Lamentations 4
1 How dark has the gold become! how changed the best gold! the stones of the holy place are dropping out at the top of every street.
ああ、黄金は光を失い、純金は色を変じ、聖所の石はすべてのちまたのかどに投げ捨てられた。
2 The valued sons of Zion, whose price was the best gold, are looked on as vessels of earth, the work of the hands of the potter!
ああ、精金にも比すべきシオンのいとし子らは、陶器師の手のわざである土の器のようにみなされる。
3 Even the beasts of the waste land have full breasts, they give milk to their young ones: the daughter of my people has become cruel like the ostriches in the waste land.
山犬さえも乳ぶさをたれて、その子に乳を飲ませる。ところが、わが民の娘は、荒野のだちょうのように無慈悲になった。
4 The tongue of the child at the breast is fixed to the roof of his mouth for need of drink: the young children are crying out for bread, and no man gives it to them.
乳のみ子の舌はかわいて、上あごに、ひたとつき、幼な子らはパンを求めても、これに与える者がない。
5 Those who were used to feasting on delicate food are wasted in the streets: those who as children were dressed in purple are stretched out on the dust.
うまい物を食べていた者は、落ちぶれて、ちまたにおり、紫の着物で育てられた者も、今は灰だまりの上に伏している。
6 For the punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overturned suddenly without any hand falling on her.
わが民の娘のうけた懲しめは、ソドムの罰よりも大きかった。ソドムは昔、人の手によらないで、またたくまに滅ぼされたのだ。
7 Her holy ones were cleaner than snow, they were whiter than milk, their bodies were redder than corals, their form was as the sapphire:
わが民の君たちは雪よりも清らかに、乳よりも白く、そのからだは、さんごよりも赤く、その姿の美しさはサファイヤのようであった。
8 Their face is blacker than night; in the streets no one has knowledge of them: their skin is hanging on their bones, they are dry, they have become like wood.
今はその顔はすすよりも黒く、町の中にいても人に知られず、その皮膚は縮んで骨につき、かわいて枯れ木のようになった。
9 Those who have been put to the sword are better off than those whose death is caused by need of food; for these come to death slowly, burned up like the fruit of the field.
つるぎで殺される者は、飢えて死ぬ者よりもさいわいである。彼らは田畑の産物の欠乏によって、刺された者のように衰え行くからである。
10 The hands of kind-hearted women have been boiling their children; they were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
わが民の娘の滅びる時には情深い女たちさえも、手ずから自分の子どもを煮て、それを食物とした。
11 The Lord has given full effect to his passion, he has let loose his burning wrath; he has made a fire in Zion, causing the destruction of its bases.
主はその憤りをことごとく漏らし、激しい怒りをそそぎ、シオンに火を燃やして、その礎までも焼き払われた。
12 To the kings of the earth and to all the people of the world it did not seem possible that the attackers and the haters would go into the doors of Jerusalem.
地の王たちも、世の民らもみな、エルサレムの門に、あだや敵が、討ち入ろうとは信じなかった。
13 It is because of the sins of her prophets and the evil-doing of her priests, by whom the blood of the upright has been drained out in her.
これはその預言者たちの罪のため、その祭司たちの不義のためであった。彼らは義人の血をその町の中に流した者である。
14 They are wandering like blind men in the streets, they are made unclean with blood, so that their robes may not be touched by men.
彼らは盲人のように、ちまたにさまよい、血で汚れている。だれもその衣にさわることができない。
15 Away! unclean! they were crying out to them, Away! away! let there be no touching: when they went away in flight and wandering, men said among the nations, There is no further resting-place for them.
人々は彼らにむかって、「去れよ、けがらわしい」、「去れよ、去れよ、さわるな」と叫んだので、彼らは逃げ去って放浪者となったが、異邦人の中でも人々は「もうわれわれのうちに宿ってはならない」と言った。
16 The face of the Lord has sent them in all directions; he will no longer take care of them: they had no respect for the priests, they gave no honour to the old men.
主はみずから彼らを散らして、再び彼らを顧みず、祭司を尊ばず、長老をいたわられなかった。
17 Our eyes are still wasting away in looking for our false help: we have been watching for a nation unable to give salvation.
われわれの目は、むなしく助けを待ち望んで疲れ衰えた。われわれは待ち望んだが、救を与え得ない国びとを待ち望んだ。
18 They go after our steps so that we may not go in our streets: our end is near, our days are numbered; for our end has come.
人々がわれわれの歩みをうかがうので、われわれは自分の町の中をも、歩くことができなかった。われわれの終りは近づいた、日は尽きた。われわれの終りが来たからである。
19 Those who went after us were quicker than the eagles of the heaven, driving us before them on the mountains, waiting secretly for us in the waste land.
われわれを追う者は空のはげたかよりも速く、彼らは山でわれわれを追い立て、野でわれわれを待ち伏せる。
20 Our breath of life, he on whom the holy oil was put, was taken in their holes; of whom we said, Under his shade we will be living among the nations.
われわれが鼻の息とたのんだ者、主に油そそがれた者は、彼らの落し穴で捕えられた。彼はわれわれが「異邦人の中でもその陰に生きるであろう」と思った者である。
21 Have joy and be glad, O daughter of Edom, living in the land of Uz: the cup will be given to you in your turn, and you will be overcome with wine and your shame will be seen.
ウズの地に住むエドムの娘よ、喜び楽しめ、あなたにもまた杯がめぐって行く、あなたも酔って裸になる。
22 The punishment of your evil-doing is complete, O daughter of Zion; never again will he take you away as a prisoner: he will give you the reward of your evil-doing, O daughter of Edom; he will let your sin be uncovered.
シオンの娘よ、あなたの不義の罰は終った。主は重ねてあなたを捕え移されない。エドムの娘よ、主はあなたの不義を罰し、あなたの罪をあらわされる。
