エゼキエル書 31
1 第十一年の三月一日に主の言葉がわたしに臨んだ、
Almost eleven years [after we had been taken to Babylonia], on the first day of the third month [of that year], Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
2 「人の子よ、エジプトの王パロと、その民衆とに言え、あなたはその大いなること、だれに似ているか。
“You human, say to the King of Egypt and all of his people, ‘[You think that] there is [RHQ, IRO] no country whose power is as great as the power of your country.
3 見よ、わたしはあなたをレバノンの香柏のようにする。麗しき枝と森の陰があり、たけが高く、その頂は雲の中にある。
You think that your country is as great as Assyria was: Assyria was previously like [MET] a tall cedar tree in Lebanon; [it was as though] it had big beautiful branches that provided shade for [other trees in] the forest. It was very tall; its top was above the leaves of the other trees.
4 水はこれを育て、大水がこれを高くする。その川々はその植えた所をめぐって流れ、その流れを野のすべての木に送る。
Water came from deep springs, and as a result that cedar tree grew tall and very green. Then water flowed around the base of the tree into channels that took water to other nearby trees.
5 これによってそのたけは、野のすべての木よりも高くなり、その育つとき多くの水のために枝葉は茂り、枝は伸び、
That huge tree grew very tall, higher than all the other trees around it. Its branches grew very thick and long [DOU] because of the abundant water [at the base of the tree].
6 その枝葉に空のすべての鳥が、巣をつくり、その枝の下に野のすべての獣は子を生み、その陰にもろもろの国民は住む。
Birds built their nests in the branches, and wild animals gave birth to their babies under those branches. [And it was as though people of] all the great nations lived in the shade of that tree.
7 これはその大きなことと、その枝の長いことによって美しかった。その根を多くの水に、おろしていたからである。
It was majestic and beautiful; its branches spread out widely because the roots of the tree grew down into the ground where there was a plentiful supply of water.
8 神の園の香柏も、これと競うことはできない。もみの木もその枝葉に及ばない。けやきもその枝と比べられない。神の園のすべての木も、その麗しきこと、これに比すべきものはない。
The cedar trees in my garden [in Eden] were not as great as that tree, and the branches of the pine/cypress trees were not as long and thick as the branches of that cedar tree. And the branches of the plane trees were not as long and thick, either. No tree in my garden was as beautiful as that cedar tree.
9 わたしはその枝を多くして、これを美しくした。神の園にあるエデンの木は皆これをうらやんだ。
Because I caused that tree to become very beautiful with its magnificent green branches, [all the leaders of other countries represented by] [MET] those other trees in Eden envied [the country represented by] that tree.’
10 それゆえ、主なる神はこう言われる、これは、たけが高くなり、その頂を雲の中におき、その心が高ぶりおごるゆえ、
Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘That tree, which [represents Assyria], grew very tall, and its top was higher than the other trees, and it became very proud because of being very tall.
11 わたしはこれを、もろもろの国民の力ある者の手に渡す。彼はこれに対してその悪のために正しい処置をとる。わたしはこれを追い出した。
Therefore, I enabled another mighty nation to conquer it and to destroy it as it deserved to be destroyed. I have already discarded it.
12 もろもろの国民の最も恐れている異邦人はこれを切り倒して捨てる。その枝はもろもろの山と、すべての谷とに落ち、その枝葉は砕けて、地のすべての流れにあり、地のすべての民は、その陰を離れて、これを捨てる。
A foreign army, one that has caused people of other nations to be terrified, cut it down and left it. Its branches fell on the mountains and in the valleys. Some of its branches lay broken in all the ravines in the land. All the people of other nations came out from being under its shade and left it.
13 その倒れた所に、空のもろもろの鳥は住み、その枝の上に、野のもろもろの獣はいる。
Birds (settled/went to live) on the fallen tree, and wild animals lived among its branches.
14 これは水のほとりのすべての木が、その高さのために誇ることなく、その頂を雲の中におくことなく、水に潤う木が、みずから高ぶり立つことのないためである。これらは皆、死に渡され、下の国に入り、穴に下る者と共に他の人々のうちにいる。
The result of what I have done is that no other trees, even if they have plenty of water, will ever grow very high and become proud, and lift their tops above the branches of other trees. I do not want any other tree to grow high like that cedar tree did; trees will all certainly die and decay in the ground, like people die and go down to their graves.’
15 主なる神はこう言われる、これが陰府に下る日にわたしが淵をこれがために悲しませ、その川々をせきとめるので、大水はとどまる。わたしはレバノンを、これがために嘆かせ、野のすべての木を、これがために衰えさせる。 (Sheol h7585)
This is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘When that great tree was cut down, [it was as though] the springs that watered it mourned for it, because I caused the plentiful water [from the springs] to dry up. I caused [the mountains in] Lebanon to become black, and all the trees there to wither. (Sheol h7585)
16 わたしがこれを穴に下る者と共に陰府に落す時、もろもろの国民をその落ちる響きのために、打ち震えさせる。そしてエデンのすべての木、レバノンのすぐれて美しいもの、すべて水に潤うものは、下の国で慰められる。 (Sheol h7585)
I caused the people of other nations to tremble when they heard that tree fall to the ground. [They realized] that it would decay, like all people who die and are buried decay. And all the [leaders of other countries represented by] other beautiful trees in my garden in Eden and in Lebanon, were like beautiful trees [that were very proud]. They were ones which had roots that grew down deep into the [ground where there was plenty of] water. They were comforted when [the king represented by] [MET] that cedar tree was there with them in the place where the dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
The [leaders of other countries represented by] [MET] trees that grew in the shade of the huge tree, [the allies of] the great nation [that the cedar tree represents], had also joined those who had been killed by the sword and gone down to where the dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
18 エデンの木のうちで、その栄えと大いなることで、あなたはどれに似ているのか。あなたはこのように、エデンの木と共に、下の国に落され、つるぎで殺された者と共に、割礼を受けない者のうちに住む。これがパロとその民衆であると、主なる神は言われる」。
[This parable is about you] people of Egypt. [You think that] [RHQ, IRO] there is no other nation that is as great and glorious as yours is. But your nation will also be destroyed, [as Assyria was], along with those other nations. Your people will be there among the other people who are not fit to worship me, people who have been killed by their enemies’ swords. That is what will happen to the king of Egypt and all his people. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, [have predicted it].’”
