Jeremiah 40
1 [The soldiers from Babylonia] captured me and many other people from Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah. They [planned to] take us to Babylon. So they fastened chains around our wrists and took us to Ramah [town north of Jerusalem]. While we were there, I was released. [This is how it happened]:
侍衛の長ネブザラダンは、バビロンに移されるエルサレムとユダの人々のうちにエレミヤを鎖につないでおいて、これを捕えて行ったが、ついにラマで彼を釈放した。その後、主の言葉がエレミヤに臨んだ。
2 [Nebuzaradan, ] the captain of the [king’s] bodyguards, [found that I was there]. He summoned me and said to me, “Yahweh your God said that he would cause this land to experience a disaster.
侍衛の長はエレミヤを召して彼に言った、「あなたの神、主はこの所にこの災を下すと告げ示された。
3 And now he has caused it to happen. He has done just what he said [that he would do], because you people sinned against Yahweh and refused to obey him.
主はこれを下し、自ら言われたとおりに行われた。あなたがたが主に対して罪を犯し、み声に従わなかったから、この事があなたがたの上に臨んだのだ。
4 But today I am going to take the chains off your wrists and release you. If you want to come with me to Babylon, [that will be fine]. I will take care of you. But if you do not want to come with me, do not come. [Stay here]. Look, the entire country is available; you can choose whatever part you want to go to. You can go wherever you wish.” [Then he took the chains off my wrists].
見よ、わたしはきょう、あなたの手の鎖を解いてあなたを釈放する。もしあなたがわたしと一緒にバビロンへ行くのが良いと思われるなら、おいでなさい。わたしは、じゅうぶんあなたの世話をします。もしあなたがわたしと一緒にバビロンには行きたくないなら、行かなくてもよろしい。見よ、この地はみなあなたの前にあります、あなたが良いと思い、正しいと思う所に行きなさい。
5 He said, “If you [decide to] stay here, go to Gedaliah. The King of Babylon appointed him to be the governor of Judah. [You will be allowed to] stay here with the people [that he is governing]. But you can do whatever you want to.” Then Nebuzaradan gave me some food and some money, and he allowed me to go.
あなたがとどまるならば、バビロンの王がユダの町々の総督として立てたシャパンの子アヒカムの子であるゲダリヤの所へ帰り、彼と共に民のうちに住みなさい。あるいはまたあなたが正しいと思う所へ行きなさい」。こうして侍衛の長は彼に糧食と贈り物を与えて去らせた。
6 I returned to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and I stayed in Judah with the people who still remained in the land.
そこでエレミヤはミヅパへ行き、アヒカムの子ゲダリヤの所へ行って、彼と共にその地に残っている民のうちに住んだ。
7 The [Israeli] soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia] were roaming around in the countryside. Then their leaders heard someone say that the King of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah to be the governor of the very poor people [who were still in Judah], who had not been taken to Babylon.
さて野外にいた軍勢の長たちと、その配下の人々は、バビロンの王がアヒカムの子ゲダリヤを立てて、その地の総督とし、男、女、子供、および国のうちのバビロンに移されない貧しい者を彼に委託した事を聞いたので、
8 So they went [to talk] to Gedaliah at Mizpah. [Those who went included] Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai from Netophath, and Jezaniah from Maacah, and the soldiers who were with them.
ネタニヤの子イシマエルと、カレヤの子ヨハナンおよびタンホメテの子セラヤと、ネトパびとであるエパイの子たちと、マアカびとの子ヤザニヤおよびその配下の人々は、ミヅパにいるゲダリヤのもとへ行った。
9 Gedaliah solemnly promised that the soldiers from Babylonia would not harm them. He said, “Do not be afraid to do things for them. Stay [here] in this land and do things for the King of Babylon. If you do that, things will go well for you.
シャパンの子であるアヒカムの子ゲダリヤは、彼らとその配下の人々に誓って言った、「カルデヤびとに仕えることを恐れるに及ばない。この地に住んでバビロンの王に仕えるならば、あなたがたは幸福になる。
10 As for me, I will stay [here] at Mizpah to be your representative to the [officials from] Babylonia who come to [talk with] us. But you should [return to your towns, and eat the things that are produced on your land]. Harvest the grapes and the fruit [that ripen in] the (summer/hot season) and the olives, [make wine and olive oil, ] and store it.”
わたしはミヅパにいて、われわれの所に来るカルデヤびとの前に、あなたがたのために立ちましょう。あなたがたは、ぶどう酒や夏のくだもの、油を集めて、それを器にたくわえ、あなたがたの獲た町々に住みなさい」。
11 Then the Jews who had fled to Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other [nearby] countries heard people say that the King of Babylon had allowed a few people [to remain] in Judah, and that he had appointed Gedaliah to be their governor.
同じように、モアブとアンモンびとのうち、またエドムおよび他の国々にいるユダヤ人は、バビロンの王がユダに人を残したことと、シャパンの子であるアヒカムの子ゲダリヤを立ててその総督としたこととを聞いた。
12 So they [began to] return to Judah. They stopped at Mizpah to [talk with] Gedaliah. Then [they went to various places in Judea, and] they harvested a great amount of grapes and summer fruit.
そこでそのユダヤ人らはみなその追いやられたもろもろの所から帰ってきて、ユダの地のミヅパにいるゲダリヤのもとにきた。そして多くのぶどう酒と夏のくだものを集めた。
13 [Some time later, ] Johanan and all the [other] leaders of the Israeli soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia] came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.
またカレヤの子ヨハナンと、野外にいた軍勢の長たちはみなミヅパにいるゲダリヤのもとにきて、
14 They said to him, “Do you know that Baalis, the king of the Ammon [people-group], has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to assassinate you?” But Gedaliah did not believe what they said.
彼に言った、「アンモンびとの王バアリスがあなたを殺すためにネタニヤの子イシマエルをつかわしたことを知っていますか」。しかしアヒカムの子ゲダリヤは彼らの言うことを信じなかったので、
15 Later Johanan talked with Gedaliah privately. He said, “Allow me to go and murder Ishmael secretly. It would not be good [RHQ] to allow him to come and murder you! If you are killed, what will happen to all the Jews who have returned to this area? They will be scattered, and the other people who remain in Judah will all be killed!”
カレヤの子ヨハナンはミヅパでひそかにゲダリヤに言った、「わたしが行って、人に知れないように、ネタニヤの子イシマエルを殺しましょう。どうして彼があなたを殺して、あなたの周囲に集まっているユダヤ人を散らし、ユダの残った者を滅ぼしてよいでしょう」。
16 But Gedaliah said to Johanan, “[No], I will not allow you to do that. [I think that] you are lying about Ishmael.”
しかしアヒカムの子ゲダリヤはカレヤの子ヨハナンに言った、「この事をしてはならない。あなたはイシマエルについて偽りを言っているのです」。
