Nombres 35
1 Le Seigneur dit encore ceci à Moïse dans les plaines de Moab, sur le Jourdain, contre Jéricho:
Yahweh told this to Moses/me [while the Israeli people were] on the plain in the Moab region near the Jordan [River], across from Jericho:
2 Ordonne aux enfants d’Israël qu’ils donnent de leurs possessions aux Lévites,
“Tell the Israeli people that from the land that they will receive, they must give to the descendants of Levi some cities in which they can live. They must also give them some land around these cities.
3 Des villes à habiter et leurs faubourgs d’alentour; afin qu’ils demeurent eux-mêmes dans les villes, et que les faubourgs soient pour les troupeaux et les bestiaux.
Those will be for the descendants of Levi to live in, and around the cities will be land for their cattle and flocks of sheep and goats and other animals.
4 Ces faubourgs en dehors des murs des villes, s’étendront tout autour dans l’espace de mille pas;
“The land that you give them for their animals must extend out for (1,500 feet/450 meters) from the walls of the cities.
5 Contre l’orient, il y aura deux mille coudées; et contre le midi pareillement deux mille; vers la mer aussi, qui regarde l’occident, ce sera la même mesure, et la partie septentrionale sera bornée par une semblable limite; et les villes seront au milieu, et au-dehors les faubourgs.
Also measure (3,000 feet/900 meters) in each direction out from the walls of each city. That additional land will be land for their animals outside the walls of the cities.”
6 Or, de ces villes mêmes que vous donnerez aux Lévites, six seront séparées, comme asiles pour les fugitifs, afin que celui qui aura versé le sang, s’y réfugie; et outre ces six, il y aura quarante-deux autres villes,
“Six of the cities that you give to the descendants of Levi will be cities to which people [can run] to be safe. If someone [accidentally] kills someone else, the one who killed that person may run to one of those cities to be safe.
7 C’est-à-dire, en tout, quarante-huit avec leurs faubourgs.
You must also give to the descendants of Levi 42 other cities and the land around those cities, for their animals,
8 Quant à ces villes mêmes qui seront données sur les possessions des enfants d’Israël, on en prendra plus à ceux qui en auront plus, et moins à ceux qui en auront moins; chacun, selon la mesure de son héritage, donnera des villes aux Lévites.
The Israeli tribes that have the most people must give them more cities than the tribes that have fewer people give. Each tribe must give some of its cities to the descendants of Levi, but the tribes that have more land must give more cities, and the tribes that have less land will give fewer cities.”
9 Le Seigneur dit à Moïse:
Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
10 Parle aux enfants d’Israël, et tu leur diras: Quand vous aurez passé du Jourdain dans la terre de Chanaan,
“Tell this to the Israeli people: When you cross the Jordan [River] and enter the Canaan [region],
11 Décidez quelles villes doivent être des asiles pour les fugitifs, qui, sans le vouloir, auront versé le sang;
you must choose some cities to which people can run to be safe/protected. If someone kills another person (accidentally/without planning to do that), the one who killed that person may run to one of those cities and be safe.
12 Villes dans lesquelles, lorsque le fugitif y sera, le parent de celui qui a été tué ne pourra pas le tuer, jusqu’à ce qu’il se trouve en présence de la multitude, et que sa cause soit jugée.
One of the relatives of the person who was killed may think he must avenge his relative’s death [by killing the murderer]. But in that city, the killer will be safe [because the people in that city would kill those relatives if they tried to get revenge there]. The man who killed someone accidentally [must] be put on trial in a court.
13 Or, de ces villes, qui seront séparées pour être des asiles de fugitifs,
You must set apart six cities to be cities to which someone who killed another person accidentally may run and be safe.
14 Trois seront au-delà du Jourdain, et trois dans la terre de Chanaan,
There must be three of those cities on the east side of the Jordan [River] and three that will be [on the west side], in the Canaan region.
15 Tant pour les enfants d’Israël, que pour les étrangers et les voyageurs, afin que s’y réfugie celui qui, sans le vouloir, aura versé le sang.
Those six cities will be cities where Israeli people may run to and be safe, and where foreigners and other people who are living among you can also run to and be safe. Any of those people who accidentally kills someone may run to one of those cities [and be safe/protected there].
16 Si quelqu’un frappe avec le fer, et que celui qui a été frappé meure, il sera coupable d’homicide, et il mourra lui-même.
“But [you must consider that] anyone who kills another person with an iron weapon or with a big rock or with a piece of wood, is a murderer, and the one who killed the other person must be executed.
17 S’il jette une pierre, et que celui qui aura été frappé meure, il sera puni de la même manière.
18 Si quelqu’un frappé avec du bois meurt, il sera vengé par le sang de celui qui l’aura frappé.
19 Le parent de celui qui aura été tué, tuera l’homicide; aussitôt qu’il l’aura pris, il le tuera.
A relative of the person who was murdered must be the one who executes the murderer as soon as he finds him.
20 Si par haine quelqu’un pousse un homme, ou jette quelque chose contre lui de guet-apens,
If someone shoves another person [over a cliff] or throws something at another person
21 Ou si, étant son ennemi, il le frappe de la main, et que celui-ci meure, celui qui aura frappé sera coupable d’homicide; le parent de celui qui aura été tué, aussitôt qu’il le trouvera, regorgera.
or hits that person with his hand/fist and causes that person to die, if he did it because he hated that person, then you must consider that he is a murderer, and must be executed. A relative of the person who was killed must be the one who executes the murderer as soon as he finds him.
22 Que si c’est par hasard, et sans haine,
“But someone might accidentally shove someone else, or accidentally throw something at another person and hit him, not because he hates that person.
23 Et sans inimitié, qu’il a fait quelqu’une de ces choses;
Or he might drop a rock on someone that he did not see. If the one who does that does not plan to hurt anyone and does not hate the person that was killed,
24 Et que cela ait été prouvé, le peuple l’entendant, et que la question ait été agitée entre celui qui a frappé et le parent vengeur du sang,
the people of that city must decide whether the relative of the dead person [has the right to get revenge], or whether the one who killed the other person [truly did it (accidentally/without planning to do it)].
25 Il sera délivré, comme innocent, de la main du vengeur, et sera ramené par sentence dans la ville, dans laquelle il s’était réfugié, et il demeurera là, jusqu’à ce que le grand prêtre qui a été oint de l’huile sainte, meure.
[If they decide that the killer planned to kill the other person, they must not allow him to stay in their city. But if they decide that it was done accidentally], they must protect the killer from being killed by the dead person’s relative. They must send the killer to one of the cities where he will be safe/protected, and allow him to stay there until the Supreme Priest dies. [After that, the killer may go back to his home, because the dead person’s relative no longer has the right to get revenge].
26 Si c’est hors des limites des villes qui ont été assignées aux bannis, que l’homicide
“But [while the Supreme Priest is still living], the person who is in that safe city must not leave that city.
27 Est trouvé, et qu’il soit frappé à mort par celui qui est le vengeur du sang, celui qui l’aura tué ne sera pas coupable;
If he goes outside the city, and if a relative of the dead person finds him, that relative is permitted to kill that person, [and people will not consider that the relative is guilty of murder.]
28 Car le fugitif devait résider dans la ville jusqu’à la mort du pontife. Mais après que celui-ci sera mort, l’homicide retournera dans sa terre.
The killer must stay in that city where he will be safe/protected until the Supreme Priest dies. [He will be safe from revenge after that, because the death of the Supreme Priest will be considered to be a sacrifice to atone for that murder]. After that, the killer may return to his home.
29 Ceci sera perpétuel et une loi dans toutes vos habitations.
“You must always obey those regulations, wherever you live.
30 C’est d’après des témoins qu’un homicide sera puni: sur le témoignage d’un seul, nul ne sera condamné.
“If someone [is accused of] killing another person, the one who is accused may be executed only if there are people who saw him do it. There must be more than one witness; no one is permitted to be executed if there was only one (witness/person who saw him do it).
31 Vous ne recevrez point d’argent de celui qui est coupable du sang; mais il mourra aussitôt lui-même.
“If there is a murderer who truly should be executed, do not [spare his life by] accepting (a ransom/money for him not to be killed). He must be executed.
32 Les bannis et les fugitifs, avant la mort du pontife, ne pourront en aucune manière retourner dans leurs villes,
“If someone has run to a city where he will be safe/protected, do not allow him to give you money in order that you will permit him to return to his home before the Supreme Priest dies.
33 Afin que vous ne souilliez point la terre de votre habitation, laquelle est profanée par le sang des innocents; et elle ne peut être purifiée que par le sang de celui qui a versé le sang d’un autre.
“You must execute people who truly murder others. If you did not do that, you would be causing the people who live in the land to become unacceptable to me. Anyone who deliberately kills an innocent person must be executed.
34 Or, c’est ainsi que sera purifiée votre possession, moi demeurant avec vous: car c’est moi qui suis le Seigneur qui habite parmi les enfants d’Israël.
I am Yahweh, and I live among you Israelis, so do not spoil/pollute the land by allowing people to murder others without being punished.”
