Ezra 4
1 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel,
茲にユダとベニヤミンの敵たる者等夫俘囚より歸り來りし人々イスラエルの神ヱホバのために殿を建ると聞き
2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families, saying, “Let us build with you because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the time of King Esar-haddon of Assyria, who brought us here.”
乃ちゼルバベルと宗家の長等の許に至りて之に言けるは我儕をして汝等と共に之を建てしめよ 我らは汝らと同じく汝らの神を求む アッスリヤの王エサルハドンが我儕を此に携へのぼりし日より以來我らはこれに犠牲を獻ぐるなりと
3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of the families of Israel replied, “You have no part with us in building a house for our God, since we alone must build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as Cyrus king of Persia has commanded us.”
然るにゼルバベル、ヱシュアおよびその餘のイスラエルの宗家の長等これに言ふ 汝らは我らの神に室を建ることに與るべからず 我儕獨りみづからイスラエルの神ヱホバのために建ることを爲べし 是ペルシヤの王クロス王の我らに命ぜし所なりと
4 Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build.
是に於てその地の民ユダの民の手を弱らせてその建築を妨げ
5 They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
之が計る所を敗らんために議官に賄賂して之に敵せしむペルシヤ王クロスの世にある日よりペルシヤ王ダリヨスの治世まで常に然り
6 At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, an accusation was lodged against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
アハシユエロスの治世すなはち其治世の初に彼ら表を上りてユダとヱルサレムの民を誣訟へたり
7 And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in Aramaic and then translated.
またアルタシヤスタの世にビシラム、ミテレダテ、タビエルおよびその餘の同僚同じく表をペルシヤの王アルタシヤスタに上つれり その書の文はスリヤの文字にて書きスリヤ語にて陳述たる者なりき
8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote the letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows:
方伯レホム書記官シムシヤイ書をアルタシヤスタ王に書おくりてヱルサレムを誣ゆ左のごとし
9 From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates—the judges and officials over Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,
即ち方伯レホム書記官シムシヤイおよびその餘の同僚デナ人アパルサテカイ人タルペライ人アパルサイ人アルケロイ人バビロン人シユシヤン人デハウ人エラマイ人
10 and the rest of the peoples whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and elsewhere west of the Euphrates.
ならびに其他の民すなはち大臣オスナパルが移してサマリアの邑および河外ふのその他の地に置し者等云々
11 (This is the text of the letter they sent to him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men west of the Euphrates:
其アルタシヤスタ王に上りし書の稿は是なく云く河外ふの汝の僕等云々
12 Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you to us have returned to Jerusalem. And they are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city, restoring its walls, and repairing its foundations.
王知たまへ汝の所より上り來りしユダヤ人ヱルサレムに到りてわれらの中にいりかの背き悖る惡き邑を建なほし石垣を築きあげその基礎を固うせり
13 Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer.
然ば王いま知りたまへ 若この邑を建て石垣を築きあげなば彼ら必ず貢賦租税税金などを納じ 然すれば終に王等の不利とならん
14 Now because we are in the service of the palace and it is not fitting for us to allow the king to be dishonored, we have sent to inform the king
そもそも我らは王の鹽を食む者なれば王の輕んぜらるるを見るに忍びず 茲に人を遣はし王に奏聞す
15 that a search should be made of the record books of your fathers. In these books you will discover and verify that the city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, inciting sedition from ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed.
列祖の記録の書を稽へたまへ必ずその記録の書の中において此邑は背き悖る邑にして諸王と諸州とに害を加へし者なるを見その中に古來叛逆の事ありしを知たまふべし此邑の滅ぼされしは此故に縁るなり
16 We advise the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, you will have no dominion west of the Euphrates.
我ら王に奏聞す 若この邑を建て石垣を築きあげなばなんぢは之がために河外ふの領分をうしなふなるべしと
17 Then the king sent this reply: To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of your associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in the region west of the Euphrates: Greetings.
王すなはち方伯レホム書記官シムシヤイこの餘サマリアおよび河外ふのほかの處に住る同僚に答書をおくりて云く平安あれ云々
18 The letter you sent us has been translated and read in my presence.
汝らが我儕におくりし書をば我前に讀解しめたり
19 I issued a decree, and a search was conducted. It was discovered that this city has revolted against kings from ancient times, engaging in rebellion and sedition.
我やがて詔書を下して稽考しめしに此邑の古來起りて諸王に背きし事その中に反乱謀叛のありし事など詳悉なり
20 And mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates; and tribute, duty, and toll were paid to them.
またヱルサレムには在昔大なる王等ありて河外ふをことごとく治め貢賦租税税金などを己に納しめたる事あり
21 Now, therefore, issue an order for these men to stop, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.
然ば汝ら詔言を傳へて其人々を止め我が詔言を下すまで此邑を建ること無らしめよ
22 See that you do not neglect this matter. Why allow this threat to increase and the royal interests to suffer?
汝ら愼め 之を爲ことを忽にする勿れ 何ぞ損害を増て王に害を及ぼすべけんやと
23 When the text of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stopped them.
アルタシヤスタ王の書の稿をレホム及び書記官シムシヤイとその同僚の前に讀あげければ彼等すなはちヱルサレムに奔ゆきてユダヤ人に就き腕力と權威とをもて之を止めたり
24 Thus the construction of the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
此をもてヱルサレムなる神の室の工事止みぬ 即ちペルシヤ王ダリヨスの治世の二年まで止みたりき
