< エレミヤ書 2 >
Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 ゆきてヱルサレムに住る者の耳につげよヱホバ斯くいふ我汝につきて汝の若き時の懇切なんぢが契をなせしときの愛曠野なる種播ぬ地にて我に從ひしことを憶ゆと
“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: ‘I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.
3 イスラエルはヱホバの聖物にしてその初に結べる實なりすべて之を食ふものは罰せられ災にあふべしとヱホバ云ひたまへり
Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of His harvest. All who devoured her found themselves guilty; disaster came upon them,’” declares the LORD.
4 ヤコブの家とイスラエルの家の諸の族よヱホバの言をきけ
Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all you families of the house of Israel.
5 ヱホバかくいひたまふ汝等の先祖は我に何の惡事ありしを見て我に遠かり 虛しき物にしたがひて虛しくなりしや
This is what the LORD says: “What fault did your fathers find in Me that they strayed so far from Me, and followed worthless idols, and became worthless themselves?
6 かれらは我儕をエジプトの地より導きいだし曠野なる岩穴ある荒たる地 旱きたる死の蔭の地 人の過ぎざる地 人の住はざる地を通らしめしヱホバはいづこにあるといはざりき
They did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought and darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?’
7 われ汝等を導きて園のごとき地にいれ其實と佳物をくらはしめたり然ど汝等此處にいり我地を汚し我產業を憎むべきものとなせり
I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and bounty, but you came and defiled My land, and made My inheritance detestable.
8 祭司はヱホバは何處にいますといはず律法をあつかふ者は我を知らず牧者は我に背き預言者はバアルによりて預言し益なきものに從へり
The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD?’ The experts in the law no longer knew Me, and the leaders rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols.
9 故にわれ尚汝等とあらそはん且汝の子孫とあらそふべしとヱホバいひたまふ
Therefore, I will contend with you again, declares the LORD, and I will bring a case against your children’s children.
10 汝等キッテムの諸島にわたりて觀よまた使者をケダルにつかはし斯のごとき事あるや否やを詳細に察せしめよ
Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and take a look; send to Kedar and consider carefully; see if there has ever been anything like this:
11 その神を神にあらざる者に易たる國ありや然るに我民はその榮を益なき物にかへたり
Has a nation ever changed its gods, though they are no gods at all? Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols.
12 天よこの事を驚け慄けいたく怖れよとヱホバいひたまふ
Be stunned by this, O heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled,”
13 蓋わが民はふたつの惡事をなせり即ち活る水の源なる我をすて自己水溜を掘れりすなはち壞れたる水溜にして水を有たざる者なり
“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns— broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
14 イスラエルはしもべなるか家にうまれし僕なるかいかにして擄掠となれるや
Is Israel a slave? Was he born into slavery? Why then has he become prey?
15 わかき獅子かれにむかひて哮えその聲をあげてその地を荒せりその諸邑は焚れて住む人なし
The young lions have roared at him; they have growled with a loud voice. They have laid waste his land; his cities lie in ruins, without inhabitant.
16 ノフとタパネスの諸子も汝の頭首の髮をくらはん
The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved the crown of your head.
17 汝の神ヱホバの汝を途にみちびきたまへる時に汝これを棄たるによりて此事汝におよぶにあらずや
Have you not brought this on yourself by forsaking the LORD your God when He led you in the way?
18 汝ナイルの水を飮んとてエジプトの路にあるは何ゆゑぞまた河の水を飮んとてアツスリヤの路にあるは何故ぞ
Now what will you gain on your way to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? What will you gain on your way to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates?
19 汝の惡は汝をこらしめ汝の背は汝をせめん斯く汝が汝の神ヱホバをすてたると我を畏るることの汝の衷にあらざるとは惡く且つ苦きことなるを汝見てしるべしと主なる萬軍のヱホバいひ給ふ
Your own evil will discipline you; your own apostasies will reprimand you. Consider and realize how evil and bitter it is for you to forsake the LORD your God and to have no fear of Me,”
20 汝昔より汝の軛ををり汝の縛を截ちていひけるは我つかふることをせじと即ち汝すべての高山のうへと諸の靑木の下に妓女のごとく身をかがめたり
“For long ago you broke your yoke and tore off your chains, saying, ‘I will not serve!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every green tree you lay down as a prostitute.
21 われ汝を植て佳き葡萄の樹となし全き眞の種となせしにいかなれば汝われに向ひて異なる葡萄の樹の惡き枝にかはりしや
I had planted you like a choice vine from the very best seed. How could you turn yourself before Me into a rotten, wild vine?
22 たとひ嚥哘をもて自ら濯ひまたおほくの灰汁を加ふるも汝の惡はわが前に汚れたりと主ヱホバいひ給ふ
Although you wash with lye and use an abundance of soap, the stain of your guilt is still before Me,”
23 汝いかで我は汚れずバアルに從はざりしといふことを得んや汝谷の中のおこなひを觀よ汝のなせしことを知れ汝は疾走るわかき牝の駱駝にしてその途にさまよへり
“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled; I have not run after the Baals’? Look at your behavior in the valley; acknowledge what you have done. You are a swift young she-camel galloping here and there,
24 汝は曠野になれたる野の牝驢馬なり其欲のために風にあへぐその欲のうごくときは誰かこれをとどめえん凡てこれを尋る者は自ら勞するにおよばすその月の中に之にあふべし
a wild donkey at home in the wilderness, sniffing the wind in the heat of her desire. Who can restrain her passion? All who seek her need not weary themselves; in mating season they will find her.
25 汝足をつつしみて跣足にならざるやうにし喉をつつしみて渇かぬやうにせよしかるに汝いふ是は徒然なり然りわれ異なる國の者を愛してこれに從ふなりと
You should have kept your feet from going bare and your throat from being thirsty. But you said, ‘It is hopeless! For I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.’
26 盜人の執へられて恥辱をうくるがごとくイスラエルの家恥辱をうく彼等その王その牧伯その祭司その預言者みな然り
As the thief is ashamed when he is caught, so the house of Israel is disgraced. They, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets
27 彼等木にむかひて汝は我父なりといひまた石にむかひて汝は我を生みたりといふ彼等は背を我にむけて其面をわれに向けずされど彼等災にあふときは起てわれらを救ひ給へといふ
say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their backs to Me and not their faces, yet in the time of trouble they beg, ‘Rise up and save us!’
28 汝がおのれの爲に造りし神はいづこにあるやもし汝が災にあふときかれら汝を救ふを得ば起つべきなりそはユダよ汝の神は汝の邑の數に同じければなり
But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O Judah.
29 汝等なんぞ我とあらそふや汝らは皆我に背けりとヱホバいひ給ふ
Why do you bring a case against Me? You have all rebelled against Me,”
30 我が汝らの衆子を打しは益なかりき彼等は懲治をうけず汝等の劍は猛き獅子のごとく汝等の預言者を滅せり
“I have struck your sons in vain; they accepted no discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a voracious lion.”
31 なんぢらこの世の人よヱホバの言をきけ我はイスラエルのために曠野となりしや暗き地となりしや何故にわが民はわれら徘徊りて復汝に來らじといふや
You people of this generation, consider the word of the LORD: “Have I been a wilderness to Israel or a land of dense darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are free to roam; we will come to You no more’?
32 それ處女はその飾物を忘れんや新婦はその帶をわすれんや然ど我民の我を忘れたる日は數へがたし
Does a maiden forget her jewelry or a bride her wedding sash? Yet My people have forgotten Me for days without number.
33 汝愛を得んとて如何に汝の途を美くするぞよされば汝の行はあしき事を爲すに慣たり
How skillfully you pursue love! Even the most immoral of women could learn from your ways.
34 また汝の裾に辜なき貧者の生命の血ありわれ盜人の穿たる所にて之を見ずしてすべて此等の上にこれを見る
Moreover, your skirts are stained with the blood of the innocent poor, though you did not find them breaking in. But in spite of all these things
35 されど汝いふわれは辜なし故にその怒はかならず我に臨まじとみよ汝われ罪を犯さざりしといふにより我汝とあらそふべし
you say, ‘I am innocent. Surely His anger will turn from me.’ Behold, I will judge you, because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 なんぢ何故にその途を易んとて迅くはしるや汝アツスリヤに恥辱をうけしごとくエジプトにも亦恥辱をうけん
How unstable you are, constantly changing your ways! You will be disappointed by Egypt just as you were by Assyria.
37 汝兩手を頭に置てかしこよりも出去らんそはヱホバ汝のたのむところの者を棄れば汝彼等によりて望を遂ること無るべければなり
Moreover, you will leave that place with your hands on your head, for the LORD has rejected those you trust; you will not prosper by their help.”