Hébreux 11
1 Or la foi est le fondement des choses qu’on doit espérer, et la démonstration de celles qu’on ne voit point.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the sign that the things not seen are true.
2 Car c’est par elle que les anciens ont reçu témoignage.
For by it our fathers had God's approval.
3 C’est par la foi que nous savons que les siècles ont été formés par la parole de Dieu; de manière que ce qui était invisible est devenu visible. (aiōn g165)
By faith it is clear to us that the order of events was fixed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made from things which only seem to be. (aiōn g165)
4 C’est par la foi qu’Abel offrit une meilleure hostie que Caïn; par elle il reçut le témoignage qu’il était juste, Dieu rendant témoignage à ses dons; et par elle, mort, il parle encore.
By faith Abel made a better offering to God than Cain, and he had witness through it of his righteousness, God giving his approval of his offering: and his voice still comes to us through it though he is dead.
5 C’est par la foi qu’Hénoch fut enlevé, pour qu’il ne vît point la mort, et on ne le trouva plus, parce que Dieu l’avait transporté; car avant son enlèvement il reçut le témoignage d’avoir plu à Dieu.
By faith Enoch was taken up to heaven so that he did not see death; he was seen no longer, for God took him away: for before he was taken, witness had been given that he was well-pleasing to God:
6 Or, sans la foi, il est impossible de plaire à Dieu. Car il faut que celui qui s’approche de Dieu croie qu’il est, et qu’il récompense ceux qui le cherchent.
And without faith it is not possible to be well-pleasing to him, for it is necessary for anyone who comes to God to have the belief that God is, and that he is a rewarder of all those who make a serious search for him.
7 C’est par la foi que Noé, ayant reçu une réponse touchant ce qu’il ne voyait pas encore, et saisi de crainte, prépara, pour le salut de sa famille, une arche par laquelle il condamne le monde; et il fut institué héritier de la justice qui vient de la foi.
By faith Noah, being moved by the fear of God, made ready an ark for the salvation of his family, because God had given him news of things which were not seen at the time; and through it the world was judged by him, and he got for his heritage the righteousness which is by faith.
8 C’est par la foi que celui qui est appelé Abraham obéit et partit sans savoir où il allait.
By faith Abraham did as God said when he was ordered to go out into a place which was to be given to him as a heritage, and went out without knowledge of where he was going.
9 C’est par la foi qu’il demeura dans la terre de la promesse, comme dans une terre étrangère, habitant sous des tentes, avec Isaac et Jacob, cohéritiers de la même promesse.
By faith he was a wanderer in the land of the agreement, as in a strange land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who had a part with him in the same heritage:
10 Car il attendait la cité qui a des fondements dont l’architecte et le fondateur est Dieu.
For he was looking for the strong town, whose builder and maker is God.
11 C’est par la foi aussi que Sara, stérile, reçut la vertu de concevoir un enfant, même après avoir passé l’âge, parce qu’elle crut fidèle celui qui en avait fait la promesse.
And by faith Sarah herself had power to give birth, when she was very old, because she had faith in him who gave his word;
12 C’est pourquoi d’un seul homme (et déjà éteint) sont sortis des descendants semblables en multitude aux astres du ciel et au sable innombrable qui est sur le bord de la mer.
So that from one man, who was near to death, came children in number as the stars in heaven, or as the sand by the seaside, which may not be numbered.
13 Tous ceux-ci sont morts dans la foi, n’ayant pas reçu les biens promis, mais les voyant et les saluant de loin, et confessant qu’ils étaient étrangers et voyageurs sur la terre.
All these came to their end in faith, not having had the heritage; but having seen it with delight far away, they gave witness that they were wanderers and not of the earth.
14 Car ceux qui parlent ainsi montrent qu’ils cherchent une patrie.
For those who say such things make it clear that they are searching for a country for themselves.
15 Et certes, s’ils s’étaient souvenus de celle d’où ils sortirent, ils auraient eu certainement le temps d’y retourner.
And truly if they had kept in mind the country from which they went out, they would have had chances of turning back.
16 Mais maintenant ils en désirent une meilleure, c’est-à-dire la céleste. Aussi Dieu ne rougit point d’être appelé leur Dieu, parce qu’il leur a préparé une cité.
But now their desire is for a better country, that is to say, for one in heaven; and so it is no shame to God to be named their God; for he has made ready a town for them.
17 C’est par la foi qu’Abraham offrit Isaac, lorsqu’il était éprouvé, et qu’il offrait ce fils unique, lui qui avait reçu les promesses,
By faith Abraham made an offering of Isaac, when he was tested: and he with whom the agreement had been made gave up as an offering the only son of his body,
18 Lui à qui il avait été dit: C’est en Isaac que sera ta postérité.
Of whom it had been said, From Isaac will your seed take their name:
19 Parce qu’il pensait que Dieu est puissant, même pour ressusciter d’entre les morts; aussi le recouvra-t-il comme une figure.
Judging that God was able to give life even to the dead; and because of this he did get him back as if from death.
20 C’est par la foi qu’Isaac bénit pour l’avenir Jacob et Esaü.
By faith Isaac, blessing Jacob and Esau, gave news of things to come.
21 C’est par la foi que Jacob mourant bénit chacun des fils de Joseph en particulier, et s’inclina profondément devant le sommet de son sceptre.
By faith Jacob gave a blessing to the two sons of Joseph, when he was near to death; and gave God worship, supported by his stick.
22 C’est par la foi que Joseph mourant parla du départ des enfants d’Israël, et fit des dispositions touchant ses os.
By faith Joseph, when his end was near, said that the children of Israel would go out of Egypt; and gave orders about his bones.
23 C’est par la foi que Moïse étant né, fut caché pendant trois mois par ses parents, parce qu’ils avaient vu que l’enfant était beau, et qu’ils ne craignirent point l’édit du roi.
By faith Moses was kept secretly by his father and mother for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a fair child; and they had no fear of the king's orders.
24 C’est par la foi que Moïse, devenu grand, nia qu’il fût fils de la fille de Pharaon,
By faith Moses, when he became a man, had no desire to be named the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
25 Aimant mieux être affligé avec le peuple de Dieu, que de goûter pour un temps le plaisir du péché,
Feeling that it was better to undergo pain with the people of God, than for a short time to have a taste of the pleasures of sin;
26 Estimant l’opprobre du Christ une richesse plus grande que le trésor des Egyptiens; parce qu’il envisageait la récompense.
Judging a part in the shame of Christ to be better than all the wealth of Egypt; for he was looking forward to his reward.
27 C’est par la foi qu’il quitta l’Egypte, sans craindre la fureur du roi; car il demeura ferme comme s’il avait vu celui qui est invisible.
By faith he went out of Egypt, not being turned from his purpose by fear of the wrath of the king; for he kept on his way, as seeing him who is unseen.
28 C’est par la foi qu’il fit la pâque et l’aspersion du sang, afin que l’exterminateur des premiers-nés ne touchât point aux Israélites.
By faith he kept the Passover, and put the sign of the blood on the houses, so that the angel of destruction might not put their oldest sons to death.
29 C’est par la foi qu’ils traversèrent la mer Rouge, comme sur une terre ferme; ce qu’ayant tenté, les Egyptiens furent engloutis.
By faith they went through the Red Sea as if it had been dry land, though the Egyptians were overcome by the water when they made an attempt to do the same.
30 C’est par la foi que les murs de Jéricho tombèrent, après qu’on en eut fait le tour pendant sept jours.
By faith the walls of Jericho came down, after they had been circled for seven days.
31 C’est par la foi que Rahab, femme de mauvaise vie, ne périt point avec les incrédules, ayant reçu pacifiquement les espions.
By faith Rahab, the loose woman, was not put to death with those who had gone against God's orders, because she had taken into her house in peace those sent to see the land.
32 Et que dirai-je encore? Car le temps me manquera pour parler de Gédéon, de Barac, de Samson, de Jephté, de David, de Samuel et des prophètes,
What more am I to say? For there would not be time to give the stories of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets:
33 Qui par la foi ont vaincu des royaumes, pratiqué la justice, obtenu l’effet des promesses, fermé la gueule à des lions;
Who through faith overcame kingdoms, did righteousness, got their reward, kept the mouths of lions shut,
34 Arrêté la violence du feu, échappé au tranchant du glaive; qui ont été guéris de leurs maladies, sont devenus forts dans la guerre, ont mis en fuite des armées étrangères;
Put out the power of fire, got safely away from the edge of the sword, were made strong when they had been feeble, became full of power in war, and put to flight the armies of the nations.
35 Par qui des femmes ont recouvré leurs morts ressuscités; dont les uns ont été torturés, refusant leur rachat, afin de trouver une meilleure résurrection;
Women had their dead given back to them living; others let themselves be cruelly attacked, having no desire to go free, so that they might have a better life to come;
36 Et les autres ayant souffert les moqueries, les verges, et de plus les prisons,
And others were tested by being laughed at or by blows, and even with chains and prisons:
37 Ont été lapidés, sciés, mis à la question, sont morts frappés par le glaive, ont couru çà et là sous des peaux de brebis et des peaux de chèvres, dans le besoin, dans l’angoisse, dans l’affliction;
They were stoned, they were cut up with knives, they were tested, they were put to death with the sword, they went about in sheepskins and in goatskins; being poor and in pain and cruelly attacked,
38 Eux, de qui le monde n’était pas digne; errant dans les déserts, dans les montagnes, les antres et les cavernes de la terre.
Wandering in waste places and in mountains and in holes in the rocks; for whom the world was not good enough.
39 Or tous ceux-là ayant obtenu un bon témoignage pour leur foi, n’ont cependant pas reçu l’effet de la promesse,
And not one of these got the good things of the agreement, though they all had a good record through faith,
40 Dieu nous ménageant quelque chose de meilleur, afin qu’ils ne reçussent pas sans nous leur complète félicité.
Because God had kept some better thing for us, so that it was not possible for them to become complete without us.
