ペテロの手紙第一 2
1 然れど汝等、凡ての惡心と凡ての詐欺と表裏と妬と凡ての譏とを措きて、
Now that you have done with all malice, all deceitfulness, insincerity, jealous feelings, and all back-biting,
2 恰も生れたての嬰兒の如く、贋なき霊的の乳汁を冀へ、其、之によりて成長して救霊に至らん為なり。
like newly born infants, crave pure spiritual milk, so that you may be enabled by it to grow till you attain Salvation —
3 汝等もし主の善良に在せる事を味ひたらんには、宜しく然すべし。
since ‘you have found by experience that the Lord is kind.’
4 主は活ける石にして、人よりは棄てられしも神より選まれて尊くせられし石にて在せば、汝等之に近づき奉りて、
Come to him, then, as to a living stone, rejected, indeed, by men, but in God’s eyes choice and precious;
5 己も亦活ける石の如く、其上に立てられて霊的家屋と成り、聖なる司祭衆と成り、イエズス、キリストを以て神の御意に適へる霊的犠牲を献ぐる者と成れ。
and, as living stones, form yourselves into a spiritual House, to be a consecrated Priesthood, for the offering of spiritual sacrifices that will be acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 然れば聖書に曰はく、「看よ、我選まれたる隅の上石をシオンに置かんとす、之を信ずる人は、辱められじ」と。
For there is a passage of Scripture that runs — ‘See, I am placing in Zion a choice and precious corner-stone; And he who believes in him shall have no cause for shame.’
7 故に信じたる汝等には尊榮あれども、信ぜざる人々に取りては、建築者が棄てたる石は隅石と成り、
It is to you, then, who believe in him that he is precious, but to those who do not believe he is ‘a stone which, though rejected by the builders, has now itself become the corner-stone,’
8 躓く石、突當たる岩と成れり、是御言を信ずして躓く様置かれたればなり。
and ‘a stumbling-block, and a rock which shall prove a hindrance.’ They stumble because they do not accept the Message. This was the fate destined for them.
9 然れど汝等は選抜の人種、王的司祭衆、聖なる人民、儲けられたる國民なり。是汝等が、己を其妙なる光に暗黒より呼び給へるものの徳を告げん為にして、
But you are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, God’s own People,’ entrusted with the proclamation of the goodness of him who called you out of Darkness into his wonderful Light.
10 曾ては民たらざりしもの今は神の民と成り、憫を得ざりしもの今は憫を得たるものと成れり。
Once you were ‘not a people,’ but now you are ‘God’s People’; once you ‘had not found mercy,’ but now you ‘have found mercy.’
11 第一項 神の思召によれる社會上の制度に服すべし。 第二編 世間に於るキリスト信徒及び其重なる義務。 至愛なる者よ、魂に反して戰ふ肉慾を去らん事を、寄留人と旅人とに對する如く、我汝等に希ふ。
Dear friends, I urge you, as pilgrims and strangers upon earth, to refrain from indulging the cravings of your earthly nature, for they make war upon the soul.
12 汝等異邦人の間に在りて善き行状を守れ、是彼等をして汝等を惡人として譏る所に於ても、善業によりて汝等を重んぜしめ、訪問せらるる日に神に光榮を歸し奉らしめん為なり。
Let your daily life among the Gentiles be so upright, that, whenever they malign you as evil-doers, they may learn, as they watch, from the uprightness of your conduct, to praise God ‘at the time when he shall visit them.’
13 然れば汝等主の為に、総て人の制定したるものに服せよ、即ち主権者として帝王に服し、
Submit to all human institutions for the Lord’s sake, alike to the emperor as the supreme authority,
14 又惡人を罰して善人を賞せん為に帝王より遣はされたるものとして、凡ての官吏に服せよ。
and to governors as the men sent by him to punish evil-doers and to commend those who do right.
15 蓋汝等が善を行ひて、愚なる人々の不知を黙せしむるは神の思召なり。
For God’s will is this — that you should silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing what is right.
16 汝等自由の身なるが如くにして、自由の惡の覆と為す事なく、神の奴隷たるものの如くにせよ。
Act as free men, yet not using your freedom as those do who make it a cloak for wickedness, but as Servants of God.
17 凡ての人を敬ひ、兄弟等を愛し、神を畏れ奉り、帝王を尊べ。
Show honour to every one, Love the Brotherhood, ‘revere God, honour the emperor.’
18 奴隷たる者よ、萬事懼を以て汝等の主人に從へ、啻に善良温和なる者にのみならず、情なき者にも亦然せよ。
Those of you who are domestic servants should always be submissive and respectful to their masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are arbitrary.
19 神を意識せるが為に、不義の苦を受けて悲に堪ふるこそ御意に適へる事なれ。
For this wins God’s approval when, because conscious of God’s presence, a man who is suffering unjustly bears his troubles patiently.
20 罪を犯して打たるるを忍べばとて、何の功かあらん、善を為しつつ忍びてこれに堪ふるこそ、神の御意に適ふことなれ。
What credit can you claim when, after doing wrong, you take your punishment for it patiently? But, on the other hand, if, after doing right, you take your sufferings patiently, that does win the approval of God.
21 蓋汝等の召されたるは之が為なり、其はキリストが我等の為に苦しみ給ひしも、例を汝等に胎して御跡を慕はしめ給はん為なればなり。
For it was to this that you were called! For Christ, too, suffered — on your behalf — and left you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 彼は罪を犯し給ひし事なく、又御口に偽ありし事なし。
He ‘never sinned, nor was anything deceitful ever heard from his lips.’
23 彼は罵られて罵らず、苦しめられて威さず、唯義を以て審判し給ふ者に任せ給ひしなり。
He was abused, but he did not answer with abuse; he suffered, but he did not threaten; he entrusted himself to him whose judgments are just.
24 彼御自ら木の上にて我等の罪を身に負ひ給ひしは、是我等をして罪を離れ義に活きしめん為にして、汝等は其蒼白めたる傷痕によりて醫されたるなり。
And he ‘himself carried our sins’ in his own body to the cross, so that we might die to our sins, and live for righteousness. ‘His bruising was your healing.’
25 其は汝等曾ては迷へる羊の如くなりしかども、今は魂の牧者監督者にて在すものに立歸り奉りたればなり。
Once you were straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
