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。
Now when Sanballat heard we were building the wall, it burned within him, and he was furiously angry, and he 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」。
In the presence of his brothers and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore the city for themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish the work in a day? Will they bring to life the stones from the piles of rubble after they were 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。
Tobiah the Ammonite was with him, and he said, “If only a fox went up on what they are building, it would 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, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunts on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are prisoners.
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」。
Do not cover over their iniquity and do not erase their sin from before you, for they have provoked the builders to anger.
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 we built the wall and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a desire 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 when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the work of repairing the walls of Jerusalem was going forward, and that the broken places in the wall were being closed up, a great anger burned within them.
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。
They all conspired together, and they came to fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in 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。
But we prayed to our God and set a guard as protection against them day and night because of their threat.
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」。
Then the people of Judah said, “The strength of those who carry the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble, and we are not able to rebuild 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」。
Our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them and kill them, and stop the work.”
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。
At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and spoke to us ten times, warning us about the schemes they were making against us.
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。
So I positioned people in the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I positioned each family with their swords, spears, and 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」。
Then I looked, and stood up, and I said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Call to mind the Lord, who is great and awesome. Fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
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。
It came about when our enemies heard that their plans were known to us, and God had frustrated their plans, all of us returned to the wall, each one to 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。
So from that time half of my servants worked only on rebuilding the wall, and half of them held spears, shields, bows, and wore armor, while the leaders stood behind all the people 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。
The same workers who were building the wall and carrying loads were also guarding their positions. Everyone worked with one hand, and with the other hand he held his 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。
Every builder wore his sword on his side and that is how he worked. The one who sounded the trumpet stayed beside 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。
I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall, far from one 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」。
You must rush to the place where you hear the trumpet sound and assemble there. Our God will 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 were doing the work. Half of them were holding spears from the rising of the dawn until the coming out of the stars.
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。
I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant spend the night in the middle of Jerusalem, so they may be for us a guard during the night and a worker in 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 brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us changed our clothes, and each of us carried his weapon, even if he went for water.
