead at her feet.
28 Elle a regardé par la fenêtre, la mère de Sisara; à travers le grillage elle a jeté sa plainte: "Pourquoi son char tarde-t-il à paraître? Qui retient donc la course de ses chariots?"
“Sisera’s mother looked out from her window. She waited for him to return. She said, ‘Why is he taking so long to come home in his chariot? Why don’t I hear the sound of the wheels of his chariot?’
29 Ses sages compagnes la rassurent; elle-même trouve réponse à ses plaintes:
One wise woman replied to her, and she [kept consoling herself by] repeating those words:
30 "Sans doute ils enlèvent, ils partagent le butin; une jeune fille, deux jeunes filles par guerrier; pour Sisara, les étoffes richement teintes, la dépouille des broderies éclatantes, des broderies doubles qui brillent au cou des captives…"
‘Perhaps they are dividing up the things and the people they captured after the battle. Each soldier will get one or two women. Sisera will get some beautiful robes, and some beautiful embroidered robes for me.’
31 Ainsi périront tous tes ennemis, Seigneur, et tes amis rayonneront comme le soleil dans sa gloire. Le pays eut, depuis lors, quarante années de repos.
But [that is not what happened]! Yahweh, I hope that all your enemies will die as Sisera did! And I desire that all those who love you will be as strong as the sun when it rises!
