< イザヤ書 44 >
1 されどわが僕ヤコブよわが撰みたるイスラエルよ今きけ
Yet listen now, Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen.
2 なんぢを創造し なんぢを胎内につくり又なんぢを助くるヱホバ如此いひたまふ わがしもベヤコブよわが撰みたるヱシュルンよおそるるなかれ
This is what the LORD who made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you says: “Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant; and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 われ渇けるものに水をそそぎ乾たる地に流をそそぎ わが靈をなんぢの子輩にそそぎ わが恩惠をなんぢの裔にあたふべければなり
For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring;
4 斯てかれらは草のなかにて川のほとりの柳のごとく生そだつべし
and they will spring up amongst the grass, as willows by the watercourses.
5 ある人はいふ我はヱホバのものなりと ある人はヤコブの名をとなへん ある人はヱホバの有なりと手にしるしてイスラエルの名をなのらん
One will say, ‘I am the LORD’s.’ Another will be called by the name of Jacob; and another will write with his hand ‘to the LORD,’ and honour the name of Israel.”
6 ヱホバ、イスラエルの王イスラエルをあがなふもの萬軍のヱホバ如此いひたまふ われは始なりわれは終なり われの外に神あることなし
This is what the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of Armies, says: “I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God.
7 我いにしへの民をまうけしより以來 たれかわれのごとく後事をしめし又つげ又わが前にいひつらねんや 試みに成んとすること來らんとすることを告よ
Who is like me? Who will call, and will declare it, and set it in order for me, since I established the ancient people? Let them declare the things that are coming, and that will happen.
8 なんぢら懼るるなかれ慴くなかれ 我いにしへより聞せたるにあらずや告しにあらずや なんぢらはわが證人なり われのほか神あらんや 我のほかには磐あらず われその一つだに知ことなし
Don’t fear, neither be afraid. Haven’t I declared it to you long ago, and shown it? You are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? Indeed, there is not. I don’t know any other Rock.”
9 偶像をつくる者はみな空しく かれらが慕ふところのものは益なし その證を見るものは見ことなく知ことなし 斯るがゆゑに恥をうくべし
Everyone who makes a carved image is vain. The things that they delight in will not profit. Their own witnesses don’t see, nor know, that they may be disappointed.
Who has fashioned a god, or moulds an image that is profitable for nothing?
11 視よその伴侶はみなはぢん その匠工らは人なり かれら皆あつまりて立ときはおそれてもろともに恥るなるべし
Behold, all his fellows will be disappointed; and the workmen are mere men. Let them all be gathered together. Let them stand up. They will fear. They will be put to shame together.
12 鐵匠は斧をつくるに炭の火をもてこれをやき鎚もてこれを鍛へつよき碗をもてこれをうちかたむ 饑れば力おとろへ水をのまざればつかれはつべし
The blacksmith takes an axe, works in the coals, fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. He is hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water, and is faint.
13 木匠はすみなはをひきはり朱にてゑがき鐁にてけづり文回をもて畫き 之を人の形にかたどり人の美しき容にしたがひて造り 而して家のうちに安置す
The carpenter stretches out a line. He marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes. He marks it out with compasses, and shapes it like the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to reside in a house.
14 あるひは香柏をきりあるひは槲をとり あるひは橿をとり 或ははやしの樹のなかにて一をえらび あるひは杉をうゑ雨をえて長たしむ
He cuts down cedars for himself, and takes the cypress and the oak, and strengthens for himself one amongst the trees of the forest. He plants a cypress tree, and the rain nourishes it.
15 而して人これを薪となし之をもておのが身をあたため又これを燃してパンをやき又これを神につくりてをがみ偶像につくりてその前にひれふす
Then it will be for a man to burn; and he takes some of it and warms himself. Yes, he burns it and bakes bread. Yes, he makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
16 その半は火にもやしその半は肉をにて食ひ あるひは肉をあぶりてくひあき また身をあたためていふ ああ我あたたまれり われ熱きをおぼゆ
He burns part of it in the fire. With part of it, he eats meat. He roasts a roast and is satisfied. Yes, he warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm. I have seen the fire.”
17 斯てその餘をもて神につくり偶像につくりてその前にひれふし之ををがみ之にいのりていふ なんぢは吾神なり我をすくへと
The rest of it he makes into a god, even his engraved image. He bows down to it and worships, and prays to it, and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”
18 これらの人は知ことなく悟ることなし その眼ふさがりて見えず その心とぢてあきらかならず
They don’t know, neither do they consider, for he has shut their eyes, that they can’t see, and their hearts, that they can’t understand.
19 心のうちに思ふことをせず智識なく明悟なきがゆゑに我そのなかばを火にもやしその炭火のうへにパンをやき肉をあぶりて食ひ その木のあまりをもて我いかで憎むべきものを作るべけんや 我いかで木のはしくれに俯伏すことをせんやといふ者もなし
No one thinks, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, “I have burnt part of it in the fire. Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals. I have roasted meat and eaten it. Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination? Shall I bow down to a tree trunk?”
20 かかる人は灰をくらひ 迷へる心にまどはされて己がたましひを救ふあたはず またわが右手にいつはりあるにあらずやとおもはざるなり
He feeds on ashes. A deceived heart has turned him aside; and he can’t deliver his soul, nor say, “Isn’t there a lie in my right hand?”
21 ヤコブよ イスラエルよ 此等のことを心にとめよ 汝はわが僕なり 我なんぢを造れり なんぢわが僕なり イスラエルよ我はなんぢを忘れじ
Remember these things, Jacob and Israel, for you are my servant. I have formed you. You are my servant. Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
22 我なんぢの愆を雲のごとくに消し なんぢの罪を霧のごとくにちらせり なんぢ我にかへれ我なんぢを贖ひたればなり
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.
23 天よ うたうたへヱホバこのことを成たまへり 下なる地よよばはれ もろもろの山よ林およびその中のもろもろの木よ こゑを發ちてうたふべし ヱホバはヤコブを贖へり イスラエルのうちに榮光をあらはし給はん
Sing, you heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth! Break out into singing, you mountains, O forest, all of your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.
24 なんぢを贖ひなんぢを胎内につくれるヱホバかく言たまふ 我はヱホバなり我よろづのものを創造し ただ我のみ天をのべ みづから地をひらき
The LORD, your Redeemer, and he who formed you from the womb says: “I am the LORD, who makes all things; who alone stretches out the heavens; who spreads out the earth by myself;
25 いつはるものの豫兆をむなしくし卜者をくるはせ智者をうしろに退けてその知識をおろかならしむ
who frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad; who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish;
26 われわが僕のことばを遂しめ わが使者のはかりごとを成しめ ヱルサレムについては民また住はんといひ ユダのもろもろの邑については重ねて建らるべし我その荒廢たるところを舊にかへさんといふ
who confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers; who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited;’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be built,’ and ‘I will raise up its waste places;’
27 また淵に命ず かわけ我なんぢのもろもろの川をほさんと
who says to the deep, ‘Be dry,’ and ‘I will dry up your rivers,’
28 又クロスについては彼はわが牧者すべてわが好むところを成しむる者なりといひ ヱルサレムについてはかさねて建られその宮の基すゑられんといふ
who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure,’ even saying of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built;’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’”