Les prophètes
Jerusalem's Origin and the Covenant
A powerful allegory in which Jerusalem is described as an abandoned infant of Canaanite origin. The Lord passes by, saves the child, lets it grow up, makes a covenant with her, clothes her in splendor, and makes her a beautiful queen whose fame reaches among the nations.
Ézéchiel 16,1-14
1The word of the LORD came to me:
וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃
2Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her abominations,
בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם הוֹדַ֥ע אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם אֶת־תּוֹעֲבֹתֶֽיהָ׃
3and say: This is what the Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.
וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ כֹּה־אָמַ֨ר אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ לִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם מְכֹרֹתַ֙יִךְ֙ וּמֹ֣לְדֹתַ֔יִךְ מֵאֶ֖רֶץ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֑י אָבִ֥יךְ הָאֱמֹרִ֖י וְאִמֵּ֥ךְ חִתִּֽית׃
4As for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, you were not washed clean with water, not rubbed with salt, not wrapped in cloths.
וּמוֹלְדוֹתַ֗יִךְ בְּי֨וֹם הוּלֶּ֤דֶת אֹתָךְ֙ לֹֽא־כָרַּ֣ת שָׁרֵּ֔ךְ וּבְמַ֥יִם לֹֽא־רֻחַ֖צְתְּ לְמִשְׁעִ֑י וְהָמְלֵ֙חַ֙ לֹ֣א הֻמְלַ֔חַתְּ וְהָחְתֵּ֖ל לֹ֥א חֻתָּֽלְתְּ׃
5No eye pitied you enough to do even one of these things for you out of compassion. You were thrown out into the open field, for you were despised on the day you were born.
לֹא־חָ֨סָה עָלַ֜יִךְ עַ֗יִן לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת לָ֛ךְ אַחַ֥ת מֵאֵ֖לֶּה לְחֻמְלָ֣ה עָלָ֑יִךְ וַֽתֻּשְׁלְכִ֞י אֶל־פְּנֵ֤י הַשָּׂדֶה֙ בְּגֹ֣עַל נַפְשֵׁ֔ךְ בְּי֖וֹם הֻלֶּ֥דֶת אֹתָֽךְ׃
6Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and I said to you as you lay in your blood, "Live!" Yes, I said to you as you lay in your blood, "Live!"
וָאֶעֱבֹ֤ר עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ וָֽאֶרְאֵ֔ךְ מִתְבּוֹסֶ֖סֶת בְּדָמָ֑יִךְ וָאֹ֤מַר לָךְ֙ בְּדָמַ֣יִךְ חֲיִ֔י וָאֹ֥מַר לָ֖ךְ בְּדָמַ֥יִךְ חֲיִֽי׃
7I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew up and matured and came to full beauty. Your breasts were formed and your hair grew, but you were naked and bare.
רְבָבָ֗ה כְּצֶ֤מַח הַשָּׂדֶה֙ נְתַתִּ֔יךְ וַתִּרְבִּי֙ וַֽתִּגְדְּלִ֔י וַתָּבֹ֖אִי בַּעֲדִ֣י עֲדָיִ֑ים שָׁדַ֤יִם נָכֹ֙נוּ֙ וּשְׂעָרֵ֣ךְ צִמֵּ֔חַ וְאַ֖תְּ עֵרֹ֥ם וְעֶרְיָֽה׃
8Then I passed by you and looked at you, and saw that you had reached the age for love. So I spread my cloak over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord GOD, and you became mine.
וָאֶעֱבֹ֨ר עָלַ֜יִךְ וָאֶרְאֵ֗ךְ וְהִנֵּ֤ה עִתֵּךְ֙ עֵ֣ת דֹּדִ֔ים וָאֶפְרֹ֤שׂ כְּנָפִי֙ עָלַ֔יִךְ וָאֲכַסֶּ֖ה עֶרְוָתֵ֑ךְ וָאֶשָּׁ֣בַֽע לָ֠ךְ וָאָב֨וֹא בִבְרִ֜ית אֹתָ֗ךְ נְאֻ֛ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִ֖ה וַתִּ֥הְיִי לִֽי׃
9Then I bathed you with water, washed the blood from you, and anointed you with oil.
וָאֶרְחָצֵ֣ךְ בַּמַּ֔יִם וָאֶשְׁטֹ֥ף דָּמַ֖יִךְ מֵֽעָלָ֑יִךְ וָאֲסֻכֵ֖ךְ בַּשָּֽׁמֶן׃
10I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of fine leather; I wound fine linen around your head and covered you with silk.
וָאַלְבִּישֵׁ֣ךְ רִקְמָ֔ה וָאֶנְעֲלֵ֖ךְ תָּ֑חַשׁ וָאֶחְבְּשֵׁ֣ךְ בַּשֵּׁ֔שׁ וַאֲכַסֵּ֖ךְ מֶֽשִׁי׃
11I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your wrists and a necklace around your neck,
וָאֶעְדֵּ֖ךְ עֶ֑דִי וָאֶתְּנָ֤ה צְמִידִים֙ עַל־יָדַ֔יִךְ וְרָבִ֖יד עַל־גְּרוֹנֵֽךְ׃
12a ring in your nose, rings in your ears, and a crown of splendor on your head.
וָאֶתֵּ֥ן נֶ֙זֶם֙ עַל־אַפֵּ֔ךְ וַעֲגִילִ֖ים עַל־אָזְנָ֑יִךְ וַעֲטֶ֥רֶת תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת בְּרֹאשֵֽׁךְ׃
13So you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate the finest flour, honey, and oil. You grew exceedingly beautiful and rose to royalty.
וַתַּעְדִּ֞י זָהָ֣ב וָכֶ֗סֶף וּמַלְבּוּשֵׁךְ֙ *ששי **שֵׁ֤שׁ וָמֶ֙שִׁי֙ וְרִקְמָ֔ה סֹ֧לֶת וּדְבַ֛שׁ וָשֶׁ֖מֶן *אכלתי **אָכָ֑לְתְּ וַתִּ֙יפִי֙ בִּמְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד וַֽתִּצְלְחִ֖י לִמְלוּכָֽה׃
14Your fame spread among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord GOD.
וַיֵּ֨צֵא לָ֥ךְ שֵׁ֛ם בַּגּוֹיִ֖ם בְּיָפְיֵ֑ךְ כִּ֣י ׀ כָּלִ֣יל ה֗וּא בַּֽהֲדָרִי֙ אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי עָלַ֔יִךְ נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃