エレミヤ書 38

1 マツタンの子シパテヤ、パシユルの子ゲダリヤ、シレミヤの子ユカル、マルキヤの子パシユル、ヱレミヤがすべての民に告たるその言を聞り

Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard that Jeremiah had been telling all the people:

2 云くヱホバかくいひたまふこの邑に留まるものは劍と饑饉と疫病に死べし然どいでてカルデヤ人に降る者は生んすなはちその生命をおのれの掠取物となして生べし

“This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live.

3 ヱホバかくいひたまふこの邑は必ずバビロン王の軍勢の手に付されん彼之を取べしと

This is what the LORD says: This city will surely be delivered into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.”

4 是をもてかの牧伯等王にいひけるは請ふこの人を殺したまへ彼はかくの如き言をのべて此邑に遺れる兵卒の手と民の手を弱くす夫人は民の安を求めずして其害を求むるなりと

Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.”

5 ゼデキヤ王いひけるは視よ彼は汝らの手にあり王は汝らに逆ふこと能はざるなりと

“Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.”

6 彼らすなはちヱレミヤを取て獄の庭にあるハンメレクの子マルキヤの阱に投いる即ち索をもてヱレミヤを縋下せしがその阱は水なくして汚泥のみなりければヱレミヤは汚泥のなかに沈めり

So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

7 王の室の寺人エテオピア人エベデメレク彼らがヱレミヤを阱になげいれしを聞り時に王ベニヤミンの門に坐しゐたれば

Now Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin,

8 エベデメレク王の室よりいでゆきて王にいひけるは

Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and said to the king,

9 王わが君よかの人々が預言者ヱレミヤに行ひし事は皆好らず彼らこれを阱になげ入たり邑の中に食物なければ彼はその居るところに餓死せん

“My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have dropped him into the cistern, where he will starve to death, for there is no more bread in the city.”

10 王エテオピヤ人エベデメレクに命じていひけるは汝ここより三十人を携へゆきて預言者ヱレミヤをその死ざる先にを阱より曳あげよ

So the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”

11 エベデメレクすなはちその人々を携へて王の室の庫の下にいり其處より破れたる舊き衣の布片をとり索をもてこれをを阱にをるヱレミヤの所に縋下せり

Then Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the king’s palace, to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.

12 而してエテオピア人エベデメレク、ヱレミヤに告て汝この破れたる舊き衣の布片を汝の腋の下にはさみて索に當よと云ければヱレミヤ然なせり

Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, “Put these worn-out rags and clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so,

13 彼らすなはち索をもてヱレミヤを阱より曳あげたりヱレミヤは獄の庭にをる

and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

14 かくてゼデキヤ王人を遣はして預言者ヱレミヤをヱホバの室の第三の門につれきたらしめ王ヱレミヤにいひけるは我汝に問ことあり毫もわれに隱す勿れ

Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance to the house of the LORD. “I am going to ask you something,” said the king to Jeremiah. “Do not hide anything from me.”

15 ヱレミヤ、ゼデキヤにいひけるは我もし汝に示さば汝かならず我を殺さざらんや假令われ汝を勸むるとも汝われに聽じ

“If I tell you,” Jeremiah replied, “you will surely put me to death. And even if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.”

16 ゼデキヤ王密にヱレミヤに誓ひていひけるは我らにこの靈魂を造りあたへしヱホバは活く我汝を殺さず汝の生命を索むる者の手に汝を付さじ

But King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us this life, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of these men who are seeking your life.”

17 ヱレミヤ、ゼデキヤにいひけるは萬軍の神イスラエルの神ヱホバかくいひたまふ汝もしまことにバビロン王の牧伯等に降らば汝の生命活んまた此邑は火にて焚れず汝と汝の家の者はいくべし

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive.

18 然ど汝もし出てバビロンの王の牧伯等に降らずば此邑はカルデヤ人の手に付されん彼らは火をもて之を焚ん汝はその手を脱れざるべし

But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’”

19 ゼデキヤ王ヱレミヤに云けるは我カルデヤ人に降りしところのユダ人を恐る恐くはカルデヤ人我をかれらの手に付さん彼ら我を辱しめん

But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.”

20 ヱレミヤいひけるは彼らは汝を付さじ願くはわが汝に告しヱホバの聲に聽したがひたまへさらば汝祥をえん汝の生命いきん

“They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you, that it may go well with you and you may live.

21 然ど汝もし降ることを否まばヱホバこの言を我に示し給ふ

But if you refuse to surrender, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:

22 すなはちユダの王の室に遺れる婦は皆バビロンの王の牧伯等の所に曳いだされん其婦等いはん汝の朋友等は汝を誘ひて汝に勝り汝の足は泥に沈む彼らは退き去る

All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you— those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’

23 汝の妻たちと汝の子女等はカルデヤ人の所に曳出されん汝は其手を脱れじバビロンの王の手に執へられん汝此邑をして火に焚しめん

All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.”

24 ゼデキヤ、ヱレミヤにいひけるは汝この事を人に知する勿れさらば汝殺されじ

Then Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you will die.

25 もし牧伯等わが汝と語りしことを我儕に告げよ我らに隱す勿れ然ば我ら汝を殺さじ又王の汝に語りしことを告よといはば

If the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come and demand of you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what he said to you; do not hide it from us, or we will kill you,’

26 汝彼らに答へて我王に求めて我をヨナタンの家に歸して彼處に死しむること勿れといへりといふべし

then tell them, ‘I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”

27 かくて牧伯等ヱレミヤにきたりて問けるに彼王の命ぜし言のごとく彼らに告たればその事露はれざりき是をもて彼ら彼とものいふことを罷たり

When all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, he relayed to them the exact words the king had commanded him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had overheard the conversation.

28 ヱレミヤはヱルサレムの取るる日まで獄の庭に居りしがヱルサレムの取れし時にも彼處にをれり

And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.