Isaïe 38
1 En ce temps-là, Ézéchias fut malade à la mort; et le prophète Ésaïe, fils d'Amots, vint vers lui et lui dit: Ainsi a dit l'Éternel: mets ordre à ta maison, car tu vas mourir, et tu ne vivras plus.
About that time, Hezekiah became [very] ill and was close to dying. [So] I went to see him. And I gave him this message: “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You should tell the people in your palace what you want them to do after you die, because you will not recover from this illness. You are going to die’”
2 Alors Ézéchias tourna son visage contre la muraille et pria l'Éternel,
Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed this:
3 Et il dit: O Éternel, souviens-toi que j'ai marché devant ta face avec fidélité et intégrité de cœur, et que j'ai fait ce qui est agréable à tes yeux! Et Ézéchias répandit beaucoup de larmes.
“Yahweh, do not forget that I have always served you very faithfully, and I have done things that pleased you!” Then Hezekiah [started to] cry loudly.
4 Alors la parole de l'Éternel fut adressée à Ésaïe, en ces mots:
[I left his room, but] Yahweh gave me this message:
5 Va, et dis à Ézéchias: Ainsi a dit l'Éternel, le Dieu de David, ton père: j'ai entendu ta prière, j'ai vu tes larmes; voici, je vais ajouter quinze années à tes jours.
“Go [back] to Hezekiah and tell him that this is what I, the God to whom your ancestor King David belonged, say: ‘I have heard what you prayed, and I have seen you crying. So listen: I will enable you to live 15 years more.
6 Et je te délivrerai, toi et cette ville, de la main du roi d'Assyrie; je protégerai cette ville.
And, I will rescue you and this city from the power [MTY] of the King of Assyria. I will defend this city.
7 Et ceci te sera, de la part de l'Éternel, le signe que l'Éternel accomplira la parole qu'il a prononcée:
And this is what I will do to prove that I will do what I have just now promised. I will cause the shadow of the sun to move ten steps backward on the sundial that was built by King Ahaz.’”
8 Voici, je ferai retourner l'ombre par les degrés qu'elle a déjà parcourus aux degrés d'Achaz, de dix degrés en arrière, avec le soleil. Et le soleil rétrograda de dix degrés par les degrés qu'il avait parcourus.
So the shadow of the sun on the sundial moved backward ten steps.
9 Cantique d'Ézéchias, roi de Juda, lorsqu'il fut malade et qu'il guérit de sa maladie.
When King Hezekiah was almost well again, he wrote this:
10 Je disais: Quand mes jours sont tranquilles, je m'en vais aux portes du Sépulcre: je suis privé du reste de mes années! (Sheol h7585)
I thought to myself, “Is it necessary for me to die and go to the place where the dead people are during this time of my life when I am still strong? Is Yahweh going to rob me of the remaining years that I [should live]?” (Sheol h7585)
11 Je disais: Je ne verrai plus l'Éternel, l'Éternel dans la terre des vivants. Je ne verrai plus aucun homme parmi les habitants du monde.
I said, “I will not see Yahweh [again] in this world where people are alive. I will not see my friends again, or be with others who [now] are alive in this world.
12 Ma durée est enlevée; elle est transportée loin de moi comme une tente de berger. Ma vie est coupée; je suis retranché comme la toile que le tisserand détache de la trame. Du matin au soir tu m'auras enlevé!
[It is as if] my life has been taken away like [SIM] a tent [whose pegs] have been pulled up by a shepherd and taken away. My time to live has been cut short, like a piece of cloth that a weaver [cuts and] rolls up [after he has finished weaving a cloth].” Suddenly, [it seemed that] my life was ending.
13 Je pensais en moi-même jusqu'au matin: Comme un lion, il brisera tous mes os. Du matin au soir tu m'auras enlevé!
I waited patiently all during the night, but [my pain was as though] [MET] I was being torn apart by lions. [It seemed that] my life was finished.
14 Je murmurais comme la grue et l'hirondelle; je gémissais comme la colombe. Mes yeux se lassaient à regarder en haut: Éternel, je suis en détresse, garantis-moi!
[I was delirious, and] I chirped like a swift or a swallow, and moaned like a dove. My eyes became tired looking up [toward heaven] for help. I cried out, Lord, help me, [because] I am distressed!’
15 Que dirai-je? Il m'a parlé, et c'est lui qui l'a fait. Je marcherai humblement tout le reste de mes années, à cause de l'amertume de mon âme.
But there was really nothing [RHQ] that I could say and ask him to reply to me, because it was Yahweh who sent this illness. [So now] I will live humbly during my [remaining] years because I am very anguished.
16 Seigneur, c'est par là qu'on a la vie, c'est là tout ce qui fait la vie de mon âme! Tu me guéris, tu me rends la vie.
Yahweh, the sufferings (OR, the promises) that you give are good, [because] what you do and what you say bring [new] life and health to us. And you restore/heal me and allow me [to continue] to live!
17 Voici, ma grande amertume est changée en prospérité; tu as retiré mon âme de la fosse de destruction; car tu as jeté tous mes péchés derrière ton dos.
Truly, my suffering was good for me; you loved me, and as a result you have rescued me from dying and have also forgiven all my sins.
18 Le Sépulcre ne te louera point, la mort ne te célébrera point; ceux qui descendent au tombeau ne s'attendent plus à ta fidélité. (Sheol h7585)
Dead people [MTY] cannot praise you; they cannot sing to praise you. Those who have descended to their graves cannot confidently expect you to faithfully [do things for them]. (Sheol h7585)
19 Mais le vivant, le vivant te célébrera, comme je fais aujourd'hui; le père fera connaître aux enfants ta fidélité.
Only people who are still alive, like I am, can praise you. Fathers tell their children how you are faithful, [and if I remain alive, I will do the same thing].
20 L'Éternel est mon libérateur! Nous ferons résonner nos cantiques, tous les jours de notre vie, dans la maison de l'Éternel.
[I know that] Yahweh will fully heal me, [so] I will sing to praise him while others praise him playing musical instruments; I will do that every day of my life, in the temple of Yahweh.”
21 Or Ésaïe avait dit: Qu'on prenne une masse de figues, et qu'on l'étende sur l'ulcère, et il guérira.
I had [previously] said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Prepare an ointment from [mashed] figs, and spread it on his boil, and then he will recover.” [So they did that, and Hezekiah recovered].
22 Et Ézéchias dit: Quel signe aurai-je, que je monterai à la maison de l'Éternel?
And Hezekiah had [previously] asked, “What will Yahweh do to prove that I will [recover and be able to] go to his temple?”
