Deutéronome 1

1 Voici les paroles que Moïse adressa à tout Israël, de l’autre côté du Jourdain, dans le désert, dans la plaine, vis-à-vis de Suph, entre Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hatséroth et Di-Zahab.

In this book is written what Moses/I said to the Israeli people. He/I told them these things when they/we were in the desert, on the east side of the Jordan [River]. They/We had set up our tents near [a place named] Suph, between Paran [town on the one side of the river] and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab [towns on the other side of the river].

2 Il y a onze journées depuis Horeb, par le chemin de la montagne de Séir, jusqu’à Kadès-Barnéa.

To walk from Sinai [Mountain] to the Kadesh-Barnea [oasis], people usually travel for only eleven days, going by way of the hilly area named Edom.

3 Dans la quarantième année, au onzième mois, le premier du mois, Moïse parla aux enfants d’Israël selon tout ce que l’Éternel lui avait ordonné de leur dire.

Forty years after (the Israelis/we) left Egypt, in the middle of January, Moses/I told the Israeli people everything that Yahweh had commanded him/me to tell them.

4 C’était après qu’il eut battu Sihon, roi des Amoréens, qui habitait à Hesbon, et Og, roi de Basan, qui habitait à Aschtaroth et à Édréï.

This was after they/we had defeated Sihon, the king of the Amor people-group, who lived in Heshbon [city], and Og, the king of the Bashan [region] who lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei [towns].

5 De l’autre côté du Jourdain, dans le pays de Moab, Moïse commença à expliquer cette loi, et dit:

Moses/I told them these things while the people were in the Moab region, on the east side of the Jordan [River]. He/I (explained to them/enabled them to understand) God’s laws. This is what he/I said to them:

6 L’Éternel, notre Dieu, nous a parlé à Horeb, en disant: Vous avez assez demeuré dans cette montagne.

“Yahweh our God said to us when we were at Sinai [Mountain], ‘You have stayed for a very long time at [the bottom of] this mountain.

7 Tournez-vous, et partez; allez à la montagne des Amoréens et dans tout le voisinage, dans la plaine, sur la montagne, dans la vallée, dans le midi, sur la côte de la mer, au pays des Cananéens et au Liban, jusqu’au grand fleuve, au fleuve d’Euphrate.

So now continue traveling. Go to the hilly area where the Amor people-group lives and to the nearby areas—to the Jordan [River] Valley, to the hilly region, to the western (foothills/hills at the bottom of the mountains), to the desert area to the south, to the [Mediterranean] Seacoast, to all of Canaan land, to the Lebanon [Mountains], and [northeast] to the great Euphrates River.

8 Voyez, j’ai mis le pays devant vous; allez, et prenez possession du pays que l’Éternel a juré à vos pères, Abraham, Isaac et Jacob, de donner à eux et à leur postérité après eux.

Note that I will give that land to you. I, Yahweh, promised to your ancestors Abraham and Isaac and Jacob that I would give it to them and to their descendants. So now go and occupy it.’”

9 Dans ce temps-là, je vous dis: Je ne puis pas, à moi seul, vous porter.

Moses/I also said to the people, “When [we were still at Sinai Mountain], I told your ancestors ‘It is a very big burden/responsibility for me to govern all of you. So I cannot do it by myself.

10 L’Éternel, votre Dieu, vous a multipliés, et vous êtes aujourd’hui aussi nombreux que les étoiles du ciel.

Yahweh our God has caused us Israelis to now become as numerous as the stars in the sky.

11 Que l’Éternel, le Dieu de vos pères, vous augmente mille fois autant, et qu’il vous bénisse comme il vous l’a promis!

And I hope/desire that Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors [worshiped], will cause us to become 1,000 times as numerous as we are now and that he will bless us just like he promised to do.

12 Comment porterais-je, à moi seul, votre charge, votre fardeau et vos contestations?

But I certainly cannot [RHQ] (solve/deal with) all of your complaints/problems.

13 Prenez dans vos tribus des hommes sages, intelligents et connus, et je les mettrai à votre tête.

So choose some men from your tribes who are wise and who have good sense and who are respected. Then I will appoint them to be your leaders.’

14 Vous me répondîtes, en disant: Ce que tu proposes de faire est une bonne chose.

Your ancestors replied, ‘What you have suggested is good for us to do.’

15 Je pris alors les chefs de vos tribus, des hommes sages et connus, et je les mis à votre tête comme chefs de mille, chefs de cent, chefs de cinquante, et chefs de dix, et comme ayant autorité dans vos tribus.

So I took the wise and respected men [that your ancestors chose] from your tribes, and I appointed them to be your leaders. I appointed some to (rule/have authority) over 1,000 people, some to have authority over 100 people, some to have authority over 50 people, and some to have authority over ten people. I also appointed other officers from throughout your tribes.

16 Je donnai, dans le même temps, cet ordre à vos juges: Écoutez vos frères, et jugez selon la justice les différends de chacun avec son frère ou avec l’étranger.

I instructed/told your leaders, ‘Listen to the disputes that occur among your people. Judge each dispute, including disputes between close relatives and quarrels between your people and people from other countries who live among you.

17 Vous n’aurez point égard à l’apparence des personnes dans vos jugements; vous écouterez le petit comme le grand; vous ne craindrez aucun homme, car c’est Dieu qui rend la justice. Et lorsque vous trouverez une cause trop difficile, vous la porterez devant moi, pour que je l’entende.

You must (be impartial/not favor one person more than another); you must treat poor people and important people equally. You must not worry about what anyone will think [about how you decide matters], because you will decide matters as God [wants you to]. If any quarrel/dispute is very difficult and you are unable to decide it, bring it to me, and I will decide.’

18 C’est ainsi que je vous prescrivis, dans ce temps-là, tout ce que vous aviez à faire.

At that time I also told you other things that you should do.”

19 Nous partîmes d’Horeb, et nous parcourûmes en entier ce grand et affreux désert que vous avez vu; nous prîmes le chemin de la montagne des Amoréens, comme l’Éternel, notre Dieu, nous l’avait ordonné, et nous arrivâmes à Kadès-Barnéa.

“Then, just like Yahweh our God commanded us, we left Sinai [Mountain] and went through that huge desert that was very (dangerous/difficult to travel through), on the road to the hilly area where the Amor people-group live. We arrived at Kadesh-Barnea.

20 Je vous dis: Vous êtes arrivés à la montagne des Amoréens, que l’Éternel, notre Dieu, nous donne.

I said to your ancestors, ‘We have now come to the hilly area where the Amor people-group live. This is part of the area that Yahweh our God, the one whom our ancestors [worshiped], is giving to us.

21 Vois, l’Éternel, ton Dieu, met le pays devant toi; monte, prends-en possession, comme te l’a dit l’Éternel, le Dieu de tes pères; ne crains point, et ne t’effraie point.

Note that Yahweh our God is giving this land to us. So go and occupy it as he commanded. Do not be (at all/even a little bit) afraid.’

22 Vous vous approchâtes tous de moi, et vous dîtes: Envoyons des hommes devant nous, pour explorer le pays, et pour nous faire un rapport sur le chemin par lequel nous y monterons et sur les villes où nous arriverons.

But all of your ancestors came to me and said, ‘Before we go, we should [first] send some men there to explore the land, in order that they can return and tell us which will be the best road to go there and what kind of towns are there.’

23 Cet avis me parut bon; et je pris douze hommes parmi vous, un homme par tribu.

I thought that it would be good to do that, so I chose twelve men, one man from each tribe.

24 Ils partirent, traversèrent la montagne, et arrivèrent jusqu’à la vallée d’Eschcol, qu’ils explorèrent.

They went up into the hilly area as far as Eshcol Valley, and they explored all that area.

25 Ils prirent dans leurs mains des fruits du pays, et nous les présentèrent; ils nous firent un rapport, et dirent: C’est un bon pays, que l’Éternel, notre Dieu, nous donne.

They picked some of the fruit that they found there and brought it to us. They reported that the land that Yahweh our God was giving to us is very good/fertile.”

26 Mais vous ne voulûtes point y monter, et vous fûtes rebelles à l’ordre de l’Éternel, votre Dieu.

“But your ancestors refused to go [and conquer that land]. They rebelled against what Yahweh our God had commanded them to do, and they would not go into that land.

27 Vous murmurâtes dans vos tentes, et vous dîtes: C’est parce que l’Éternel nous hait, qu’il nous a fait sortir du pays d’Égypte, afin de nous livrer entre les mains des Amoréens et de nous détruire.

Your ancestors [stayed] in their tents and complained saying ‘Yahweh hates us. So he has brought us here from Egypt just to allow the Amor people-group to destroy us.

28 Où monterions-nous? Nos frères nous ont fait perdre courage, en disant: C’est un peuple plus grand et de plus haute taille que nous; ce sont des villes grandes et fortifiées jusqu’au ciel; nous y avons même vu des enfants d’Anak.

(Why should we go there?/We do not want to go there.) [RHQ] The men whom we sent there have caused us to become very discouraged/afraid. They have told us that the people there are much stronger and taller than we are and that there are extremely high [HYP] walls around their towns. Also they reported that they saw [giants there that are] descendants of Anak.’

29 Je vous dis: Ne vous épouvantez pas, et n’ayez pas peur d’eux.

Then I said to your ancestors, ‘Do not be afraid (at all/even a little bit) [DOU] of those people!

30 L’Éternel, votre Dieu, qui marche devant vous, combattra lui-même pour vous, selon tout ce qu’il a fait pour vous sous vos yeux en Égypte,

Yahweh our God will go ahead of you, and he will fight for you, just like you saw him do for you in Egypt

31 puis au désert, où tu as vu que l’Éternel, ton Dieu, t’a porté comme un homme porte son fils, pendant toute la route que vous avez faite jusqu’à votre arrivée en ce lieu.

and in the desert. You saw how he brought you safely here, like a man would carry his son. [SIM]’

32 Malgré cela, vous n’eûtes point confiance en l’Éternel, votre Dieu,

[I reminded them that] he always went ahead of them while they traveled [in the desert]. He directed them by [a pillar of] fire during the night and a [pillar of] cloud during the day. He showed them places to set up their tents. But in spite of what I said, your ancestors would not trust Yahweh our God.

33 qui allait devant vous sur la route pour vous chercher un lieu de campement, la nuit dans un feu afin de vous montrer le chemin où vous deviez marcher, et le jour dans une nuée.

34 L’Éternel entendit le bruit de vos paroles. Il s’irrita, et jura, en disant:

Yahweh heard what they said, and he became angry. He solemnly declared,

35 Aucun des hommes de cette génération méchante ne verra le bon pays que j’ai juré de donner à vos pères,

‘Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, will enter the land. He has obeyed me completely. So I will give to him and to his descendants [some of] the land that he explored. He is the only one of all you people who will enter that land. None of these evil people will ever see that good land which I solemnly promised to give to your ancestors.’

36 excepté Caleb, fils de Jephunné; il le verra, lui, et je donnerai à lui et à ses enfants le pays sur lequel il a marché, parce qu’il a pleinement suivi la voie de l’Éternel.

37 L’Éternel s’irrita aussi contre moi, à cause de vous, et il dit: Toi non plus, tu n’y entreras point.

But because of [what] your ancestors [did], Yahweh was also angry with me. He said to me, ‘You also will not enter that land.

38 Josué, fils de Nun, ton serviteur, y entrera; fortifie-le, car c’est lui qui mettra Israël en possession de ce pays.

Joshua, the son of Nun, who is your helper, will enter it. Encourage him, because he is the one who will enable you Israeli people to occupy that land.’

39 Et vos petits enfants, dont vous avez dit: Ils deviendront une proie! Et vos fils, qui ne connaissent aujourd’hui ni le bien ni le mal, ce sont eux qui y entreront, c’est à eux que je le donnerai, et ce sont eux qui le posséderont.

Then Yahweh said to all of us, ‘You said that your children would be captured by your enemies. Because they are very young, they do not yet know what is good and what is evil. But they are the ones to whom I will give that land, and they will enter it and occupy it.

40 Mais vous, tournez-vous, et partez pour le désert, dans la direction de la mer Rouge.

But as for you, turn around and go back into the desert, toward the (Red Sea/Gulf of Aqaba).’

41 Vous répondîtes, en me disant: Nous avons péché contre l’Éternel; nous monterons et nous combattrons, comme l’Éternel, notre Dieu, nous l’a ordonné. Et vous ceignîtes chacun vos armes, et vous fîtes le projet téméraire de monter à la montagne.

Then your ancestors replied, ‘We have sinned; we have disobeyed Yahweh. So we will go and attack [the people who live in] that land, just like Yahweh our God commanded us to do.’ And each of their men put on his weapons, and they thought that it would be easy to invade the hilly region.

42 L’Éternel me dit: Dis-leur: Ne montez pas et ne combattez pas, car je ne suis pas au milieu de vous; ne vous faites pas battre par vos ennemis.

But Yahweh said to me, ‘Tell them, “Do not go up there and attack those people, because I will not go with you. If you go, your enemies will defeat you.”’

43 Je vous parlai, mais vous n’écoutâtes point; vous fûtes rebelles à l’ordre de l’Éternel, et vous montâtes audacieusement à la montagne.

So I told that to your ancestors, but they would not heed what I said. They [again] rebelled against what Yahweh commanded them to do. Their soldiers proudly/arrogantly marched up into that hilly region.

44 Alors les Amoréens, qui habitent cette montagne, sortirent à votre rencontre, et vous poursuivirent comme font les abeilles; ils vous battirent en Séir, jusqu’à Horma.

Then the men of the Amor people-group who lived in that region came out [of their towns] and attacked those soldiers. They pursued your ancestors’ soldiers like [a swarm of] bees pursues people, and they pursued them [south] from the Edom area and defeated them at Hormah [city].

45 A votre retour, vous pleurâtes devant l’Éternel; mais l’Éternel n’écouta point votre voix, et ne vous prêta point l’oreille.

So your ancestors went back [to Kadesh-Barnea] and cried out to request Yahweh [to help them], but he did not heed them. He did not pay any attention to them [DOU].

46 Vous restâtes à Kadès, où le temps que vous y avez passé fut de longue durée.

So we stayed there at Kadesh-Barnea for a long time.”