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, Sanballat, hearing that we were building the wall, was very angry, and in his wrath made sport of 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」。
And in the hearing of his countrymen and the army of Samaria he said, What are these feeble Jews doing? will they make themselves strong? will they make offerings? will they get the work done in a day? will they make the stones which have been burned come again out of the dust?
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。
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Such is their building that if a fox goes up it, their stone wall will be broken down.
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。
Give ear, O our God, for we are looked down on: let their words of shame be turned back on themselves, and let them be given up to wasting 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」。
Let not their wrongdoing be covered or their sin washed away from before you: for they have made you angry before the builders.
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 went on building the wall; and all the wall was joined together half-way up: for the people were working hard.
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 it came to the ears of Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites, that the building of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and the broken places were being made good, they were full of wrath;
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。
And they made designs, all of them together, to come and make an attack on Jerusalem, causing trouble there.
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 made our prayer to God, and had men on watch against them day and night because of them.
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」。
And Judah said, The strength of the workmen is giving way, and there is much waste material; it is impossible for us to put up 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」。
And those who were against us said, Without their knowledge and without their seeing us, we will come among them and put them to death, causing the work to come to a stop.
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。
And it came about that when the Jews who were living near them came, they said to us ten times, From all directions they are coming 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 in the lowest part of the space at the back of the walls, in the open places, I put the people by families, with their swords, their spears, and their 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」。
And after looking, I got up and said to the great ones and to the chiefs and to the rest of the people, Have no fear of them: keep in mind the Lord who is great and greatly to be feared, and take up arms for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives and your houses.
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。
And when it came to the ears of those who were against us, that we had knowledge of their designs and that God had made their purpose come to nothing, we all went back to the wall, everyone 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。
And from that time, half of my servants were doing their part of the work, and half kept the spears and body-covers and the bows and the metal war-dresses; and the chiefs were at the back of the men 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。
Those who were building the wall and those who were moving material did their part, everyone working with one hand, with his spear in the other;
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 was working with his sword at his side. And by my side was a man for sounding the horn.
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。
And I said to the great ones and the chiefs and the rest of the people, The work is great and widely spaced and we are far away from one another on the wall:
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」。
Wherever you may be when the horn is sounded, come here to us; our God will be fighting 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 went on with the work: and half of them had spears in their hands from the dawn of the morning till the stars were seen.
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。
And at the same time I said to the people, Let everyone with his servant come inside Jerusalem for the night, so that at night they may keep watch for us, and go on working by 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 not one of us, I or my brothers or my servants or the watchmen who were with me, took off his clothing, everyone went armed to the water.
