Nahum 2
1 Le destructeur marche contre toi. Garde la forteresse! Veille sur la route! Affermis tes reins! Recueille toute ta force!…
It is all over with him, he has been removed, [one] who has been delivered from affliction has come up panting into your presence, watch the way, strengthen [your] loins, be very valiant in [your] strength.
2 Car l’Éternel rétablit la gloire de Jacob Et la gloire d’Israël, Parce que les pillards les ont pillés Et ont détruit leurs ceps…
For the Lord has turned aside the pride of Jacob, as the pride of Israel: for they have utterly rejected them, and have destroyed their branches.
3 Les boucliers de ses héros sont rouges, Les guerriers sont vêtus de pourpre; Avec le fer qui étincelle apparaissent les chars, Au jour qu’il a fixé pour la bataille, Et les lances sont agitées.
[They have destroyed] the arms of their power from amongst men, their mighty men sporting with fire: the reins of their chariots [shall be destroyed] in the day of his preparation, and the horsemen shall be thrown into confusion
4 Les chars s’élancent dans la campagne, Se précipitent sur les places; A les voir, on dirait des flambeaux, Ils courent comme des éclairs…
in the ways, and the chariots shall clash together, and shall be entangled in each other in the broad ways: their appearance is as lamps of fire, and as gleaming lightnings.
5 Il se souvient de ses vaillants hommes, Mais ils chancellent dans leur marche; On se hâte vers les murs, Et l’on se prépare à la défense…
And their mighty men shall bethink themselves and flee by day; and they shall be weak as they go; and they shall hasten to her walls, and shall prepare their defences.
6 Les portes des fleuves sont ouvertes, Et le palais s’écroule!…
The gates of the cities have been opened, and the palaces have fallen into ruin,
7 C’en est fait: elle est mise à nu, elle est emmenée; Ses servantes gémissent comme des colombes, Et se frappent la poitrine.
and the foundation has been exposed; and she has gone up, and her maidservants were led [away] as doves moaning in their hearts.
8 Ninive était jadis comme un réservoir plein d’eau… Les voilà qui fuient… Arrêtez! Arrêtez!… Mais nul ne se retourne…
And [as for] Nineve, her waters [shall be] as a pool of water: and they fled, and staid not, and there was none to look back.
9 Pillez l’argent! Pillez l’or! Il y a des trésors sans fin, Des richesses en objets précieux de toute espèce.
They plundered the silver, they plundered the gold, and there was no end of their adorning; they were loaded [with it] upon all their pleasant vessels.
10 On pille, on dévaste, on ravage! Et les cœurs sont abattus, Les genoux chancellent, Tous les reins souffrent, Tous les visages pâlissent.
[There is] thrusting forth, and shaking, and tumult, and heart-breaking, and loosing of knees, and pangs on all loins; and the faces of all [are] as the blackening of a pot.
11 Qu’est devenu ce repaire de lions, Ce pâturage des lionceaux, Où se retiraient le lion, la lionne, le petit du lion, Sans qu’il y eût personne pour les troubler?
Where is the dwelling-place of the lions, and the pasture that belonged to the whelps? where did the lion go, that the lion's whelp should enter in there, and there was none to scare [him] away?
12 Le lion déchirait pour ses petits, Etranglait pour ses lionnes; Il remplissait de proie ses antres, De dépouilles ses repaires.
The lion seized enough prey for his whelps, and strangled for his [young] lions, and filled his lair with prey, and his dwelling-place with spoil.
13 Voici, j’en veux à toi, dit l’Éternel des armées; Je réduirai tes chars en fumée, L’épée dévorera tes lionceaux, J’arracherai du pays ta proie, Et l’on n’entendra plus la voix de tes messagers.
Behold, I am against you, says the Lord Almighty, and I will burn up your multitude in the smoke, and the sword shall devour your lions; and I will utterly destroy your prey from off the land, and your deeds shall no more at all be heard of.
