2 Chronicles 31

1 And when these things had been celebrated according to ritual, all of Israel who had been found in the cities of Judah went forth, and they broke apart the idols and cut down the sacred groves. They demolished the high places and destroyed the altars, not only out of all Judah and Benjamin, but also out of Ephraim as well as Manasseh, until they utterly destroyed them. And all the sons of Israel returned to their possessions and cities.

この事がすべて終った時、そこにいたイスラエルびとは皆、ユダの町々に出て行って、石柱を砕き、アシラ像を切り倒し、ユダとベニヤミンの全地、およびエフライムとマナセにある高き所と祭壇とを取りこわし、ついにこれをことごとく破壊した。そしてイスラエルの人々はおのおのその町々、その所領に帰った。

2 Then Hezekiah appointed the companies of the priests and Levites by their divisions, each man in his proper office, certainly as much for the priests as for the Levites, for the sake of holocausts and peace offerings, so that they might minister and confess and sing, at the gates of the camp of the Lord.

ヒゼキヤは祭司およびレビびとの班を定め、班ごとにおのおのその勤めに従って、祭司とレビびとに燔祭と酬恩祭をささげさせ、主の営の門で勤めをし、感謝をし、さんびをさせた。

3 Now the portion of the king, from his own substance, was such that they could offer a holocaust always, in morning and in evening, also on the Sabbaths, and the new moons, and the other solemnities, just as it was written in the law of Moses.

また燔祭のために自分の財産のうちから王の分を出した。すなわち朝夕の燔祭および安息日、新月、定めの祭などの燔祭のために出して、主の律法にしるされているとおりにした。

4 And now he instructed the people living in Jerusalem that they were to give portions to the priests and Levites, so that they would be able to attend to the law of the Lord.

またエルサレムに住む民に、祭司とレビびとにその分を与えることを命じた。これは彼らをして主の律法に身をゆだねさせるためである。

5 And when this had reached the ears of the multitude, the sons of Israel brought an abundance of first-fruits of grain, wine, and oil, and also honey. And they offered a tenth part of all that the soil brings forth.

その命令が伝わるやいなや、イスラエルの人々は穀物、酒、油、蜜ならびに畑のもろもろの産物の初物を多くささげ、またすべての物の十分の一をおびただしく携えて来た。

6 Then too, the sons of Israel and Judah, who were living in the cities of Judah, brought tithes of oxen and sheep, and tithes of the holy things that they had vowed to the Lord their God. And carrying all these things, they made many stacks.

ユダの町々に住んでいたイスラエルとユダの人々もまた牛、羊の十分の一ならびにその神、主にささげられた奉納物を携えて来て、これを積み重ねた。

7 In the third month, they began to lay out the foundations of the stacks. And in the seventh month, they finished them.

三月にこれを積み重ねることを始め、七月にこれを終った。

8 And when Hezekiah and his rulers had entered, they saw the stacks, and they blessed the Lord and the people of Israel.

ヒゼキヤおよびつかさたちは来て、その積み重ねた物を見、主とその民イスラエルを祝福した。

9 And Hezekiah questioned the priests and Levites, as to why the stacks were laid out in this way.

そしてヒゼキヤがその積み重ねた物について祭司およびレビびとに問い尋ねた時、

10 Azariah, the high priest from the stock of Zadok, answered him, saying: “Since the first-fruits began to be offered in the house of the Lord, we have eaten and been satisfied, and much remains. For the Lord has blessed his people. Then what was left over is this great abundance, which you see.”

ザドクの家から出た祭司の長アザリヤは彼に答えて言った、「民が主の宮に供え物を携えて来ることを始めてからこのかた、われわれは飽きるほど食べたが、たくさん残りました。主がその民を恵まれたからです。それでわれわれは、このように多くの残った物をもっているのです」。

11 And so Hezekiah instructed that they should prepare storage places for the house of the Lord. And when they had done so,

そこでヒゼキヤは主の宮のうちに室を設けることを命じたので、彼らはこれを設け、

12 they faithfully brought in the first-fruits, as well as the tithes and all that they had vowed. Now the overseer of these things was Conaniah, a Levite; and his brother, Shimei, was second.

その供え物の十分の一および奉納物を忠実に携え入れた。これをつかさどる者のかしらはレビびとコナニヤで、その兄弟シメイは彼に次ぐ者となり、

13 And after him, there was Jehiel, and Azariah, and Nahath, and Asaahel, and Jerimoth, and also Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, who were overseers under the hands of Conaniah, and his brother, Shimei, by the authority of Hezekiah, the king, and Azariah, the high priest of the house of God, to whom all these things belonged.

エヒエル、アザジヤ、ナハテ、アサヘル、エレモテ、ヨザバデ、エリエル、イスマキヤ、マハテ、ベナヤらは、ヒゼキヤ王および神の宮のつかさアザリヤの任命によって、コナニヤおよびその兄弟シメイを助けて、その監督者となった。

14 Yet truly, Kore, the son of Imnah, a Levite and the porter of the eastern gate, was the overseer of the things that were being offered freely to the Lord, and of the first-fruits, and of the things consecrated for the Holy of Holies.

東の門を守る者レビびとイムナの子コレは、神にささげる自発のささげ物をつかさどり、主の供え物および最も聖なる物を分配した。

15 And under his charge were Eden, and Benjamin, Jeshua, and Shemaiah, and also Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, so that they would distribute faithfully to their brothers, the small as well as the great, their portions

彼を助ける者はエデン、ミニヤミン、エシュア、シマヤ、アマリヤおよびシカニヤで、皆祭司の町々でその兄弟たちに、班によって、老若ひとしく忠実に分配した。

16 (except for the males from three years old and upward) for all who were entering the temple of the Lord, and for whatever was needed for the ministry, throughout each day, as well as for the observances according to their divisions.

ただしすべて登録された三歳以上の男子で主の宮に入り、その班に従って日々の職分をつくし、その受持の勤めをなす者は除かれた。

17 And so, for the priests, by their families, and for the Levites, from the twentieth year and upward, by their orders and companies,

祭司の登録はその氏族によってなされ、二十歳以上のレビびとの登録はその班により、その受持にしたがってなされた。

18 and for the entire multitude, as much for the wives as for their children of both sexes, provisions were offered faithfully from whatever had been sanctified.

また祭司はその幼な子、その妻、そのむすこ、その娘、全会衆と共に登録した。彼らは忠実に身を聖なる事にささげたからである。

19 Then too, men were appointed of the sons of Aaron, throughout the fields and the suburbs of each city, who would distribute portions to all the males among the priests and Levites.

また町々の放牧地におるアロンの子孫である祭司たちのためには、町ごとに人を名ざし選んで、祭司のうちのすべての男およびレビびとのうちの登録されたすべての者に、その分を与えさせた。

20 Therefore, Hezekiah did all these things (which we have said) in all of Judah. And he worked what is good and upright and true before the Lord his God,

ヒゼキヤはユダ全国にこのようにし、良い事、正しい事、忠実な事をその神、主の前に行った。

21 for the whole service of the ministry of the house of the Lord, in accord with the law and the ceremonies, desiring to seek his God with his whole heart. And he did so, and he prospered.

彼がその神を求めるために神の宮の務につき、律法につき、戒めについて始めたわざは、ことごとく心をつくして行い、これをなし遂げた。