ネヘミヤ 記 4
1 サンバラテはわれわれが城壁を築くのを聞いて怒り、大いに憤ってユダヤ人をあざけった。
BUT it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
2 彼はその兄弟たちおよびサマリヤの兵隊の前で語って言った、「この弱々しいユダヤ人は何をしているのか。自分で再興しようとするのか。犠牲をささげようとするのか。一日で事を終えようとするのか。塵塚の中の石はすでに焼けているのに、これを取りだして生かそうとするのか」。
And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
3 またアンモンびとトビヤは、彼のかたわらにいて言った、「そうだ、彼らの築いている城壁は、きつね一匹が上ってもくずれるであろう」と。
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
4 「われわれの神よ、聞いてください。われわれは侮られています。彼らのはずかしめを彼らのこうべに返し、彼らを捕囚の地でぶんどり物にしてください。
Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:
5 彼らのとがをおおわず、彼らの罪をみ前から消し去らないでください。彼らは築き建てる者の前であなたを怒らせたからです」。
And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
6 こうしてわれわれは城壁を築いたが、石がきはみな相連なって、その高さの半ばにまで達した。民が心をこめて働いたからである。
So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
7 ところがサンバラテ、トビヤ、アラビヤびと、アンモンびと、アシドドびとらは、エルサレムの城壁の修理が進展し、その破れ目もふさがり始めたと聞いて大いに怒り、
But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
8 皆共に相はかり、エルサレムを攻めて、その中に混乱を起そうとした。
And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
9 そこでわれわれは神に祈り、また日夜見張りを置いて彼らに備えた。
Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
10 その時、ユダびとは言った、「荷を負う者の力は衰え、そのうえ、灰土がおびただしいので、われわれは城壁を築くことができない」。
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
11 またわれわれの敵は言った、「彼らの知らないうちに、また見ないうちに、彼らの中にはいりこんで彼らを殺し、その工事をやめさせよう」。
And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.
12 また彼らの近くに住んでいるユダヤ人たちはきて、十度もわれわれに言った、「彼らはその住んでいるすべての所からわれわれに攻め上るでしょう」と。
And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.
13 そこでわたしは民につるぎ、やりおよび弓を持たせ、城壁の後の低い所、すなわち空地にその家族にしたがって立たせた。
Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 わたしは見めぐり、立って尊い人々、つかさたち、およびその他の民らに言った、「あなたがたは彼らを恐れてはならない。大いなる恐るべき主を覚え、あなたがたの兄弟、むすこ、娘、妻および家のために戦いなさい」。
And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
15 われわれの敵は自分たちの事が、われわれに悟られたことを聞き、また神が彼らの計りごとを破られたことを聞いたので、われわれはみな城壁に帰り、おのおのその工事を続けた。
And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
16 その日から後は、わたしのしもべの半数は工事に働き、半数はやり、盾、弓、よろいをもって武装した。そしてつかさたちは城壁を築いているユダの全家の後に立った。
And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
17 荷を負い運ぶ者はおのおの片手で工事をなし、片手に武器を執った。
They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
18 築き建てる者はおのおのその腰につるぎを帯びて築き建て、ラッパを吹く者はわたしのかたわらにいた。
For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
19 わたしは尊い人々、つかさたち、およびその他の民に言った、「工事は大きくかつ広がっているので、われわれは城壁の上で互に遠く離れている。
And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
20 どこででもラッパの音を聞いたなら、そこにいるわれわれの所に集まってほしい。われわれの神はわれわれのために戦われます」。
In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
21 このようにして、われわれは工事を進めたが、半数の者は夜明けから星の出る時まで、やりを執っていた。
So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
22 その時わたしはまた民に告げて、「おのおのそのしもべと共にエルサレムの内に宿り、夜はわれわれの護衛者となり、昼は工事をするように」と言った。
Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.
23 そして、わたしも、わたしの兄弟たちも、わたしのしもべたちも、わたしを護衛する人々も、われわれのうちひとりも、その衣を脱がず、おのおの手に武器を執っていた。
So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.
