Nehemiah 4
1 But it came to pass, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, it angered him, and he was greatly displeased, —and mocked the Jews;
サンバラテはわれわれが城壁を築くのを聞いて怒り、大いに憤ってユダヤ人をあざけった。
2 and spake before his brethren, and the army of Samaria, and said, What are, these feeble Jews, doing? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they bring to life the stones out of the heaps of dust, when, they, have been burned up?
彼はその兄弟たちおよびサマリヤの兵隊の前で語って言った、「この弱々しいユダヤ人は何をしているのか。自分で再興しようとするのか。犠牲をささげようとするのか。一日で事を終えようとするのか。塵塚の中の石はすでに焼けているのに、これを取りだして生かそうとするのか」。
3 Now, Tobiah the Ammonite, was beside him, —so he said, Even that which they are building, if a fox should go up, he would break down their stone wall!
またアンモンびとトビヤは、彼のかたわらにいて言った、「そうだ、彼らの築いている城壁は、きつね一匹が上ってもくずれるであろう」と。
4 Hear, O our God, for we have become a contempt, and turn thou back their reproach upon their own head, —and give them up as a prey, in the land of captivity;
「われわれの神よ、聞いてください。われわれは侮られています。彼らのはずかしめを彼らのこうべに返し、彼らを捕囚の地でぶんどり物にしてください。
5 and do not cover their iniquity, and, their sin before thee, let it not be blotted out, —for they have caused vexation before them who are building.
彼らのとがをおおわず、彼らの罪をみ前から消し去らないでください。彼らは築き建てる者の前であなたを怒らせたからです」。
6 So we built the wall, and all the wall was finished unto the half thereof, —and the people had a mind to work.
こうしてわれわれは城壁を築いたが、石がきはみな相連なって、その高さの半ばにまで達した。民が心をこめて働いたからである。
7 But it came to pass, when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem had gone up, that the breaches began to be stopped, that it angered them exceedingly;
ところがサンバラテ、トビヤ、アラビヤびと、アンモンびと、アシドドびとらは、エルサレムの城壁の修理が進展し、その破れ目もふさがり始めたと聞いて大いに怒り、
8 and they conspired, all of them together, to come, to fight against Jerusalem, —and to cause it harm;
皆共に相はかり、エルサレムを攻めて、その中に混乱を起そうとした。
9 howbeit we prayed unto our God, —and set a watch against them, day and night, because of them.
そこでわれわれは神に祈り、また日夜見張りを置いて彼らに備えた。
10 Then said Judah, The strength of the burden-bearer faileth, and, the rubbish, aboundeth, —and, we, are not able to build at the wall;
その時、ユダびとは言った、「荷を負う者の力は衰え、そのうえ、灰土がおびただしいので、われわれは城壁を築くことができない」。
11 and our adversaries have said, They shall not know, neither shall they see, until we come into their midst, and slay them, —so shall we cause the work to cease.
またわれわれの敵は言った、「彼らの知らないうちに、また見ないうちに、彼らの中にはいりこんで彼らを殺し、その工事をやめさせよう」。
12 But it came to pass, when the Jews dwelling near them came in, then said they unto us, ten times, From all places whither ye shall turn, [they will be] upon us!
また彼らの近くに住んでいるユダヤ人たちはきて、十度もわれわれに言った、「彼らはその住んでいるすべての所からわれわれに攻め上るでしょう」と。
13 So I set—on the lower slopes of the place behind the wall in the waste grounds, —yea I set the people, by their families, with their swords, their spears and their bows.
そこでわたしは民につるぎ、やりおよび弓を持たせ、城壁の後の低い所、すなわち空地にその家族にしたがって立たせた。
14 Then I looked and rose up, and said—unto the nobles and unto the deputies and unto the rest of the people, Do not ye fear because of them, —the great and fearful Lord, remember ye, so shall ye fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
わたしは見めぐり、立って尊い人々、つかさたち、およびその他の民らに言った、「あなたがたは彼らを恐れてはならない。大いなる恐るべき主を覚え、あなたがたの兄弟、むすこ、娘、妻および家のために戦いなさい」。
15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had overturned their counsel, then returned we, all of us, unto the wall, every man unto his work.
われわれの敵は自分たちの事が、われわれに悟られたことを聞き、また神が彼らの計りごとを破られたことを聞いたので、われわれはみな城壁に帰り、おのおのその工事を続けた。
16 And it came to pass, from that day, the half of my young men, were working in the work, and, the half of them, were grasping the spears, the bucklers, and the bows, and the coats of mail, —but, the rulers, were behind all the house of Judah.
その日から後は、わたしのしもべの半数は工事に働き、半数はやり、盾、弓、よろいをもって武装した。そしてつかさたちは城壁を築いているユダの全家の後に立った。
17 They who were building at the wall and they who were carrying burdens, they who were lifting, [each man], with his one hand, was working at the work, and, with the other, was grasping the weapon.
荷を負い運ぶ者はおのおの片手で工事をなし、片手に武器を執った。
18 Even they who were building, every man, had his sword girded upon his loins, and so was building, —and, he that sounded the horn, was by my side.
築き建てる者はおのおのその腰につるぎを帯びて築き建て、ラッパを吹く者はわたしのかたわらにいた。
19 So I said unto the nobles and unto the deputies, and unto the rest of the people, The work, is great and large, —and, we, are separated upon the wall, far away, each man from his brother:
わたしは尊い人々、つかさたち、およびその他の民に言った、「工事は大きくかつ広がっているので、われわれは城壁の上で互に遠く離れている。
20 In what place soever ye shall hear the sound of the horn, thither, gather yourselves unto us, —our God, will fight for us.
どこででもラッパの音を聞いたなら、そこにいるわれわれの所に集まってほしい。われわれの神はわれわれのために戦われます」。
21 So, we, were working at the work, —one half of them, grasping the spears, from the uprisings of the dawn, until the coming out of the stars.
このようにして、われわれは工事を進めたが、半数の者は夜明けから星の出る時まで、やりを執っていた。
22 Moreover, at that time, I said to the people, Let, every one with his young man, lodge for the night in the midst of Jerusalem, —so shall they serve us, in the night, as a watch, and, the day, for work.
その時わたしはまた民に告げて、「おのおのそのしもべと共にエルサレムの内に宿り、夜はわれわれの護衛者となり、昼は工事をするように」と言った。
23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my young men, nor the men of the watch that followed me, none of us, put off our clothes, —every one [went] with his weapon to the water.
そして、わたしも、わたしの兄弟たちも、わたしのしもべたちも、わたしを護衛する人々も、われわれのうちひとりも、その衣を脱がず、おのおの手に武器を執っていた。
