< Nehemiah 5 >

1 Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews.
茲に民その妻とともにその兄弟なるユダヤ人にむかひて大に叫べり
2 For there were some who said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live.”
或人言ふ我儕および我らの男子女子は多し我ら穀物を得食ふて生ざるべからず
3 There were also some who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine.”
或人は言ふ我らは我らの田畑葡萄園および家をも質となすなり旣に饑に迫れば我らに穀物を獲させよ
4 There were also some who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral.
或は言ふ我らは我らの田畝および葡萄園をもて金を貸て王の租税を納む
5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring our sons and our daughters into bondage to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. It is also not in our power to help it, because other men have our fields and our vineyards.”
然ど我らの肉も我らの兄弟の肉と同じく我らの子女も彼らの子女と同じ視よ我らは男子女子を人に伏從はせて奴隸となす我らの女子の中すでに人に伏從せし者もあり如何とも爲ん方法なし其は我らの田畝および葡萄園は別の人の有となりたればなりと
6 I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
我は彼らの叫および是等の言を聞て大に怒れり
7 Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, “You exact usury, everyone of his brother.” I held a great assembly against them.
是において我心に思ひ計り貴き人々および牧伯等を責てこれに言けるは汝らは各々その兄弟より利息を取るなりと而して我かれらの事につきて大會を開き
8 I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say.
彼らに言けるは我らは異邦人の手に賣れたる我らの兄弟ユダヤ人を我らの力にしたがひて贖へり然るにまた汝等は己の兄弟を賣んとするやいかで之をわれらの手に賣るべけんやと彼らは默して言なかりき
9 Also I said, “The thing that you do is not good. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?
我また言けるは汝らの爲すところ善らず汝らは我らの敵たる異邦人の誹謗をおもひて我儕の神を畏れつつ事をなすべきに非ずや
10 I likewise, my brothers and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury.
我もわが兄弟および僕等も同じく金と穀物とを貸て利息を取ことをなす願くは我らこの利息を廢ん
11 Please restore to them, even today, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, that you are charging them.”
請ふ汝ら今日にも彼らの田畝葡萄園橄欖園および家を彼らに還しまた彼らに貸あたへて金穀物および酒油などの百分の一を取ることを廢よと
12 Then they said, “We will restore them, and will require nothing of them. We will do so, even as you say.” Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise.
彼ら即ち言けるは我ら之を還すべし彼らに何をも要めざらん汝の言るごとく我ら然なすべしと是に於て我祭司を呼び彼らをして此言のごとく行なふといふ誓を立しめたり
13 Also I shook out my lap, and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that doesn’t perform this promise; even may he be shaken out and emptied like this.” All the assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD. The people did according to this promise.
而して我わが胸懐を打拂ひて言ふ此言を行はざる者をば願くは神是のごとく凡て打拂ひてその家およびその業を離れさせたまへ即ちその人は斯打拂はれて空しくなれかしと時に會衆みなアーメンと言てヱホバを讃美せり而して民はこの言のごとくに行へり
14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brothers have not eaten the bread of the governor.
且また我がユダの地の總督に任ぜられし時より即ちアルタシヤユタ王の二十年より三十二年まで十二年の間は我もわが兄弟も總督の受べき禄を食ざりき
15 But the former governors who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and wine from them, plus forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants ruled over the people, but I didn’t do so, because of the fear of God.
わが以前にありし舊の總督等は民に重荷を負せてパンと酒とを是より取り其外にまた銀四十シケルを取れり然のみならずその僕等も亦民を圧せり然ども我は神を畏るるに因て然せざりき
16 Yes, I also continued in the work of this wall. We didn’t buy any land. All my servants were gathered there to the work.
我は反てこの石垣の工事に身を委ね我儕は何の田地をも買しこと無し我僕は皆かしこに集りて工事をなせり
17 Moreover there were at my table, of the Jews and the rulers, one hundred fifty men, in addition to those who came to us from among the nations that were around us.
且また我席にはユダヤ人および牧伯等百五十人あり其外にまた我らの周圍の異邦人の中より我らに來れる者等もありき
18 Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days a store of all sorts of wine. Yet for all this, I didn’t demand the governor’s pay, because the bondage was heavy on this people.
是をもて一日に牛一匹肥たる羊六匹を備へ亦鶏をも許多備へ十日に一回種々の酒を多く備へたり是ありしかどもこの民の役おもきに因て我は總督の受くべき禄を要めざりき
19 Remember me, my God, for all the good that I have done for this people.
わが神よ我が此民のために爲る一切の事を憶ひ仁慈をもて我をあしらひ給へ

< Nehemiah 5 >