エズラ記 4

1 茲にユダとベニヤミンの敵たる者等夫俘囚より歸り來りし人々イスラエルの神ヱホバのために殿を建ると聞き

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;

2 乃ちゼルバベルと宗家の長等の許に至りて之に言けるは我儕をして汝等と共に之を建てしめよ 我らは汝らと同じく汝らの神を求む アッスリヤの王エサルハドンが我儕を此に携へのぼりし日より以來我らはこれに犠牲を獻ぐるなりと

Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye [do; ] and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.

3 然るにゼルバベル、ヱシュアおよびその餘のイスラエルの宗家の長等これに言ふ 汝らは我らの神に室を建ることに與るべからず 我儕獨りみづからイスラエルの神ヱホバのために建ることを爲べし 是ペルシヤの王クロス王の我らに命ぜし所なりと

But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.

4 是に於てその地の民ユダの民の手を弱らせてその建築を妨げ

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

5 之が計る所を敗らんために議官に賄賂して之に敵せしむペルシヤ王クロスの世にある日よりペルシヤ王ダリヨスの治世まで常に然り

And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

6 アハシユエロスの治世すなはち其治世の初に彼ら表を上りてユダとヱルサレムの民を誣訟へたり

And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they [unto him] an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

7 またアルタシヤスタの世にビシラム、ミテレダテ、タビエルおよびその餘の同僚同じく表をペルシヤの王アルタシヤスタに上つれり その書の文はスリヤの文字にて書きスリヤ語にて陳述たる者なりき

And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter [was] written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.

8 方伯レホム書記官シムシヤイ書をアルタシヤスタ王に書おくりてヱルサレムを誣ゆ左のごとし

Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:

9 即ち方伯レホム書記官シムシヤイおよびその餘の同僚デナ人アパルサテカイ人タルペライ人アパルサイ人アルケロイ人バビロン人シユシヤン人デハウ人エラマイ人

Then [wrote] Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, [and] the Elamites,

10 ならびに其他の民すなはち大臣オスナパルが移してサマリアの邑および河外ふのその他の地に置し者等云々

And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest [that are] on this side the river, and at such a time.

11 其アルタシヤスタ王に上りし書の稿は是なく云く河外ふの汝の僕等云々

This [is] the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, [even] unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time.

12 王知たまへ汝の所より上り來りしユダヤ人ヱルサレムに到りてわれらの中にいりかの背き悖る惡き邑を建なほし石垣を築きあげその基礎を固うせり

Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls [thereof], and joined the foundations.

13 然ば王いま知りたまへ 若この邑を建て石垣を築きあげなば彼ら必ず貢賦租税税金などを納じ 然すれば終に王等の不利とならん

Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up [again, then] will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and [so] thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.

14 そもそも我らは王の鹽を食む者なれば王の輕んぜらるるを見るに忍びず 茲に人を遣はし王に奏聞す

Now because we have maintenance from [the king’s] palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king’s dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;

15 列祖の記録の書を稽へたまへ必ずその記録の書の中において此邑は背き悖る邑にして諸王と諸州とに害を加へし者なるを見その中に古來叛逆の事ありしを知たまふべし此邑の滅ぼされしは此故に縁るなり

That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city [is] a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.

16 我ら王に奏聞す 若この邑を建て石垣を築きあげなばなんぢは之がために河外ふの領分をうしなふなるべしと

We certify the king that, if this city be builded [again], and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.

17 王すなはち方伯レホム書記官シムシヤイこの餘サマリアおよび河外ふのほかの處に住る同僚に答書をおくりて云く平安あれ云々

[Then] sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and [to] Shimshai the scribe, and [to] the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and [unto] the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time.

18 汝らが我儕におくりし書をば我前に讀解しめたり

The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.

19 我やがて詔書を下して稽考しめしに此邑の古來起りて諸王に背きし事その中に反乱謀叛のありし事など詳悉なり

And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and [that] rebellion and sedition have been made therein.

20 またヱルサレムには在昔大なる王等ありて河外ふをことごとく治め貢賦租税税金などを己に納しめたる事あり

There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all [countries] beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them.

21 然ば汝ら詔言を傳へて其人々を止め我が詔言を下すまで此邑を建ること無らしめよ

Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until [another] commandment shall be given from me.

22 汝ら愼め 之を爲ことを忽にする勿れ 何ぞ損害を増て王に害を及ぼすべけんやと

Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

23 アルタシヤスタ王の書の稿をレホム及び書記官シムシヤイとその同僚の前に讀あげければ彼等すなはちヱルサレムに奔ゆきてユダヤ人に就き腕力と權威とをもて之を止めたり

Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter [was] read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.

24 此をもてヱルサレムなる神の室の工事止みぬ 即ちペルシヤ王ダリヨスの治世の二年まで止みたりき

Then ceased the work of the house of God which [is] at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.