ネヘミヤ 記 5

1 茲に民その妻とともにその兄弟なるユダヤ人にむかひて大に叫べり

And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

2 或人言ふ我儕および我らの男子女子は多し我ら穀物を得食ふて生ざるべからず

And there were that said, We, our sons and our daughters, are many, and we must procure corn that we may eat and live.

3 或人は言ふ我らは我らの田畑葡萄園および家をも質となすなり旣に饑に迫れば我らに穀物を獲させよ

And there were that said, We have had to pledge our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, that we might procure corn in the dearth.

4 或は言ふ我らは我らの田畝および葡萄園をもて金を貸て王の租税を納む

And there were that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute upon our fields and vineyards;

5 然ど我らの肉も我らの兄弟の肉と同じく我らの子女も彼らの子女と同じ視よ我らは男子女子を人に伏從はせて奴隸となす我らの女子の中すでに人に伏從せし者もあり如何とも爲ん方法なし其は我らの田畝および葡萄園は別の人の有となりたればなりと

yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and behold, we must bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage [already]; neither is it in the power of our hand [to redeem them], for other men have our fields and our vineyards.

6 我は彼らの叫および是等の言を聞て大に怒れり

And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

7 是において我心に思ひ計り貴き人々および牧伯等を責てこれに言けるは汝らは各々その兄弟より利息を取るなりと而して我かれらの事につきて大會を開き

And I consulted with myself; and I remonstrated with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother! And I set a great assembly against them.

8 彼らに言けるは我らは異邦人の手に賣れたる我らの兄弟ユダヤ人を我らの力にしたがひて贖へり然るにまた汝等は己の兄弟を賣んとするやいかで之をわれらの手に賣るべけんやと彼らは默して言なかりき

And I said to them, We, according to our ability, have redeemed our brethren the Jews, who were sold to the nations; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? And they were silent and found no answer.

9 我また言けるは汝らの爲すところ善らず汝らは我らの敵たる異邦人の誹謗をおもひて我儕の神を畏れつつ事をなすべきに非ずや

And I said, The thing that ye do is not good. Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, so as not to be the reproach of the nations our enemies?

10 我もわが兄弟および僕等も同じく金と穀物とを貸て利息を取ことをなす願くは我らこの利息を廢ん

I also, my brethren and my servants, we might exact usury of them, money and corn. I pray you, let us leave off this usury.

11 請ふ汝ら今日にも彼らの田畝葡萄園橄欖園および家を彼らに還しまた彼らに貸あたへて金穀物および酒油などの百分の一を取ることを廢よと

Restore, I pray you, to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive-gardens, and their houses, also the hundredth [part] of the money, and of the corn, the wine and the oil, that ye have exacted of them.

12 彼ら即ち言けるは我ら之を還すべし彼らに何をも要めざらん汝の言るごとく我ら然なすべしと是に於て我祭司を呼び彼らをして此言のごとく行なふといふ誓を立しめたり

And they said, We will restore [them], and will require nothing of them; so will we do, as thou hast said. And I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.

13 而して我わが胸懐を打拂ひて言ふ此言を行はざる者をば願くは神是のごとく凡て打拂ひてその家およびその業を離れさせたまへ即ちその人は斯打拂はれて空しくなれかしと時に會衆みなアーメンと言てヱホバを讃美せり而して民はこの言のごとくに行へり

Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house and from his earnings, that performeth not this promise: even thus be he shaken out and emptied! And all the congregation said, Amen! And they praised Jehovah. And the people did according to this promise.

14 且また我がユダの地の總督に任ぜられし時より即ちアルタシヤユタ王の二十年より三十二年まで十二年の間は我もわが兄弟も總督の受べき禄を食ざりき

Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.

15 わが以前にありし舊の總督等は民に重荷を負せてパンと酒とを是より取り其外にまた銀四十シケルを取れり然のみならずその僕等も亦民を圧せり然ども我は神を畏るるに因て然せざりき

But the former governors that were before me had been chargeable to the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver: even their servants bore rule over the people. But I did not so, because of the fear of God.

16 我は反てこの石垣の工事に身を委ね我儕は何の田地をも買しこと無し我僕は皆かしこに集りて工事をなせり

Yea, also I applied myself to this work of the wall, and we bought no fields; and all my servants were gathered thither for the work.

17 且また我席にはユダヤ人および牧伯等百五十人あり其外にまた我らの周圍の異邦人の中より我らに來れる者等もありき

And there were at my table a hundred and fifty of the Jews and the rulers, besides those that came to us from among the nations that were about us.

18 是をもて一日に牛一匹肥たる羊六匹を備へ亦鶏をも許多備へ十日に一回種々の酒を多く備へたり是ありしかどもこの民の役おもきに因て我は總督の受くべき禄を要めざりき

And that which was prepared daily was one ox [and] six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days all sorts of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I demanded not the bread of the governor; for the service was heavy upon this people.

19 わが神よ我が此民のために爲る一切の事を憶ひ仁慈をもて我をあしらひ給へ

Remember for me, my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.