Les prophètes

The Taunt Song Against the King of Babylon

A powerful taunt song directed at the king of Babylon, describing his fall from heaven to Sheol, his arrogance, and the final judgment upon him and his lineage.

Ésaïe 14,4-23

4you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased! How his fury has ended!
וְנָשָׂ֜אתָ הַמָּשָׁ֥ל הַזֶּ֛ה עַל־מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל וְאָמָ֑רְתָּ אֵ֚יךְ שָׁבַ֣ת נֹגֵ֔שׂ שָׁבְתָ֖ה מַדְהֵבָֽה׃ ‬
5The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers,
שָׁבַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה מַטֵּ֣ה רְשָׁעִ֑ים שֵׁ֖בֶט מֹשְׁלִֽים׃ ‬
6which struck the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows, which subdued nations in anger with relentless persecution.
מַכֶּ֤ה עַמִּים֙ בְּעֶבְרָ֔ה מַכַּ֖ת בִּלְתִּ֣י סָרָ֑ה רֹדֶ֤ה בָאַף֙ גּוֹיִ֔ם מֻרְדָּ֖ף בְּלִ֥י חָשָֽׂךְ׃ ‬
7The whole earth is at rest and quiet; all break out in singing.
נָ֥חָה שָׁקְטָ֖ה כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ פָּצְח֖וּ רִנָּֽה׃ ‬
8Even the cypresses rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon: "Now that you lie fallen, no woodsman comes up against us."
גַּם־בְּרוֹשִׁ֛ים שָׂמְח֥וּ לְךָ֖ אַרְזֵ֣י לְבָנ֑וֹן מֵאָ֣ז שָׁכַ֔בְתָּ לֹֽא־יַעֲלֶ֥ה הַכֹּרֵ֖ת עָלֵֽינוּ׃ ‬
9The realm of the dead below stirs to meet you at your coming; it rouses the shades to greet you, all who were leaders of the earth. It makes all who were kings of the nations rise from their thrones.
שְׁא֗וֹל מִתַּ֛חַת רָגְזָ֥ה לְךָ֖ לִקְרַ֣את בּוֹאֶ֑ךָ עוֹרֵ֨ר לְךָ֤ רְפָאִים֙ כָּל־עַתּ֣וּדֵי אָ֔רֶץ הֵקִים֙ מִכִּסְ‪[t]‬אוֹתָ֔ם כֹּ֖ל מַלְכֵ֥י גוֹיִֽם׃ ‬
10They all speak up and say to you: "So you too have become weak as we are; you have become like us."
כֻּלָּ֣ם יַֽעֲנ֔וּ וְיֹאמְר֖וּ אֵלֶ֑יךָ גַּם־אַתָּ֛ה חֻלֵּ֥יתָ כָמ֖וֹנוּ אֵלֵ֥ינוּ נִמְשָֽׁלְתָּ׃ ‬
11Your pomp has been brought down to the realm of the dead, along with the music of your harps. Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you, and worms are your covering.
הוּרַ֥ד שְׁא֛וֹל גְּאוֹנֶ֖ךָ הֶמְיַ֣ת נְבָלֶ֑יךָ תַּחְתֶּ֙יךָ֙ יֻצַּ֣ע רִמָּ֔ה וּמְכַסֶּ֖יךָ תּוֹלֵעָֽה׃ ‬
12How you have fallen from heaven, O shining one, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who laid the nations low.
אֵ֛יךְ נָפַ֥לְתָּ מִשָּׁמַ֖יִם הֵילֵ֣ל בֶּן־שָׁ֑חַר נִגְדַּ֣עְתָּ לָאָ֔רֶץ חוֹלֵ֖שׁ עַל־גּוֹיִֽם׃ ‬
13You said in your heart: "I will ascend to the heavens; above the stars of God I will raise my throne. I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the north.
וְאַתָּ֞ה אָמַ֤רְתָּ בִֽלְבָבְךָ֙ הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם אֶֽעֱלֶ֔ה מִמַּ֥עַל לְכֽוֹכְבֵי־אֵ֖ל אָרִ֣ים כִּסְאִ֑י וְאֵשֵׁ֥ב בְּהַר־מוֹעֵ֖ד בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֥י צָפֽוֹן׃ ‬
14I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."
אֶעֱלֶ֖ה עַל־בָּ֣מֳתֵי עָ֑ב אֶדַּמֶּ֖ה לְעֶלְיֽוֹן׃ ‬
15But you will be brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.
אַ֧ךְ אֶל־שְׁא֛וֹל תּוּרָ֖ד אֶל־יַרְכְּתֵי־בֽוֹר׃ ‬
16Those who see you stare at you; they ponder your fate: "Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble,
רֹאֶ֙יךָ֙ אֵלֶ֣יךָ יַשְׁגִּ֔יחוּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ יִתְבּוֹנָ֑נוּ הֲזֶ֤ה הָאִישׁ֙ מַרְגִּ֣יז הָאָ֔רֶץ מַרְעִ֖ישׁ מַמְלָכֽוֹת׃ ‬
17who made the world a wilderness and tore down its cities, who would not let his captives go home?"
שָׂ֥ם תֵּבֵ֛ל כַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר וְעָרָ֣יו הָרָ֑ס אֲסִירָ֖יו לֹא־פָ֥תַח בָּֽיְתָה׃ ‬
18All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb.
כָּל־מַלְכֵ֥י גוֹיִ֖ם כֻּלָּ֑ם שָׁכְב֥וּ בְכָב֖וֹד אִ֥ישׁ בְּבֵיתֽוֹ׃ ‬
19But you are cast out of your grave like a rejected branch, covered with the slain, with those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit—like a trampled corpse.
וְאַתָּ֞ה הָשְׁלַ֤כְתָּ מִֽקִּבְרְךָ֙ כְּנֵ֣צֶר נִתְעָ֔ב לְב֥וּשׁ הֲרֻגִ֖ים מְטֹ֣עֲנֵי חָ֑רֶב יוֹרְדֵ֥י אֶל־אַבְנֵי־ב֖וֹר כְּפֶ֥גֶר מוּבָֽס׃ ‬
20You will not be joined with them in burial, for you destroyed your land and killed your people. Let the offspring of evildoers never be named again.
לֹֽא־תֵחַ֤ד אִתָּם֙ בִּקְבוּרָ֔ה כִּֽי־אַרְצְךָ֥ שִׁחַ֖תָּ עַמְּךָ֣ הָרָ֑גְתָּ לֹֽא־יִקָּרֵ֥א לְעוֹלָ֖ם זֶ֥רַע מְרֵעִֽים׃ ‬
21Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the guilt of their fathers, so they may not rise to inherit the earth and cover the face of the world with cities.
הָכִ֧ינוּ לְבָנָ֛יו מַטְבֵּ֖חַ בַּעֲוֺ֣ן אֲבוֹתָ֑ם בַּל־יָקֻ֙מוּ֙ וְיָ֣רְשׁוּ אָ֔רֶץ וּמָלְא֥וּ פְנֵֽי־תֵבֵ֖ל עָרִֽים׃ ‬
22"I will rise up against them," declares the LORD of hosts. "I will cut off from Babylon her name and her remnant, her offspring and her descendants," declares the LORD.
וְקַמְתִּ֣י עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת וְהִכְרַתִּ֨י לְבָבֶ֜ל שֵׁ֥ם וּשְׁאָ֛ר וְנִ֥ין וָנֶ֖כֶד נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ ‬
23"I will make her a possession of owls and a swampland; I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction," declares the LORD of hosts.
וְשַׂמְתִּ֛יהָ לְמוֹרַ֥שׁ קִפֹּ֖ד וְאַגְמֵי־מָ֑יִם וְטֵֽאטֵאתִ֙יהָ֙ בְּמַטְאֲטֵ֣א הַשְׁמֵ֔ד נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃ פ ‬