Nehemiah 1
1 [I am] Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah. [I am writing] this account [of what I did when I returned to Jerusalem. After King Artaxerxes had been ruling the Persian Empire] for almost 20 years, near the end of that year, I was in Susa, the capital [of Persia].
カリヤの子ネヘミヤの言詞 第二十年キスレウの月我シユシヤンの都にありける時
2 My brother Hanani came to visit me. He and some other men had just returned from Judah. I queried them about the Jews who were living there, whose [parents] had been (exiled/taken forcefully) [to Babylonia many years previously]. I also asked them about [what was happening in] Jerusalem.
わが兄弟の一人なるハナニ數人の者とともにユダより來りしかば我俘虜人の遺餘なる夫の逃れかへりしユダヤ人の事およびヱルサレムり事を問たづねしに
3 They said to me, “The Jews in Jerusalem who returned there from Babylonia are living in a very difficult situation. The walls of the city have been broken down, and even the city gates have been burned down.”
彼ら我に言けるは俘虜人の遺餘なる夫の州内の民は大なる患難に遭ひ凌辱に遭ふ又ヱルサレムの石垣は打崩され其門は火に焚たりと
4 When I heard that, I sat down and cried. For several days I mourned, and I (fasted/abstained from eating food), and I prayed to our God, [who is/rules] in heaven.
我この言を聞坐りて泣き數日の間哀しみ断食し天の神に祈りて言ふ
5 I said, “Yahweh, [you who are/rule] in heaven, you are a wonderful and awesome God. You keep your promise to faithfully love those who love you and who obey your commands.
天の神ヱホバ大なる畏るべき神己を愛し己の誡命を守る者にむかひて契約を保ち恩恵を施こしたまふ者よ
6 Now please look down and listen to what I am praying. I pray during the day and at night for your Israeli people. I confess that we Israeli people have sinned. Even my family and I have sinned against you.
ねがはくは耳を傾むけ目を開きて僕の祈祷を聴いれたまへ我いま汝の僕なるイスラエルの子孫のために日夜なんぢの前に祈り我儕イスラエルの子孫が汝にむかひて犯せし罪を懺悔す誠に我も我父の家も罪を犯せり
7 We have acted very wickedly. [Many years ago] your servant Moses gave us your laws and all the things you commanded us to do [DOU], but we have not obeyed/done them.
我らは汝にむかひて大に惡き事を行ひ汝の僕モーセに汝の命じたまひし誡命をも法度をも例規をも守らざりき
8 “But please remember what you told your servant Moses. You said, ‘If you sin, I will scatter you among the ([heathen nations/nations that do not believe in me]).
請ふ汝の僕モーセに命じたまひし言を憶ひたまへ其言に云く汝ら若罪を犯さば我汝らを國々に散さん
9 But if you return to me and obey my commands, even if you have been exiled to very remote/distant places on the earth, I will bring you back here [to Israel], the land that I [MTY] have chosen to be honored in.’
然れども汝らもし我にたちかへり我誡命を守りてこれを行なはば暇令逐れゆきて天の涯にをるとも我そこより汝等をあつめ我名を住はせんとて撰びし處にきたらしめんと
10 “We are your servants. We are the people whom you brought here by your very great power [MTY, DOU]
そもそも是等の者は汝が大なる能力と強き手をもて贖ひたまひし汝の僕なんぢの民なり
11 Yahweh, please hear this prayer of mine, and the prayers of all your people who are delighted to revere you [MTY]. Today I will go to the king, to request that he do me a great favor. Please motivate him to act kindly toward me, in order that I will be successful [in obtaining what I want].” At that time, I was the one whose work was to taste all the food and drink before it was served to the king, [to be sure that no one had put poison in it].
主よ請ふ僕の祈祷および汝の名を畏むことを悦こぶ汝の僕等の祈祷に耳を傾けたまへ願くは今日僕を助けて此人の目の前に隣憫を得させたまへこの時我は王の洒人なりき
