10
罪を告白する人々
1ふと気がつくと、神殿の前にひれ伏して涙ながらに祈り、告白をしている私エズラの回りを、男や女、子どもまでもが幾重にも取り囲み、いっしょに泣いていました。
2エラム族のエヒエルの子シェカヌヤが、まず口火を切って私に言いました。「私たちは神様に背信の罪を犯し、異教徒の女と結婚してしまいました。けれども、まだ希望はあります。 3私たちは異教徒の妻と離縁し、子どもたちも手放すと、神様の前で約束します。あなたや、神を恐れる人々のご命令に従います。律法を守り行います。 4どうか力を奮い起こし、これからどうすればよいか指示してください。何でも、おっしゃるとおりにいたします。」
5そこで私は立ち上がり、祭司、レビ人および全イスラエルの指導者に、シェカヌヤのことばどおり実行すると誓ってほしいと呼びかけました。だれもがうなずきました。 6そのあと、私は神殿のヨハナンの部屋に入り、飲食をしないで過ごしました。捕囚から帰還した人々の罪を悲しんだからです。
7-8すぐにユダとエルサレムに布告が出されました。だれでも三日以内にエルサレムに出頭すること、出頭を拒む者は財産を没収され、追放されるという内容のものでした。 9それで、三日以内の第九の月の二十日には、ユダとベニヤミンの男子は全員やって来て、神殿の広場に座りました。彼らは事の重大さと、折りからの大雨のために震えていました。 10私は立ち上がり、こう宣言しました。「異教徒の女と結婚したあなたがたは、罪を犯したのです。かつてないほど深刻な、神様の責めを受けています。 11父祖の神、主に罪を告白しなさい。そして、そのご命令どおりにしなさい。回りにいる異教徒や女たちに近寄ってはなりません。」
12すると、人々はいっせいに立ち上がりました。「おっしゃるとおりにします。 13ただ、一日、二日で処理できる事柄でもありません。大ぜいがこの罪深い事件にかかわってしまったからです。雨も激しいので、これ以上ここに立っていられませんが、 14指導者を通して、お取り調べください。異教徒の妻をめとった者は、所定の時に町の長老や判事を伴って出頭いたします。こうすれば、個々の事例に判決を下し、万事速やかに解決できます。神様の激しい御怒りも、やがて静まるでしょう。」
15異議を申し立てたのは、アサエルの子ヨナタンとティクワの子ヤフゼヤ、メシュラム、レビ人シャベタイだけでした。
16-19結局、この件は次のように処理されました。裁判官には氏族の指導者数名と私エズラが任命され、第十の月の一日から第一の月の一日まで調査を続けました。
次に挙げるのは、異教徒の女をめとった祭司の名前です。一同は妻と離縁すると誓い、罪過を認めて、雄羊をいけにえとしてささげました。
マアセヤ、エリエゼル、ヤリブ、ゲダルヤ。 20イメルの子ハナニとゼバデヤ。 21ハリムの子マアセヤ、エリヤ、シェマヤ、エヒエル、ウジヤ。 22パシュフルの子エルヨエナイ、マアセヤ、イシュマエル。ネタヌエル、エホザバデ、エルアサ。
23レビ人のうちでは、エホザバデ、シムイ。
ケリタとも呼ばれるケラヤ、ペタヘヤ、ユダ、エリエゼル。
24歌い手ではエルヤシブ。
門衛ではシャルム、テレム、ウリ。
25一般市民では、パルオシュ氏族のラムヤ、イジヤ、マルキヤ、ミヤミン、エルアザル、マルキヤ、ベナヤ。
26エラム氏族では、マタヌヤ、ゼカリヤ、エヒエル、アブディ、エレモテ、エリヤ。
27ザト氏族では、エルヨエナイ、エルヤシブ、マタヌヤ、エレモテ、ザバデ、アジザ。
28ベバイ氏族では、ヨハナン、ハナヌヤ、ザバイ、アテライ。
29バニ氏族では、メシュラム、マルク、アダヤ、ヤシュブ、シェアル、ラモテ。
30パハテ・モアブ氏族では、アデナ、ケラル、ベナヤ、マアセヤ、マタヌヤ、ベツァルエル、ビヌイ、マナセ。
31-32ハリム氏族では、エリエゼル、イシヤ、マルキヤ、シェマヤ、シメオン、ベニヤミン、マルク、シェマルヤ。
33ハシュム氏族では、マテナイ、マタタ、ザバデ、エリフェレテ、エレマイ、マナセ、シムイ。
34-42バニ氏族では、マアダイ、アムラム、ウエル、ベナヤ、ベデヤ、ケルフ、ワヌヤ、メレモテ、エルヤシブ、マタヌヤ、マテナイ、ヤアサイ、バニ、ビヌイ、シムイ、シェレムヤ、ナタン、アダヤ、マクナデバイ、シャシャイ、シャライ、アザルエル、シェレムヤ、シェマルヤ、シャルム、アマルヤ、ヨセフ。
43ネボ氏族では、エイエル、マティテヤ、ザバデ、ゼビナ、ヤダイ、ヨエル、ベナヤ。
44以上が異教徒の女をめとった者たちです。その多くが妻との間に子どもがありました。
The People Admit They Have Sinned
1Ezra was praying and admitting to God that his people had sinned. He was weeping and throwing himself down in front of the house of God. Then a large crowd of Israelites gathered around him. Men, women and children were there. They too wept bitterly. 2Shekaniah spoke to Ezra. Shekaniah was the son of Jehiel. He belonged to the family line of Elam. Shekaniah said, “We haven’t been faithful to our God. We’ve married women from the nations around us. In spite of that, there is still hope for Israel. 3So let’s make a covenant in front of our God. Let’s promise to send away all these women and their children. That’s what you have advised us to do. Those who respect our God’s commands have given us the same advice. We want to do what the Law says. 4Get up, Ezra. This matter is in your hands. Do what you need to. We will be behind you all the way. Be brave and do it.”
5So Ezra got up. He made the leading priests and Levites and all the Israelites make a promise. He made them promise they would do what Shekaniah had suggested. And they made that promise. 6Then Ezra left the house of God. He went to Jehohanan’s room. Jehohanan was the son of Eliashib. While Ezra was there, he didn’t eat any food. He didn’t drink any water. That’s because he was filled with sadness. He mourned because the people weren’t faithful to the Lord’s commands. Those people were the ones who had returned from the land of Babylon.
7Then an announcement was sent all through Judah and Jerusalem. All the people who had returned were told to gather together in Jerusalem. 8They were supposed to come there before three days had passed. If they didn’t, they would lose all their property. They would also be removed from the community of those who had returned. That’s what the officials and elders had decided.
9Before the three days were over, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered together in Jerusalem. It was the 20th day of the ninth month. They were sitting in the open area in front of the house of God. They were very upset by what they knew would happen. And they were upset because it was raining. 10Then Ezra the priest stood up. He said, “You haven’t been faithful to the Lord. You have married women from other lands. So you have added to Israel’s guilt. 11Now honor the Lord, the God of your people. Then do what he wants you to do. Separate yourselves from the nations around you. Send away your wives from other lands.”
12The whole community answered with a loud voice. They said, “You are right! We must do as you say. 13But there are a lot of people here. And it’s the rainy season. So we can’t stand outside. Besides, this matter can’t be taken care of in just a day or two. That’s because we have sinned terribly by what we’ve done. 14Our officials can act for the whole community. Have everyone in our towns who has married a woman from another land come at a certain time. Tell them to come together with the elders and judges of each town. Then our God will no longer be angry with us concerning this whole matter.” 15Only a few men opposed that. They included Jonathan and Jahzeiah. Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite joined them. Jonathan was the son of Asahel. Jahzeiah was the son of Tikvah.
16So those who had returned did what had been suggested. Ezra the priest chose some family leaders. There was one from each family group. All of them were chosen by name. They sat down to check out each case. They started on the first day of the tenth month. 17By the first day of the first month they were finished. They had handled all the cases of the men who had married women from other lands.
A List of Those Who Had Married Women From Other Lands
18Among the family lines of the priests, here are the men who had married women from other lands.
Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah
came from the family line of Joshua and his brothers. Joshua was the son of Jozadak. 19All of them made a firm promise to send their wives away. Each of these men brought a ram from his flock as a guilt offering.
20Hanani and Zebadiah
came from the family line of Immer.
21Maaseiah and Elijah
came from the family line of Harim. So did Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah.
22Elioenai, Maaseiah and Ishmael
came from the family line of Pashhur. So did Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.
23Among the Levites, here are the men who had married women from other lands.
There were Jozabad, Shimei and Kelaiah. There were also Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer. Kelaiah’s other name was Kelita.
24Eliashib
came from the musicians.
Shallum, Telem and Uri
came from the men who guarded the temple gates.
25Among the other Israelites, here are the men who had married women from other lands.
Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah and Mijamin
came from the family line of Parosh. So did Eleazar, Malkijah and Benaiah.
26Mattaniah, Zechariah and Jehiel
came from the family line of Elam. So did Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah.
27Elioenai, Eliashib and Mattaniah
came from the family line of Zattu. So did Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza.
28Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai
came from the family line of Bebai.
29Meshullam, Malluk and Adaiah
came from the family line of Bani. So did Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth.
30Adna, Kelal, Benaiah and Maaseiah
came from the family line of Pahath-Moab. So did Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh.
31Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah and Shimeon
came from the family line of Harim. 32So did Benjamin, Malluk and Shemariah.
33Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad and Eliphelet
came from the family line of Hashum. So did Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei.
34Maadai, Amram and Uel
came from the family line of Bani. 35So did Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37Mattaniah, Mattenai and Jaasu.
38Shimei
came from the family line of Binnui. 39So did Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40Maknadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.
43Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad and Zebina
came from the family line of Nebo. So did Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah.
44All these men had married women from other lands. Some of them had even had children by those wives.
