Psaumes 78
1 Cantique d’Asaph. Mon peuple, écoute mes instructions! Prêtez l’oreille aux paroles de ma bouche!
Give ear, O my people, to my law. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 J’ouvre la bouche par des sentences, Je publie la sagesse des temps anciens.
I will open my mouth in parables. I will utter dark sayings of old,
3 Ce que nous avons entendu, ce que nous savons, Ce que nos pères nous ont raconté,
which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 Nous ne le cacherons point à leurs enfants; Nous dirons à la génération future les louanges de l’Éternel, Et sa puissance, et les prodiges qu’il a opérés.
We will not hide them from their sons, telling to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah, and his strength, and his wondrous works that he has done.
5 Il a établi un témoignage en Jacob, Il a mis une loi en Israël, Et il a ordonné à nos pères de l’enseigner à leurs enfants,
For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their sons,
6 Pour qu’elle fût connue de la génération future, Des enfants qui naîtraient, Et que, devenus grands, ils en parlassent à leurs enfants,
that the generation to come might know, even the sons who should be born, who should arise and tell to their sons,
7 Afin qu’ils missent en Dieu leur confiance, Qu’ils n’oubliassent pas les œuvres de Dieu, Et qu’ils observassent ses commandements,
that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments,
8 Afin qu’ils ne fussent pas, comme leurs pères, Une race indocile et rebelle, Une race dont le cœur n’était pas ferme, Et dont l’esprit n’était pas fidèle à Dieu.
and might not be as their fathers: a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.
9 Les fils d’Éphraïm, armés et tirant de l’arc, Tournèrent le dos le jour du combat.
The sons of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
10 Ils ne gardèrent point l’alliance de Dieu, Et ils refusèrent de marcher selon sa loi.
They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law.
11 Ils mirent en oubli ses œuvres, Ses merveilles qu’il leur avait fait voir.
And they forgot his doings, and his wondrous works that he had shown them.
12 Devant leurs pères il avait fait des prodiges, Au pays d’Égypte, dans les campagnes de Tsoan.
He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13 Il fendit la mer et leur ouvrit un passage, Il fit dresser les eaux comme une muraille.
He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through. And he made the waters to stand as a heap.
14 Il les conduisit le jour par la nuée, Et toute la nuit par un feu éclatant.
In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.
15 Il fendit des rochers dans le désert, Et il donna à boire comme des flots abondants;
He split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.
16 Du rocher il fit jaillir des sources, Et couler des eaux comme des fleuves.
He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 Mais ils continuèrent à pécher contre lui, A se révolter contre le Très-Haut dans le désert.
Yet they went on to still sin against him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.
18 Ils tentèrent Dieu dans leur cœur, En demandant de la nourriture selon leur désir.
And they challenged God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.
19 Ils parlèrent contre Dieu, Ils dirent: Dieu pourrait-il Dresser une table dans le désert?
Yea, they spoke against God. They said, Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
20 Voici, il a frappé le rocher, et des eaux ont coulé, Et des torrents se sont répandus; Pourra-t-il aussi donner du pain, Ou fournir de la viande à son peuple?
Behold, he smote the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Will he provide flesh for his people?
21 L’Éternel entendit, et il fut irrité; Un feu s’alluma contre Jacob, Et la colère s’éleva contre Israël,
Therefore Jehovah heard, and was angry. And a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also went up against Israel,
22 Parce qu’ils ne crurent pas en Dieu, Parce qu’ils n’eurent pas confiance dans son secours.
because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in his salvation.
23 Il commanda aux nuages d’en haut, Et il ouvrit les portes des cieux;
Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven,
24 Il fit pleuvoir sur eux la manne pour nourriture, Il leur donna le blé du ciel.
and he rained down manna upon them to eat, and gave them food from heaven.
25 Ils mangèrent tous le pain des grands, Il leur envoya de la nourriture à satiété.
Man ate the bread of the mighty. He sent them food to the full.
26 Il fit souffler dans les cieux le vent d’orient, Et il amena par sa puissance le vent du midi;
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he guided the south wind.
27 Il fit pleuvoir sur eux la viande comme de la poussière, Et comme le sable des mers les oiseaux ailés;
He also rained flesh upon them as the dust, and winged birds as the sand of the seas.
28 Il les fit tomber au milieu de leur camp, Tout autour de leurs demeures.
And he let it fall in the midst of their camp round about their habitations.
29 Ils mangèrent et se rassasièrent abondamment: Dieu leur donna ce qu’ils avaient désiré.
So they ate, and were well filled, and he gave them their own desire.
30 Ils n’avaient pas satisfait leur désir, Ils avaient encore leur nourriture dans la bouche,
They were not estranged from that which they desired. Their food was yet in their mouths
31 Lorsque la colère de Dieu s’éleva contre eux; Il frappa de mort les plus vigoureux, Il abattit les jeunes hommes d’Israël.
when the anger of God went up against them, and killed of the fattest of them, and smote down the young men of Israel.
32 Malgré tout cela, ils continuèrent à pécher, Et ne crurent point à ses prodiges.
For all this they still sinned, and did not believe in his wondrous works.
33 Il consuma leurs jours par la vanité, Et leurs années par une fin soudaine.
Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
34 Quand il les frappait de mort, ils le cherchaient, Ils revenaient et se tournaient vers Dieu;
When he killed them, then they inquired after him, and they returned and sought God earnestly.
35 Ils se souvenaient que Dieu était leur rocher, Que le Dieu Très-Haut était leur libérateur.
And they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their redeemer.
36 Mais ils le trompaient de la bouche, Et ils lui mentaient de la langue;
But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
37 Leur cœur n’était pas ferme envers lui, Et ils n’étaient pas fidèles à son alliance.
For their heart was not right with him, nor were they faithful in his covenant.
38 Toutefois, dans sa miséricorde, il pardonne l’iniquité et ne détruit pas; Il retient souvent sa colère et ne se livre pas à toute sa fureur.
But he, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and destroyed not. Yea, many a time he turned his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
39 Il se souvint qu’ils n’étaient que chair, Un souffle qui s’en va et ne revient pas.
And he remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away, and comes not again.
40 Que de fois ils se révoltèrent contre lui dans le désert! Que de fois ils l’irritèrent dans la solitude!
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert!
41 Ils ne cessèrent de tenter Dieu, Et de provoquer le Saint d’Israël.
And they turned again and challenged God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 Ils ne se souvinrent pas de sa puissance, Du jour où il les délivra de l’ennemi,
They did not remember his hand, nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary,
43 Des miracles qu’il accomplit en Égypte, Et de ses prodiges dans les campagnes de Tsoan.
how he set his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan,
44 Il changea leurs fleuves en sang, Et ils ne purent en boire les eaux.
and turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.
45 Il envoya contre eux des mouches venimeuses qui les dévorèrent, Et des grenouilles qui les détruisirent.
He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 Il livra leurs récoltes aux sauterelles, Le produit de leur travail aux sauterelles.
He also gave their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.
47 Il fit périr leurs vignes par la grêle, Et leurs sycomores par la gelée.
He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost.
48 Il abandonna leur bétail à la grêle, Et leurs troupeaux au feu du ciel.
He also gave over their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
49 Il lança contre eux son ardente colère, La fureur, la rage et la détresse, Une troupe de messagers de malheur.
He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, a band of agents of evil.
50 Il donna libre cours à sa colère, Il ne sauva pas leur âme de la mort, Il livra leur vie à la mortalité;
He made a path for his anger. He spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence,
51 Il frappa tous les premiers-nés en Égypte, Les prémices de la force sous les tentes de Cham.
and smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 Il fit partir son peuple comme des brebis, Il les conduisit comme un troupeau dans le désert.
But he led forth his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 Il les dirigea sûrement, pour qu’ils fussent sans crainte, Et la mer couvrit leurs ennemis.
And he led them safely, so that they feared not, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 Il les amena vers sa frontière sainte, Vers cette montagne que sa droite a acquise.
And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, to this mountain, which his right hand had gotten.
55 Il chassa devant eux les nations, Leur distribua le pays en héritage, Et fit habiter dans leurs tentes les tribus d’Israël.
He also drove out the nations before them, and allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
56 Mais ils tentèrent le Dieu Très-Haut et se révoltèrent contre lui, Et ils n’observèrent point ses ordonnances.
Yet they challenged and rebelled against the Most High God, and kept not his testimonies,
57 Ils s’éloignèrent et furent infidèles, comme leurs pères, Ils tournèrent, comme un arc trompeur.
but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
58 Ils l’irritèrent par leurs hauts lieux, Et ils excitèrent sa jalousie par leurs idoles.
For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
59 Dieu entendit, et il fut irrité; Il repoussa fortement Israël.
When God heard, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel,
60 Il abandonna la demeure de Silo, La tente où il habitait parmi les hommes;
so that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men,
61 Il livra sa gloire à la captivité, Et sa majesté entre les mains de l’ennemi.
and delivered their strength into captivity, and their glory into the adversary's hand.
62 Il mit son peuple à la merci du glaive, Et il s’indigna contre son héritage.
He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.
63 Le feu dévora ses jeunes hommes, Et ses vierges ne furent pas célébrées;
Fire devoured their young men, and their virgins had no marriage-song.
64 Ses sacrificateurs tombèrent par l’épée, Et ses veuves ne pleurèrent pas.
Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.
65 Le Seigneur s’éveilla comme celui qui a dormi, Comme un héros qu’a subjugué le vin.
Then the Lord awoke as out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
66 Il frappa ses adversaires en fuite, Il les couvrit d’un opprobre éternel.
And he smote his adversaries backward. He put them to a perpetual reproach.
67 Cependant il rejeta la tente de Joseph, Et il ne choisit point la tribu d’Éphraïm;
Moreover he refused the tent of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim,
68 Il préféra la tribu de Juda, La montagne de Sion qu’il aimait.
but chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
69 Et il bâtit son sanctuaire comme les lieux élevés, Comme la terre qu’il a fondée pour toujours.
And he built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.
70 Il choisit David, son serviteur, Et il le tira des bergeries;
He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds.
71 Il le prit derrière les brebis qui allaitent, Pour lui faire paître Jacob, son peuple, Et Israël, son héritage.
He brought him from following the ewes that have their young, to be the shepherd of Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
72 Et David les dirigea avec un cœur intègre, Et les conduisit avec des mains intelligentes.
So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
