Siracide 48

1Ensuite se leva Élie, prophète semblable au feu, et sa parole était enflammée comme un flambeau.

2Il fit venir la famine sur Israël, et, par son zèle, il le réduisit à un petit nombre.

3Par la parole du Seigneur, il ferma le ciel ; de même, il en fit trois fois tomber le feu.

4Combien tu t’es rendu glorieux, ô Élie, par tes prodiges, et qui pourrait se vanter d’être semblable à toi ?

5Toi qui as fait lever un cadavre du sein de la mort, et du schéol, par la parole du Très-Haut ;

6toi qui as précipité des rois dans la ruine, et d’illustres personnages de leur couche dans la mort ;

7toi qui as entendu sur le Sinaï des remontrances, et sur l’Horeb des arrêts de vengeance ;

8toi qui as sacré des rois pour exercer la vengeance, et des prophètes pour te succéder ;

9toi qui fus enlevé dans un tourbillon de flamme, et dans un char aux chevaux de feu ;

10toi qui as été désigné dans de sévères écrits pour des temps à venir, comme devant apaiser la colère avant qu’elle s’enflamme, ramener le cœur du père vers l’enfant, et rétablir les tribus d’Israël.

11Heureux ceux qui te verront, et qui seront parés de l’amour de Dieu ! Car, nous aussi, nous serons certainement en vie.

12Lorsque Élie eu été enveloppé dans le tourbillon, Élisée fut rempli de son esprit. Durant ses jours, il ne fut ébranlé par aucun prince, et personne ne le domina.

13Rien ne lui fut impossible, et son corps, couché dans le tombeau, fit des miracles.

14Pendant sa vie, il fit des prodiges, et, dans sa mort, il opéra des merveilles.

15Malgré tout cela, le peuple ne se repentit point, et ne s’éloigna pas du péché, jusqu’à ce qu’il fût emmené loin de son pays, et dispersé par toute la terre. Il ne resta qu’un petit peuple, avec un chef de la maison de David.

16Parmi ceux-ci, quelques-uns firent ce qui est agréable à Dieu, et d’autres multiplièrent les transgressions.

17Ézéchias fortifia sa ville, et amena dans son enceinte le Gihon ; avec le fer, il creusa le rocher, et construisit des réservoirs pour les eaux.

18De son temps Sennachérib monta, et envoya Rabsacès ; celui-ci partit, et leva la main contre Sion, et se vanta dans sa jactance.

19Alors leurs cœurs et leurs mains tremblèrent, et ils furent dans la douleur comme les femmes qui enfantent.

20Ils invoquèrent le Seigneur miséricordieux, étendant leurs mains vers lui, et le Saint les entendit aussitôt du ciel, et les délivra par le ministère d’Isaïe.

21Il frappa l’armée des Assyriens, et son ange les extermina.

22Car Ézéchias fit ce qui est agréable au Seigneur, et se tint ferme dans les voies de David, son père, que lui recommanda Isaïe le prophète, grand et véridique dans ses visions.

23Pendant ses jours, le soleil rétrograda, et Isaïe prolongea la vie du roi.

24Sous une puissante inspiration, il vit les temps à venir, et consola les affligés dans Sion. Il annonça ce qui doit arriver jusqu’à la fin des temps, et les choses cachées avant leur accomplissement.

1[Et surrexit Elias propheta quasi ignis, et verbum ipsius quasi facula ardebat.

2Qui induxit in illos famem: et irritantes illum invidia sua pauci facti sunt: non enim poterant sustinere præcepta Domini.

3Verbo Domini continuit cælum, et dejecit de cælo ignem ter.

4Sic amplificatus est Elias in mirabilibus suis. Et quis potest similiter sic gloriari tibi?

5qui sustulisti mortuum ab inferis de sorte mortis, in verbo Domini Dei:

6qui dejecisti reges ad pernicem, et confregisti facile potentiam ipsorum, et gloriosos de lecto suo:

7qui audis in Sina judicium, et in Horeb judicia defensionis:

8qui ungis reges ad pœnitentiam, et prophetas facis successores post te:

9qui receptus es in turbine ignis, in curru equorum igneorum:

10qui scriptus es in judiciis temporum, lenire iracundiam Domini, conciliare cor patris ad filium, et restituere tribus Jacob.

11Beati sunt qui te viderunt, et in amicitia tua decorati sunt.

12Nam nos vita vivimus tantum: post mortem autem non erit tale nomen nostrum.]

13[Elias quidem in turbine tectus est, et in Eliseo completus est spiritus ejus: in diebus suis non pertimuit principem, et potentia nemo vicit illum:

14nec superavit illum verbum aliquod, et mortuum prophetavit corpus ejus.

15In vita sua fecit monstra, et in morte mirabilia operatus est.]

16[In omnibus istis non pœnituit populus, et non recesserunt a peccatis suis, usque dum ejecti sunt de terra sua, et dispersi sunt in omnem terram:

17et relicta est gens perpauca, et princeps in domo David.

18Quidam ipsorum fecerunt quod placeret Deo: alii autem multa commiserunt peccata.

19Ezechias munivit civitatem suam, et induxit in medium ipsius aquam: et fodit ferro rupem, et ædificavit ad aquam puteum.

20In diebus ipsius ascendit Sennacherib, et misit Rabsacen, et sustulit manum suam contra illos: et extulit manum suam in Sion, et superbus factus est potentia sua.

21Tunc mota sunt corda et manus ipsorum: et doluerunt quasi parturientes mulieres.

22Et invocaverunt Dominum misericordem, et expandentes manus suas extulerunt ad cælum: et Sanctus, Dominus Deus, audivit cito vocem ipsorum.

23Non est commemoratus peccatorum illorum, neque dedit illos inimicis suis: sed purgavit eos in manu Isaiæ sancti prophetæ.

24Dejecit castra Assyriorum, et contrivit illos angelus Domini:

25nam fecit Ezechias quod placuit Deo, et fortiter ivit in via David patris sui, quam mandavit illi Isaias, propheta magnus, et fidelis in conspectu Dei.

26In diebus ipsius retro rediit sol, et addidit regi vitam.

27Spiritu magno vidit ultima, et consolatus est lugentes in Sion usque in sempiternum.

28Ostendit futura, et abscondita antequam evenirent.]

1And Elias the prophet stood up, as a fire, and his word burnt like a torch.

2He brought a famine upon them, and they that provoked him in their envy, were reduced to a small number, for they could not endure the commandments of the Lord.

3By the word of the Lord he shut up the heaven, and he brought down fire from heaven thrice.

4Thus was Elias magnified in his wondrous works. And who can glory like to thee?

5Who raisedst up a dead man from below, from the lot of death, by the word of the Lord God.

6Who broughtest down kings to destruction, and brokest easily their power in pieces, and the glorious from their bed.

7Who heardest judgment in Sina, and in Horeb the judgments of vengeance.

8Who anointedst kings to penance, and madest prophets successors after thee.

9Who wast taken up in a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot of fiery horses.

10Who art registered in the judgments of times to appease the wrath of the Lord, to reconcile the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.

11Blessed are they that saw thee, and were honoured with thy friendship.

12For we live only in our life, but after death our name shall not be such.

13Elias was indeed covered with the whirlwind, and his spirit was filled up in Eliseus: in his days he feared not the prince, and no man was more powerful than he.

14No word could overcome him, and after death his body prophesied.

15In his life he did great wonders, and is death he wrought miracles.

16For all this the people repented not, neither did they depart from their sins till they were cast out of their land, and were scattered through all the earth.

17And there was left but a small people, and a prince in the house of David.

18Some of these did that which pleased God: but others committed many sins.

19Ezechias fortified his city, and brought in water into the midst thereof, and he digged a rock with iron, and made a well for water.

20In his days Sennacherib came up, and sent Rabsaces, and lifted up his hand against them, and he stretched out his hand against Sion, and became proud through his power.

21Then their hearts and hands trembled, and they were in pain as women in travail.

22And they called upon the Lord who is merciful, and spreading their hands, they lifted them up to heaven: and the holy Lord God quickly heard their voice.

23He was not mindful of their sins, neither did he deliver them up to their enemies, but he purified them by the hand of Isaias, the holy prophet.

24He overthrew the army of the Assyrians, and the angel of the Lord destroyed them.

25For Ezechias did that which pleased God, and walked valiantly in the way of David his father, which Isaias, the great prophet, and faithful in the sight of God, had commanded him.

26In his days the sun went backward, and he lengthened the king’s life.

27With a great spirit he saw the things that are to come to pass at last, and comforted the mourners in Sion.

28He shewed what should come to pass for ever, and secret things before they came.