< Ezra 4 >

1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded a temple unto the LORD, the God of Israel;
茲にユダとベニヤミンの敵たる者等夫俘囚より歸り來りし人々イスラエルの神ヱホバのために殿を建ると聞き
2 then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers’ [houses], and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, which brought us up hither.
乃ちゼルバベルと宗家の長等の許に至りて之に言けるは我儕をして汝等と共に之を建てしめよ 我らは汝らと同じく汝らの神を求む アッスリヤの王エサルハドンが我儕を此に携へのぼりし日より以來我らはこれに犠牲を獻ぐるなりと
3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ houses of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.
然るにゼルバベル、ヱシュアおよびその餘のイスラエルの宗家の長等これに言ふ 汝らは我らの神に室を建ることに與るべからず 我儕獨りみづからイスラエルの神ヱホバのために建ることを爲べし 是ペルシヤの王クロス王の我らに命ぜし所なりと
4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
是に於てその地の民ユダの民の手を弱らせてその建築を妨げ
5 and hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
之が計る所を敗らんために議官に賄賂して之に敵せしむペルシヤ王クロスの世にある日よりペルシヤ王ダリヨスの治世まで常に然り
6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
アハシユエロスの治世すなはち其治世の初に彼ら表を上りてユダとヱルサレムの民を誣訟へたり
7 And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian [character], and set forth in the Syrian [tongue].
またアルタシヤスタの世にビシラム、ミテレダテ、タビエルおよびその餘の同僚同じく表をペルシヤの王アルタシヤスタに上つれり その書の文はスリヤの文字にて書きスリヤ語にて陳述たる者なりき
8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:
方伯レホム書記官シムシヤイ書をアルタシヤスタ王に書おくりてヱルサレムを誣ゆ左のごとし
9 then [wrote] Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,
即ち方伯レホム書記官シムシヤイおよびその餘の同僚デナ人アパルサテカイ人タルペライ人アパルサイ人アルケロイ人バビロン人シユシヤン人デハウ人エラマイ人
10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over, and set in the city of Samaria, and in the rest [of the country] beyond the river, and so forth.
ならびに其他の民すなはち大臣オスナパルが移してサマリアの邑および河外ふのその他の地に置し者等云々
11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men beyond the river, and so forth.
其アルタシヤスタ王に上りし書の稿は是なく云く河外ふの汝の僕等云々
12 Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee are come to us unto Jerusalem; they are building the rebellious and the bad city, and have finished the walls, and repaired the foundations.
王知たまへ汝の所より上り來りしユダヤ人ヱルサレムに到りてわれらの中にいりかの背き悖る惡き邑を建なほし石垣を築きあげその基礎を固うせり
13 Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will endamage the kings.
然ば王いま知りたまへ 若この邑を建て石垣を築きあげなば彼ら必ず貢賦租税税金などを納じ 然すれば終に王等の不利とならん
14 Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not meet for us to see the king’s dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;
そもそも我らは王の鹽を食む者なれば王の輕んぜらるるを見るに忍びず 茲に人を遣はし王に奏聞す
15 that search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city laid waste.
列祖の記録の書を稽へたまへ必ずその記録の書の中において此邑は背き悖る邑にして諸王と諸州とに害を加へし者なるを見その中に古來叛逆の事ありしを知たまふべし此邑の滅ぼされしは此故に縁るなり
16 We certify the king that, if this city be builded, and the walls finished, by this means thou shalt have no portion beyond the river.
我ら王に奏聞す 若この邑を建て石垣を築きあげなばなんぢは之がために河外ふの領分をうしなふなるべしと
17 [Then] sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and in the rest [of the country] beyond the river, Peace, and so forth.
王すなはち方伯レホム書記官シムシヤイこの餘サマリアおよび河外ふのほかの處に住る同僚に答書をおくりて云く平安あれ云々
18 The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.
汝らが我儕におくりし書をば我前に讀解しめたり
19 And I decreed, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.
我やがて詔書を下して稽考しめしに此邑の古來起りて諸王に背きし事その中に反乱謀叛のありし事など詳悉なり
20 There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all [the country] beyond the river; and tribute, custom, and toll, was paid unto them.
またヱルサレムには在昔大なる王等ありて河外ふをことごとく治め貢賦租税税金などを己に納しめたる事あり
21 Make ye now a decree to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until a decree shall be made by me.
然ば汝ら詔言を傳へて其人々を止め我が詔言を下すまで此邑を建ること無らしめよ
22 And take heed that ye be not slack herein: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
汝ら愼め 之を爲ことを忽にする勿れ 何ぞ損害を増て王に害を及ぼすべけんやと
23 Then when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.
アルタシヤスタ王の書の稿をレホム及び書記官シムシヤイとその同僚の前に讀あげければ彼等すなはちヱルサレムに奔ゆきてユダヤ人に就き腕力と權威とをもて之を止めたり
24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
此をもてヱルサレムなる神の室の工事止みぬ 即ちペルシヤ王ダリヨスの治世の二年まで止みたりき

< Ezra 4 >