エゼキエル書 17
1 時に主の言葉がわたしに臨んだ、
The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
2 「人の子よ、イスラエルの家になぞをかけ、たとえを語って、
“Son of man, tell a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel;
3 言え。主なる神がこう言われる、さまざまの色の羽毛を多く持ち、大きな翼と、長い羽根とを持つ大わしがレバノンに来て、香柏のこずえにとまり、
and say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “A great eagle with great wings and long feathers, full of feathers which had various colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.
4 その若枝の頂を摘み切り、これを商業の地に運び、商人の町に置いた。
He cropped off the topmost of its young twigs, and carried it to a land of traffic. He planted it in a city of merchants.
5 またその地の種をとって、これを肥えた土に植えた。すなわち水の多い所にもって行って、柳を植えるようにこれを植えた。
“‘“He also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fruitful soil. He placed it beside many waters. He set it as a willow tree.
6 これが成長して、たけ低く、はびこるぶどうの木となり、枝はわしに向かい、根はわしの下にあり、こうしてついにぶどうの木となり、枝を伸ばし、葉を出した。
It grew and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and its roots were under him. So it became a vine, produced branches, and shot out sprigs.
7 ここにまた大きな翼と、羽毛の多いほかの一羽の大わしがあった。見よ、このぶどうの木は、潤いを得るために、その根をわしに向かってまげ、その枝をわしに向かって伸ばした。
“‘“There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. Behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, and shot out its branches toward him, from the ground where it was planted, that he might water it.
8 これが枝を出し、実を結び、みごとなぶどうの木となるために、わしはこれを植えた苗床から水の多い良い地に移し植えた。
It was planted in a good soil by many waters, that it might produce branches and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a good vine.”’
9 あなたは、主なる神がこう言われると言え、これは栄えるであろうか。わしはその根を抜き、その枝を切り、その若葉を皆枯らさないであろうか。これをその根からあげるには、強い腕や多くの民を必要としない。
“Say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Will it prosper? Will not he pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, that it may wither, that all its fresh springing leaves may wither? It cannot be raised from its roots by a strong arm or many people.
10 見よ、それが移し植えられたら、また栄えるであろうか。東風がこれを打つ時、それは枯れてしまわないであろうか。その育った苗床で枯れないであろうか」。
Yes, behold, being planted, will it prosper? Will not it utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It will wither in the ground where it grew.”’”
11 主の言葉がまたわたしに臨んだ、
Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
12 「反逆の家に言え。これらがなんであるかをあなたがたは知らないのか。彼らに言え、見よ、バビロンの王がエルサレムにきて、その王とつかさとを捕え、これをバビロンに引いて行った。
“Say now to the rebellious house, ‘Do not you know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took its king, and its princes, and brought them to him to Babylon.
13 また王の子孫のひとりを捕えて、これと契約を結び、誓いを立てさせ、また国のおもだった人々を捕えて行った。
He took one of the royal offspring, and made a covenant with him. He also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land,
14 これはこの国を卑しくして、みずから立つことができないようにし、その契約を守ることによって立たせるためである。
that the kingdom might be brought low, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand.
15 しかし彼はバビロンの王にそむき、使者をエジプトに送って、馬と多くの兵とをそこから獲ようとした。彼は成功するだろうか。このようなことをなす者は、のがれることができようか。
But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the covenant, and still escape?
16 契約を破ってなおのがれることができようか。主なる神は言われる、わたしは生きている、必ず彼は自分を王となした王の住む所、彼が立てた誓いを軽んじ、その契約を破った相手の王のいるバビロンで彼は死ぬ。
“‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the middle of Babylon he will die.
17 多くの命を断つために塁を築き、雲梯を建てるとき、パロは決して大いなる軍勢と、多くの人とをもって、彼を助けて戦いをしない。
Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in the war, when they cast up mounds and build forts to cut off many persons.
18 彼は誓いを軽んじ、契約を破り、その手を与えて誓いながら、なおこれらの事をしたゆえ、のがれることはできない。
For he has despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and behold, he had given his hand, and yet has done all these things. He will not escape.
19 それゆえ、主なる神はこう言われる、わたしは生きている、彼がわたしの誓いを軽んじ、わたしの契約を破ったことを、必ず彼のこうべに報いる。
“Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘As I live, I will surely bring on his own head my oath that he has despised and my covenant that he has broken.
20 わたしはわが網を彼の上に打ちかけ、彼をわがわなに捕えて、バビロンに引いて行き、彼がわたしにむかって犯した反逆のために、その所で彼をさばく。
I will spread my net on him, and he will be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, and will enter into judgment with him there for his trespass that he has trespassed against me.
21 彼のすべての軍隊のえり抜きの兵士は皆つるぎに倒れ、生き残った者は八方に散らされる。そしてあなたがたは主なるわたしが、これを語ったことを知るようになる」。
All his fugitives in all his bands will fall by the sword, and those who remain will be scattered toward every wind. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken it.’
22 主なる神はこう言われる、「わたしはまた香柏の高いこずえから小枝をとって、これを植え、その若芽の頂から柔かい芽を摘みとり、これを高いすぐれた山に植える。
“The Lord GOD says: ‘I will also take some of the lofty top of the cedar, and will plant it. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.
23 わたしはイスラエルの高い山にこれを植える。これは枝を出し、実を結び、みごとな香柏となり、その下にもろもろの種類の獣が住み、その枝の陰に各種の鳥が巣をつくる。
I will plant it in the mountain of the height of Israel; and it will produce boughs, and bear fruit, and be a good cedar. Birds of every kind will dwell in the shade of its branches.
24 そして野のすべての木は、主なるわたしが高い木を低くし、低い木を高くし、緑の木を枯らし、枯れ木を緑にすることを知るようになる。主であるわたしはこれを語り、これをするのである」。
All the trees of the field will know that I, the LORD, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree flourish. “‘I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it.’”
