Exodus 4

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	BIBLES DES PEUPLES
1 Responding, Moses said, “They will not believe me, and they will not listen to my voice, but they will say: ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ”	1 Moïse répondit à Dieu: “Ils ne me croiront pas et ne m’écouteront pas. Ils me diront: Yahvé ne t’est pas apparu!”
2 Therefore, he said to him, “What is that you hold in your hand?” He answered, “A staff.”	2 Yahvé lui dit: “Qu’as-tu dans ta main?” Il répondit: “Un bâton!”
3 And the Lord said, “Cast it down upon the ground.” He cast it down, and it was turned into a snake, so that Moses fled away.	3 Yahvé lui dit: “Jette-le à terre!” Il le jeta à terre et le bâton devint un serpent: Moïse se jeta en arrière.
4 And the Lord said, “Reach out your hand, and take hold of its tail.” He reached out his hand and took hold, and it was turned into a staff.	4 Yahvé lui dit: “Étends ta main! prends-le par la queue!” Moïse étendit la main et le prit; le serpent redevint un bâton dans sa main.
5 “So may they believe,” he said, “that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”	5 “Ainsi ils croiront que Yahvé, le Dieu de leurs pères, le Dieu d’Abraham, le Dieu d’Isaac et le Dieu de Jacob t’est bien apparu.”
6 And the Lord said again, “Put your hand into your bosom.” And when he had put it into his bosom, he brought it out leprous, resembling snow.	6 Yahvé lui dit encore: “Mets donc ta main dans ton vêtement!” Il mit sa main dans son vêtement et l’en retira. Or voici que sa main était couverte de lèpre, blanche comme la neige.
7 “Put your hand back,” he said, “into your bosom.” He put it back and brought it out again, and it was like the rest of his flesh.	7 Yahvé lui dit: “Remets ta main dans ton vêtement!” Il remit sa main dans son vêtement et, quand il la retira, elle était saine comme le reste de son corps.
8 “If they will not believe you,” he said, “and will not listen to the sermon of the first sign, then they will believe the word of the subsequent sign.	8 “S’ils ne croient pas et ne t’écoutent pas après le premier signe, ils croiront au second.
9 But if they will not believe even these two signs, and they will not listen to your voice: take from the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land, and whatever you will have drawn from the river will be turned into blood.”	9 Et s’ils ne croient à aucun de ces deux signes, s’ils ne veulent pas t’écouter, tu prendras de l’eau dans le Nil, tu la répandras sur la terre sèche, et l’eau que tu auras prise dans le Nil se changera en sang sur la terre sèche.”
10 Moses said: “I beg you, O Lord, I was not eloquent yesterday or the day before. And from the time that you have spoken to your servant, I have a greater impediment and slowness of tongue.”	10 Moïse dit à Yahvé: “Je t’en supplie, mon Seigneur! Je n’ai jamais su bien parler, et ce n’est pas mieux depuis que tu parles à ton serviteur. Je ne trouve pas les mots pour m’exprimer.”
11 The Lord said to him: “Who made the mouth of man? And who has formed the mute and the deaf, the seeing and the blind? Was it not I?	11 Yahvé lui répondit: “Qui a donné une bouche à l’homme? Qui le rend muet ou sourd, clairvoyant ou aveugle? N’est-ce pas moi, Yahvé?
12 Go on, therefore, and I will be in your mouth. And I will teach you what you shall say.”	12 Va donc: je mettrai dans ta bouche les paroles que tu devras dire.”
13 But he said, “I beg you, O Lord, send whomever else you would send.”	13 Moïse dit alors: “Je t’en supplie, mon Seigneur! Envoie ton message par qui tu voudras.”
14 The Lord, being angry at Moses, said: “Aaron the Levite is your brother. I know that he is eloquent. Behold, he is going out to meet you, and seeing you, he will rejoice in heart.	14 Cette fois, Yahvé se mit en colère contre Moïse et lui dit: “Ton frère Aaron, le Lévite, n’est-il pas là? Je sais qu’il a la parole facile. Le voici justement qui vient à ta rencontre et il sera tout heureux de te voir.
15 Speak to him, and put my words in his mouth. And I will be in your mouth and in his mouth, and I will reveal to you what you must do.	15 Tu lui parleras, tu lui diras ce qu’il devra dire, et moi, je serai dans ta bouche et dans la sienne, et je vous dirai ce que vous devrez faire.
16 He will speak for you to the people, and he will be your mouth. But you will be with him in those things that pertain to God.	16 Il parlera au peuple à ta place: toi avec lui, ce sera comme Dieu avec son prophète.
17 Also, take this staff into your hand; with it you will accomplish the signs.”	17 Tu auras en main ce bâton, et avec lui tu feras des miracles!”
18 Moses went forth, and he returned to Jethro, his father in law, and he said to him, “I shall go and return to my brothers in Egypt, so that I may see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to him, “Go in peace.”	18 Moïse repartit vers son beau-père Jéthro et lui dit: “Je voudrais m’en aller pour retrouver mes frères en Égypte, je veux voir s’ils sont encore en vie.” Jéthro répondit à Moïse: “Va-t’en en paix!”
19 And so the Lord said to Moses in Midian: “Go, and return to Egypt. For all those who sought your life have died.”	19 Yahvé dit à Moïse, au pays de Madian: “Va! Retourne en Égypte, car tous ceux qui en voulaient à ta vie sont morts.”
20 Therefore, Moses took his wife and his sons, and he placed them upon a donkey, and he returned into Egypt, carrying the staff of God in his hand.	20 Moïse prit donc sa femme et ses fils, les fit monter sur un âne, et retourna en Égypte. Moïse avait en main le bâton de Dieu.
21 And the Lord said to him, as he was returning to Egypt: “See that you accomplish, in the sight of Pharaoh, all the wonders that I have placed in your hand. I will harden his heart, and he will not release the people.	21 Yahvé dit à Moïse: “Lorsque tu retourneras en Égypte, tu feras devant le Pharaon tous les prodiges que je t’ai mis en mains. Mais moi, je ferai qu’il s’entête, et il refusera de laisser partir mon peuple.
22 And you shall say to him: ‘Thus says the Lord: Israel is my firstborn son.	22 Alors tu diras au Pharaon: ‘Voici ce que dit Yahvé: Israël est mon fils premier-né.
23 I have said to you: Release my son, so that he may serve me. And you were not willing to release him. Behold, I will put to death your firstborn son.’ ”	23 Je t’ai dit: Laisse partir mon fils pour qu’il me serve, mais toi, tu as refusé de le laisser partir! C’est pourquoi je vais tuer ton fils premier-né.’ ”
24 And while he was on the journey, at an inn, the Lord met him, and he was willing to kill him.	24 Durant le voyage, à l’étape, Yahvé vint à la rencontre de Moïse et chercha à le faire mourir.
25 For this reason, Zipporah took a very sharp stone, and she circumcised the foreskin of her son, and she touched his feet, and she said, “You are a bloody spouse to me.”	25 Séfora prit alors un caillou, coupa le prépuce de son fils et en toucha les pieds de Moïse, puis elle dit: “Tu es vraiment pour moi un époux de sang.”
26 And he released him, after she had said, “You are a bloody spouse,” because of the circumcision.	26 Aussitôt Yahvé le laissa. Elle avait dit “Époux de sang” à cause de la circoncision.
27 Then the Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the desert to meet Moses.” And he went directly to meet him on the mountain of God, and he kissed him.	27 Yahvé dit à Aaron: “Va à la rencontre de Moïse dans le désert!” Il partit donc à la rencontre de Moïse à la montagne de Dieu, et il l’embrassa.
28 And Moses explained to Aaron all the words of the Lord, by which he had sent him, and the signs which he had commanded.	28 Moïse raconta à Aaron toutes les paroles de Yahvé qui l’envoyait en mission et tous les signes qu’il l’avait chargé de faire.
29 And they arrived at the same time, and they gathered together all the elders of the sons of Israel.	29 Moïse et Aaron allèrent donc réunir tous les anciens des Israélites.
30 And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had said to Moses. And he accomplished the signs in the sight of the people,	30 Aaron leur rapporta toutes les paroles que Yahvé avait dites à Moïse, et il fit les signes sous les yeux du peuple.
31 and the people believed. And they heard that the Lord had visited the sons of Israel, and that he had looked with favor upon their affliction. And falling prostrate, they worshiped.	31 Le peuple crut, il comprit que Yahvé avait eu pitié des Israélites et qu’il avait vu leur humiliation. Ils se mirent à genoux et se prosternèrent.