Psaumes 18
1 Au chef des chantres. Par le serviteur de l’Eternel, David, qui prononça en l’honneur du Seigneur les paroles de ce cantique, lorsque l’Eternel l’eut délivré de la main de tous ses ennemis et de la main de Saül. Il dit: Je t’aime, ô Eternel, qui es ma force!
Yahweh, I love you, the one who enables me to be strong.
2 Seigneur, tu es mon rocher et ma forteresse, un libérateur pour moi; mon Dieu tutélaire en qui je m’abrite, mon bouclier, mon puissant sauveur, mon rempart!
Yahweh is like an [overhanging] rock [DOU, MET] [under which I can hide from my enemies]; he is like a strong fortress, the one who protects me; he protects me like a shield [MET] [protects a soldier]; he is the one to whom I go (for refuge/to be protected/safe), and he defends me by his great power [IDM].
3 Gloire, m’écrié-je, à l’Eternel, et je suis délivré de mes ennemis!
I called out to Yahweh, who deserves to be praised, and he rescued me from my enemies.
4 Déjà m’enveloppaient les liens de la mort, les torrents de la perdition me faisaient frémir;
All around me were dangerous situations in which I might be killed [PRS]; it was as though there were huge waves [MET] that almost crashed on me and killed me.
[It was as though] the place where dead people are had ropes that were wrapped around me, or [it was as though] there was a trap [MET] that would [seize and] kill me. (Sheol h7585)
6 Dans ma détresse, j’invoque le Seigneur, je fais appel à mon Dieu; de son sanctuaire il entend ma voix, mon cri est monté à ses oreilles.
But when I was very distressed, I called out to Yahweh, and from his temple he heard me. He listened to me when I cried out [for help].
7 Soudain la terre oscille et tremble, les fondements des montagnes sont ébranlés, secoués par la colère de Dieu.
Then the earth quaked/shook strongly [DOU]; the mountains shook very strongly from their centers [DOU] because Yahweh was angry.
8 Des vapeurs s’exhalent, signe de son courroux; de sa bouche sort un feu dévorant, jaillissent de brûlantes étincelles.
[It was as though] smoke poured out from his nostrils, and [as though] burning coals came out of his mouth.
9 Il incline les cieux et descend; sous ses pieds une brume épaisse.
He opened the sky and came down with a black cloud under his feet.
10 Porté sur les chérubins, il vole, il plane sur les ailes du vent.
He flew, riding on the back of a creature that had wings, traveling [fast], blown along by the wind.
11 Des ténèbres il se fait une mystérieuse retraite, il s’enveloppe, comme d’un pavillon, des eaux obscures, d’opaques nuages.
Darkness was all around him [like a blanket] [MET]; dark clouds, full of moisture, covered him [MET].
12 De l’éclat qui l’entoure s’élancent ses nuées, la grêle et des flammes ardentes.
Hailstones and flashes of lightning were around him; hail and burning coals fell from the sky.
13 Il tonne dans les cieux, l’Eternel, le Dieu suprême fait entendre sa voix, la grêle et les flammes ardentes.
Then Yahweh [spoke in a loud voice] from the sky, and [his enemies] heard his voice that sounded like thunder.
14 Il décoche ses flèches et il les disperse, il lance des éclairs et les frappe de stupeur.
He shot his arrows at them and caused them to scatter; His flashes of lightning caused them to become very confused (OR, to run away).
15 Le lit des fleuves s’est découvert, les fondements de la terre ont été mis à nu, à ta voix impérieuse, ô Eternel, au souffle du vent de ta colère.
The bottom of the ocean became visible, and the foundations of the earth were uncovered, when Yahweh rebuked his enemies when he snorted.
16 Il étend d’en haut sa main, me saisit, me retire du sein des grandes eaux;
[It was as though] he reached down from heaven and grabbed me and pulled me up out of the deep ocean.
17 il me délivre de mon puissant ennemi, de mes adversaires trop forts pour moi.
He rescued me from my strong enemies who hated me; they were very strong, with the result that I [could not defeat them].
18 Ils étaient à l’affût de mes malheurs, mais l’Eternel a été mon appui.
When I (was distressed/had troubles), they attacked me, but Yahweh defended/protected me.
19 Il m’a mis au large, m’a sauvé parce qu’il m’aime.
He led me to a place where I was safe; he rescued me because he was pleased with me.
20 Le Seigneur me traite selon ma droiture, il récompense la pureté de mes mains.
Yahweh has rewarded me because I do what is right; he has blessed me because I (am innocent/have not done things that are wrong).
21 C’Est que je suis fidèle aux voies du Seigneur, jamais je n’ai trahi mon Dieu.
I have obeyed Yahweh’s laws; I have not abandoned him.
22 Toutes ses lois me sont présentes, ses statuts, je ne m’en écarte point.
My behavior was directed by his rules; I have not stopped obeying them.
23 Attaché à lui sans réserve, je me suis tenu en garde contre mes fautes.
He knows that I have not done what is wrong; I have kept myself from sinning.
24 Oui, le Seigneur m’a rémunéré selon ma droiture, selon la pureté de mes mains, dont ses yeux sont témoins.
So he rewards me because I do what is right; he knows that I [SYN] have not committed sins.
25 Tu te montres aimant pour qui t’aime, loyal envers l’homme loyal,
Yahweh, you are faithful to those who faithfully [do what you tell them to do]; you always do what is good/right to those who do what you want them to do.
26 sincère avec les cœurs purs, mais artificieux avec les pervers!
You are kind to those who are kind to others, but you act wisely toward those who (act perversely/do bad things).
27 Oui, tu viens en aide à un peuple humilié, et tu abaisses les yeux hautains.
You save those who are humble, but you cause those who are proud to be humiliated/ashamed.
28 Oui, tu fais briller ma lumière! L’Eternel, mon Dieu, illumine mes ténèbres.
You give light to my [soul/spirit]; you take away the darkness of my soul.
29 Soutenu par lui, j’attaque un bataillon; grâce à mon Dieu, j’escalade un rempart.
You enable me to be strong, with the result that I can run and attack a line of enemy soldiers; with your help I can (scale/climb up) the walls [that surround my enemies’ cities].
30 Dieu puissant! parfaite est sa voie; la parole du Seigneur est infaillible, il est le bouclier de quiconque espère en lui.
Everything that Yahweh my God does is perfect. We can depend on him to do what he promises. He is like a shield [MET] to protect all those who go to him for refuge.
31 Qui est Dieu, hormis l’Eternel? Qui un rocher tutélaire, si ce n’est notre Dieu?
Yahweh is [RHQ] the only one who is God; only he is like an [overhanging] rock [under which we can be safe].
32 Ce Dieu me ceint de force, et me fait suivre une voie parfaite.
God is the one who enables me to be strong and who keeps me safe on the roads that I walk on.
33 Il rend mes pieds agiles comme ceux des biches, et m’installe sur mes hauteurs.
He enables me to [walk swiftly without stumbling], like a deer walks/runs in the mountains.
34 Il instruit mes mains aux combats, mes bras à manier l’arc d’airain.
He teaches me how to use a strong/metal bow in order that I can use it to fight in battles.
35 Tu me prêtes le bouclier de ton secours, ta droite est mon appui, ta bienveillance fait ma supériorité.
Yahweh, you protect and save me with your shield; you have made me safe by your power [MTY]. I have become (strong/a great [king]) because you have helped me.
36 Tu donnes de l’aisance à mes pas, et empêches mes talons de chanceler.
You have cleared the road for me, with the result that now I do not slip/stumble.
37 Je poursuis mes ennemis, je les atteins; point de relâche que je ne les aie détruits.
I have pursued my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until I had defeated/killed them all.
38 Je les abats, ils ne pourront plus se relever, ils gisent désormais à mes pieds.
When I strike them, they are not able to get up again; they lie on the ground, defeated.
39 C’Est toi qui m’as armé de vaillance pour la guerre, qui fais plier sous moi mes agresseurs;
You have enabled me to be strong in order that I can fight battles and defeat my enemies.
40 mes ennemis, tu les fais fuir devant moi, et mes adversaires, j’en fais justice.
You caused my enemies to run away (OR, you enabled me to put my foot on my enemies’ necks [after I captured them and forced them to lie on the ground]); I have gotten rid of all those who hated me.
41 Ils s’adressent, à bout de ressources, à l’Eternel…: point de réponse!
They called out for someone to help them, but no one saved them.
42 Je les écrase comme la poussière qu’emporte le vent, comme la fange des rues, je les pulvérise.
I pulverize them, with the result that they become like [MET] the dust that the wind [blows away]; I throw them out like [SIM] [people throw] dirt out into the streets.
43 Tu me fais triompher des factions du peuple, tu me places à la tête des nations; des peuplades inconnues deviennent mes tributaires.
You enabled me to defeat those who fought against me, and appointed me to be the ruler of [many]; people whom I did not know about previously are now slaves [in my kingdom].
44 Au seul bruit de mon nom, ils se soumettent à moi, les fils d’un sol étranger me rendent hommage.
When foreigners hear about me, they (cringe/bow low before me) and they obey me.
45 Les fils de l’étranger perdent courage, ils tremblent au fond de leurs retraites.
They are no longer courageous, and from their forts [where they were hiding] they come [to me] trembling.
46 Vivant est le Seigneur, et béni mon rocher! Glorifié le Dieu qui me protège!
Yahweh is alive! Praise the one who is like an [overhanging] rock [MET] [under which I am safe] Exalt the God who saves me!
47 O Dieu, c’est toi qui me procures vengeance, qui fais tomber des peuples à mes pieds;
He enables me to get revenge on my enemies; he causes me to defeat nations and to rule over them,
48 qui m’arraches à mes ennemis, me fais triompher de mes agresseurs, et échapper aux hommes de violence.
and he rescues me from my enemies. He has lifted me up high so that violent men could not reach me [and harm me].
49 Je te rends donc grâce, Seigneur, à la face des peuples, et je chante ta gloire,
So I praise him [and I tell] the nations [the great things that he has done].
50 ô toi qui assures de grandes victoires à ton roi, qui combles de bienfaits ton oint David et sa postérité à jamais!
He has enabled me, his king, to powerfully defeat my enemies; he faithfully loves me, David, the one he has chosen [to be king], and he will faithfully love my descendants forever.
