Lamentations 3
1 Je suis l’homme qui a vu la misère Sous la verge de sa fureur.
I [, the one who am writing this, ] am a man who has been afflicted/punished [MTY] by Yahweh because he was angry.
2 Il m’a conduit, mené dans les ténèbres, Et non dans la lumière.
[It was as though] he caused me to walk in a very dark place without any light [at all].
3 Contre moi il tourne et retourne sa main Tout le jour.
He has punished [IDM] me many times, all day, [every] day.
4 Il a fait dépérir ma chair et ma peau, Il a brisé mes os.
He has caused my skin and my flesh to become old. He has broken my bones.
5 Il a bâti autour de moi, Il m’a environné de poison et de douleur.
He has surrounded me [DOU] with bitterness and suffering.
6 Il me fait habiter dans les ténèbres, Comme ceux qui sont morts dès longtemps.
[It is as though] he has buried me in a dark place like [SIM] [the graves of] those who have been dead for a long time.
7 Il m’a entouré d’un mur, pour que je ne sorte pas; Il m’a donné de pesantes chaînes.
[It is as though] [MET] he has built a wall around me, and fastened/tied me with heavy chains, and I cannot escape.
8 J’ai beau crier et implorer du secours, Il ne laisse pas accès à ma prière.
Although I call out and cry out for him to help me, he does not pay attention to my prayers.
9 Il a fermé mon chemin avec des pierres de taille, Il a détruit mes sentiers.
[It is as though] he has blocked my path with a [high] stone [wall] and has caused my path to become crooked.
10 Il a été pour moi un ours en embuscade, Un lion dans un lieu caché.
He has waited to attack me like [SIM] a bear or a lion hides and waits [to attack other animals].
11 Il a détourné mes voies, il m’a déchiré, Il m’a jeté dans la désolation.
[It is as though] he has dragged me off the path and (mauled me/torn me into pieces), and left me without help.
12 Il a tendu son arc, et il m’a placé Comme un but pour sa flèche.
[It is as though] [MET] he bent his bow and caused me to become the target [at which he shot] his arrows.
13 Il a fait entrer dans mes reins Les traits de son carquois.
[It is as though] he shot his arrows deep into my body.
14 Je suis pour tout mon peuple un objet de raillerie, Chaque jour l’objet de leurs chansons.
All my relatives laugh at me; all day, [every] day they sing songs that make fun of me.
15 Il m’a rassasié d’amertume, Il m’a enivré d’absinthe.
He has filled me with (bitterness/great suffering), [like] [MET] someone who drinks a very bitter liquid suffers.
16 Il a brisé mes dents avec des cailloux, Il m’a couvert de cendre.
[It is as though] he has caused me to chew gravel that broke my teeth, and he has trampled me in the dirt.
17 Tu m’as enlevé la paix; Je ne connais plus le bonheur.
Things no longer go well for me; I no longer remember being prosperous.
18 Et j’ai dit: Ma force est perdue, Je n’ai plus d’espérance en l’Éternel!
I [continued to] say [to myself], “I no longer expect to live much longer; I no longer confidently expect [to receive good things] from Yahweh!”
19 Quand je pense à ma détresse et à ma misère, A l’absinthe et au poison;
When I think about my suffering and my wandering [away from home], [it is like drinking] a very bitter [DOU] liquid.
20 Quand mon âme s’en souvient, Elle est abattue au-dedans de moi.
I will never forget this time when I feel very depressed/discouraged [IDM].
21 Voici ce que je veux repasser en mon cœur, Ce qui me donnera de l’espérance.
However, I confidently expect [Yahweh to do good things for me again] when I think about this:
22 Les bontés de l’Éternel ne sont pas épuisées, Ses compassions ne sont pas à leur terme;
Yahweh never stops faithfully loving [us], and he never stops being kind to us.
23 Elles se renouvellent chaque matin. Oh! Que ta fidélité est grande!
[He is the one whom we can] always trust/lean on. Every morning he is merciful [to us again].
24 L’Éternel est mon partage, dit mon âme; C’est pourquoi je veux espérer en lui.
[So] I say to myself, “Yahweh is all that I need; so I will confidently wait for him [to do good things for me].”
25 L’Éternel a de la bonté pour qui espère en lui, Pour l’âme qui le cherche.
Yahweh is good to [all] those who depend on him, to those who seek his [help].
26 Il est bon d’attendre en silence Le secours de l’Éternel.
[So] it is good for us to wait quietly for Yahweh to save/rescue [us].
27 Il est bon pour l’homme De porter le joug dans sa jeunesse.
And it is good for us to [patiently] endure [suffering] while we are young.
28 Il se tiendra solitaire et silencieux, Parce que l’Éternel le lui impose;
Those [who seek his help] should sit by themselves, silently, [knowing that] it is Yahweh who has allowed/caused them to suffer.
29 Il mettra sa bouche dans la poussière, Sans perdre toute espérance;
They should lie in the dirt, with their faces on the ground, [because] they can still hope [that Yahweh will help them].
30 Il présentera la joue à celui qui le frappe, Il se rassasiera d’opprobres.
If someone strikes us on one cheek, we should turn the other cheek toward that person [in order that he may strike it, too], and accept/endure it when we are insulted.
31 Car le Seigneur Ne rejette pas à toujours.
Yahweh does not abandon [us his people] forever.
32 Mais, lorsqu’il afflige, Il a compassion selon sa grande miséricorde;
Sometimes he causes us to suffer, but sometimes he is kind [to us] because he continually and faithfully loves [us].
33 Car ce n’est pas volontiers qu’il humilie Et qu’il afflige les enfants des hommes.
And he is not happy about causing human beings to suffer or to be sad.
34 Quand on foule aux pieds Tous les captifs du pays,
If people (mistreat all the prisoners/crush all the prisoners under their feet)
35 Quand on viole la justice humaine A la face du Très-Haut,
or if they rebel against God by refusing to give to people the things that it is right for them [to receive],
36 Quand on fait tort à autrui dans sa cause, Le Seigneur ne le voit-il pas?
or if they cause judges to decide matters unjustly, (does Yahweh not see all those things?/Yahweh certainly sees all those things!) [RHQ]
37 Qui dira qu’une chose arrive, Sans que le Seigneur l’ait ordonnée?
No one can [RHQ] command something to happen [and then cause it to happen] if Yahweh has not already decided that it should happen.
38 N’est-ce pas de la volonté du Très-Haut que viennent Les maux et les biens?
God in heaven [MTY] is [RHQ] the one who causes disasters to happen, and he [also] causes good things to happen.
39 Pourquoi l’homme vivant se plaindrait-il? Que chacun se plaigne de ses propres péchés.
[So] it is certainly not [RHQ] right for us, who are only humans, to complain when he punishes us for the sins that we have committed.
40 Recherchons nos voies et sondons, Et retournons à l’Éternel;
Instead, we should (examine/think carefully about) our behavior; we should turn back to Yahweh.
41 Élevons nos cœurs et nos mains Vers Dieu qui est au ciel:
We should pray [IDM] sincerely and lift up our arms toward God in heaven, [and say, ]
42 Nous avons péché, nous avons été rebelles! Tu n’as point pardonné!
“We have sinned and rebelled [against you], and you have not forgiven [us].
43 Tu t’es caché dans ta colère, et tu nous as poursuivis; Tu as tué sans miséricorde;
You have surrounded us with your anger and pursued us; you have slaughtered [us] without pitying us.
44 Tu t’es enveloppé d’un nuage, Pour fermer accès à la prière.
You have hidden yourself in a cloud, with the result that you do not hear [us] when we pray.
45 Tu nous as rendus un objet de mépris et de dédain Au milieu des peuples.
You have caused [the people of other] nations to consider us to be only garbage [DOU].
46 Ils ouvrent la bouche contre nous, Tous ceux qui sont nos ennemis.
All our enemies have insulted us.
47 Notre partage a été la terreur et la fosse, Le ravage et la ruine.
We are constantly afraid [DOU], [because] we have experienced disasters and ruin [DOU].”
48 Des torrents d’eau coulent de mes yeux, A cause de la ruine de la fille de mon peuple.
I cry a lot because my people have been destroyed.
49 Mon œil fond en larmes, sans repos, Sans relâche,
My tears continually flow; they will not stop
50 Jusqu’à ce que l’Éternel regarde et voie Du haut des cieux;
until Yahweh looks down from heaven and sees [us].
51 Mon œil me fait souffrir, A cause de toutes les filles de ma ville.
I am very grieved because of [what has happened to] the women of my city.
52 Ils m’ont donné la chasse comme à un oiseau, Ceux qui sont à tort mes ennemis.
Those who are my enemies hunted for me like [SIM] [people hunt for] a bird [to kill it] [even though] there was no reason [for them to do that].
53 Ils ont voulu anéantir ma vie dans une fosse, Et ils ont jeté des pierres sur moi.
They threw me into a pit to kill me, and they threw stones on top of me.
54 Les eaux ont inondé ma tête; Je disais: Je suis perdu!
The water [in the pit] rose above my head, and I said [to myself], “I am about to die/drown!”
55 J’ai invoqué ton nom, ô Éternel, Du fond de la fosse.
But from the bottom of the pit I cried out to you [MTY], “Yahweh, [help me]!”
56 Tu as entendu ma voix: Ne ferme pas l’oreille à mes soupirs, à mes cris!
I pleaded with you, “Do not refuse to heed [MTY] me while I cry out to you!”
57 Au jour où je t’ai invoqué, tu t’es approché, Tu as dit: Ne crains pas!
Then you answered me and said, “Do not be afraid!”
58 Seigneur, tu as défendu la cause de mon âme, Tu as racheté ma vie.
Yahweh, you defended me; you did not allow me to die.
59 Éternel, tu as vu ce qu’on m’a fait souffrir: Rends-moi justice!
[Now], Yahweh, you have seen the evil things that my enemies have done to me, [so] decide my case [and show that I am right]!
60 Tu as vu toutes leurs vengeances, Tous leurs complots contre moi.
You know the evil things that they have planned to do to me.
61 Éternel, tu as entendu leurs outrages, Tous leurs complots contre moi,
Yahweh, you have heard them insult [me] and what they have planned to do to me.
62 Les discours de mes adversaires, et les projets Qu’ils formaient chaque jour contre moi.
Every day they whisper and mutter things about me, all day long.
63 Regarde quand ils sont assis et quand ils se lèvent: Je suis l’objet de leurs chansons.
Look at them! Whether they are standing or sitting they make fun of me with the songs that they sing.
64 Tu leur donneras un salaire, ô Éternel, Selon l’œuvre de leurs mains;
Yahweh, cause them to suffer in return for their causing [me] to suffer!
65 Tu les livreras à l’endurcissement de leur cœur, A ta malédiction contre eux;
Curse them [IDM] [for] their being very stubborn [IDM].
66 Tu les poursuivras dans ta colère, et tu les extermineras De dessous les cieux, ô Éternel!
Because you are angry with them, pursue them and get rid of them, [until none of them remain] on the earth.
