< Zechariah 1 >
1 [I am] Zechariah, a prophet, the son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo. When Darius [had been the emperor of Persia] for almost two years, during November [of that year], Yahweh gave me this message:
ダリヨスの第二年の八月に、主の言葉がイドの子ベレキヤの子である預言者ゼカリヤに臨んだ、
2 “I was very angry with your ancestors.
「主はあなたがたの先祖たちに対して、いたくお怒りになった。
3 So tell this to the people: [I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, say, ‘Return to me, and [if you do that], I will [help] you again.
それゆえ、万軍の主はこう仰せられると、彼らに告げよ。万軍の主は仰せられる、わたしに帰れ、そうすれば、わたしもあなたがたに帰ろうと、万軍の主は仰せられる。
4 Do not be like your ancestors. [Other] prophets, who have now died, [continually] proclaimed to your ancestors that they should stop doing the evil things that they were continually doing. But they refused to pay attention to what I said.
あなたがたの先祖たちのようであってはならない。先の預言者たちは、彼らにむかって叫んで言った、『万軍の主はこう仰せられる、悪い道を離れ、悪いおこないを捨てて帰れ』と。しかし彼らは聞きいれず、耳をわたしに傾けなかったと主は言われる。
5 Your ancestors [have died and are now in their graves] [RHQ]. And the prophets did not [RHQ] live forever, [either].
あなたがたの先祖たち、彼らはどこにいるか。預言者たち、彼らは永遠に生きているのか。
6 But I punished [IDM] [the people for disobeying] the commands and the decrees which I commanded my servants the prophets [to tell to the people]. Then they (repented/turned away from their evil behavior) and said, ‘The Commander of the armies of angels has done to us what we deserved for our evil behavior, just like he said that he would do.’”
しかしわたしのしもべである預言者たちに命じたわが言葉と、わが定めとは、あなたがたの先祖たちに及んだではないか。それで彼らは立ち返って言った、『万軍の主がわれわれの道にしたがい、おこないに従って、われわれに、なそうと思い定められたように、そのとおりされたのだ』と」。
7 [Three months later], on February 15, Yahweh gave [another] message to me.
ダリヨスの第二年の十一月、すなわちセバテという月の二十四日に、主の言葉がイドの子ベレキヤの子である預言者ゼカリヤに臨んだ。そしてゼカリヤは言った、
8 During the night [I had a vision. In the vision] I saw an [angel] who was on a red horse. He was in a narrow valley among some myrtle trees. Behind him were [angels on] red, brown, and white horses.
「わたしは夜、見ていると、ひとりの人が赤馬に乗って、谷間にあるミルトスの木の中に立ち、その後に赤馬、栗毛の馬、白馬がいた。
9 I asked the angel who had been talking to me, “Sir, who are those [angels on the horses]?” He replied, “I will show you who they are.”
その時わたしが『わが主よ、これらはなんですか』と尋ねると、わたしと語る天の使は言った、『これがなんであるか、あなたに示しましょう』。
10 Then the [angel] who had been under the myrtle trees explained. [He said, ] “They are the [angels] whom Yahweh sent [to (patrol/see what is happening in)] the [entire] world.”
すると、ミルトスの木の中に立っている人が答えて、『これらは地を見回らせるために、主がつかわされた者です』と言うと、
11 Then those angels reported to the angel who was [there] among the myrtle trees, “We have traveled throughout the world, and we have found out that [the army of the emperor of Persia has conquered nations] throughout the world, [and that] those nations are now (helpless/unable to resist his army).”
彼らは答えて、ミルトスの中に立っている主の使に言った、『われわれは地を見回ったが、全地はすべて平穏です』。
12 Then the angel asked, “Commander of the armies of angels, how long will you continue to not be merciful to Jerusalem and the [other] towns in Judah? You have been angry with them for 70 years!”
すると主の使は言った、『万軍の主よ、あなたは、いつまでエルサレムとユダの町々とを、あわれんで下さらないのですか。あなたはお怒りになって、すでに七十年になりました』。
13 [So] Yahweh spoke kindly to the angel who had talked to me, saying things that comforted/encouraged him.
主はわたしと語る天の使に、ねんごろな慰めの言葉をもって答えられた。
14 Then the angel who had been talking with me said to me, “Proclaim this [to the people of Jerusalem]: The Commander of the armies of angels says that he is very concerned about [the people who live on] Zion [Hill] and [in the other parts of] Jerusalem.
そこで、わたしと語る天の使は言った、『あなたは呼ばわって言いなさい。万軍の主はこう仰せられます、わたしはエルサレムのため、シオンのために、大いなるねたみを起し、
15 But he is very angry with the nations that are [proud and feel] safe. He was only a little bit angry [with the people of Judah], but [he is very angry with the surrounding nations because] they caused [the people of Judah to experience] complete disaster.
安らかにいる国々の民に対して、大いに怒る。なぜなら、わたしが少しばかり怒ったのに、彼らは、大いにこれを悩ましたからであると。
16 Therefore, this is what he says: ‘I will again be merciful to [the people of] Jerusalem, and they will rebuild my temple. Men will measure [all the land in] the city [before they start rebuilding the houses].’
それゆえ、主はこう仰せられます、わたしはあわれみをもってエルサレムに帰る。わたしの家はその中に建てられ、測りなわはエルサレムに張られると、万軍の主は仰せられます。
17 The Commander of the armies of angels [also] said this: ‘Tell the people that [the people in] my towns [in Judah] will soon be very prosperous again, and I will encourage [the people of] Jerusalem, and their city will again be my chosen [city].’”
あなたはまた呼ばわって言いなさい。万軍の主はこう仰せられます、わが町々は再び良い物で満ちあふれ、主は再びシオンを慰め、再びエルサレムを選ぶ』と」。
18 Then I looked up, and I saw in front of me four [animal] horns.
わたしが目をあげて見ていると、見よ、四つの角があった。
19 I asked the angel who had been speaking to me, “What are those [horns]?” He replied, “Those horns [represent the armies that] forced [the people of] Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah and Israel to go [to other countries].”
わたしと語る天の使に「これらはなんですか」と言うと、彼は答えて言った、「これらはユダ、イスラエルおよびエルサレムを散らした角です」。
20 Then Yahweh showed me four (craftsmen/men who make things from metal).
その時、主は四人の鍛冶をわたしに示された。
21 I asked, “What are those men coming to do?” He replied, “[The armies represented by] those horns caused [the people of] Judah to be scattered, with the result that they suffered greatly. But the craftsmen have come to cause those who attacked [IDM] Judah to be terrified and crushed.”
わたしが「これらは何をするために来たのですか」と言うと、彼は答えた、「これらの角はユダを散らして、人にその頭をあげさせなかったものですが、この四人の者が来たのは彼らをおどし、かのユダの地にむかって角をあげ、これを散らした国々の民の角を投げうつためです」。