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エレミヤ、畑を買う
1ネブカデネザル王の第十八年に当たる、ユダ王国のゼデキヤ王の第十年に、主からエレミヤに次のことばがありました。
2そのころ、エレミヤは王宮の地下牢に閉じ込められており、バビロンの軍隊はエルサレムを包囲していました。 3ゼデキヤ王が彼をそこに閉じ込めたのは、彼があくまで、エルサレムはバビロンの王に占領され、 4ゼデキヤ王も捕まり、捕虜としてバビロンの王の前に連れ出され、さばかれると預言し続けたからです。 5「彼は王をバビロンへ連れて行き、死ぬまで牢に入れておきます。どうして、この事実を素直に認めないのですか。勝てるはずがありません。今、降伏しなさい。」エレミヤは何度も言いました。
6-7その時、主からエレミヤに次のことばがありました。「まもなく、シャルムの子ハナムエルが来て、アナトテにある畑を買ってほしいと頼む。おまえはいとこなので、法律によって、それを買う優先権があるからだ。」 8ハナムエルは、そのとおり、牢にいるエレミヤを訪ね、こう頼みました。「ベニヤミンの地のアナトテにある、私の畑を買ってくれないか。法律によって、君にそれを買う優先権があるのだ。」私は、彼の言うことが間違いなく主から出たことを知りました。 9私は畑を買い、ハナムエルに銀貨十七枚を払いました。 10証人の前で契約書に署名したうえで封印し、支払いをすませたのです。 11それから、さまざまの規約を記した封印された証書と、封印されていない写しを受け取り、 12いとこのハナムエルと証書に署名した証人との前で、看守に見守られながら、その証書をマフセヤの子ネリヤの子であるバルクに渡しました。 13それから、全員の聞いている前でこう指示しました。 14「イスラエルの神である天の軍勢の主の命令です。『封印してある証書と封印のない写しを、つぼに入れて長く保管しておきなさい。 15やがてこの証書に価値の出る時がくる。そのうちに必ず、人々は再びこの国に土地を持ち、家やぶどう園や畑を売り買いするようになる。』」
16証書をバルクに渡すと、私は祈りました。 17「ああ神よ。あなたは大きな力をもって天と地をお造りました。あなたにとって、難しいことは何一つありません。 18あなたは愛と恵みに満ちたお方です。しかし、父親が罪を犯したら、その子どもを苦しめるお方でもあります。偉大な全能の神、天の軍勢の主です。 19あらゆる知恵をたくわえ、目をみはる大きな奇跡を行います。神の視線は人のすべての道に注がれており、それぞれの生き方と行為に従って、一人一人に報いるのです。 20あなたはエジプトでは、信じられないようなことを行いました。それらはみな、今日も私たちの記憶に残っています。しかもあなたは、イスラエルばかりか全世界で、今も大きな奇跡を行い続けています。こうして、ご自分の名を今日のように偉大なものとしました。 21神は、目をみはる奇跡と、大きな力、大きな恐れをもって、イスラエル人をエジプトから連れ出しました。 22ずっと以前に先祖に約束したこの国をお与えになりました。まことにそれは、乳とみつの流れる地です。 23私たちの先祖はこの地を占領し、ここに住みつくようになりました。ところが、彼らは神に従わず、神のおきてを守りませんでした。神に命じられたことを、一つも行おうとしませんでした。だからこそ、この恐ろしい災いが下ったのです。 24ごらんください。町の城壁沿いに、とりでが築き上げられました。バビロニヤ人がこの町を、剣とききんと疫病によって攻め取ろうとしています。何もかも、おことばのとおりになりました。 25まもなくこの町が敵の手に渡るというのに、神は私に、畑を買い、証人たちの前で大金を払うようにお命じになるのです。」
26すると、エレミヤにこのようなことばがありました。 27「わたしは、全人類の神、主だ。わたしにとって、不可能なことは一つもない。 28わたしは必ず、この町をバビロニヤ人とバビロンのネブカデネザル王の手に渡す。彼がここを占領する。 29また、今城壁の外にいるバビロニヤ人は、市内に侵入して町に火をつける。屋上で香をたき、ほかの神々にぶどう酒を注いで、わたしの激しい怒りを買う原因となった家々を焼き払う。 30イスラエルとユダは、若いころから悪いことばかりしてきた。彼らは、ありとあらゆる悪でわたしを激怒させた。 31この町は、建てられた時から今日まで、わたしを怒らせることばかりしてきた。だから、わたしはこの町を滅ぼす。 32イスラエルとユダの罪が、わたしを怒らせる。 33彼らはわたしに背いたまま、いっこうに立ち返ろうとしない。わたしは毎年、くる日もくる日も正しいことと悪いことの区別を教えたのに、彼らは聞こうとも、言いつけを守ろうともしない。 34神殿の中でさえ憎むべき偶像を拝み、そこを汚した。 35それでも足りず、ヒノムの谷にバアルの高い祭壇を築いた。そして自分の子どもを焼き、モレクへのいけにえとした。こんなことは、命じた覚えもなければ、考えもしなかったことだ。ユダに大きな罪を犯させる原因となったこの罪は、けたはずれに大きなものだ。 36だから今、イスラエルの神であるわたしは、この町が戦争とききんと疫病によってバビロン王の手に落ちると断言する。 37しかしわたしは、わたしの民を、憤って散らした国々から連れ戻す。この町に連れ帰って、安らかに住まわせる。 38こうして彼らはわたしの民となり、わたしは彼らの神となる。 39また、わたしは彼らと彼らの子孫のためを考えて、彼らに、わたしを永久にあがめる心と思いを与える。 40わたしは、二度と彼らを見限ることはなく、恵みだけを与える約束として、彼らと永遠の契約を結ぶ。彼らの心に、わたしを礼拝しようという願いを入れるので、どんなことがあってもわたしから離れなくなる。 41わたしは心から喜んで彼らを幸福にし、再びこの地に植える。
42これらの恐怖と災いを送ったように、その時は、約束したすべての祝福を注ぐ。 43今はバビロニヤ人に荒らされ、人も家畜も姿を消したこの国で、再び畑が売買されるようになる。 44ベニヤミンの地でも、エルサレムでも、ユダの町々でも、山地でも、平野でも、ネゲブでも、もう一度、証書に署名し、封印し、証人を立てて畑を売買するようになる。わたしは必ず、土地を彼らに返すからだ。」
Jeremiah Buys a Field
1A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. It came in the 10th year that Zedekiah was king of Judah. It was in the 18th year of the rule of Nebuchadnezzar. 2The armies of the king of Babylon were getting ready to attack Jerusalem. Jeremiah the prophet was being held as a prisoner. He was kept in the courtyard of the guard. It was part of Judah’s royal palace.
3Zedekiah, the king of Judah, had made Jeremiah a prisoner there. Zedekiah had said to him, “Why do you prophesy as you do? You say, ‘The Lord says, “I am about to hand over this city to the king of Babylon. He will capture it. 4Zedekiah, the king of Judah, will not escape from the powerful hands of the armies of Babylon. He will certainly be handed over to the king of Babylon. Zedekiah will speak with him face to face. He will see him with his own eyes. 5Nebuchadnezzar will take Zedekiah to Babylon. Zedekiah will remain there until I deal with him,” announces the Lord. “Suppose you fight against the armies of Babylon. If you do, you will not succeed.” ’ ”
6Jeremiah said, “A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 7‘Hanamel is going to come to you. He is the son of your uncle Shallum. Hanamel will say, “Buy my field at Anathoth. You are my closest relative. So it’s your right and duty to buy it.” ’
8“Then my cousin Hanamel came to me. I was in the courtyard of the guard. It happened just as the Lord had said it would. Hanamel said, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth. It is in the territory of Benjamin. It is your right to buy it and own it. So buy it for yourself.’
“I knew that this was the Lord’s message. 9So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel. I weighed out seven ounces of silver for him. 10I signed and sealed the deed of purchase. I had some people witness everything. And I weighed out the silver on the scales. 11There were two copies of the deed. One was sealed and the other wasn’t. The deed included the terms and conditions of the sale. 12I gave Baruch the copies of the deed. My cousin Hanamel saw me do this. The witnesses who had signed the deed were there too. So were all the Jews who were sitting in the courtyard of the guard. Baruch was the son of Neriah. Neriah was the son of Mahseiah.
13“I gave Baruch directions in front of all of them. I said, 14‘The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, “Take this deed of purchase. Take the sealed and unsealed copies. Put them in a clay jar. Then they will last a long time.” 15The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, “Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.” ’
16“I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch, the son of Neriah. Then I prayed to the Lord. I said,
17“ ‘Lord and King, you have reached out your great and powerful arm. You have made the heavens and the earth. Nothing is too hard for you. 18You show your love to thousands of people. But you cause the sins of parents to affect even their children. Great and powerful God, your name is the Lord Who Rules Over All. 19Your purposes are great. Your acts are mighty. Your eyes see everything people do. You reward each one of them in keeping with their conduct. You do this based on what they have done. 20You performed signs and wonders in Egypt. And you have continued to do them to this day. You have done them in Israel and among all people. You are still known for doing them. 21You brought your people Israel out of Egypt. You did it with signs and wonders. You reached out your mighty hand and powerful arm. You did great and wonderful things. 22You gave Israel this land that you promised to their people of long ago. It is a land that has plenty of milk and honey. 23Israel came in and took it over. But they did not obey you. They didn’t follow your law. They didn’t do what you commanded them to do. So you brought all this trouble on them.
24“ ‘See how ramps are built up against Jerusalem’s walls to attack it. The city will be handed over to the armies of Babylon. They are attacking it. It will fall because of war, hunger and plague. What you said would happen is now happening, as you can see. 25Lord and King, the city will be handed over to the armies of Babylon. In spite of that, you tell me to buy a field. You say, “Pay for it with silver. And have the sale witnessed.” ’ ”
26Then a message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. The Lord said, 27“I am the Lord. I am the God of all people. Is anything too hard for me?” 28So the Lord says, “I am about to hand this city over to the armies of Babylon. I will give it to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. He will capture it. 29The armies of Babylon are now attacking this city. They will come in and set it on fire. They will burn it down. They will burn down the houses where the people made me very angry. They burned incense on their roofs to the god named Baal. And they poured out drink offerings to other gods.
30“The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my eyes. They have done it since the nation was young. In fact, they have done nothing but make me very angry. They have worshiped statues of gods their own hands have made,” announces the Lord. 31“This city has always stirred up my great anger. It has done it since the day it was built. Now I must remove it from my sight. 32The people of Israel and Judah have made me very angry. They have done many evil things. They, their kings and officials have sinned. So have their priests and prophets. And the people of Judah and Jerusalem have also sinned. 33They turned their backs to me. They would not face me. I taught them again and again. But they would not listen or pay attention when they were corrected. 34They set up the hateful statues of their gods. They did it in the house where I have put my Name. They made my house ‘unclean.’ 35The people built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. That is where they sacrifice their children to Molek in the fire. That is something I did not command. It did not even enter my mind. They did something I hate. They made Judah sin.”
36Here is what you people of Judah are saying about this city. “By war, hunger and plague it will be handed over to the king of Babylon.” But here is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says. 37“You can be sure that I will gather my people again. I will send them away when my burning anger blazes out against them. But I will bring them back to this place. And I will let them live in safety. 38They will be my people. And I will be their God. 39I will give them a single purpose in life. Then, they will always have respect for me. Then all will go well for them. And it will also go well for their children after them. 40I will make a covenant with them that will last forever. I promise that I will never stop doing good to them. I will cause them to respect me. Then they will never turn away from me again. 41I will take pleasure in doing good things for them. I will certainly plant them in this land. I will do these things with all my heart and soul.”
42The Lord says, “I have brought all this horrible trouble on these people. But now I will give them all the good things I have promised them. 43Once more fields will be bought in this land. It is the land about which you now say, ‘It is a dry and empty desert. It doesn’t have any people or animals in it. It has been handed over to the armies of Babylon.’ 44Fields will be bought with silver. Deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed. That will be done in the territory of Benjamin. It will be done in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah. It will also be done in the towns of the central hill country. And it will be done in the towns of the western hills and the Negev Desert. I will bless their people with great success again,” announces the Lord.
