Lamentations 3
1 [Aleph.] Je suis l’homme qui ai vu l’affliction par 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 et amené 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 Certes il s’est tourné contre moi, il a tous les jours tourné sa main [contre moi].
He has punished [IDM] me many times, all day, [every] day.
4 [Beth.] Il a fait vieillir 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 contre moi, et m’a environné de fiel et de travail.
He has surrounded me [DOU] with bitterness and suffering.
6 Il m’a fait tenir dans des lieux ténébreux, 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 [Guimel.] Il a fait une cloison autour de moi, afin que je ne sorte point; il a appesanti mes fers.
[It is as though] [MET] he has built a wall around me, and fastened/tied me with heavy chains, and I cannot escape.
8 Même quand je crie et que j’élève ma voix, il rejette ma requête.
Although I call out and cry out for him to help me, he does not pay attention to my prayers.
9 Il a fait un mur de pierres de taille [pour fermer] mes chemins, il a renversé 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 [Daleth.] Ce m’est un ours qui est aux embûches, et un lion qui se tient 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 chemins, et m’a mis en pièces, il m’a rendu désolé.
[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 m’a mis comme une butte pour la flèche.
[It is as though] [MET] he bent his bow and caused me to become the target [at which he shot] his arrows.
13 [He.] Il a fait entrer dans mes reins les flèches dont son carquois est plein.
[It is as though] he shot his arrows deep into my body.
14 J’ai été en risée à tous les peuples, et leur chanson, tout le jour.
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 [Vau.] Il m’a cassé les dents avec du gravier, 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 Tellement que la paix s’est éloignée de mon âme; j’ai oublié ce que c’est que d’être à son aise.
Things no longer go well for me; I no longer remember being prosperous.
18 Et j’ai dit: ma force est perdue, et mon espérance aussi que j’avais en l’Eternel.
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 [Zajin.] Souviens-toi de mon affliction, et de mon pauvre état, qui n’est qu’absinthe et que fiel.
When I think about my suffering and my wandering [away from home], [it is like drinking] a very bitter [DOU] liquid.
20 Mon âme s’[en] souvient sans cesse, et elle est abattue au dedans de moi.
I will never forget this time when I feel very depressed/discouraged [IDM].
21 [Mais] je rappellerai ceci en mon cœur, [et] c’est pourquoi j’aurai espérance;
However, I confidently expect [Yahweh to do good things for me again] when I think about this:
22 [Heth.] Ce sont les gratuités de l’Eternel que nous n’avons point été consumés, parce que ses compassions ne sont point taries.
Yahweh never stops faithfully loving [us], and he never stops being kind to us.
23 Elles se renouvellent chaque matin; [c’est] une chose grande que ta fidélité.
[He is the one whom we can] always trust/lean on. Every morning he is merciful [to us again].
24 L’Eternel est ma portion, dit mon âme, c’est pourquoi j’aurai espérance 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 [Teth.] L’Eternel est bon à ceux qui s’attendent à lui, [et] à l’âme qui le recherche.
Yahweh is good to [all] those who depend on him, to those who seek his [help].
26 C’est une chose bonne qu’on attende, même en se tenant en repos, la délivrance de l’Eternel.
[So] it is good for us to wait quietly for Yahweh to save/rescue [us].
27 C’est une chose bonne à l’homme de porter le joug en sa jeunesse.
And it is good for us to [patiently] endure [suffering] while we are young.
28 [Jod.] Il est assis solitaire et se tient tranquille, parce qu’on l’a chargé sur lui.
Those [who seek his help] should sit by themselves, silently, [knowing that] it is Yahweh who has allowed/caused them to suffer.
29 Il met sa bouche dans la poussière, si peut-être il y aura quelque 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 présente la joue à celui qui le frappe; il est accablé d’opprobre.
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 [Caph.] Car le Seigneur ne rejette point à toujours.
Yahweh does not abandon [us his people] forever.
32 Mais s’il afflige quelqu’un, il en a aussi compassion selon la grandeur de ses gratuités.
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 afflige et contriste les fils des hommes.
And he is not happy about causing human beings to suffer or to be sad.
34 [Lamed.] Lorsqu’on foule sous ses pieds tous les prisonniers du monde;
If people (mistreat all the prisoners/crush all the prisoners under their feet)
35 Lorsqu’on pervertit le droit de quelqu’un en la présence 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 Lorsqu’on fait tort à quelqu’un dans son procès, le Seigneur ne le voit-il point?
or if they cause judges to decide matters unjustly, (does Yahweh not see all those things?/Yahweh certainly sees all those things!) [RHQ]
37 [Mem.] Qui est-ce qui dit que cela a été fait, [et] que le Seigneur ne l’[a] point commandé?
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 Les maux, et les biens ne procèdent-ils point de l’ordre du Très-haut?
God in heaven [MTY] is [RHQ] the one who causes disasters to happen, and he [also] causes good things to happen.
39 Pourquoi se dépiterait l’homme vivant, l’homme, [dis-je], à cause de ses 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 [Nun.] Recherchons nos voies, et [les] sondons, et retournons jusqu’à l’Eternel.
Instead, we should (examine/think carefully about) our behavior; we should turn back to Yahweh.
41 Levons nos cœurs et nos mains au [Dieu] Fort qui est aux cieux, [en disant]:
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 [Samech.] Tu nous as couverts de [ta] colère, et nous as poursuivis, tu as tué, tu n’as point épargné.
You have surrounded us with your anger and pursued us; you have slaughtered [us] without pitying us.
44 Tu t’es couvert d’une nuée, afin que la requête ne passât point.
You have hidden yourself in a cloud, with the result that you do not hear [us] when we pray.
45 Tu nous as fait être la raclure et le rebut au milieu des peuples.
You have caused [the people of other] nations to consider us to be only garbage [DOU].
46 [Pe.] Tous nos ennemis ont ouvert leur bouche sur nous.
All our enemies have insulted us.
47 La frayeur et la fosse, le dégât et la calamité nous sont arrivés.
We are constantly afraid [DOU], [because] we have experienced disasters and ruin [DOU].”
48 Mon œil s’est fondu en ruisseaux d’eaux à cause de la plaie de la fille de mon peuple.
I cry a lot because my people have been destroyed.
49 [Hajin.] Mon œil verse des larmes, et ne cesse point, parce qu’il n’y a aucun relâche.
My tears continually flow; they will not stop
50 Jusques à ce que l’Eternel regarde et voie des cieux.
until Yahweh looks down from heaven and sees [us].
51 Mon œil afflige mon âme à cause de toutes les filles de ma ville.
I am very grieved because of [what has happened to] the women of my city.
52 [Tsadi.] Ceux qui me sont ennemis sans cause m’ont poursuivi à outrance, comme on chasse après l’oiseau.
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 enserré ma vie dans une fosse, et ont roulé une pierre sur moi.
They threw me into a pit to kill me, and they threw stones on top of me.
54 Les eaux ont regorgé par-dessus ma tête; je disais: je suis retranché.
The water [in the pit] rose above my head, and I said [to myself], “I am about to die/drown!”
55 [Koph.] J’ai invoqué ton Nom, ô Eternel! d’une des plus basses fosses.
But from the bottom of the pit I cried out to you [MTY], “Yahweh, [help me]!”
56 Tu as ouï ma voix, ne ferme point ton oreille, afin que je n’expire point à force de crier.
I pleaded with you, “Do not refuse to heed [MTY] me while I cry out to you!”
57 Tu t’es approché au jour que je t’ai invoqué, et tu as dit: ne crains rien.
Then you answered me and said, “Do not be afraid!”
58 [Resch.] Ô Seigneur! tu as plaidé la cause de mon âme; et tu as garanti ma vie.
Yahweh, you defended me; you did not allow me to die.
59 Tu as vu, ô Eternel! le tort qu’on me fait, fais-moi droit.
[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 les vengeances dont ils ont usé, et toutes leurs machinations contre moi.
You know the evil things that they have planned to do to me.
61 [Scin.] Tu as ouï, ô Eternel! leur opprobe et toutes leurs machinations contre moi.
Yahweh, you have heard them insult [me] and what they have planned to do to me.
62 Les discours de ceux qui s’élèvent contre moi, et leur dessein qu’ils ont contre moi tout le long du jour.
Every day they whisper and mutter things about me, all day long.
63 Considère quand ils s’asseyent, et quand ils se lèvent, [car] je suis leur chanson.
Look at them! Whether they are standing or sitting they make fun of me with the songs that they sing.
64 [Thau.] Rends-leur la pareille, ô Eternel! selon l’ouvrage de leurs mains.
Yahweh, cause them to suffer in return for their causing [me] to suffer!
65 Donne-leur un tel ennui qu’il leur couvre le cœur; donne-leur ta malédiction.
Curse them [IDM] [for] their being very stubborn [IDM].
66 Poursuis-les en ta colère, et les efface de dessous les cieux de l’Eternel.
Because you are angry with them, pursue them and get rid of them, [until none of them remain] on the earth.
