エズラ記 7
1 是等の事の後ペルシヤ王アルタシヤスタの治世にエズラといふ者あり エズラはセラヤの子セラヤはアザリヤの子アザリヤはヒルキヤの子
[Many/Fifty years] later, while Artaxerxes was the king of Persia, I, Ezra came from Babylon here to Jerusalem. I am the son of Seraiah and the grandson of Azariah, and the great-grandson of Hilkiah.
2 ヒルキヤはシヤルムの子シヤルムはザドクの子ザドクはアヒトブの子
Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
3 アヒトブはアマリヤの子アマリヤはアザリヤの子アザリヤはメラヨテの子
who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
4 メラヨテはゼラヒヤの子ゼラヒヤはウジの子ウジはブッキの子
who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
5 ブッキはアビシュアの子アビシュアはピネハスの子ピネハスはエレアザルの子エレアザルは祭司の長アロンの子なり
who was the son of Abishua, who was the son of Phinehas, who was the son of Eleazar, who was the son of Aaron, the [first] Supreme Priest.
6 此エズラ、バビロンより上り來れり 彼はイスラエルの神ヱホバの授けたまひしモーセの律法に精しき學士なりき 其神ヱホバの手これが上にありしに因てその求むる所を王ことごとく許せり
I am a man who knows very well the laws that Moses [wrote]. Those were the laws that Yahweh, the God whom we Israeli people ([worship/belong to]), had given to us Israeli people. When I arrived in Jerusalem, Yahweh my God was kind to me, and as a result the [people] gave me everything that I had requested the king to [tell them to] give to me.
7 アルタシヤスタ王の七年にイスラエルの子孫および祭司レビ人謳歌者門を守る者ネテニ人など多くヱルサレムに上れり
Some of the priests, some [other] descendants of Levi, [some] singers, [some] (gatekeepers/men who guarded the gates of the temple), and [some] men who worked in the temple, and some other [Israeli] people came up with me here to Jerusalem. That was during the seventh year that Artaxerxes was the king [of Persia].
8 王の七年の五月にエズラ、ヱルサレムに到れり
We left Babylon on April 8, which was the first day of the Jewish year. Because God was very kind to us, we arrived [safely] in Jerusalem on August 4 of that year.
9 即ち正月の一日にバビロンを出たちて五月の一日にヱルサレムに至る 其神のよき手これが上にありしに因てなり
10 エズラは心をこめてヱホバの律法を求め之を行ひてイスラエルの中に法度と例規とを教へたりき
During my entire life, I devoted myself to studying the laws of Yahweh, and how to obey those laws. I had also taught those laws and all their regulations to the Israeli people [for many years].
11 ヱホバの誡命の言に精しく且つイスラエルに賜ひし法度に明かなる學士にて祭司たるエズラにアルタシヤスタ王の與へし書の言は是のごとし
King Artaxerxes [knew that] I am a priest who knows the Jewish laws very well. [He knew that for many years] I had studied those laws and had taught all the rules and regulations of those laws to the Israeli people. [So before I left Babylon to come to Jerusalem, ] he wrote a letter, and gave a copy to me. [This is what he wrote]:
12 諸王の王アルタシヤスタ天の神の律法の學士なる祭司エズラに諭す 願くは全云々
[“This letter is] from me, Artaxerxes, the greatest of the kings. [I am giving it] to Ezra the priest, who has studied very well all the rules and regulations that the God [who is/rules] in heaven [gave to the Israeli people].
13 我詔言を出す 我國の内にをるイスラエルの民およびその祭司レビ人の中凡てヱルサレムに往んと志す者は皆なんぢと偕に往べし
“Ezra, I command that when you return to Jerusalem, any of the Israeli people in my kingdom who want to are allowed to go with you. That includes any priests and [other] descendants of Levi [who will work in the temple] who want to go.
14 汝はおのが手にある汝の神の律法に照してユダとヱルサレムの模樣とを察せんために王および七人の議官に遣はされて往くなり
I, along with my seven counselors/advisors, am sending you to Jerusalem, in order that you can determine what is happening there and in [other towns in] Judah. You are taking with you [MTY] a copy of God’s laws; make sure that the people are doing everything that is written in those laws.
15 且汝は王とその議官がヱルサレムに宮居するところのイスラエルの神のために誠意よりささぐる金銀を携へ
[We are also saying that] you should take with you the silver and gold that I and my advisors are wanting to give to you, in order that you will present it to be an offering to the God who [rules] the Israeli people and who lives in Jerusalem.
16 またバビロン全州にて汝が獲る一切の金銀および民と祭司とがヱルサレムなる其神の室のために誠意よりする禮物を携さふ
You should also take any silver and gold that the people in the entire Babylonia province give to you, and the money that the priests and [other] Israeli people have happily said that they would give to you to be offerings for building the temple of their God in Jerusalem.
17 然ば汝その金をもて牡牛牡羊羔羊およびその素祭と灌祭の品を速に買ひヱルサレムにある汝らの神の室の壇の上にこれを獻ぐべし
With this money, you should buy the bulls, rams, lambs, and the grain and wine that the priests will burn on the altar [outside] the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
18 また汝と汝の兄弟等その餘れる金銀をもて爲んと欲する所あらば汝らの神の旨にしたがひて之を爲せ
“If there is any silver or gold that remains [you have bought all those things], you and your companions/colleagues are permitted to use it to [buy] whatever you desire, but buy only things that [you know that] God wants you to buy.
19 また汝の神の室の奉事のために汝が賜はりし器皿は汝これをヱルサレムの神の前に納めよ
We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
20 その外汝の神の室のために需むる所あらば汝の用ひんとする所の者をことごとく王の府庫より取て用ふべし
If you need any other things for the temple, you are permitted to get the money for those things from the building here where my government’s money is kept/stored.
21 我や我アルタシヤスタ王 河外ふの一切の庫官に詔言を下して云ふ 天の神の律法の學士祭司エズラが汝らに需むる所は凡てこれを迅速に爲べし
“And I, King Artaxerxes, command this to all the treasurers in the province west of the [Euphrates] River: 'Give to Ezra, the priest who has studied very well the laws of the God [who is/rules] in heaven, everything that he requests, and give it to him quickly.
22 即ち銀は百タラント小麥は百石酒は百バテ油は百バテ鹽は量なかるべし
The most that you should give to him is (7,500 pounds/3,400 kg.) of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, and 550 gallons of [olive] oil, but give to him all the salt that they need.
23 天の神の室のために天の神の命ずる所は凡て謹んで之を行なへ しからずば王とその子等との國に恐くは震怒のぞまん
Be sure that you provide whatever their God requires for his temple, because we certainly do not [RHQ] want him to be angry with me or with my descendants who will later be kings.
24 かつ我儕なんぢらに諭す 祭司レビ人謳歌者門を守る者ネテニ人および神のその室の役者などには貢賦租税税金などを課すべからず
We are also commanding that none of the priests, descendants of Levi, musicians, temple guards, or other men who work in the temple, will be required to pay any kind of taxes.'
25 汝エズラ汝の手にある汝の神の智慧にしたがひて有司および裁判人を立て河外ふの一切の民すなはち汝の神の律法を知る者等を盡く裁判しめよ 汝らまた之を知ざる者を教へよ
“Ezra, your God has enabled you to become very wise. Using that wisdom, appoint men in the province west of the [Euphrates] River who will judge cases involving the people, and men who will judge cases involving the government. You must appoint men who know the laws of your God. All of you must teach God’s laws to others who do not know them.
26 凡そ汝の神の律法および王の律法を行はざる者をば迅速にその罪を定めて或は殺し或は追放ち或はその貨財を沒収し或は獄に繋ぐべし
Everyone who does not obey God’s laws or the laws of my government must be punished severely. Some of them will be executed, some will be put in prison, some will be sent out of the country or have all their property taken away from them.”
27 我らの先祖の神ヱホバは讃べき哉 斯王の心にヱルサレムなるヱホバの室を飾る意を起させ
[Because King Artaxerxes was very kind like that, I said], “Praise Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors [worshiped/belonged to]! He has caused the king to want to honor the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem.
28 また王の前とその議官の前と王の大臣の前にて我に矜恤を得させたまへり 我神ヱホバの手わが上にありしに因て我は力を得 イスラエルの中より首領たる人々を集めて我とともに上らしむ
Because God was very kind to me, the king and all his advisors and all his powerful officials have also been kind to me. So, because God has helped me, I have become encouraged, and I have [been able to] persuade some of the Israeli leaders to go up to Jerusalem with me.”
