< ナホム書 2 >

1 撃ち破る者があなたに向かって上って来る。城を守れ、道をうかがえ。腰に帯せよ、大いに力を強くせよ。
[You people of] [APO] Nineveh, your enemies are coming to attack you. [So] place guards on the tops of the walls around the city! Guard the roads [into the city]! Get ready to fight! Gather your troops/soldiers [MTY] together!
2 主はヤコブの栄えを回復して、イスラエルの栄えのようにされる。かすめる者が彼らをかすめ、そのぶどうづるを、そこなったからである。
Even though enemy soldiers have destroyed the descendants of [MTY] Jacob, Yahweh will cause them to be honored again. Israel is like a grapevine that has been ruined, but Israel will prosper again.
3 その勇士の盾は赤くいろどられ、その兵士は紅に身をよろう。戦車はその備えの日に、火のように輝き、軍馬はおどる。
The shields of the enemy soldiers [who are coming to attack you] will shine red [as the sun shines on them], and they will wear bright red uniforms. The metal of their chariot [wheels] will flash when they line up [before the battle], and their soldiers will lift up their cypress/pine spears and wave them.
4 戦車はちまたに狂い走り、大路に飛びかける。彼らはたいまつのように輝き、いなずまのように飛びかける。
Their chariots will dash through the streets [of Nineveh] and rush furiously through the plazas. Going as quick as lightning, they will resemble flaming torches.
5 将士らは召集され、彼らはその道でつまずき倒れ、城壁に向かって急いで行って大盾を備える。
[Meanwhile], your king will summon his officers who will stumble as they [try to] come [quickly]. They will dash to the [city] wall, holding their shields to protect themselves.
6 川々の門は開け、宮殿はあわてふためく。
But, the gates [of the dams] on the rivers will be thrown open [by enemy soldiers], and [the flood will cause] the palace to collapse.
7 その王妃は裸にされて、捕われゆき、その侍女たちは悲しみ、胸を打って、はとのようにうめく。
The queen will have her clothes stripped off her [by enemy soldiers], and her slave girls will moan like doves and beat their breasts [to show that they are very sad].
8 ニネベは池のようであったが、その水は注ぎ出された。「立ち止まれ、立ち止まれ」と呼んでも、ふりかえるものもない。
[The people will rush from] Nineveh like [SIM] water rushes from a broken dam. [The officials] will shout, “Stop! Stop!” but the people will not even look back [as they run away].
9 銀を奪え、金を奪え。その宝は限りなく、もろもろの尊い物はおびただしい。
[The enemy attackers say to each other, ] “Seize the silver! Grab the gold! There is a huge amount of very valuable things in this city, more valuable things than anyone can count!”
10 消えうせ、むなしくなり、荒れはてた。心は消え、ひざは震え、すべての腰には痛みがあり、すべての顔は色を失った。
[Soon everything valuable in the city] will be seized or ruined. People will be trembling, with the result that they will not be able to fight. Their faces will all become pale.
11 ししのすみかはどこであるか。若いししの穴はどこであるか。そこに雄じしはその獲物を携え行き、その子じしと共にいても、これを恐れさせる者はない。
[After that happens, people will say, ] “What happened to [RHQ] that [great city of Nineveh]? [It was like] [MET] a den [full] of young lions, where the male and female lions lived and fed the young ones.
12 雄じしはその子じしのために引き裂き、雌じしのために獲物を絞め殺し、獲物をもってその穴を満たし、引き裂いた肉をもってそのすみかを満たした。
[The soldiers in Nineveh were like] [MET] lions that killed or strangled [other animals] [and brought the meat] to their dens.”
13 万軍の主は言われる、見よ、わたしはあなたに臨む。わたしはあなたの戦車を焼いて煙にする。つるぎはあなたの若いししを滅ぼす。わたしはまた、あなたの獲物を地から断つ。あなたの使者の声は重ねて聞かれない。
The Commander of the armies of angels says [to the people of Nineveh], “I am opposed to you; I will cause your chariots to [be burned in fires and] go up in smoke. Your young men will be killed with swords. [Your soldiers] will never again conquer [other nations] and seize their valuable possessions. Your messengers will never again take messages [to other nations, demanding that their armies surrender to them].”

< ナホム書 2 >