< Isaiah 47 >

1 [Yahweh also says], “You people of Babylon, you should go and sit in the dust/dirt [to show that you are mourning], because your time to rule [MTY] [other countries] is almost ended. People will never again say that Babylonia is beautiful [like] a very attractive/beautiful young woman.
処女なるバビロンの娘よ、下って、ちりの中にすわれ。カルデヤびとの娘よ、王座のない地にすわれ。あなたはもはや、やさしく、たおやかな女ととなえられることはない。
2 [You will be slaves, so] take heavy stones and grind grain [like slave women do]. Take off your [beautiful] veils and take off your robes [as you prepare to cross streams to go where you will be forced to go].
石うすをとって粉をひけ、顔おおいを取り去り、うちぎを脱ぎ、すねをあらわして川を渡れ。
3 You will be naked and [very] ashamed. I will get vengeance on you and not pity you.”
あなたの裸はあらわれ、あなたの恥は見られる。わたしはあだを報いて、何人とをも助けない。
4 The one who frees us [people of Judah], whom we call ‘the Commander of the armies of angels’, is the Holy One of Israel.
われわれをあがなう者はその名を万軍の主といい、イスラエルの聖者である。
5 [Yahweh says], “You people of Babylon, sit silently in the darkness, because people will never again say that your city is [like] [MET] a queen that rules many kingdoms.
カルデヤびとの娘よ、黙してすわれ、また暗い所にはいれ。あなたはもはや、もろもろの国の女王ととなえられることはない。
6 I was angry with the people whom I chose [to belong to me], and I punished them. I allowed you [people of Babylon] to conquer them. But [when you conquered them], you did not have mercy on them. You (oppressed/treated cruelly) [MET] even the old people.
わたしはわが民を憤り、わが嗣業を汚して、これをあなたの手に渡した。あなたはこれに、あわれみを施さず、年老いた者の上に、はなはだ重いくびきを負わせた。
7 You said, ‘We will rule [other nations] forever; [it is as though our city] will be the queen [of the world] forever!’ But you did not think about the things [that you were doing], or think about what would result.
あなたは言った、「わたしは、とこしえに女王となる」と。そして、あなたはこれらの事を心にとめず、またその終りを思わなかった。
8 You people [of Babylon] who enjoy pleasure and sex, listen to this: You enjoy a luxurious life and you feel secure. You say, ‘We are [like gods], and there are no others like us. Our women will never become widows, and our children will never be killed [in wars].’
楽しみにふけり、安らかにおり、心のうちに「ただわたしだけで、わたしのほかにだれもなく、わたしは寡婦となることはない、また子を失うことはない」と言う者よ、今この事を聞け。
9 But both of those things will happen to you suddenly: Many of your women will become widows and many of your children will die, even though you perform much sorcery and many kinds of magic [to prevent bad things from happening to you].
これらの二つの事は一日のうちに、またたくまにあなたに臨む。すなわち子を失い、寡婦となる事はたといあなたが多くの魔術を行い、魔法の大いなる力をもってしてもことごとくあなたに臨む。
10 You felt protected even though you were doing many wicked things, and you said, ‘No one will see what we [are doing]!’ [You thought that] you were very wise and knew many things, and you said, ‘We are gods, and there are no others like us,’ but you deceived yourselves.
あなたは自分の悪に寄り頼んで言う、「わたしを見る者はない」と。あなたの知恵と、あなたの知識とはあなたを惑わした。あなたは心のうちに言った、「ただわたしだけで、わたしのほかにだれもない」と。
11 So you will experience terrible things, and you will not be able to prevent them by working magic. You will experience disasters, and you will not be able to pay anyone to prevent those things from happening. (A catastrophe/Something terrible) will happen to you suddenly, something that you will not realize [is about to happen].
しかし、わざわいが、あなたに臨む、あなたは、それをあがなうことができない。なやみが、あなたを襲う、あなたは、それをつぐなうことができない。滅びが、にわかにあなたに臨む、あなたは、それについて何も知らない。
12 So you can continue to perform all your magic spells [IRO]! You can perform the many kinds of sorcery that you have practiced for many years! Perhaps [doing those things will enable you to] be successful; perhaps you will be able to cause your enemies to be afraid of you!
あなたが若い時から勤め行ったあなたの魔法と、多くの魔術とをもって立ちむかってみよ、あるいは成功するかもしれない、あるいは敵を恐れさせるかもしれない。
13 But [all that has resulted from your] doing all the things that the magicians have told you to do is that you have become tired! The men who look at the stars every month and predict what will happen should come forward and rescue you [from the disasters that you are about to experience].
あなたは多くの計りごとによってうみ疲れた。かの天を分かつ者、星を見る者、新月によって、あなたに臨む事を告げる者を立ちあがらせて、あなたを救わせてみよ。
14 But [they cannot do that, because] they are like [SIM] straw that is burning in a fire; they cannot save themselves from being burned up in the flames. Those men are unable to help you [MET]; they are as useless as stubble [that burns quickly and produces no heat] for you.
見よ、彼らはわらのようになって、火に焼き滅ぼされ、自分の身を炎の勢いから、救い出すことができない。その火は身を暖める炭火ではない、またその前にすわるべき火でもない。
15 The people whom you have associated with and worked with since you were young [will not help you], because they will just continue doing their own foolish things, and they will not pay any attention to you [when you cry out for help].”
あなたが勤めて行ったものと、あなたの若い時からあなたと売り買いした者とは、ついにこのようになる。彼らはめいめい自分の方向にさすらいゆき、ひとりもあなたを救う者はない。

< Isaiah 47 >