2 Rois 18
1 En la troisième année d’Osée, fils d’Ela, roi d’Israël, régna Ezéchias, fils d’Achaz, roi de Juda.
After King Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost three years, Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, began to rule Judah.
2 Il avait vingt-cinq ans lorsqu’il commença à régner, et il régna vingt-neuf ans dans Jérusalem: le nom de sa mère était Abi, fille de Zacharie.
He was 25 years old when he became the king [of Judah] and he ruled from Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of [a man whose name was] Zechariah.
3 Et il fit ce qui était bon devant le Seigneur, selon tout ce qu’avait fait David son père.
Hezekiah did things that Yahweh considered to be right, like his ancestor King David had done.
4 C’est lui qui détruisit les hauts lieux, renversa les statues, coupa les bois sacrés, et brisa le serpent d’airain qu’avait fait Moïse, parce que jusqu’à ce temps-là les enfants d’Israël lui brûlaient de l’encens, et il l’appela du nom de Nohestan.
He destroyed the places where people worshiped Yahweh on the tops of hills, and he broke into pieces the stone pillars [for worshiping the goddess Asherah]. He also broke into pieces the bronze [replica/statue of a] snake that Moses had made. He did that because the people had named it Nehushtan, and they were burning incense in front of it to honor it.
5 C’est dans le Seigneur Dieu d’Israël qu’il espéra: aussi après lui il n’y eut pas de semblable à lui entre tous les rois de Juda, ni même parmi ceux qui furent avant lui;
Hezekiah trusted in Yahweh, the God whom the Israelis [worshiped.] There was no king who ruled Judah before him or after him who was as [devoted to Yahweh as] he was.
6 Et il s’attacha au Seigneur, et il ne s’écarta pas de ses traces, et il pratiqua ses commandements qu’avait prescrits le Seigneur à Moïse.
He remained loyal to Yahweh and never disobeyed him. He carefully obeyed all the commandments that Yahweh had given to Moses.
7 C’est pourquoi le Seigneur était même avec lui, et dans toutes les choses qu’il entreprenait il se conduisait sagement. Il secoua aussi le joug du roi des Assyriens, et ne lui fut pas asservi.
Yahweh always (helped/was with) him. He was successful in everything that he did. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to (pay taxes to him/do what the king of Assyria wanted him to do).
8 C’est lui qui frappa les Philistins jusqu’à Gaza, et tous leurs confins, depuis la Tour des gardes jusqu’à la Cité fortifiée.
His army defeated [the soldiers of] Philistia as far [south] as Gaza [city] and the nearby villages. They conquered the entire area, from the smallest watchtower to the largest cities surrounded by walls.
9 La quatrième année du roi Ezéchias, qui était la septième année d’Osée, fils d’Ela, roi d’Israël, Salmanasar, roi des Assyriens, monta à Samarie, l’assiégea,
After King Hezekiah had been ruling Judah for almost four years, and when King Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost seven years, [the army of] King Shalmaneser of Assyria invaded Israel and surrounded Samaria [city].
10 Et la prit. Or c’est après trois ans, en la sixième année du roi Ezéchias, c’est-à-dire la neuvième année d’Osée, roi d’Israël, que Samarie fut prise;
In the third year they captured the city. That was when Hezekiah has been ruling Judah for almost six years, and when Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost nine years.
11 Et le roi des Assyriens transféra Israël chez les Assyriens, et les établit en Hala et en Habor, fleuves de Gozan, dans les villes des Mèdes,
The king of Assyria commanded that the people of Israel be taken to Assyria. Some of them were taken to Halah [town], some were taken to a place near the Habor [River] in [the] Gozan [region], and some were taken to cities where the Mede people-group live.
12 Parce qu’ils n’écoutèrent point la voix du Seigneur leur Dieu, qu’ils transgressèrent son alliance: tout ce qu’avait ordonné Moïse, serviteur du Seigneur, ils ne l’écoutèrent point ni ne le suivirent.
That happened because the Israelis did not obey Yahweh their God. They disobeyed the agreement that Yahweh had made with their ancestors, and all the laws that Moses, the man who served Yahweh [very well], had told them to obey. They would not obey those laws; they would not even listen to them.
13 La quatorzième aimée du roi Ezéchias, Sennachérib, roi des Assyriens, monta vers toutes les villes de Juda fortifiées, et les prit.
After King Hezekiah had been ruling Judah for almost 14 years, [the army of] King Sennacherib of Assyria attacked all the cities in Judah that had walls around them. They [did not capture Jerusalem, but they] captured all the other cities.
14 Alors Ezéchias, roi de Juda, envoya des messagers au roi des Assyriens, à Lachis, disant: J’ai péché, retirez-vous loin de moi, et tout ce que vous m’imposerez, je le supporterai. C’est pourquoi le roi des Assyriens imposa à Ezéchias, roi de Juda, trois cents talents d’argent et trente talents d’or.
King Hezekiah sent a message to Sennacherib, while Sennacherib was in Lachish, saying “What I have done was wrong. Please [tell your soldiers to] stop attacking us. If you do that, I will pay you whatever you tell me to.” So the king of Assyria said that Hezekiah must pay to him (ten tons/9,000 kg.) of silver and (one ton/900 kg.) of gold.
15 Et Ezéchias donna tout l’argent qui avait été trouvé dans la maison du Seigneur et dans les trésors du roi.
So Hezekiah gave to him all the silver that was in the temple and that was stored in the king’s palace.
16 En ce temps-là Ezéchias rompit les battants des portes du temple du Seigneur, et les lames d’or que lui-même y avait attachées, et il les donna au roi des Assyriens.
Hezekiah’s men also stripped the gold from the doors of the temple and the gold that he himself had put on the doorposts, and he sent all that gold to the king of Assyria.
17 Or le roi des Assyriens envoya ensuite Tharthan, Rabsaris et Rabsacès, de Lachis à Jérusalem, vers le roi Ezéchias, avec une forte armée; et lorsqu’ils eurent monté, ils vinrent à Jérusalem, ils s’arrêtèrent près de l’aqueduc de la piscine supérieure, qui est sur la voie de Champ de Foulon.
But the king of Assyria sent a large army with some of his important officials from Lachish [city] to [persuade] King Hezekiah [to surrender]. When they arrived at Jerusalem, they stood alongside the aqueduct/channel in which water flows from the upper pool into Jerusalem, near the road to the field where the women wash clothes.
18 Et ils demandèrent le roi: or sortirent vers eux, Eliacim, fils d’Helcias, intendant de la maison du roi, Sobna, le scribe, et Joahé, fils d’Asaph, qui tenait les registres.
They sent a message requesting King Hezekiah to come to them, but the king sent three of his officials [to talk to them]. He sent Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who supervised the palace; Shebna, the official secretary; and Asaph’s son Joah, who communicated the king’s messages to the people.
19 Et Rabsacès leur dit: Dites à Ezéchias: Voici ce que dit le grand roi, le roi des Assyriens: Quelle est cette confiance qui vous soutient?
One of Sennacherib’s important officials told them to take this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the king of Assyria, the great king, says: ‘What are you trusting in [to rescue you] [RHQ]?
20 Peut-être que vous avez formé le dessein de vous préparer au combat. En qui mettez-vous votre confiance, pour que vous osiez vous révolter?
You say that you have weapons to fight us, and some country promises [to help you], [and that will enable you to defeat us, ] but that is only talk [RHQ]. Who do you think will help you to rebel against my [soldiers from Assyria]?
21 Espérez-vous en ce bâton de roseau et cassé, l’Egypte: bâton qui, si un homme s’appuie dessus, étant brisé, entrera dans sa main et la percera? Ainsi est Pharaon, roi d’Egypte, pour tous ceux qui se confient en lui.
Listen to me! You are relying on [the army of] Egypt. But that is like [MET] using a broken reed for a walking stick on which you could lean. But it would pierce the hand of anyone who would lean on it! That is what the king of Egypt would be like for anyone who relied on him [for help].
22 Que si vous me dites: C’est dans le Seigneur notre Dieu que nous avons confiance, n’est-ce pas celui dont Ezéchias a détruit les autels et les hauts lieux, et a ordonné à Juda et à Jérusalem: C’est devant cet autel que vous adorerez dans Jérusalem?
But perhaps you will say to me, “No, we are (relying on/trusting in) Yahweh our God [to help us].” [I would reply, ] “Is he not the one whom you [insulted by] tearing down his shrines and altars and forcing everyone in Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah to worship only in front of the altar [in Jerusalem]?”’
23 Maintenant donc passez vers mon seigneur, le roi des Assyriens, et je vous donnerai deux mille chevaux, et voyez si vous trouverez des cavaliers pour eux.
So I suggest that you make a deal between you and my master/boss, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses, but [I do not think that] you are able to find 2,000 of your men who can ride on them!
24 Et comment pourriez-vous résister devant un seul satrape des derniers serviteurs de mon maître? Est-ce que vous avez confiance dans l’Egypte, à cause de ses chars et de ses cavaliers?
You are expecting the king of Egypt to send chariots and men riding horses [to assist you]. But they certainly would not [RHQ] be able to resist/defeat even the most insignificant/unimportant official in the army of Assyria!
25 Mais est-ce donc sans la volonté du Seigneur que je suis monté en ce lieu pour le détruire? Le Seigneur m’a dit: Monte dans cette terre et ravage-la.
Furthermore, (do you think that we have come to destroy Jerusalem without Yahweh’s help?/do not think that we have come to Jerusalem without Yahweh’s help.) [RHQ] It is Yahweh himself who told us to come here and destroy this land!”
26 Or Eliacim, fils d’Helcias, Sobna et Joahé, dirent à Rabsacès: Nous vous prions de parler à vos serviteurs en syriaque, parce que nous entendons cette langue, et de ne pas nous parler en hébreu, le peuple, qui est sur le mur, écoutant.
Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the official from Assyria, “Sir, please speak to us in your Aramaic language, because we understand it. Do not speak to us in our Hebrew language, because the people who are standing on the wall will understand it [and be frightened].”
27 Et Rabsacès leur répondit: Est-ce donc vers ton maître et vers toi que mon maître m’a envoyé pour dire ces paroles, et non pas plutôt vers les hommes qui sont sur le mur, pour qu’ils mangent leurs excréments et boivent leur urine avec vous?
But the official replied, “Do you think [RHQ] that my master sent me to say these things only to you and not to the people who are standing on the wall? [If you reject this message, ] the [people in this city] will soon need to eat their own dung and drink their own urine, just like you will, [because there will be nothing more for you to eat or drink].”
28 C’est pourquoi Rabsacès se tint debout et cria d’une voix forte en langue judaïque: Ecoutez les paroles du grand roi, du roi des Assyriens.
Then the official stood up and shouted in the Hebrew language [to the people sitting on the wall]. He said, “Listen to this message from the great king, the king of Assyria. He says,
29 Voici ce que dit le roi: Qu’Ezéchias ne vous séduise point: car il ne pourra pas vous arracher à ma main.
‘Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you. He will not be able to rescue you from my power [MTY].
30 Et qu’il ne vous donne point de confiance dans le Seigneur, disant: Le Seigneur nous délivrera certainement, et cette ville ne sera point livrée à la main du roi des Assyriens.
Do not allow him to persuade you to rely on Yahweh, saying that Yahweh will rescue you, and that the army of Assyria will never capture this city!’
31 N’écoutez point Ezéchias; car voici ce que dit le roi des Assyriens: Faites avec moi ce qui vous est utile: sortez vers moi, et chacun mangera de sa vigne et de son figuier, et vous boirez des eaux de vos citernes,
“Do not pay attention to what Hezekiah says! This is what the king of Assyria says: ‘Come out of the city and surrender to me. If you do that, I will arrange for each of you to drink the juice from your own grapevines, and to eat figs from your own trees, and to drink water from your own wells.
32 Jusqu’à ce que je vienne et que je vous transfère dans une terre qui est semblable à votre terre, dans une terre qui porte du fruit, et fertile en vin, une terre de pain et de vignes, une terre d’oliviers, d’huile et de miel, et vous vivrez, et vous ne mourrez point. N’écoutez point Ezéchias, qui vous trompe, disant: Le Seigneur nous délivrera.
You will be able to do that until we come and take you to a land that is like your land—a land where there is grain to make bread and vineyards to [produce grapes for making] wine. It will be a land that has plenty of olive trees and honey. If you do what the king of Assyria commands, you will not die. You will continue to live. ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to persuade you to trust in Yahweh saying that he will rescue you!
33 Est-ce que les dieux des nations ont délivré leur terre de la main du roi des Assyriens?
The gods that people of other nations worship have never rescued them from the power [MTY] of the king of Assyria [RHQ]!
34 Où est le dieu d’Emath et d’Arphad? où est le dieu de Sépharvaïm, d’Ana et d’Ava? Est-ce qu’ils ont délivré Samarie de ma main?
Why were the gods of Hamath and Arpad [cities] unable to rescue their people from the king of Assyria [RHQ]? What happened to the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah, [towns that we completely destroyed and their gods disappeared] [RHQ]? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power?
35 Quels sont ceux, parmi tous les dieux des nations, qui ont arraché leur pays à ma main, pour que le Seigneur puisse arracher Jérusalem à ma main?
No, none of the gods of the countries [that my army attacked] rescued their people [RHQ] from me! So why do you think that Yahweh will rescue you people of Jerusalem from my power [MTY]?’”
36 C’est pourquoi le peuple se tut, et ne lui répondit rien; car il avait reçu ordre du roi de ne pas lui répondre.
But the people [who were listening] stayed silent. No one said anything, because King Hezekiah had told them, “[When the official from Assyria talks to you, ] do not answer him.”
37 Et Eliacim, fils d’Helcias, intendant de la maison, Sobna, le scribe, et Joahé, fils d’Asaph, qui tenait les registres, vinrent vers Ezéchias, leurs vêtements déchirés, et ils lui rapportèrent les paroles de Rabsacès.
Then Eliakim the palace administrator and Shebna the court secretary and Joah the royal historian went back to Hezekiah with their clothes torn [because they were extremely distressed], and they told him what the official from Assyria had said.
