23
姦淫の姉妹
1再び、主からのことばが私にありました。
2-3「人の子よ、二人の姉妹のことを話そう。二人はうら若いおとめであったころ、エジプトで淫行を繰り返していた。 4-5姉はオホラ、妹はオホリバと言った。この二人とは、サマリヤとエルサレムのことだ。二人はわたしの妻となり、それぞれ息子や娘を産んだ。ところが、オホラはわたしのもとを離れて他の神々に走り、隣のアッシリヤ人を愛した。 6みな魅力的な若者で、鮮やかな青い衣を着て、さっそうと馬にまたがった司令官や隊長だったからだ。 7こうして彼女はアッシリヤのえり抜きの男たちと姦通の罪を犯し、彼らの偶像を拝んで身を汚した。 8オホラはエジプトを出てからも、みだらな心が消えていなかった。エジプト人が彼女に欲情を募らせて、その純潔を奪った、あの若いころと少しも変わっていなかったのだ。
9それでわたしは、アッシリヤの神々に夢中になっている彼女を、アッシリヤ人の邪悪な手に渡した。 10彼らは彼女を裸にして殺したうえ、その子どもたちを連れ去って奴隷にした。彼女の名は、当然の報いを受けた悪女として、女たちの語り草となった。
11妹のオホリバ（エルサレム）も、姉の身に起こったことを見ていながら、同じことをしたばかりか、さらにひどい罪を犯した。 12彼女も、堂々と軍馬にまたがった若者、りっぱな制服を着た士官であるアッシリヤ人に、手当たりしだい、だれでもよいとばかりに媚びへつらった。 13こうして妹も、姉の歩んだ道をまっしぐらに進んだ。
14-15事実、オホリバの堕落ぶりはサマリヤをはるかに上回っていた。彼女は壁にかかっている絵を見て、そのとりこになってしまったのだ。そこに描かれていたのは、バビロンの士官たちで、目の覚めるような赤い制服を着け、りっぱなベルトを締め、頭には垂れるほどのターバンを巻きつけていた。 16その絵を見ただけで、彼女は男たちにすっかり魅せられ、使者をカルデヤに遣わした。もちろん、彼らを自分のもとに招くためだ。 17彼らは来て彼女と姦淫し、恋の寝床で彼女を汚した。しかしその後、彼女は彼らをいやがるようになり、彼らのもとを離れて行った。
18わたしは、姉と同様、妹にも愛想が尽きた。この妹は、これ見よがしに裸体を彼らの前にさらけだし、彼らの情欲に身をまかせたからだ。 19-20それでもいっこうに懲りもせず、さらに淫行を重ね、エジプトで淫行をした若いころの愛人たちを思い出し、よりを戻してみだらな行為を重ねたのだ。 21こうして、エジプト人に純潔をささげた、あの若かった昔の日々をたたえているしまつだ。」
22それで今、神である主は語ります。「ああ、オホリバ。わたしは、あなたが愛想を尽かして別れたその国々を奮い立たせて、あなたに立ち向かわせる。 23見よ、バビロニヤ人が攻めて来る。ペコデやショアやコアから、すべてのカルデヤ人がやって来る。それに、馬にまたがった、アッシリヤの美しい若者、高官たちが加わっている。 24彼らは戦車や車に乗り、戦闘準備を整えた大軍を率いて、北から攻めて来る。この大軍団は四方からあなたを囲み、やりたい放題のことをする。 25わたしはあなたを断じて赦さず、恐ろしい目に会わせる。耳も鼻も切り落とされ、生き残った者も殺される。子どもたちは奴隷として連れ去られ、残った者は焼き払われる。 26美しい服や宝石もはぎ取られる。 27こうしてわたしは、エジプトから持ち込んできた、みだらな行為をやめさせる。あなたはもう二度とエジプトにあこがれたり、その神々を慕うことがない。」
28神である主は語ります。「わたしは、あなたが忌みきらう敵どもの手にあなたを必ず渡す。 29彼らは憎しみをこめてあなたを罰し、何もかも奪い取って、裸にして放り出す。こうして、淫乱の恥がすべての国々にさらされるのだ。 30それも自分で招いたことだ。外国の神々を拝み、偶像礼拝によって自分自身を汚したからだ。 31あなたは姉と同じ道をたどったので、わたしは姉を滅ぼしたのと同じ恐ろしい罰を、あなたにも下す。
32そう、姉に臨んだ恐るべきことが、あなたにも降りかかる。
姉が飲んだ杯は、あふれていた。
おまえが苦しむのを見て、
国々があざ笑うだろう。
33あなたも、姉サマリヤのように悲嘆にくれ、
酔っぱらいのようによろめき歩くようになる。
34苦しみもだえながら、
なおも恐怖の杯を最後の一滴まで飲み干すのだ。
これを語ったのはわたしだ。
35わたしを忘れ、わたしに背を向けた責任はみな、あなたが自分で負わなければならない。
36人の子よ、恐ろしい悪を重ねているエルサレムとサマリヤを非難せよ。 37彼らは姦淫と殺人の罪を犯した。偶像を拝み、わたしのために産んだ子どもたちを、偶像の祭壇にいけにえとしてささげ、焼き殺してしまったのだ。 38その同じ日にわたしの神殿を汚し、安息日を無視した。 39子どもを殺して偶像にささげておきながら、同じ日にその足で、神殿へ礼拝に来るのだから。彼らのわたしに対する態度は、こんなものでしかないのだ。
40そればかりか、遠くの国にまで使いを送り、偶像の神々に仕える祭司を招いて歓迎している。彼らの気を引こうと、おまえは体を洗い、アイシャドーを塗り、最上の宝石で身を飾った。 41豪華な寝床にいっしょに腰をかけ、その前に置いたテーブルの上に香と油とを並べた。 42あなたの部屋からは、荒くれ者や飲んだくれのばか騒ぎが聞こえてきた。彼らはあなたの腕に腕輪をはめ、頭にきらきら輝く冠をのせた。
43だれが、年老いて疲れきった娼婦を抱くだろうか。 44ところが、この男たちはそうしたのだ。恥じらいを忘れた娼婦サマリヤとエルサレムのもとへ、情欲にかられて彼らは行った。 45だが、正しい人々は、どこででも、彼女たちの正体が姦淫の女や人殺しであることを見抜き、律法に従って彼女たちを裁く。」
46神である主はこう語ります。「大軍を攻め上らせて、彼女たちを辱め、打ち砕く。 47敵兵は彼女たちを石で打ち、剣で殺し、息子や娘を虐殺し、家は火で焼き払う。 48こうして、わたしはこの地から、みだらな行為や偶像礼拝をなくす。わたしのさばきは、それを見るすべての人々に、偶像礼拝の非を悟らせるだろう。 49あなたがたは、売春や偶像礼拝の罪の報いを余すところなく受ける。その全部の罰を負わなければならない。その時、あなたがたはわたしだけが神であることを知る。」
Two adulterous sisters
1The word of the Lord came to me: 2‘Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. 3They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed. 4The elder one was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
5‘Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians – warriors 6clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. 7She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after. 8She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.
9‘Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians, for whom she lusted. 10They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women, and punishment was inflicted on her.
11‘Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister. 12She too lusted after the Assyrians – governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men. 13I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way.
14‘But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall, figures of Chaldeans23:14 Or Babylonians portrayed in red, 15with belts round their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea.23:15 Or Babylonia; also in verse 16 16As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. 17Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust. 18When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister. 19Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. 21So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.23:21 Syriac (see also verse 3); Hebrew caressed because of your young breasts
22‘Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stir up your lovers against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side – 23the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, all of them governors and commanders, chariot officers and men of high rank, all mounted on horses. 24They will come against you with weapons,23:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. chariots and wagons and with a throng of people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment, and they will punish you according to their standards. 25I will direct my jealous anger against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and daughters, and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire. 26They will also strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewellery. 27So I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore.
28‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to deliver you into the hands of those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. 29They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you stark naked, and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your lewdness and promiscuity 30have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. 31You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup into your hand.
32‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
‘You will drink your sister’s cup,
a cup large and deep;
it will bring scorn and derision,
for it holds so much.
33You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
the cup of ruin and desolation,
the cup of your sister Samaria.
34You will drink it and drain it dry
and chew on its pieces –
and you will tear your breasts.
I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.
35‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: since you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution.’
36The Lord said to me: ‘Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront them with their detestable practices, 37for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them. 38They have also done this to me: at that same time they defiled my sanctuary and desecrated my Sabbaths. 39On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house.
40‘They even sent messengers for men who came from far away, and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, applied eye makeup and put on your jewellery. 41You sat on an elegant couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed the incense and olive oil that belonged to me.
42‘The noise of a carefree crowd was around her; drunkards were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets on the wrists of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, “Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is.” 44And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah. 45But righteous judges will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood, because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.
46‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: bring a mob against them and give them over to terror and plunder. 47The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses.
48‘So I will put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you. 49You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’
