Psaumes 78
1 Intelligence d’Asaph.
Maschil. Of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; let your ears be bent down to the words of my mouth.
2 J’ouvrirai ma bouche en paraboles: je dirai des choses cachées dès le commencement;
Opening my mouth I will give out a story, even the dark sayings of old times;
3 Combien de grandes choses nous avons entendu et connues, et que nos pères nous ont racontées.
Which have come to our hearing and our knowledge, as they were given to us by our fathers.
4 Elles n’ont pas été cachées à leurs fils dans une autre génération. Ils ont raconté les louanges du Seigneur, ses œuvres puissantes, et ses merveilles qu’il a faites;
We will not keep them secret from our children; we will make clear to the coming generation the praises of the Lord and his strength, and the great works of wonder which he has done.
5 Et a suscité un témoignage dans Jacob; et a établi une loi dans Israël: Combien de grandes choses il a commandé à nos pères de faire connaître à leurs fils,
He put up a witness in Jacob, and made a law in Israel; which he gave to our fathers so that they might give knowledge of them to their children;
6 Afin qu’une autre génération les connaisse. Les fils qui naîtront et s’élèveront après eux les raconteront à leurs fils,
So that the generation to come might have knowledge of them, even the children of the future, who would give word of them to their children;
7 Afin qu’ils mettent en Dieu leur espérance, qu’ils n’oublient pas ses œuvres, et qu’ils recherchent ses commandements.
So that they might put their hope in God, and not let God's works go out of their minds, but keep his laws;
8 De peur qu’ils ne deviennent comme leurs pères une génération perverse et exaspérant Dieu; Une génération qui n’a point dirigé son cœur, et dont l’esprit ne s’est point confié en Dieu.
And not be like their fathers, a stiff-necked and uncontrolled generation; a generation whose heart was hard, whose spirit was not true to God.
9 Les fils d’Ephraïm, habiles à tendre l’arc et à en tirer, ont tourné le dos au jour du combat.
The children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.
10 Ils n’ont pas gardé l’alliance de Dieu, et ils n’ont pas voulu marcher dans sa loi.
They were not ruled by God's word, and they would not go in the way of his law;
11 Ils ont oublié ses bienfaits et les merveilles qu’il leur a montrées.
They let his works go out of their memory, and the wonders which he had made them see.
12 Devant leurs pères il a fait des merveilles, dans la terre d’Égypte, dans la plaine de Tanis.
He did great works before the eyes of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
13 Il divisa la mer, et il les fit passer: et il fixa les eaux comme dans une outre.
The sea was cut in two so that they might go through; the waters were massed together on this side and on that.
14 Il les conduisit, le jour, au moyen d’une nuée, et toute la nuit à la clarté d’un feu.
In the daytime he was guiding them in the cloud, and all through the night with a light of fire.
15 Il fendit une pierre dans le désert, et les fit boire comme à un abîme abondant.
The rocks of the waste land were broken by his power, and he gave them drink as out of the deep waters.
16 Car il fit sortir de l’eau de la pierre, et il en fit sortir des eaux comme des fleuves.
He made streams come out of the rock; and waters came flowing down like rivers.
17 Mais ils péchèrent encore de nouveau contre lui, ils excitèrent à la colère le Très-Haut dans un lieu sans eau.
And they went on sinning against him even more, turning away from the Most High in the waste land;
18 Et ils tentèrent Dieu dans leurs cœurs, au point qu’ils demandèrent une nourriture pour leurs âmes.
Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.
19 Et ils parlèrent mal de Dieu, ils dirent: Est-ce que Dieu pourra préparer une table dans le désert?
They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land?
20 Parce qu’il a frappé une pierre, et que des eaux ont coulé; et que des torrents ont débordé. Est-ce qu’il pourra aussi donner du pain et préparer une table pour son peuple?
See, the rock was cut open by his power, so that the water came rushing out, and overflowing streams; is he able to give us bread? is he able to get meat for his people?
21 C’est pour cela que le Seigneur entendit et différa; mais un feu s’alluma contre Jacob, et sa colère monta contre Israël;
So these things came to the Lord's ears, and he was angry; and a fire was lighted against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel;
22 Parce qu’ils ne crurent pas en Dieu, et qu’ils n’espérèrent pas en son salut;
Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation.
23 Et il commanda aux nuées d’en haut, et il ouvrit les portes du ciel.
And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open;
24 Et il leur fit pleuvoir de la manne pour manger, et il leur donna du pain du ciel.
And he sent down manna like rain for their food, and gave them the grain of heaven.
25 L’homme mangea le pain des anges, Dieu leur envoya une nourriture en abondance.
Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure.
26 Il fit disparaître du ciel le vent du midi, et il amena par sa puissance le vent d’Afrique.
He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power.
27 Il fit pleuvoir sur eux des viandes comme la poussière, et des oiseaux comme le sable de la mer.
He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea,
28 Et ils tombèrent au milieu de leur camp, autour de leurs tabernacles.
And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents.
29 Ils mangèrent et ils furent rassasiés à l’excès, et Dieu leur accorda selon leur désir;
So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire;
30 Ils ne furent point frustrés dans leur désir. Leurs viandes étaient encore dans leur bouche,
But they were not turned from their desires; and while the food was still in their mouths,
31 Quand la colère de Dieu tomba sur eux. Et il tua les gras d’entre eux, et rejeta l’élite d’Israël.
The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel.
32 Au milieu de tous ces prodiges ils péchèrent encore, et ne crurent pas à ses merveilles.
For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.
33 Et leurs jours se terminèrent vainement, et leurs années avec rapidité.
So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.
34 Lorsqu’il les tuait, ils le cherchaient, et ils revenaient, et, dès le point du jour, ils venaient à lui.
When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;
35 Et ils se souvinrent que Dieu était leur aide, et que le Dieu très haut était leur rédempteur.
In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.
36 Mais ils l’aimèrent de bouche seulement, et ils lui mentirent par leur langue;
But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;
37 Car leur cœur n’était pas droit avec lui, et ils ne furent pas trouvés fidèles à son alliance.
And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him.
38 Mais lui est miséricordieux, il pardonnera leurs péchés, et ne les perdra pas entièrement. Et souvent il détourna sa colère, et il n’alluma pas toute sa colère.
But he, being full of pity, has forgiveness for sin, and does not put an end to man: frequently turning back his wrath, and not being violently angry.
39 Il se rappela qu’ils étaient chair, un souffle qui va et qui ne revient pas.
So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again.
40 Combien de fois l’ont-ils irrité dans le désert, et l’ont-ils excité à la colère dans un lieu sans eau?
How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!
41 Et de nouveau ils tentèrent Dieu, et ils ont aigri le saint d’Israël.
Again they put God to the test, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.
42 Ils ne se sont pas rappelé sa main, au jour où il les retira de la main d’un oppresseur,
They did not keep in mind the work of his hand, or the day when he took them from the power of their haters;
43 Comment il fit en Égypte ses miracles, et ses prodiges dans la plaine de Tanis.
How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan;
44 Et il changea en sang leurs fleuves et leurs pluies, pour qu’ils ne bussent point.
So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams.
45 Il envoya contre eux une multitude de mouches qui les dévorèrent, et la grenouille qui les ravagea.
He sent different sorts of flies among them, poisoning their flesh; and frogs for their destruction.
46 Et il donna à la rouille leurs fruits, et leurs travaux à la sauterelle.
He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.
47 Et il fit périr par la grêle leurs vignes, et leurs mûriers par la gelée.
He sent ice for the destruction of their vines; their trees were damaged by the bitter cold.
48 Et il livra à la grêle leurs bêtes, et leurs possessions au feu.
Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks.
49 Il envoya contre eux la colère de son indignation: l’indignation, et la colère, et la tribulation envoyées par des anges mauvais.
He sent on them the heat of his wrath, his bitter disgust, letting loose evil angels among them.
50 Il fit une voie au sentier de sa colère, et il n’épargna pas la mort à leurs âmes; et leurs bêtes, il les renferma dans la mort.
He let his wrath have its way; he did not keep back their soul from death, but gave their life to disease.
51 Et il frappa tout premier-né d’Égypte, les prémices de tout travail dans les tabernacles de Cham.
He gave to destruction all the first sons of Egypt; the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;
52 Et il en retira, comme des brebis, son peuple; et il les conduisit comme un troupeau dans le désert.
But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock.
53 Et il les fit sortir pleins d’espérance, et ils ne craignirent point; quant à leurs ennemis, la mer les couvrit.
He took them on safely so that they had no fear; but their haters were covered by the sea.
54 Et il les amena sur la montagne de sa sanctification; montagne qu’a acquise sa droite. Et il chassa de leur face des nations; et il leur divisa au sort une terre avec un cordeau de partage.
And he was their guide to his holy land, even to the mountain, which his right hand had made his;
55 Et il fit habiter dans leurs tabernacles les tribus d’Israël.
Driving out nations before them, marking out the line of their heritage, and giving the people of Israel their tents for a resting-place.
56 Mais ils tentèrent et aigrirent le Dieu très haut; et ne gardèrent pas ses témoignages.
But they were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws;
57 Et ils se détournèrent de lui et n’observèrent pas l’alliance; de la même manière que leurs pères, ils devinrent comme un arc qui porte à faux.
Their hearts were turned back and untrue like their fathers; they were turned to one side like a twisted bow.
58 Ils l’ont excité à la colère sur leurs collines; et par leurs images taillées au ciseau, ils l’ont provoqué à la jalousie.
They made him angry with their high places; moving him to wrath with their images.
59 Dieu entendit, et il méprisa, et il réduisit entièrement au néant Israël.
When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely;
60 Et il repoussa le tabernacle de Silo, son tabernacle où il avait habité parmi les hommes.
So that he went away from the holy place in Shiloh, the tent which he had put among men;
61 Il livra à la captivité l’arche, leur force; et leur beauté entre les mains de l’ennemi.
And he let his strength be taken prisoner, and gave his glory into the hands of his hater.
62 Il renferma son peuple entre les glaives; et son héritage, il le méprisa.
He gave his people up to the sword, and was angry with his heritage.
63 Un feu dévora leurs jeunes hommes; et leurs vierges ne furent pas pleurées.
Their young men were burned in the fire; and their virgins were not praised in the bride-song.
64 Leurs prêtres tombèrent sous le glaive, et on ne pleurait pas leurs veuves.
Their priests were put to death by the sword, and their widows made no weeping for them.
65 Mais le Seigneur se réveilla comme un homme endormi, comme un héros qui a été ivre de vin.
Then was the Lord like one awaking from sleep, and like a strong man crying out because of wine.
66 Il frappa ses ennemis par derrière; il leur infligea un opprobre éternel.
His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever.
67 Et il repoussa le tabernacle de Joseph, et ne choisit point la tribu d’Éphraïm;
And he put the tent of Joseph on one side, and took not the tribe of Ephraim;
68 Mais il choisit la tribu de Juda, la montagne de Sion qu’il a aimée.
But he took the tribe of Judah for himself, and the mountain of Zion, in which he had pleasure.
69 Et il bâtit comme une corne de licornes son sanctuaire, dans la terre qu’il a fondée pour les siècles.
And he made his holy place like the high heaven, like the earth which is fixed by him for ever.
70 Il choisit David son serviteur, et il le tira du milieu des troupeaux de brebis: il le prit à la suite de celles qui étaient pleines,
He took David to be his servant, taking him from the place of the flocks;
71 Pour être le pasteur de Jacob son serviteur, et d’Israël son héritage.
From looking after the sheep which were giving milk, he took him to give food to Jacob his people, and to Israel his heritage.
72 Et David les fit paître dans l’innocence de son cœur, et avec ses mains habiles, il les conduisit.
So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.
