エゼキエル書 19 – JCB & NIRV

Japanese Contemporary Bible

エゼキエル書 19:1-14

19

指導者たちへの哀歌

1イスラエルの指導者たちのために哀歌を歌いなさい。

2あなたの母はなんという女だろう。

まるで雌のライオンのようで、

子どももライオンの子のようだ。

3そのうちの一頭(エホアハズ王)は

強いライオンに育ち、獲物を捕らえることを習い、

ついに人を食べるようになった。

4そこで、諸国から狩人が集められ、

そのライオンを落とし穴で捕らえると、

鎖につないでエジプトへ連れて行った。

5母ライオンであるイスラエルは、

その子への望みが絶たれたので、

残る子の中から別の一頭(エホヤキン王)を取り、

百獣の王となるように訓練した。

6それで、このライオンは仲間の指導者となり、

獲物を捕らえることを習い、

やがて人を食べるようになった。

7近隣の国々の宮殿を破壊し、町々を廃墟とし、

農地を荒らし回り、作物をだめにした。

この地の人はみな、そのうなり声を聞くと、

恐ろしさのあまり震え上がった。

8それで、諸国の軍が四方から攻め上り、

彼を落とし穴に追い込んで捕らえた。

9そして彼を檻に入れ、バビロン王の前に連れて行った。

彼は捕囚となり、その声は二度と

イスラエルの山々で聞かれなくなった。

10あなたの母はまた、

水のほとりに植えられた

ぶどうの木のようだった。

豊かな水のおかげで葉も青々と茂っていた。

11その一番強い枝が王の杖となった。

それは他のものから抜きんでて高く、

遠くからもすぐ目についた。

12だが、そのぶどうの木も憤りで根こそぎ引き抜かれ、

地に投げ捨てられた。

枝は強い東風に折られて枯れ、実も焼かれてしまった。

13今ぶどうの木は、

水のない乾ききった荒野に植えられている。

14すでに内側から枯れ始め、

強そうな枝ぶりも見られない。

この悲しい預言は、すでに現実となっている。

もう、その実現をとどめることはできない。」

New International Reader’s Version

Ezekiel 19:1-14

A Song of Sadness About Israel’s Princes

1“Sing a song of sadness about Israel’s princes. 2Say to Israel,

“ ‘You were like a mother lion to your princes.

She lay down among the lions.

She brought up her cubs.

3One of them was Jehoahaz.

He became a strong lion.

He learned to tear apart what he caught.

And he became a man-eater.

4The nations heard about him.

They trapped him in their pit.

They put hooks in his face.

And they led him away to Egypt.

5“ ‘The mother lion looked and waited.

But all her hope was gone.

So she got another one of her cubs.

She made him into a strong lion.

6He prowled with the lions.

He became very strong.

He learned to tear apart what he caught.

And he became a man-eater.

7He broke down their forts.

He completely destroyed their towns.

The land and all those who were in it

were terrified when he roared.

8Then nations came against him.

They came from all around him.

They spread out their net to catch him.

He was trapped in their pit.

9They used hooks to pull him into a cage.

They brought him to the king of Babylon.

They put him in prison.

So his roar was not heard anymore

on the mountains of Israel.

10“ ‘Israel, you were like a vine in a vineyard.

It was planted near water.

It had a lot of fruit and many branches.

There was plenty of water.

11Its branches were strong.

Each was good enough to be made into a ruler’s scepter.

The vine grew high

above all the leaves.

It stood out because it was so tall

and had so many branches.

12But Nebuchadnezzar became angry.

He pulled it up by its roots.

He threw it to the ground.

The east wind dried it up.

Its fruit was stripped off.

Its strong branches dried up.

And fire destroyed them.

13Now it is planted in the Babylonian desert.

It is in a dry and thirsty land.

14One of its main branches was Zedekiah.

Fire spread from it and burned up its fruit.

None of its branches is good enough

to be made into a ruler’s scepter.’

This is a song of sadness. And that is how it should be used.”