< エレミヤ書 44 >
1 エジプトの地に住んでいるユダヤ人すなわちミグドル、タパネス、メンピス、パテロスの地に住む者の事についてエレミヤに臨んだ言葉、
The word that came through Jeremiah to all the Jews who were living in the land of Egypt, living at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Memphis, and in the land of Pathros, saying:
2 「万軍の主、イスラエルの神はこう言われる、あなたがたはわたしがエルサレムとユダの町々に下した災を見た。見よ、これらは今日、すでに荒れ地となって住む人もない。
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You yourselves have seen all this evil that I have led over Jerusalem and over all the cities of Judah. And behold, they are desolate to this day, and there is no inhabitant in them,
3 これは彼らが悪を行って、わたしを怒らせたことによるのである。すなわち彼らは自分も、あなたがたも、あなたがたの先祖たちも知らなかった、ほかの神々に行って、香をたき、これに仕えた。
because of the wickedness which they have done, so that they provoked me to wrath, and because they went to offer sacrifice and worship to strange gods, which neither they, nor you, nor your fathers knew.
4 わたしは自分のしもべであるすべての預言者たちを、しきりにあなたがたにつかわして、『どうか、わたしの忌みきらうこの憎むべき事をしないように』と言わせたけれども、
And I sent to you all my servants, the prophets, rising in the night, and sending, and saying: ‘Do not choose to do this abominable word, which I hate.’
5 彼らは聞かず、耳を傾けず、ほかの神々に香をたいて、その悪を離れなかった。
But they did not listen, nor did they incline their ear, so that they would convert from their evil, and so that they would not sacrifice to strange gods.
6 それゆえ、わたしは怒りと憤りをユダの町々とエルサレムのちまたに注ぎ、それを焼いたので、それらは今日のように荒れ、滅びてしまった。
And so my indignation and my fury was fanned and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. And they have been turned into desolation and devastation, just as it is this day.
7 万軍の神、イスラエルの神、主は今こう言われる、あなたがたはなぜ大いなる悪を行って自分自身を害し、ユダのうちから、あなたがたの男と女と、子供と乳のみ子を断って、ひとりも残らないようにしようとするのか。
And now, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Why do you commit this great evil against your own souls, so that, among you, man and woman, child and infant would pass away from the midst of Judah, and so that no remnant at all would be left behind of you?
8 なぜあなたがたはその手のわざをもってわたしを怒らせ、あなたがたが行って住まうエジプトの地で、ほかの神々に香をたいて自分の身を滅ぼし、地の万国のうちに、のろいとなり、はずかしめとなろうとするのか。
For you have provoked me by the works of your hands, by sacrificing to strange gods in the land of Egypt, into which you have entered in order to live there, and so that you would perish and become a curse and a disgrace before all the nations of the earth.
9 ユダの地とエルサレムのちまたで行ったあなたがたの先祖たちの悪、ユダの王たちの悪、その妻たちの悪、およびあなたがた自身の悪、あなたがたの妻たちの悪をあなたがたは忘れたのか。
How could you have forgotten the evils of your fathers, and the evils of the kings of Judah, and the evils of their wives, and your own evils, and the evils of your own wives, which they have done in the land of Judah and in the regions of Jerusalem?
10 彼らは今日に至るまで悔いず、また恐れず、あなたがたとあなたがたの先祖たちの前に立てた、わたしの律法とわたしの定めとに従って歩まないのである。
They have not been cleansed, even to this day. And they have not feared, and they have not walked in the law of the Lord and in my precepts, which I have given before you and before your fathers.
11 それゆえ万軍の主、イスラエルの神はこう言われる、見よ、わたしは顔をあなたがたに向けて災を下し、ユダの人々をことごとく断つ。
For this reason, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will set my face upon you for evil. And I will disperse all of Judah.
12 またわたしは、エジプトの地に住むために、むりに行ったあのユダの残りの者を取り除く。彼らはみな滅ぼされてエジプトの地に倒れる。彼らは、つるぎとききんに滅ぼされ、最も小さい者から最も大いなる者まで、つるぎとききんによって死ぬ。そして、のろいとなり、恐怖となり、ののしりとなり、はずかしめとなる。
And I will take the remnant of Judah, who had set their faces so that they would enter into the land of Egypt and live there, and they will all be consumed in the land of Egypt. They will fall by the sword and by famine. And they will be consumed, from the least, even to the greatest. By sword and by famine shall they die. And they will be an oath, and a wonder, and a curse, and a disgrace.
13 わたしはエルサレムを罰したように、つるぎと、ききんと、疫病をもってエジプトに住んでいる者を罰する。
And I will visit against those who are living in the land of Egypt, just as I have visited against Jerusalem: with the sword, and with famine, and with pestilence.
14 それゆえ、エジプトの地へ行ってそこに住んでいるユダの残りの者のうち、のがれ、または残って、帰り住まおうと願うユダの地へ帰る者はひとりもない。少数ののがれる者のほかには、帰ってくる者はない」。
And there will be no one who escapes, of those who remain among the remnant of the Jews, those who have gone to sojourn in the land of Egypt. And they wish to be returned to the land of Judah, for they lift up their souls so that they might return and live there. But there will be no one who may return, except those who will flee.”
15 その時、自分の妻がほかの神々に香をたいたことを知っている人々、およびその所に立っている女たちの大いなる群衆、ならびにエジプトの地のパテロスに住んでいる民はエレミヤに答えて言った、
Then all the men, knowing that their wives were sacrificing to strange gods, and all of the women, a great multitude of whom were standing there, and all of the people who were living in the land of Egypt at Pathros, responded to Jeremiah, by saying:
16 「あなたが主の名によってわたしたちに述べられた言葉は、わたしたちは聞くことができません。
“Concerning the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not heed you.
17 わたしたちは誓ったことをみな行い、わたしたちが、もと行っていたように香を天后にたき、また酒をその前に注ぎます。すなわち、ユダの町々とエルサレムのちまたで、わたしたちとわたしたちの先祖たちおよびわたしたちの王たちと、わたしたちのつかさたちが行ったようにいたします。その時には、わたしたちは糧食には飽き、しあわせで、災に会いませんでした。
But we will continue to do every word which proceeds from our own mouth, so that we sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and we pour out libations to her, just as we and our fathers have done, our kings and our leaders, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For we were filled with bread, and it was well with us, and we saw no evil.
18 ところが、わたしたちが、天后に香をたくことをやめ、酒をその前に注がなくなった時から、すべての物に乏しくなり、つるぎとききんに滅ぼされました」。
But since the time that we ceased to offer sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and to pour out libations to her, we have been in need of all things, and we have been consumed by the sword and by famine.
19 また女たちは言った、「わたしたちが天后に香をたき、酒をその前に注ぐに当って、これにかたどってパンを造り、酒を注いだのは、わたしたちの夫が許したことではありませんか」。
But when we offer sacrifice to the queen of heaven and pour out libations to her, do we make cakes for her worship and offer libations to her without our husbands?”
20 そこでエレミヤは男女のすべての人、およびこの答をしたすべての民に言った、
And Jeremiah spoke to all the people, facing the men, and facing the women, and facing all the people who had responded this word to him, saying:
21 「ユダの町々とエルサレムのちまたで、あなたがたとあなたがたの先祖たち、およびあなたがたの王たちとあなたがたのつかさたち、およびその地の民が香をたいたことは、主がこれを忘れず、また、心にとどめておられることではないか。
“Was this not the sacrifice that you offered in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your leaders, and the people of the land, which has been called to mind by the Lord and which has entered into his heart?
22 主はあなたがたの悪しきわざのため、あなたがたの憎むべき行いのために、もはや忍ぶことができなくなられた。それゆえ、あなたがたの地は今日のごとく荒れ地となり、驚きとなり、のろいとなり、住む人のない地となった。
And the Lord could no longer bear this, because of the evil of your intentions, and because of the abominations that you have done. And so, your land has become a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, and it is without an inhabitant, even to this day.
23 あなたがたが香をたき、主に罪を犯し、主の声に聞き従わず、その律法と、定めと、あかしに従って歩まなかったので、今日のようにこの災があなたがたに臨んだのである」。
This is because you have sacrificed to idols, and you have sinned against the Lord. And you have not heeded the voice of the Lord, and you have not walked in his law, and in his precepts, and in his testimonies. It is for this reason that these evils have happened to you, just as it is today.”
24 エレミヤはまたすべての民と女たちに言った、「あなたがたすべてエジプトの地にいるユダの人々よ、主の言葉を聞きなさい。
Then Jeremiah said to all the people and to all the women: “Listen to the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt:
25 万軍の主、イスラエルの神はこう言われる、あなたがたとあなたがたの妻たちは口で言い、手で行い、『わたしたちは天后に香をたき、酒を注いで立てた誓いを必ずなし遂げる』と言う。それならば、あなたがたの誓いをかため、あなたがたの誓いをなし遂げなさい。
Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: You and your wives have spoken it with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hands, saying: ‘Let us perform our vows that we have made, so that we may offer sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and pour out libations to her.’ You have fulfilled your vows and accomplished their works.
26 それゆえ、あなたがたすべてエジプトの地にいるユダの人々よ、主の言葉を聞きなさい。主は言われる、わたしは自分の大いなる名をさして誓う、すなわちエジプトの全地に、ユダの人々で、その口に、『主なる神は生きておられる』と言って、わたしの名をとなえるものは、もはやひとりもないようになる。
Because of this, listen to the word of the Lord, all you of Judah, who live in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by my great name, says the Lord, that my name will never again be invoked by the mouth of any man of Judah in the land of Egypt, saying: ‘As the Lord God lives.’
27 見よ、わたしは彼らを見守っている、それは幸を与えるためではなく、災を下すためである。エジプトの地にいるユダの人々は、つるぎとききんによって滅び絶える。
Behold, I will be vigilant over them for harm, and not for good. And all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will be consumed, by the sword and by famine, until they are thoroughly consumed.
28 しかし、つるぎをのがれるわずかの者はエジプトの地を出てユダの地に帰る。そしてユダの残っている民でエジプトに来て住んだ者は、わたしの言葉が立つか、彼らの言葉が立つか、いずれであるかを知るようになる。
And a few men, who will flee from the sword, will return from the land of Egypt into the land of Judah. And all the remnant of Judah, who had entered into the land of Egypt so as to live there, will know whose word will be completed, mine or theirs.
29 主は言われる、わたしがこの所であなたがたを罰するしるしはこれである。わたしはこのようにしてわたしがあなたがたに災を下そうと言った事の必ず立つことを知らせよう。
And this will be a sign to you, says the Lord, that I will visit against you in this place, so that truly you may know that my words will be completed against you for harm.”
30 すなわち主はこう言われる、見よ、わたしはユダの王ゼデキヤを、その命を求める敵であるバビロンの王ネブカデレザルの手に渡したように、エジプトの王パロ・ホフラをその敵の手、その命を求める者の手に渡す」。
Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will deliver Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt, into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of those who are seeking his life, just as I delivered Zedekiah, the king of Judah, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, his enemy and the one who was seeking his life.”