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イスラエルの解放
1その日、主は恐ろしく鋭い剣で、素早く動く蛇、
とぐろを巻いている蛇、
海の竜であるレビヤタンを殺します。
2イスラエルの解放の日、
民にこの賛歌を歌わせなさい。
3「イスラエルはわたしのぶどう園。
神であるこのわたしが、
実を結ぶぶどうの手入れをする。
毎日水をかけ、昼も夜も、
敵が近づかないように見張る。
4-5イスラエルへの怒りは、もう収まった。
いばらが彼らを煩わせているなら、
ひざまずいて赦しを求めない限り、
この私の敵を焼き払う。
6やがてイスラエルが根を張り、つぼみをつけ、
花を咲かせ、世界をその実で満たす時が来る。」
7-8神はイスラエルの敵を罰したように、
イスラエルを罰したのでしょうか。
そんなことはありません。
敵は息の根を止められました。
しかしイスラエルは、ほんの少し罰を受けただけです。
東からの嵐に吹き飛ばされるように、
遠く離れた地へ追いやられたにすぎません。
9では、なぜ神はそのようにしたのでしょう。
イスラエルの罪をきよめ、
偶像とその祭壇とを取り除くためです。
これらのものは二度と礼拝の対象にはなりません。
10城壁で囲まれた町々はひっそり静まり返り、
家は荒れ、通りには草が茂り、
牛は町をのし歩いて草を食べ、
木の枝を食べるようになります。
11私の国民は枯れ枝のように折られ、
猟師用のたきぎになります。
彼らは鈍い民で頭の回転が遅く、
思考力に欠けています。
それは神に背いているからです。
だから、彼らをお造りになった方は、
少しもあわれみをかけません。
12しかし、穀物の穂を一粒一粒拾い上げるように、
主が彼らを集め、ユーフラテス川から
エジプト国境に及ぶ、広大な打穀場から
選び分ける時がきます。
13その日、大きなラッパが鳴りわたり、
アッシリヤやエジプトで、息も絶え絶えになっている
多くのイスラエル人が救い出され、
聖なる山で主を拝むために
エルサレムへ連れ戻されます。
Israel Will Be Saved
1At that time
the Lord will punish Leviathan with his sword.
His great, powerful and deadly sword will punish
the serpent that glides through the sea.
He will kill that twisting sea monster.
2At that time the Lord will sing about his fruitful vineyard. He will say,
3“I am the Lord. I watch over my vineyard.
I water it all the time.
I guard it day and night.
I do it so no one can harm it.
4I am not angry with my vineyard.
I wish thorns and bushes would come up in it.
Then I would march out against them in battle.
I would set all of them on fire.
5So the enemies of my people should come to me for safety.
They should make peace with me.
I will say it again.
They should make peace with me.”
6In days to come, Jacob’s people will put down roots like a vine.
Israel will bud and bloom.
They will fill the whole world with fruit.
7The Lord struck down those who struck down Israel.
But he hasn’t punished Israel as much.
The Lord killed those who killed many of his people.
But he hasn’t punished his people as much.
8The Lord will use war to punish Israel.
He will make them leave their land.
With a strong blast of his anger he will drive them out.
It will be as if the east wind were blowing.
9The people of Jacob will have to pay for their sin.
Here is how they will show that their sin has been removed.
They will make all the altar stones like limestone.
They will crush them to pieces.
No poles used to worship the female god named Asherah will be left standing.
No incense altars will be left either.
10Cities that have high walls around them will become empty.
They will be settlements with no one in them.
They will be like a desert.
Calves will eat and lie down in them.
They will strip bare the branches of their trees.
11When their twigs are dry, they will be broken off.
Then women will come and make fires with them.
The people of Jacob don’t understand the Lord.
So the God who made them won’t be concerned about them.
Their Creator won’t be kind to them.
12At that time the Lord will separate Israel from other people. He will gather the Israelites together one by one. He will gather them from the Euphrates River to the Wadi of Egypt. 13At that time a loud trumpet will be blown. Those who were dying in Assyria will come and worship the Lord. So will those who were taken away to Egypt. All of them will worship the Lord on his holy mountain in Jerusalem.
