< エレミヤ書 2 >

1 ヱホバの言我にのぞみていふ
The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
2 ゆきてヱルサレムに住る者の耳につげよヱホバ斯くいふ我汝につきて汝の若き時の懇切なんぢが契をなせしときの愛曠野なる種播ぬ地にて我に從ひしことを憶ゆと
“Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘The LORD says, “I remember for you the kindness of your youth, your love as a bride, how you went after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
3 イスラエルはヱホバの聖物にしてその初に結べる實なりすべて之を食ふものは罰せられ災にあふべしとヱホバ云ひたまへり
Israel was holiness to the LORD, the first fruits of his increase. All who devour him will be held guilty. Evil will come on them,”’ says the LORD.”
4 ヤコブの家とイスラエルの家の諸の族よヱホバの言をきけ
Hear the LORD’s word, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel!
5 ヱホバかくいひたまふ汝等の先祖は我に何の惡事ありしを見て我に遠かり 虛しき物にしたがひて虛しくなりしや
The LORD says, “What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me, that they have gone far from me, and have walked after worthless vanity, and have become worthless?
6 かれらは我儕をエジプトの地より導きいだし曠野なる岩穴ある荒たる地 旱きたる死の蔭の地 人の過ぎざる地 人の住はざる地を通らしめしヱホバはいづこにあるといはざりき
They didn’t say, ‘Where is the LORD who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought and of the shadow of death, through a land that no one passed through, and where no man lived?’
7 われ汝等を導きて園のごとき地にいれ其實と佳物をくらはしめたり然ど汝等此處にいり我地を汚し我產業を憎むべきものとなせり
I brought you into a plentiful land to eat its fruit and its goodness; but when you entered, you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination.
8 祭司はヱホバは何處にいますといはず律法をあつかふ者は我を知らず牧者は我に背き預言者はバアルによりて預言し益なきものに從へり
The priests didn’t say, ‘Where is the LORD?’ and those who handle the law didn’t know me. The rulers also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal and followed things that do not profit.
9 故にわれ尚汝等とあらそはん且汝の子孫とあらそふべしとヱホバいひたまふ
“Therefore I will yet contend with you,” says the LORD, “and I will contend with your children’s children.
10 汝等キッテムの諸島にわたりて觀よまた使者をケダルにつかはし斯のごとき事あるや否やを詳細に察せしめよ
For pass over to the islands of Kittim, and see. Send to Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there has been such a thing.
11 その神を神にあらざる者に易たる國ありや然るに我民はその榮を益なき物にかへたり
Has a nation changed its gods, which really are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which doesn’t profit.
12 天よこの事を驚け慄けいたく怖れよとヱホバいひたまふ
“Be astonished, you heavens, at this and be horribly afraid. Be very desolate,” says the LORD.
13 蓋わが民はふたつの惡事をなせり即ち活る水の源なる我をすて自己水溜を掘れりすなはち壞れたる水溜にして水を有たざる者なり
“For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the spring of living waters, and cut out cisterns for themselves: broken cisterns that can’t hold water.
14 イスラエルはしもべなるか家にうまれし僕なるかいかにして擄掠となれるや
Is Israel a slave? Is he born into slavery? Why has he become a captive?
15 わかき獅子かれにむかひて哮えその聲をあげてその地を荒せりその諸邑は焚れて住む人なし
The young lions have roared at him and raised their voices. They have made his land waste. His cities are burnt up, without inhabitant.
16 ノフとタパネスの諸子も汝の頭首の髮をくらはん
The children also of Memphis and Tahpanhes have broken the crown of your head.
17 汝の神ヱホバの汝を途にみちびきたまへる時に汝これを棄たるによりて此事汝におよぶにあらずや
“Haven’t you brought this on yourself, in that you have forsaken the LORD your God, when he led you by the way?
18 汝ナイルの水を飮んとてエジプトの路にあるは何ゆゑぞまた河の水を飮んとてアツスリヤの路にあるは何故ぞ
Now what do you gain by going to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Shihor? Or why do you go on the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?
19 汝の惡は汝をこらしめ汝の背は汝をせめん斯く汝が汝の神ヱホバをすてたると我を畏るることの汝の衷にあらざるとは惡く且つ苦きことなるを汝見てしるべしと主なる萬軍のヱホバいひ給ふ
“Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backsliding will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing, that you have forsaken the LORD your God, and that my fear is not in you,” says the Lord, GOD of Armies.
20 汝昔より汝の軛ををり汝の縛を截ちていひけるは我つかふることをせじと即ち汝すべての高山のうへと諸の靑木の下に妓女のごとく身をかがめたり
“For long ago I broke off your yoke, and burst your bonds. You said, ‘I will not serve;’ for on every high hill and under every green tree you bowed yourself, playing the prostitute.
21 われ汝を植て佳き葡萄の樹となし全き眞の種となせしにいかなれば汝われに向ひて異なる葡萄の樹の惡き枝にかはりしや
Yet I had planted you a noble vine, a pure and faithful seed. How then have you turned into the degenerate branches of a foreign vine to me?
22 たとひ嚥哘をもて自ら濯ひまたおほくの灰汁を加ふるも汝の惡はわが前に汚れたりと主ヱホバいひ給ふ
For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, yet your iniquity is marked before me,” says the Lord GOD.
23 汝いかで我は汚れずバアルに從はざりしといふことを得んや汝谷の中のおこなひを觀よ汝のなせしことを知れ汝は疾走るわかき牝の駱駝にしてその途にさまよへり
“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled. I have not gone after the Baals’? See your way in the valley. Know what you have done. You are a swift dromedary traversing her ways,
24 汝は曠野になれたる野の牝驢馬なり其欲のために風にあへぐその欲のうごくときは誰かこれをとどめえん凡てこれを尋る者は自ら勞するにおよばすその月の中に之にあふべし
a wild donkey used to the wilderness, that sniffs the wind in her craving. When she is in heat, who can turn her away? All those who seek her will not weary themselves. In her month, they will find her.
25 汝足をつつしみて跣足にならざるやうにし喉をつつしみて渇かぬやうにせよしかるに汝いふ是は徒然なり然りわれ異なる國の者を愛してこれに從ふなりと
“Keep your feet from being bare, and your throat from thirst. But you said, ‘It is in vain. No, for I have loved strangers, and I will go after them.’
26 盜人の執へられて恥辱をうくるがごとくイスラエルの家恥辱をうく彼等その王その牧伯その祭司その預言者みな然り
As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so the house of Israel is ashamed— they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets,
27 彼等木にむかひて汝は我父なりといひまた石にむかひて汝は我を生みたりといふ彼等は背を我にむけて其面をわれに向けずされど彼等災にあふときは起てわれらを救ひ給へといふ
who tell wood, ‘You are my father,’ and a stone, ‘You have given birth to me,’ for they have turned their back to me, and not their face, but in the time of their trouble they will say, ‘Arise, and save us!’
28 汝がおのれの爲に造りし神はいづこにあるやもし汝が災にあふときかれら汝を救ふを得ば起つべきなりそはユダよ汝の神は汝の邑の數に同じければなり
“But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise, if they can save you in the time of your trouble, for you have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah.
29 汝等なんぞ我とあらそふや汝らは皆我に背けりとヱホバいひ給ふ
“Why will you contend with me? You all have transgressed against me,” says the LORD.
30 我が汝らの衆子を打しは益なかりき彼等は懲治をうけず汝等の劍は猛き獅子のごとく汝等の預言者を滅せり
“I have struck your children in vain. They received no correction. Your own sword has devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.
31 なんぢらこの世の人よヱホバの言をきけ我はイスラエルのために曠野となりしや暗き地となりしや何故にわが民はわれら徘徊りて復汝に來らじといふや
Generation, consider the LORD’s word. Have I been a wilderness to Israel? Or a land of thick darkness? Why do my people say, ‘We have broken loose. We will come to you no more’?
32 それ處女はその飾物を忘れんや新婦はその帶をわすれんや然ど我民の我を忘れたる日は數へがたし
“Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me for days without number.
33 汝愛を得んとて如何に汝の途を美くするぞよされば汝の行はあしき事を爲すに慣たり
How well you prepare your way to seek love! Therefore you have even taught the wicked women your ways.
34 また汝の裾に辜なき貧者の生命の血ありわれ盜人の穿たる所にて之を見ずしてすべて此等の上にこれを見る
Also the blood of the souls of the innocent poor is found in your skirts. You didn’t find them breaking in, but it is because of all these things.
35 されど汝いふわれは辜なし故にその怒はかならず我に臨まじとみよ汝われ罪を犯さざりしといふにより我汝とあらそふべし
“Yet you said, ‘I am innocent. Surely his anger has turned away from me.’ “Behold, I will judge you, because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 なんぢ何故にその途を易んとて迅くはしるや汝アツスリヤに恥辱をうけしごとくエジプトにも亦恥辱をうけん
Why do you go about so much to change your ways? You will be ashamed of Egypt also, as you were ashamed of Assyria.
37 汝兩手を頭に置てかしこよりも出去らんそはヱホバ汝のたのむところの者を棄れば汝彼等によりて望を遂ること無るべければなり
You will also leave that place with your hands on your head; for the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust, and you won’t prosper with them.

< エレミヤ書 2 >