< 士師記 7 >

1 さてエルバアルと呼ばれるギデオンおよび彼と共にいたすべての民は朝早く起き、ハロデの泉のほとりに陣を取った。ミデアンびとの陣は彼らの北の方にあり、モレの丘に沿って谷の中にあった。
Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people who were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
2 主はギデオンに言われた、「あなたと共におる民はあまりに多い。ゆえにわたしは彼らの手にミデアンびとをわたさない。おそらくイスラエルはわたしに向かってみずから誇り、『わたしは自身の手で自分を救ったのだ』と言うであろう。
And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people who are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, My own hand has saved me.
3 それゆえ、民の耳に触れ示して、『だれでも恐れおののく者は帰れ』と言いなさい」。こうしてギデオンは彼らを試みたので、民のうち帰った者は二万二千人あり、残った者は一万人であった。
Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty-two thousand, and there remained ten thousand.
4 主はまたギデオンに言われた、「民はまだ多い。彼らを導いて水ぎわに下りなさい。わたしはそこで、あなたのために彼らを試みよう。わたしがあなたに告げて『この人はあなたと共に行くべきだ』と言う者は、あなたと共に行くべきである。またわたしがあなたに告げて『この人はあなたと共に行ってはならない』と言う者は、だれも行ってはならない」。
And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people are yet too many. Bring them down to the water, and I will try them for thee there. And it shall be, that of whom I say to thee, This man shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee, and of whomever I say to thee, This man shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
5 そこでギデオンが民を導いて水ぎわに下ると、主は彼に言われた、「すべて犬のなめるように舌をもって水をなめる者はそれを別にしておきなさい。またすべてひざを折り、かがんで水を飲む者もそうしなさい」。
So he brought down the people to the water. And Jehovah said to Gideon, Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, him thou shall set by himself. Likewise everyone who bows down upon his knees to drink.
6 そして手を口にあてて水をなめた者の数は三百人であった。残りの民はみなひざを折り、かがんで水を飲んだ。
And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men, but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
7 主はギデオンに言われた、「わたしは水をなめた三百人の者をもって、あなたがたを救い、ミデアンびとをあなたの手にわたそう。残りの民はおのおのその家に帰らせなさい」。
And Jehovah said to Gideon, By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into thy hand. And let all the people go every man to his place.
8 そこで彼はかの三百人を留めおき、残りのイスラエルびとの手から、つぼとラッパを取り、民をおのおのその天幕に帰らせた。時にミデアンびとの陣は下の谷の中にあった。
So the people took provision in their hand, and their trumpets. And he sent all the men of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men. And the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
9 その夜、主はギデオンに言われた、「立てよ、下っていって敵陣に攻め入れ。わたしはそれをあなたの手にわたす。
And it came to pass the same night, that Jehovah said to him, Arise, get thee down into the camp, for I have delivered it into thy hand.
10 もしあなたが下って行くことを恐れるならば、あなたのしもべプラと共に敵陣に下っていって、
But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Purah thy servant down to the camp.
11 彼らの言うところを聞け。そうすればあなたの手が強くなって、敵陣に攻め下ることができるであろう」。ギデオンがしもべプラと共に下って、敵陣にある兵隊たちの前哨地点に行ってみると、
And thou shall hear what they say, and afterward thy hands shall be strengthened to go down into the camp. Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outermost part of the armed men who were in the camp.
12 ミデアンびと、アマレクびとおよびすべての東方の民はいなごのように数多く谷に沿って伏していた。そのらくだは海べの砂のように多くて数えきれなかった。
And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude, and their camels were without number, as the sand which is upon the sea-shore for multitude.
13 ギデオンがそこへ行ったとき、ある人がその仲間に夢を語っていた。その人は言った、「わたしは夢を見た。大麦のパン一つがミデアンの陣中にころがってきて、天幕に達し、それを打ち倒し、くつがえしたので、天幕は倒れ伏した」。
And when Gideon came, behold, there was a man telling a dream to his fellow. And he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream. And, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent, and smote it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.
14 仲間は答えて言った、「それはイスラエルの人、ヨアシの子ギデオンのつるぎにちがいない。神はミデアンとすべての軍勢を彼の手にわたされるのだ」。
And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else except the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. Into his hand God has delivered Midian, and all the army.
15 ギデオンは夢の物語とその解き明かしとを聞いたので、礼拝し、イスラエルの陣営に帰り、そして言った、「立てよ、主はミデアンの軍勢をあなたがたの手にわたされる」。
And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation of it, that he worshiped. And he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, Arise, for Jehovah has delivered the army of Midian into your hand.
16 そして彼は三百人を三組に分け、手に手にラッパと、からつぼとを取らせ、つぼの中にたいまつをともさせ、
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put trumpets into the hands of all of them, and empty pitchers, with torches inside the pitchers.
17 彼らに言った、「わたしを見て、わたしのするようにしなさい。わたしが敵陣のはずれに達したとき、あなたがたもわたしのするようにしなさい。
And he said to them, Look on me, and do likewise, and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so ye shall do.
18 わたしと共におる者がみなラッパを吹くと、あなたがたもまたすべての陣営の四方でラッパを吹き、『主のためだ、ギデオンのためだ』と言いなさい」。
When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, For Jehovah and for Gideon.
19 こうしてギデオンと、彼と共にいた百人の者が、中更の初めに敵陣のはずれに行ってみると、ちょうど番兵を交代した時であったので、彼らはラッパを吹き、手に携えていたつぼを打ち砕いた。
So Gideon, and the hundred men who were with him, came to the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch when they had but newly set the watch. And they blew the trumpets, and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands.
20 すなわち三組の者がラッパを吹き、つぼを打ち砕き、左の手にはたいまつをとり、右の手にはラッパを持ってそれを吹き、「主のためのつるぎ、ギデオンのためのつるぎ」と叫んだ。
And the three companies blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow. And they cried out, The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon.
21 そしておのおのその持ち場に立ち、敵陣を取り囲んだので、敵軍はみな走り、大声をあげて逃げ去った。
And they stood every man in his place round about the camp. And all the army ran, and they shouted, and put them to flight.
22 三百人のものがラッパを吹くと、主は敵軍をしてみな互に同志打ちさせられたので、敵軍はゼレラの方、ベテシッタおよびアベルメホラの境、タバテの近くまで逃げ去った。
And they blew the three hundred trumpets, and Jehovah set every man's sword against his fellow, and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.
23 イスラエルの人々はナフタリ、アセルおよび全マナセから集まってきて、ミデアンびとを追撃した。
And the men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian.
24 ギデオンは使者をあまねくエフライムの山地につかわし、「下ってきて、ミデアンびとを攻め、ベタバラに至るまでの流れを取り、またヨルダンをも取れ」と言わせた。そこでエフライムの人々はみな集まってきて、ベタバラに至るまでの流れを取り、またヨルダンをも取った。
And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill-country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters, as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan.
25 彼らはまたミデアンびとのふたりの君オレブとゼエブを捕え、オレブをオレブ岩のほとりで殺し、ゼエブをゼエブの酒ぶねのほとりで殺した。またミデアンびとを追撃し、オレブとゼエブの首を携えてヨルダンの向こうのギデオンのもとへ行った。
And they took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian. And they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.

< 士師記 7 >