ネヘミヤ 記 4

1 茲にサンバラテわれらが石垣を築くを聞て怒り大に憤ほりてユダヤ人を罵れり

Now it happened that, when Sanballat had heard that we were building the wall, he was very angry. And having been moved exceedingly, he ridiculed the Jews.

2 即ち彼その兄弟等およびサマリアの軍兵の前に語りて言ふ此軟弱しきユダヤ人何を爲や自ら強くせんとするか獻祭をなさんとするか一日に事を終んとするか塵堆の中の石は既に燬たるに之を取出して活さんとするかと

And he said, before his brothers and a crowd of the Samaritans: “What are the foolish Jews doing? Can it be that the Gentiles will allow them? Will they sacrifice and finish in one day? Do they have the ability to make stones out of piles of dust that have been burned up?”

3 時にアンモニ人トビヤその傍にありてまた言ふ彼らの築く石垣は狐上るも圮るべしと

Then too, Tobiah, an Ammonite, his assistant, said: “Let them build. When the fox climbs, he will leap over their stone wall.”

4 我らの神よ聴たまへ我らは侮らる願くは彼らの出す凌辱をその身の首に歸し彼らを他國に擄はれしめ掠られしめたまへ

Listen, O our God, for we have become an object of contempt. Turn their reproach upon their own head, and grant that they may be despised in a land of captivity.

5 彼らの愆を蔽ひたまふ勿れ彼らの罪を汝の前より消去しめたまはざれ其は彼ら築建者の前にて汝の怒を惹おこしたればなり

May you not conceal their iniquity, and may their sin not be wiped away, before your face, for they have ridiculed those who are building.

6 斯われら石垣を築きけるが石垣はみな已に相連なりてその高さの半にまで及べり其は民心をこめて操作たればなり

And so we built the wall, and we joined it together, even to the unfinished portion. And the heart of the people was stirred up for the work.

7 然るにサンバラテ、トビヤ、アラビヤ人アンモニ人アシドド人等ヱルサレムの石垣改修れ其破壊も次第に塞がると聞て大に怒り

Now it happened that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabs, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites had heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been closed, and that the breaches had begun to be repaired, they were exceedingly angry.

8 皆ともに相結びてヱルサレムに攻來らんとしその中に擾亂をおこさんとせり

And they all gathered together, so that they might go forth and fight against Jerusalem, and so that they might prepare ambushes.

9 是において我ら神に祈祷をなしかれらのために日夜守望者を置て之に備ふ

And we prayed to our God, and we stationed guards upon the wall, day and night, against them.

10 ユダ人は言り荷を負ふ者の力衰へしが上に灰土おびただしくして我ら石垣を築くこと能はずと

Then Judah said: “The strength of those who carry has diminished, and the amount of material is very great, and so we will not be able to build the wall.”

11 我らの敵は言り彼等が知ずまた見ざる間に我ら其中に入り之を殺してその工事を止めんと

And our enemies said: “Let them neither know, nor realize, until we arrive in their midst, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”

12 又彼らの辺に住るユダヤ人來る時は我らに告て言ふ汝ら我らの所に歸らざるべからずと其事十次にも及べり

Now it happened that, on ten occasions, some Jews arrived who were living near them, from all the places from which they came to us, and they told us this.

13 是に因て我石垣の後の顕露なる低き處に民を置き劍鎗または弓を持せてその宗族にしたがひて之をそなふ

So I stationed the people in order, in places behind the wall, all around it, with their swords, and lances, and bows.

14 我観めぐり起て貴き人々および牧伯等ならびにその餘の民に告て云ふ汝ら彼等のために懼るる勿れ主の大にして畏るべきを憶ひ汝らの兄弟のため男子女子のため妻および家のために戦かへよと

And I gazed around, and I rose up. And I said to the nobles, and to the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: “Do not be afraid before their face. Remember the great and terrible Lord, and fight on behalf of your brothers, your sons and your daughters, and your wives and your households.”

15 我らの敵おのが事の我らに知れたるをききておのが謀計を神に破られたるを聞しによりて我ら皆石垣に歸り各々その工事をなせり

Then it happened that, when our enemies had heard that it had been reported to us, God defeated their counsel. And we all returned to the walls, each one to his own work.

16 其時より後わが僕半は工事に操作き半は鎗楯弓などを持て鎧を着たり牧伯等はユダの全家の後にありき

And it happened that, from that day, half of their young men were doing the work, and half were prepared for war with lances, and shields, and bows, and armor. And the leaders were behind them in all the house of Judah.

17 石垣を築く者および荷を負ひはこぶ者は各々片手もて工事を爲し片手に武器を執り

As for those building the wall, and carrying the burdens, and setting things in place: one of his hands was doing the work, and the other was holding a sword.

18 築建者はおのおのその腰に劍を帯て築き建つ又喇叭を吹く者は我傍あり

For each one of the builders was girded with a sword at the waist. And they were building, and they were sounding a trumpet beside me.

19 我貴き人々および牧伯等ならびにその餘の民に告て云ふ此工事は大にして廣ければ我儕石垣にありて彼此に相離ること遠し

And I said to the nobles, and to the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: “The work is great and wide, and we are separated on the wall far from one another.

20 何處にもあれ汝ら喇叭の音のきこゆるを聞ば其處に奔あつまりて我らに就け我らの神われらのために戦ひたまふべしと

At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rush to that place for us. Our God will fight on our behalf.

21 我ら斯して工事をなしけるが半の者は東雲の出るより星の現はるるまで鎗を持をれり

And so let us accomplish the work. And let one half part of us hold spears, from the ascent of dawn until the stars come out.”

22 當時われ亦民に言らく皆おのおのその僕とともにヱルサレムの中に宿り夜は我らの防守となり昼は工事をつとむべしと

Also at that time, I said to the people: “Let each one with his servant remain in the midst of Jerusalem. And let us take turns, throughout the night and day, in doing the work.”

23 而して我もわが兄弟等もわが僕も我に從がふ防守の人々もその衣服を脱す水を汲に出るにも皆武器を執れり

But I and my brothers, and my servants, and the guards who were behind me, we did not take off our clothes; each one only removed his clothes to wash.