< ヨエル書 2 >

1 あなたがたはシオンでラッパを吹け。わが聖なる山で警報を吹きならせ。国の民はみな、ふるいわななけ。主の日が来るからである。それは近い。
Blow trumpets on Zion [Hill], God’s sacred hill [in Jerusalem]! Tell the people of Judah that they should tremble, because it will soon be the time for Yahweh [to punish us further].
2 これは暗く、薄暗い日、雲の群がるまっくらな日である。多くの強い民が暗やみのようにもろもろの山をおおう。このようなことは昔からあったことがなく、後の代々の年にも再び起ることがないであろう。
[That will be a very] dark and gloomy day; there will be [black] clouds and it will be very dark. A huge [swarm of locusts] has covered the mountains like [SIM] a black [cloud]. Nothing like this has ever happened before, and nothing like this will ever [happen] again.
3 火は彼らの前を焼き、炎は彼らの後に燃える。彼らのこない前には、地はエデンの園のようであるが、その去った後は荒れ果てた野のようになる。これをのがれうるものは一つもない。
[It is as though the locusts bring] flames of fire from which no one can escape. In front of them, the land was [beautiful] like [SIM] the garden of Eden, but behind them [the land is like] a desert and nothing survives.
4 そのかたちは馬のかたちのようであり、その走ることは軍馬のようである。
[The locusts] resemble horses, and they run like [SIM] war horses.
5 山の頂でとびおどる音は、戦車のとどろくようである。また刈り株を焼く火の炎の音のようであり、戦いの備えをした強い軍隊のようである。
Leaping over the mountaintops, they make a noise like rumbling chariots, like [SIM] a mighty army that is preparing for a battle, or like [SIM] the roar of a fire that burns up stubble [in a field].
6 その前にもろもろの民はなやみ、すべての顔は色を失う。
When people see them coming, they become very pale and frightened.
7 彼らは勇士のように走り、兵士のように城壁によじ登る。彼らはおのおの自分の道を進んで行って、その道を踏みはずさない。
[The locusts] climb over walls like soldiers do; they march along in columns and never turn aside [from their columns].
8 彼らは互におしあわず、おのおのその道を進み行く。彼らは武器の中にとびこんでも、身をそこなわない。
They rush straight ahead without pushing each other. [Even though people throw] spears and javelins at them, that will not cause them to stop.
9 彼らは町にとび入り、城壁の上を走り、家々によじ登り、盗びとのように窓からはいる。
They swarm over the city walls and enter our houses; they enter through our windows like [SIM] thieves do.
10 地は彼らの前におののき、天はふるい、日も月も暗くなり、星はその光を失う。
[It is as though] they cause the earth to shake and the sky to tremble. The sun and the moon become dark and the stars do not shine [because there are so many locusts in the sky].
11 主はその軍勢の前で声をあげられる。その軍隊は非常に多いからである。そのみ言葉をなし遂げる者は強い。主の日は大いにして、はなはだ恐ろしいゆえ、だれがこれに耐えることができよう。
Yahweh leads this army [of countless locusts], and they obey his commands. This time when he is judging and punishing us is very terrible, [with the result that it seems that] no one [RHQ] can survive it.
12 主は言われる、「今からでも、あなたがたは心をつくし、断食と嘆きと、悲しみとをもってわたしに帰れ。
But Yahweh says, “In spite of [these disasters that you have experienced], you can return to me with all your inner beings. Weep, and mourn, and (fast/abstain from eating food) [to show that you are sorry for having abandoned me].
13 あなたがたは衣服ではなく、心を裂け」。あなたがたの神、主に帰れ。主は恵みあり、あわれみあり、怒ることがおそく、いつくしみが豊かで、災を思いかえされるからである。
Do not tear your clothes [to show that you are sorry]; instead, show [MET] that you are sorry.” Yahweh is merciful and kind; he does not quickly become angry; he faithfully loves [people]. He does not quickly become angry; instead, he greatly and faithfully loves [you], and he does not like to punish you.
14 神があるいは立ち返り、思いかえして祝福をその後に残し、素祭と灌祭とをあなたがたの神、主にささげさせられる事はないとだれが知るだろうか。
No one knows [RHQ] if he will change his mind [about punishing you] and if instead he will act mercifully [toward you]. If he does that, he will bless you [by giving you plenty of grain and wine] in order that you can offer [some of] those things as sacrifices to him.
15 シオンでラッパを吹きならせ。断食を聖別し、聖会を召集し、
Blow the trumpets on Zion [Hill]! Gather the people together! Show by fasting that you are sorry [for the sins that you have committed].
16 民を集め、会衆を聖別し、老人たちを集め、幼な子、乳のみ子を集め、花婿をその家から呼びだし、花嫁をそのへやから呼びだせ。
Perform the rituals to cause yourselves to be acceptable to Yahweh. Gather everyone together— the old people and the children, even the babies, and summon brides and bridegrooms from their rooms.
17 主に仕える祭司たちは、廊と祭壇との間で泣いて言え、「主よ、あなたの民をゆるし、あなたの嗣業をもろもろの国民のうちに、そしりと笑い草にさせないでください。どうしてもろもろの国民に、『彼らの神はどこにいるのか』と言わせてよいでしょうか」。
Tell the priests who serve Yahweh to cry between the altar and the entrance to the temple and to pray [this]: “Yahweh, rescue/save [us] your people; do not allow people from other nations to despise us; do not allow them to ridicule us and say, ‘Why has [RHQ] their God [abandoned them]?’”
18 その時主は自分の地のために、ねたみを起し、その民をあわれまれた。
But Yahweh [showed that he] was concerned about his people and that he would act mercifully toward them.
19 主は答えて、その民に言われた、「見よ、わたしは穀物と新しい酒と油とをあなたがたに送る。あなたがたはこれを食べて飽きるであろう。わたしは重ねてあなたがたにもろもろの国民のうちでそしりを受けさせない。
When the people prayed, Yahweh answered and said, “I will give you [plenty of] grain and wine and [olive] oil, and you will be satisfied. And I will no longer allow other nations to insult you.
20 わたしは北から来る者をあなたがたから遠ざけ、これをかわいた荒れ地に追いやり、その前の者を東の海に、その後の者を西の海に追いやる。その臭いにおいは起り、その悪しきにおいは上る。これは大いなる事をしたからである。
Another army [of locusts will come] from the north [to attack you], but I will force them to continue [past Jerusalem] into the desert. Some will go into the Dead Sea in the east and some will go into the [Mediterranean] Sea in the west. [There] they will [all die, and their bodies] will stink.” Yahweh does great things!
21 地よ恐るな、喜び楽しめ、主は大いなる事を行われたからである。
He does wonderful things! So even the ground should rejoice!
22 野のもろもろの獣よ、恐るな。荒野の牧草はもえいで、木はその実を結び、いちじくの木とぶどうの木とは豊かに実る。
And the wild animals should not be afraid, because the meadows will soon become green again; the fig trees and [other] trees will be full of fruit, and the grapevines will be covered with grapes.
23 シオンの子らよ、あなたがたの神、主によって喜び楽しめ。主はあなたがたを義とするために秋の雨を賜い、またあなたがたのために豊かに雨を降らせ、前のように、秋の雨と春の雨とを降らせられる。
You people of Jerusalem, rejoice about what Yahweh, your God, [will be doing for you]. He will send abundant rain at the (right time/time when it is needed)— (in the spring/early in the year) and (in the autumn/late in the year) like he did previously.
24 打ち場は穀物で満ち、石がめは新しい酒と油とであふれる。
The ground where you thresh the grain will be covered with grain, and your vats where you store grape juice and [olive] oil will be full.
25 わたしがあなたがたに送った大軍、すなわち群がるいなご、とびいなご、滅ぼすいなご、かみ食らういなごの食った年をわたしはあなたがたに償う。
[Yahweh said, ] “I will repay you for everything that was destroyed by those great swarms of locusts that I sent to attack you.
26 あなたがたは、じゅうぶん食べて飽き、あなたがたに不思議なわざをなされたあなたがたの神、主のみ名をほめたたえる。わが民は永遠にはずかしめられることがない。
You, my people, will eat until your stomachs are full. Then you will praise me [MTY], Yahweh, your God, for the wonderful things that I have done for you. And never again will you be disgraced.
27 あなたがたはイスラエルのうちにわたしのいることを知り、主なるわたしがあなたがたの神であって、ほかにないことを知る。わが民は永遠にはずかしめられることがない。
When that happens, you will know that I am [always] among you, and that I am Yahweh, your God, and that there is no other [God]. Never again will you be disgraced.”
28 その後わたしはわが霊をすべての肉なる者に注ぐ。あなたがたのむすこ、娘は預言をし、あなたがたの老人たちは夢を見、あなたがたの若者たちは幻を見る。
“Some time later, I will give my Spirit to many [HYP] people. Your sons and daughters will proclaim messages that come directly from me. Your old men will have dreams [that come from me], and your young men will have visions [that come from me].
29 その日わたしはまたわが霊をしもべ、はしために注ぐ。
At that time, I will give my Spirit even to servants, both men and women.
30 わたしはまた、天と地とにしるしを示す。すなわち血と、火と、煙の柱とがあるであろう。
I will do unusual/amazing things on the earth and in the sky. [On the earth] [CHI], there will be much blood [shed] and [there will be very large] fires and smoke that resembles huge clouds.
31 主の大いなる恐るべき日が来る前に、日は暗く、月は血に変る。
[In the sky, ] the sun will become dark and the moon will become [as red as] [MET] blood. [Those things will happen] before that great and terrible day when [I], Yahweh, appear.
32 すべて主の名を呼ぶ者は救われる。それは主が言われたように、シオンの山とエルサレムとに、のがれる者があるからである。その残った者のうちに、主のお召しになる者がある。
But at that time [I] will save everyone who worships me. I promise that some people in Jerusalem [DOU] will escape [those disasters]; those whom I have chosen will survive.”

< ヨエル書 2 >