< ネヘミヤ 記 2 >

1 茲にアルタシヤスタ王の二十年ニサンの月王の前に酒のいでし時我酒をつぎて王にたてまつれり我は今まで王の前にて憂色を帯しこと有ざりき
Now it happened that, in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of king Artaxerxes, wine was before him; and I lifted up the wine, and I gave it to the king. And I was like someone languishing before his face.
2 王われに言けるは汝は疾病も有ざるに何とて面に憂色を帯るや是他ならず心に憂ふる所あるなりと是において我甚だ大に懼れたりしが
And the king said to me: “Why is your expression sad, though you do not appear to be sick? This is not without cause, but some evil, I know not what, is in your heart.” And I was struck with an exceedingly great fear.
3 遂に王に奏して曰ふ願くは王長壽かれ我が先胆の墓の地たるその邑は荒蕪その門は火にて焚たれば我いかで顔に憂色を帯ざるを得んやと
And I said to the king: “O king, live forever. Why should my expression not be mournful, since the city of the house of the sepulchers of my father is desolate, and its gates have been burned with fire?”
4 王われに向ひて然らば汝何をなさんと願ふやと言ければ我すなはち天の神に祈りて
And the king said to me: “What would you request?” And I prayed to the God of heaven.
5 王に言けるは王もし之を善としたまひ我もし汝の前に恩を得たる者なりせば願くはユダにあるわが先祖の墓の邑に我を遣はして我にこれを建起さしめたまへと
And I said to the king: “If it seems good to the king, and if your servant is pleasing before your face: that you would send me into Judea, to the city of the sepulcher of my father. And I will rebuild it.”
6 時に后妃も傍に坐しをりしが王われに言けるは汝が往てをる間は何程なるべきや何時頃歸りきたるやと王かく我を遣はすことを善としければ我期を定めて奏せり
And the king said to me, with the queen who was sitting beside him: “Until what time will your journey be, and when will you return?” And it was pleasing before the countenance of the king, and so he sent me. And I established a time for him.
7 而して我また王に言けるは王もし善としたまはば請ふ河外ふの総督等に與ふる書を我に賜ひ彼らをして我をユダまで通さしめたまへ
And I said to the king: “If it seems good to the king, may he give me letters to the governors of the region beyond the river, so that they may lead me through, until I arrive in Judea,
8 また王の山林を守るアサフに與ふる書をも賜ひ彼をして殿に属する城の門を作り邑の石垣および我が入べき家に用ふる材木を我に授けしめたまへと我神善く我を助けたまひしに因て王これを我に允せり
and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, so that he may give me timber, in order that I may be able to cover the gates of the tower of the house, and the walls of the city, and the house that I will enter.” And the king granted to me in accord with the good hand of my God, who is with me.
9 是に於て我河外ふの総督等に詣りて王の書をこれに付せり王は軍長數人に騎兵をそへて我に件なはせたり
And I went to the governors of the region beyond the river, and I gave them the letters of the king. Now the king had sent with me military leaders and horsemen.
10 時にホロニ人サンバラテおよびアンモニ人奴隷トビヤこれを聞きイスラエルの子孫の安寧を求むる人來れりとて大に憂ふ
And Sanballat, a Horonite, and the servant Tobiah, an Ammonite, heard this. And they were saddened, with a great affliction, that a man had arrived who was seeking the prosperity of the sons of Israel.
11 我ついにヱルサレムに到りて彼處に三日居りける後
And I arrived at Jerusalem, and I was there for three days.
12 夜中に起いでたり數人の者われに伴なふ我はわが神がヱルサレムのために爲せんとて我心に入たまひし所の事を何人にも告しらせず亦我が乗る一匹の畜の外には畜を引つれざりき
And I got up in the night, I and a few men with me. And I did not reveal to anyone what God had placed in my heart to do in Jerusalem. And there was no animal with me, except the animal on which I was sitting.
13 我すなはち夜中に立いで谷の門を通り龍井の對面を経糞門に至りてヱルサレムの石垣を閲せしにその石垣は頽れをりその門は已に火に焚てありき
And I departed in the night through the gate of the valley, and before the fountain of the dragon, and toward the dung gate. And I considered the wall of Jerusalem, which was broken apart, and its gates, which had been consumed by fire.
14 かくて又前みて泉の門にゆき王の池にいたりしに我が乗る畜の通るべき處なかりき
And I continued on to the gate of the fountain, and to the aqueduct of the king. And there was no room for the beast on which I was sitting to pass through.
15 我亦その夜の中に渓川に沿て進みのぼりて石垣を観めぐり頓て身を反して谷の門より歸りいりぬ
And so I climbed up in the night along the torrent, and I considered the wall. And turning back, I went by the gate of the valley, and I returned.
16 然るに牧伯等は我が何處に往しか何を爲しかを知ざりき我また未だこれをユダヤ人にも祭司にも貴き人にも方伯等にも其他の役人にも告しらせざりしが
Now the magistrates did not know where I had gone, or what I had done. For I had revealed nothing, even to that point in time, to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the magistrates, or to the others who were doing the work.
17 遂に披らに言けるは汝らの見るごとく我儕の境遇は惡くヱルサレムは荒はてその門は火に焚たり來れ我儕ヱルサレムの石垣を築きあげて再び世の凌辱をうくることなからんと
And so I said to them: “You know the affliction in which we are, because Jerusalem is desolate, and its gates have been consumed by fire. Come, and let us rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, and let us no longer be in disgrace.”
18 而して我わが神の善われを助けたまひし事を彼らに告げまた王の我に語りし言詞をも告しらせけれぱ去來起て築かんと言ひ皆奮ひてこの美事を認んとす
And I revealed to them how the hand of my God was with me for good, and the words of the king, which he had spoken to me. And I said: “Let us rise up, and build.” And their hands were strengthened for good.
19 時にホロニ人サンバラテ、アンモニ人奴隷トビヤおよびアラビヤ人ガシムこれを聞て我らを嘲けり我儕を悔りて言ふ汝ら何事をなすや王に叛かんとするなるかと
But Sanballat, a Horonite, and the servant Tobiah, an Ammonite, and Geshem, an Arab, heard of it. And they ridiculed and disparaged us, and they said: “What is this thing that you are doing? Could you be rebelling against the king?”
20 我すなはち答へて彼らに言ふ天の神われらをして志を得させたまはん故に其僕たる我儕起て築くべし然ど汝らはヱルサレムに何の分もなく權理もなく記念もなしと
And I replied to them a word, and I said to them: “The God of heaven himself is helping us, and we are his servants. Let us rise up and build. But there is no portion, or justice, or remembrance in Jerusalem for you.”

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