< エレミヤ書 16 >

1 主の言葉はまたわたしに臨んだ、
Yahweh gave me another message. [He said to me],
2 「あなたはこの所で妻をめとってはならない。またむすこ娘を持ってはならない。
“Do not get married and have children in this land,
3 この所で生れるむすこ娘と、この地でこれを産む母たちと、これを生む父たちとについて主はこう言われる、
because this is what [I], Yahweh, say about the children who are born in this city, and about their mothers and fathers:
4 彼らは死の病にかかって死に、哀悼する者もなく、埋葬する者もなく、地のおもてに、糞土のようになる。またつるぎと、ききんに滅ぼされて、その死体は空の鳥と地の獣の食い物となる。
[Many of] them will die from terrible diseases. And no one will mourn for them. No one will even bury their corpses; the corpses will lie on the ground, [scattered] like manure. [Others] will die in wars or from hunger, and [then] their corpses will become food for vultures and wild animals.”
5 主はこう言われる、喪のある家に、はいってはならない。また行って、それを悲しみ嘆いてはならない。わたしがこの民からわたしの平安と、いつくしみと、あわれみとを取り去ったからであると、主は言われる。
This is [also] what Yahweh said to me: “Do not go to funerals to mourn or to show [those whose relatives have died] that you feel sorry for them, because I have stopped protecting them, and I have caused that things will not go well for them. I have stopped faithfully loving them and acting mercifully toward them.
6 大いなる者も小さき者も、この地に死ぬ。彼らは葬られず、また彼らのために悲しむ者もなく、自分の身を傷つける者もなく、髪をそる者もない。
[Very many people] will die in this land, [including] those who are important and those who are not important. And no one will mourn for them, or [even] bury [their corpses]. No one will cut himself or shave his head [to show that he is very sad].
7 悲しむ者のためにパンをさいて、死者のためにこれを慰める者はなく、また父あるいは母のために慰めの杯をこれに与えて飲ませる者もない。
No one will bring food to comfort those who are mourning, not even if it is their father or their mother [who has died]. No one will give them a cup [of wine] to cheer them up.
8 またあなたは宴会をする家にはいって、人々と共にすわって食い飲みしてはならない。
And do not go into the houses where people are feasting. Do not eat or drink anything with them.
9 万軍の主、イスラエルの神はこう言われる、見よ、あなたの目の前で、あなたのなおこの世にいる間に、わたしは喜びの声と楽しみの声、花婿の声と花嫁の声とをこの所に絶やしてしまう。
[I want you to do this] because this is what [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, say: ‘While you are still alive and seeing it happen, I will cause there to be no more singing and laughing in this land. There will be no more joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides.’
10 あなたがこのすべての言葉をこの民に告げるとき、彼らがあなたに尋ねて、『主がわれわれにこの大きな災を宣告されるのはどうしてですか。われわれにどんな悪い所があるのですか。われわれの神、主にそむいて、われわれが犯した罪とはなんですか』と言うならば、
When you tell these things to the people, they will ask, ‘Why has Yahweh declared that these terrible things will happen to us? What have we done [for which we deserve to be punished like this]? What sin have we committed against Yahweh our God?’
11 あなたは彼らに答えなければならない、『主は仰せられる、それはあなたがたの先祖がわたしを捨てて他の神々に従い、これに仕え、これを拝し、またわたしを捨て、わたしの律法を守らなかったからである。
Then this is what you must tell them [that I am replying to them]: ‘It is because your ancestors turned away from me, Yahweh. They worshiped other gods and served them. They abandoned me and did not obey my commands.
12 あなたがたは、あなたがたの先祖よりも、いっそう悪いことをした。見よ、あなたがたはおのおの自分の悪い強情な心に従い、わたしに聞き従うことはしない。
But you [who are living now] have done more wicked things than your ancestors did! Each of you stubbornly does the evil things that he desires and refuses to pay attention to what I say.
13 それゆえ、わたしはあなたがたをこの地より追い出し、あなたがたも、あなたがたの先祖も知らない地に行かせる。その所であなたがたは昼夜、ほかの神々に仕えるようになる。これはわたしがあなたがたにあわれみを示さないからである』と。
So, I will throw you out of this land, and I will send you to a land that you and your ancestors have never known about. There you will worship other gods day and night. And I will not act mercifully toward you.’
14 主は言われる、それゆえ、見よ、こののち『イスラエルの民をエジプトの地から導き出した主は生きておられる』とは言わないで、
But there will be a time when people [who are solemnly promising to do something] will no longer say, ‘[I will do this], [just as surely] as Yahweh lives—the one who brought the Israeli people here from Egypt.’
15 『イスラエルの民を北の国と、そのすべて追いやられた国々から導き出した主は生きておられる』という日がくる。わたしが彼らを、その先祖に与えた彼らの地に導きかえすからである。
Instead, they will say ‘[I will do this, just as surely] as Yahweh lives—the one who brought [us] Israeli people back to our own land, from the lands to the north and from all the other lands to which he had (exiled us/forced us to go).’ [They will be able to say that] because [some day] I will bring your descendants back to this land that I gave to your ancestors.
16 主は言われる、見よ、わたしは多くの漁夫を呼んできて、彼らをすなどらせ、また、そののち多くの猟師を呼んできて、もろもろの山、もろもろの丘、および岩の裂け目から彼らをかり出させる。
But now I am summoning [your enemies who will seize the people of Judah like] [MET] fishermen [catch fish]. I am summoning those who will search for them on every mountain and hill, and in every cave, [like] [MET] hunters [search for animals to kill].
17 わたしの目は彼らのすべての道を見ているからである。みなわたしに隠れてはいない。またその悪はわたしの目に隠れることはない。
I am watching them carefully. I see every sin [that they commit]. They will not [be able to] hide from me [MTY].
18 わたしはその悪とその罪の報いを二倍にする。彼らがその忌むべき偶像の死体をもって、わたしの地を汚し、その憎むべきものをもって、わたしの嗣業を満たしたからである」。
Because of all the wicked things that they have done [DOU], I will punish them twice as much [as I would punish other people. I will do that] because they have caused my land to become unacceptable to me because of their [worshiping] lifeless statues of detestable gods, and [also because they] have done many other evil things throughout my land.”
19 主、わが力、わが城、悩みの時の、のがれ場よ、万国の民は地の果からあなたのもとにきて申します、「われわれの先祖が受け嗣いだのは、ただ偽りと、役に立たないつまらない事ばかりです。
[Then I prayed, saying], “Yahweh, you are the one who strengthens me and protects me [MET]; you are the one to whom I go when I have [troubles]. [Some day people from] nations all over the world will come to you and say, ‘Our ancestors left/gave us only something that was false; [they worshiped idols] that are completely worthless [DOU].
20 人が自分で神々を造ることができましょうか。そういうものは神ではありません」。
No one can [RHQ] make their own gods; the gods that they make are [only idols]; they are not real gods.’”
21 「それゆえ、見よ、わたしは彼らに知らせよう。すなわち、この際わたしの力と、わたしの勢いとを知らせよう。彼らはわたしの名が、主であることを知るようになる」。
[Then Yahweh said], “Now I will show my power to [the people of Judah]; I will show them that I am truly very powerful [DOU]. Then, finally, they will know that I, Yahweh, [am the true God].”

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