Ezekiel 17
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
時に主の言葉がわたしに臨んだ、
2 “Son of man, propose an enigma and describe a parable to the house of Israel,
「人の子よ、イスラエルの家になぞをかけ、たとえを語って、
3 and you shall say: Thus says the Lord God: A large eagle, with great wings and elongated pinions, full of feathers with many colors, came to Lebanon. And he took the kernel of the cedar.
言え。主なる神がこう言われる、さまざまの色の羽毛を多く持ち、大きな翼と、長い羽根とを持つ大わしがレバノンに来て、香柏のこずえにとまり、
4 He tore off the summit of its branches, and he transported it to the land of Canaan; he placed it in a city of merchants.
その若枝の頂を摘み切り、これを商業の地に運び、商人の町に置いた。
5 And he took from the seed of the land and placed it in the ground for seed, so that it might take firm root above many waters; he placed it at the surface.
またその地の種をとって、これを肥えた土に植えた。すなわち水の多い所にもって行って、柳を植えるようにこれを植えた。
6 And when it had germinated, it increased into a more extensive vine, low in height, with its branches facing toward itself. And its roots were underneath it. And so, it became a vine, and sprouted branches, and produced shoots.
これが成長して、たけ低く、はびこるぶどうの木となり、枝はわしに向かい、根はわしの下にあり、こうしてついにぶどうの木となり、枝を伸ばし、葉を出した。
7 And there was another large eagle, with great wings and many feathers. And behold, this vine seemed to bend its roots towards him, extending its branches toward him, so that he might irrigate it from the garden of its germination.
ここにまた大きな翼と、羽毛の多いほかの一羽の大わしがあった。見よ、このぶどうの木は、潤いを得るために、その根をわしに向かってまげ、その枝をわしに向かって伸ばした。
8 It had been planted in a good land, above many waters, so that it would produce branches and bear fruit, so that it would become a large vine.
これが枝を出し、実を結び、みごとなぶどうの木となるために、わしはこれを植えた苗床から水の多い良い地に移し植えた。
9 Speak: Thus says the Lord God: What if it does not prosper? Should he not pull up its roots, and strip off its fruit, and dry up all the branches that it has produced, and let it wither, though he is without a strong arm and without many people to pull it up by the root?
あなたは、主なる神がこう言われると言え、これは栄えるであろうか。わしはその根を抜き、その枝を切り、その若葉を皆枯らさないであろうか。これをその根からあげるには、強い腕や多くの民を必要としない。
10 Behold, it has been planted. What if it does not prosper? Should it not be dried up when the burning wind touches it, and should it not wither in the garden of its germination?”
見よ、それが移し植えられたら、また栄えるであろうか。東風がこれを打つ時、それは枯れてしまわないであろうか。その育った苗床で枯れないであろうか」。
11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
主の言葉がまたわたしに臨んだ、
12 “Say to the provoking house: Do you not know what these things signify? Say: Behold, the king of Babylon arrives in Jerusalem. And he will take away its king and princes, and he will lead them away to himself in Babylon.
「反逆の家に言え。これらがなんであるかをあなたがたは知らないのか。彼らに言え、見よ、バビロンの王がエルサレムにきて、その王とつかさとを捕え、これをバビロンに引いて行った。
13 And he will take one from the offspring of the king, and he will strike a pact with him and receive an oath from him. Moreover, he will take away the strong ones of the land,
また王の子孫のひとりを捕えて、これと契約を結び、誓いを立てさせ、また国のおもだった人々を捕えて行った。
14 so that it may be a lowly kingdom, and may not lift itself up, and may instead keep his pact and serve it.
これはこの国を卑しくして、みずから立つことができないようにし、その契約を守ることによって立たせるためである。
15 But, withdrawing from him, he sent messengers to Egypt, so that it would give him horses and many people. Should he who has done these things prosper and obtain safety? And should he who has broken the pact go free?
しかし彼はバビロンの王にそむき、使者をエジプトに送って、馬と多くの兵とをそこから獲ようとした。彼は成功するだろうか。このようなことをなす者は、のがれることができようか。
16 As I live, says the Lord God, in the place of the king, who appointed him as king, whose oath he has made void, and whose pact he has broken, under which he was living with him, in the midst of Babylon, he shall die.
契約を破ってなおのがれることができようか。主なる神は言われる、わたしは生きている、必ず彼は自分を王となした王の住む所、彼が立てた誓いを軽んじ、その契約を破った相手の王のいるバビロンで彼は死ぬ。
17 And not with a great army, nor with many people will Pharaoh undertake a battle against him, when he will cast up ramparts and build defenses, in order to put to death many souls.
多くの命を断つために塁を築き、雲梯を建てるとき、パロは決して大いなる軍勢と、多くの人とをもって、彼を助けて戦いをしない。
18 For he has despised an oath, in that he broke the pact. And behold, he had given his hand. And so, since he has done all these things, he shall not escape.
彼は誓いを軽んじ、契約を破り、その手を与えて誓いながら、なおこれらの事をしたゆえ、のがれることはできない。
19 Because of this, thus says the Lord God: As I live, I will place upon his head the oath that he has spurned and the pact that he has betrayed.
それゆえ、主なる神はこう言われる、わたしは生きている、彼がわたしの誓いを軽んじ、わたしの契約を破ったことを、必ず彼のこうべに報いる。
20 And I will spread my net over him, and he will be captured in my dragnet. And I will lead him into Babylon, and I will judge him there for the transgression by which he has despised me.
わたしはわが網を彼の上に打ちかけ、彼をわがわなに捕えて、バビロンに引いて行き、彼がわたしにむかって犯した反逆のために、その所で彼をさばく。
21 And all his fugitives, with all his procession, will fall by the sword. Then the remainder will be scattered into every wind. And you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken.”
彼のすべての軍隊のえり抜きの兵士は皆つるぎに倒れ、生き残った者は八方に散らされる。そしてあなたがたは主なるわたしが、これを語ったことを知るようになる」。
22 Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take from the kernel of the exalted cedar, and I will establish it. I will tear off a tender twig from the top of its branches, and I will plant it on a mountain, lofty and exalted.
主なる神はこう言われる、「わたしはまた香柏の高いこずえから小枝をとって、これを植え、その若芽の頂から柔かい芽を摘みとり、これを高いすぐれた山に植える。
23 On the sublime mountains of Israel, I will plant it. And it shall spring forth in buds and bear fruit, and it shall be a great cedar. And all the birds will live under it, and every bird will make its nest under the shadow of its branches.
わたしはイスラエルの高い山にこれを植える。これは枝を出し、実を結び、みごとな香柏となり、その下にもろもろの種類の獣が住み、その枝の陰に各種の鳥が巣をつくる。
24 And all the trees of the regions will know that I, the Lord, have brought low the sublime tree, and have exalted the lowly tree, and have dried up the green tree, and have caused the dry tree to flourish. I, the Lord, have spoken and acted.”
そして野のすべての木は、主なるわたしが高い木を低くし、低い木を高くし、緑の木を枯らし、枯れ木を緑にすることを知るようになる。主であるわたしはこれを語り、これをするのである」。
