Isaïe 59
1 Non, la main de l’Éternel n’est pas trop courte pour sauver, Ni son oreille trop dure pour entendre.
Listen to this! Yahweh’s power [MTY] is not ended/gone, with the result that he cannot save [you]. He has not become deaf [MTY], with the result that he cannot hear [you when you call to him for help].
2 Mais ce sont vos crimes qui mettent une séparation Entre vous et votre Dieu; Ce sont vos péchés qui vous cachent sa face Et l’empêchent de vous écouter.
But, you have separated yourselves from your God by the sins that you have committed. Because of your sins, he has turned away from you, with the result that he does not pay attention to what you request him to do.
3 Car vos mains sont souillées de sang, Et vos doigts de crimes; Vos lèvres profèrent le mensonge, Votre langue fait entendre l’iniquité.
You do violent things [MTY] [to others], with the result that your hands are stained with their blood. You [constantly] tell [MTY] lies, and you say [MTY] evil things [about others].
4 Nul ne se plaint avec justice, Nul ne plaide avec droiture; Ils s’appuient sur des choses vaines et disent des faussetés, Ils conçoivent le mal et enfantent le crime.
When you accuse someone in court, what you say is not fair and it is not true. You accuse people falsely. You are [constantly] planning to cause trouble for others, and then you do those evil things that you planned.
5 Ils couvent des œufs de basilic, Et ils tissent des toiles d’araignée. Celui qui mange de leurs œufs meurt; Et, si l’on en brise un, il sort une vipère.
What you plan to do to harm people [MET] is as dangerous as the eggs of a (cobra/poisonous snake), because cobras will hatch from those eggs. You trap people like [MET] spiders trap/catch insects in their webs.
6 Leurs toiles ne servent point à faire un vêtement, Et ils ne peuvent se couvrir de leur ouvrage; Leurs œuvres sont des œuvres d’iniquité, Et les actes de violence sont dans leurs mains.
We people cannot hide/cover our skin with clothes made of spider webs [MET], and similarly you cannot hide the evil things that you have done. You are [constantly] acting [MTY] violently.
7 Leurs pieds courent au mal, Et ils ont hâte de répandre le sang innocent; Leurs pensées sont des pensées d’iniquité, Le ravage et la ruine sont sur leur route.
You [SYN] are very quick to go and do evil things, and you hurry to murder people [MTY] who are innocent. You are [continually] thinking about sinning. Wherever you go, you destroy things and cause people to suffer.
8 Ils ne connaissent pas le chemin de la paix, Et il n’y a point de justice dans leurs voies; Ils prennent des sentiers détournés: Quiconque y marche ne connaît point la paix.
You do not know how to act peacefully or to treat others fairly. You always are (dishonest/deceiving others) [MET], and those who imitate your behavior never have any inner peace.
9 C’est pourquoi l’arrêt de délivrance est loin de nous, Et le salut ne nous atteint pas; Nous attendons la lumière, et voici les ténèbres, La clarté, et nous marchons dans l’obscurité.
Because of that, God does not rescue us [from our enemies]; [it seems that] he is not acting fairly/righteously toward us. We expect [God to give us] light, but all [he gives us] is darkness [DOU].
10 Nous tâtonnons comme des aveugles le long d’un mur, Nous tâtonnons comme ceux qui n’ont point d’yeux; Nous chancelons à midi comme de nuit, Au milieu de l’abondance nous ressemblons à des morts.
We are like [SIM] blind people who have to feel along a wall to be able to walk anywhere. We stumble [and trip] at noontime like [SIM] we would when it is dark. We are like [SIM] dead people who are among healthy people.
11 Nous grondons tous comme des ours, Nous gémissons comme des colombes; Nous attendons la délivrance, et elle n’est pas là, Le salut, et il est loin de nous.
We growl like [SIM] [hungry] bears; we continually moan like [SIM] doves. We seek [people who do] what is just/fair, but we cannot find any [anywhere]. [We want God] to rescue us, but [it seems that] he is far away.
12 Car nos transgressions sont nombreuses devant toi, Et nos péchés témoignent contre nous; Nos transgressions sont avec nous, Et nous connaissons nos crimes.
[But these things are happening] because [it is as though] our sins are piled high in the presence of God, and that they testify [PRS] against us. We cannot deny it; we know that we have done many wrong things.
13 Nous avons été coupables et infidèles envers l’Éternel, Nous avons abandonné notre Dieu; Nous avons proféré la violence et la révolte, Conçu et médité dans le cœur des paroles de mensonge;
[We know that] we have rebelled against Yahweh; we have turned away from him. We (oppress people/treat people cruelly) by what we testify [against them]; we do not allow them to get what they have a right to get. We [SYN] think about the lies that we can tell, and then we tell them.
14 Et la délivrance s’est retirée, Et le salut se tient éloigné; Car la vérité trébuche sur la place publique, Et la droiture ne peut approcher.
[In our courts, the judges] do not decide cases/matters fairly; no one is acting righteously. In plazas where people gather together, no one tells the truth [PRS]; [it seems that people] are not allowed to say what is true.
15 La vérité a disparu, Et celui qui s’éloigne du mal est dépouillé. L’Éternel voit, d’un regard indigné, Qu’il n’y a plus de droiture.
No one tells the truth, and people try to ruin [the reputations of] those who quit doing evil. Yahweh looked around, and he saw that no one was doing what is just/fair, and he was [very] displeased.
16 Il voit qu’il n’y a pas un homme, Il s’étonne de ce que personne n’intercède; Alors son bras lui vient en aide, Et sa justice lui sert d’appui.
He was disgusted when he saw that no one tried to help [those who were being treated cruelly]. So he used his own power [MTY] to rescue them; it is because he is always righteous that he did that [PRS].
17 Il se revêt de la justice comme d’une cuirasse, Et il met sur sa tête le casque du salut; Il prend la vengeance pour vêtement, Et il se couvre de la jalousie comme d’un manteau.
[It is as though he is a soldier who] [MET] puts on his armor and a helmet; his continually doing what is right is like [MET] his armor, and his ability to rescue people is [like] his helmet. His being extremely angry and his being ready to get revenge [on those who do evil] are like [MET] his robes.
18 Il rendra à chacun selon ses œuvres, La fureur à ses adversaires, La pareille à ses ennemis; Il rendra la pareille aux îles.
He will repay his enemies for the evil things that they have done. He will severely punish [MTY] even those who live far [from Jerusalem].
19 On craindra le nom de l’Éternel depuis l’occident, Et sa gloire depuis le soleil levant; Quand l’ennemi viendra comme un fleuve, L’esprit de l’Éternel le mettra en fuite.
When that happens, people everywhere, from the east to the west, will respect and honor Yahweh [MTY], because he will come like [SIM] a rushing river that is pushed along by the strong wind that Yahweh sent.
20 Un rédempteur viendra pour Sion, Pour ceux de Jacob qui se convertiront de leurs péchés, Dit l’Éternel.
And Yahweh says that he will come to Jerusalem to free [his people]; he will come to rescue those in Judah who have quit (doing sinful things/their sinful behavior).
21 Voici mon alliance avec eux, dit l’Éternel: Mon esprit, qui repose sur toi, Et mes paroles, que j’ai mises dans ta bouche, Ne se retireront point de ta bouche, ni de la bouche de tes enfants, Ni de la bouche des enfants de tes enfants, Dit l’Éternel, dès maintenant et à jamais.
This is what Yahweh says to his people: “This is the agreement that I will make with you: My Spirit will not leave you, and you will always have my message. You will [be able to] declare it [MTY], and your children and grandchildren will [be able to] declare it forever.”
