2 Chronicles 15

1 The Spirit of God came upon Azariah, the son of Obed.

時に神の霊がオデデの子アザリヤに臨んだので、

2 Azariah went to talk with Asa, and said to him, “Asa and all [you men of the tribes of] Judah and Benjamin, listen to me. Yahweh is with you whenever you are trusting in him. If you request him [to help you], he will help you, but if you abandon him, he will abandon you.

彼は出ていってアサを迎え、これに言った、「アサおよびユダとベニヤミンの人々よ、わたしに聞きなさい。あなたがたが主と共におる間は、主もあなたがたと共におられます。あなたがたが、もし彼を求めるならば、彼に会うでしょう。しかし、彼を捨てるならば、彼もあなたがたを捨てられるでしょう。

3 For many years the Israeli people did not know the true God, and they did not have priests or God’s laws.

そもそも、イスラエルには長い間、まことの神がなく、教をなす祭司もなく、律法もなかった。

4 But when they experienced trouble, they turned to Yahweh our God, and requested him to help them. And he helped them.

しかし、悩みの時、彼らがイスラエルの神、主に立ち返り、彼を求めたので彼に会った。

5 At that time, people were not safe when they traveled, because all the people who lived in the nearby countries were experiencing many difficulties.

そのころは、出る者にも入る者にも、平安がなく、大いなる騒乱が国々のすべての住民を悩ました。

6 The people of various nations were thoroughly defeated by [armies of] other nations, and people in some cities were crushed by [armies from] other cities, because God was allowing them to experience many difficulties.

国は国に、町は町に撃ち砕かれた。神がもろもろの悩みをもって彼らを苦しめられたからです。

7 But you people, you must be strong and do not become discouraged, because [God] will reward you for what you do [to please him.”]

しかしあなたがたは勇気を出しなさい。手を弱くしてはならない。あなたがたのわざには報いがあるからです」。

8 When Asa heard what the prophet Azariah said, he was encouraged. He [commanded his workers to] remove all the detestable idols from everywhere in the land of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and from the towns that [his soldiers] had captured in the hills of the tribe of Ephraim. Asa’s workers repaired the altar [where people offered sacrifices] to Yahweh that was in front of the entrance to the temple [in Jerusalem].

アサはこれらの言葉すなわちオデデの子アザリヤの預言を聞いて勇気を得、憎むべき偶像をユダとベニヤミンの全地から除き、また彼がエフライムの山地で得た町々から除き、主の宮の廊の前にあった主の祭壇を再興した。

9 Then he gathered all [the people of the tribes of] Judah and Benjamin and many people from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were living among them. [He was able to do that] because many people from [those tribes in] Israel had come to me to Judah when they realized that Yahweh, the God that Asa [worshiped], was helping him.

彼はまたユダとベニヤミンの人々およびエフライム、マナセ、シメオンから来て、彼らの間に寄留していた者を集めた。その神、主がアサと共におられるのを見て、イスラエルからアサのもとに下った者が多くあったからである。

10 After Asa had been ruling for almost 15 years, in May of that year, those people gathered in Jerusalem.

彼らはアサの治世の十五年の三月にエルサレムに集まり、

11 At that time they sacrificed to Yahweh 700 bulls and 7,000 sheep and goats, from the animals that they had captured [when they defeated the army of Ethiopia/Sudan].

携えてきたぶんどり物のうちから牛七百頭、羊七千頭をその日主にささげた。

12 They solemnly made an agreement to very sincerely worship Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors [worshiped].

そして彼らは契約を結び、心をつくし、精神をつくして先祖の神、主を求めることと、

13 They promised to execute all those who would not worship Yahweh, including those who were important and those who were not important, both men and women.

すべてイスラエルの神、主を求めない者は老幼男女の別なく殺さるべきことを約した。

14 They shouted and blew trumpets and other horns while they solemnly promised to do that.

そして彼らは大声をあげて叫び、ラッパを吹き、角笛を鳴らして、主に誓いを立てた。

15 All the people who were living in Judah were happy with the agreement because they had solemnly and very sincerely promised to keep it. They eagerly requested help from Yahweh, and he helped them. So he enabled them to have peace throughout their country.

ユダは皆その誓いを喜んだ。彼らは心をつくして誓いを立て、精神をつくして主を求めたので、主は彼らに会い、四方で彼らに安息を賜わった。

16 King Asa’s grandmother Maacah had made a disgusting pole for [worshiping the goddess] Asherah. So Asa [commanded his workers to] cut down that pole and chop it into pieces and burn it in the Kidron Valley. He then did not allow Maacah to continue [to influence the people because of her] being the mother of the previous king.

アサ王の母マアカがアシラのために憎むべき像を造ったので、アサは彼女をおとして太后とせず、その憎むべき像を切り倒して粉々に砕き、キデロン川でそれを焼いた。

17 Although Asa’s [workers] did not get rid of the shrines on the hilltops in Israel, he was very determined to [do what] pleased Yahweh all his life.

ただし高き所はイスラエルから除かなかったが、アサの心は一生の間、正しかった。

18 He [ordered his workers to] bring into God’s temple all the silver and gold and other valuable items that he and his father had dedicated [to God].

彼はまた、その父のささげた物および自分のささげた物、すなわち銀、金並びに器物などを主の宮に携え入れた。

19 There were no more wars [in Judah] until Asa had been ruling Judah almost 35 years.

そしてアサの治世の三十五年までは再び戦争がなかった。