ネヘミヤ 記 4
1 サンバラテはわれわれが城壁を築くのを聞いて怒り、大いに憤ってユダヤ人をあざけった。
But it came to pass that, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
2 彼はその兄弟たちおよびサマリヤの兵隊の前で語って言った、「この弱々しいユダヤ人は何をしているのか。自分で再興しようとするのか。犠牲をささげようとするのか。一日で事を終えようとするのか。塵塚の中の石はすでに焼けているのに、これを取りだして生かそうとするのか」。
And he spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burnt?
3 またアンモンびとトビヤは、彼のかたわらにいて言った、「そうだ、彼らの築いている城壁は、きつね一匹が上ってもくずれるであろう」と。
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they are building, if a fox goes up he shall break down their stone wall.
4 「われわれの神よ、聞いてください。われわれは侮られています。彼らのはずかしめを彼らのこうべに返し、彼らを捕囚の地でぶんどり物にしてください。
Hear, O our God, for we are despised, and so turn back their reproach upon their own head, and give them up for a spoil in a land of captivity,
5 彼らのとがをおおわず、彼らの罪をみ前から消し去らないでください。彼らは築き建てる者の前であなたを怒らせたからです」。
and do not cover their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee, for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
6 こうしてわれわれは城壁を築いたが、石がきはみな相連なって、その高さの半ばにまで達した。民が心をこめて働いたからである。
So we built the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half the height of it, for the people had a mind to work.
7 ところがサンバラテ、トビヤ、アラビヤびと、アンモンびと、アシドドびとらは、エルサレムの城壁の修理が進展し、その破れ目もふさがり始めたと聞いて大いに怒り、
But it came to pass that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very angry,
8 皆共に相はかり、エルサレムを攻めて、その中に混乱を起そうとした。
and all of them together conspired to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein.
9 そこでわれわれは神に祈り、また日夜見張りを置いて彼らに備えた。
But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
10 その時、ユダびとは言った、「荷を負う者の力は衰え、そのうえ、灰土がおびただしいので、われわれは城壁を築くことができない」。
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens has become feeble, and there is much rubbish, so that we are not able to build the wall.
11 またわれわれの敵は言った、「彼らの知らないうちに、また見ないうちに、彼らの中にはいりこんで彼らを殺し、その工事をやめさせよう」。
And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.
12 また彼らの近くに住んでいるユダヤ人たちはきて、十度もわれわれに言った、「彼らはその住んでいるすべての所からわれわれに攻め上るでしょう」と。
And it came to pass that, when the Jews who dwelt by them came, they said to us ten times, From all places from where ye shall return to us they will be upon you.
13 そこでわたしは民につるぎ、やりおよび弓を持たせ、城壁の後の低い所、すなわち空地にその家族にしたがって立たせた。
Therefore I set in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I set there the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 わたしは見めぐり、立って尊い人々、つかさたち、およびその他の民らに言った、「あなたがたは彼らを恐れてはならない。大いなる恐るべき主を覚え、あなたがたの兄弟、むすこ、娘、妻および家のために戦いなさい」。
And I looked, and rose up, and said to the ranking men, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
15 われわれの敵は自分たちの事が、われわれに悟られたことを聞き、また神が彼らの計りごとを破られたことを聞いたので、われわれはみな城壁に帰り、おのおのその工事を続けた。
And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to naught, that we returned all of us to the wall, every man to his work.
16 その日から後は、わたしのしもべの半数は工事に働き、半数はやり、盾、弓、よろいをもって武装した。そしてつかさたちは城壁を築いているユダの全家の後に立った。
And it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants labored in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail. And the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
17 荷を負い運ぶ者はおのおの片手で工事をなし、片手に武器を執った。
They all built the wall, and those who bore burdens loaded themselves, every man with one of his hands labored in the work, and with the other held his weapon,
18 築き建てる者はおのおのその腰につるぎを帯びて築き建て、ラッパを吹く者はわたしのかたわらにいた。
and the builders, every man had his sword girded by his side, and so built. And he who sounded the trumpet was by me.
19 わたしは尊い人々、つかさたち、およびその他の民に言った、「工事は大きくかつ広がっているので、われわれは城壁の上で互に遠く離れている。
And I said to the ranking men, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
20 どこででもラッパの音を聞いたなら、そこにいるわれわれの所に集まってほしい。われわれの神はわれわれのために戦われます」。
In whatever place ye hear the sound of the trumpet, gather ye there to us, our God will fight for us.
21 このようにして、われわれは工事を進めたが、半数の者は夜明けから星の出る時まで、やりを執っていた。
So we labored in the work, and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
22 その時わたしはまた民に告げて、「おのおのそのしもべと共にエルサレムの内に宿り、夜はわれわれの護衛者となり、昼は工事をするように」と言った。
Likewise at the same time I said to the people, Let each with his servant lodge within Jerusalem that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day.
23 そして、わたしも、わたしの兄弟たちも、わたしのしもべたちも、わたしを護衛する人々も、われわれのうちひとりも、その衣を脱がず、おのおの手に武器を執っていた。
So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us put off our clothes, everyone went with his weapon to the water.
