新共同 イザ 44:9-23

44:9 偶像を形づくる者は皆、無力で／彼らが慕うものも役に立たない。彼ら自身が証人だ。見ることも、知ることもなく、恥を受ける。

44:10 無力な神を造り／役に立たない偶像を鋳る者はすべて

44:11 その仲間と共に恥を受ける。職人も皆、人間にすぎず／皆集まって立ち、恐れ、恥を受ける。

44:12 鉄工は金槌と炭火を使って仕事をする。槌でたたいて形を造り、強い腕を振るって働くが／飢えれば力も減り、水を飲まなければ疲れる。

44:13 木工は寸法を計り、石筆で図を描き／のみで削り、コンパスで図を描き／人の形に似せ、人間の美しさに似せて作り／神殿に置く。

44:14 彼は林の中で力を尽くし／樅を切り、柏や樫の木を選び／また、樅の木を植え、雨が育てるのを待つ。

44:15 木は薪になるもの。人はその一部を取って体を温め／一部を燃やしてパンを焼き／その木で神を造ってそれにひれ伏し／木像に仕立ててそれを拝むのか。

44:16 また、木材の半分を燃やして火にし／肉を食べようとしてその半分の上であぶり／食べ飽きて身が温まると／「ああ、温かい、炎が見える」などと言う。

44:17 残りの木で神を、自分のための偶像を造り／ひれ伏して拝み、祈って言う。「お救いください、あなたはわたしの神」と。

44:18 彼らは悟ることもなく、理解することもない。目はふさがれていて見えず／心もふさがれていて、目覚めることはない。

44:19 反省することもなく、知識も英知もなく／「わたしは半分を燃やして火にし／その炭火でパンを焼き、肉をあぶって食べた。残りの木で忌むべきものを造ったり／木の切れ端を拝んだりできようか」とは言わない。

44:20 彼は灰を食らい／惑わされた心は、その道を誤らせる。彼は自分の魂を救うことができず／「わたしの右の手にあるのは偽りではないか」とすら言わない。

◆イスラエルの贖い

44:21 思い起こせ、ヤコブよ／イスラエルよ、あなたはわたしの僕。わたしはあなたを形づくり、わたしの僕とした。イスラエルよ、わたしを忘れてはならない。

44:22 わたしはあなたの背きを雲のように／罪を霧のように吹き払った。わたしに立ち帰れ、わたしはあなたを贖った。

44:23 天よ、喜び歌え、主のなさったことを。地の底よ、喜びの叫びをあげよ。山々も、森とその木々も歓声をあげよ。主はヤコブを贖い／イスラエルによって輝きを現された。

ＴＥＶ イザ 44:9-23

44:9 All those who make idols are worthless, and the gods they prize so highly are useless. Those who worship these gods are blind and ignorant-and they will be disgraced.

44:10 It does no good to make a metal image to worship as a god!

44:11 Everyone who worships it will be humiliated. The people who make idols are human beings and nothing more. Let them come and stand trial-they will be terrified and will suffer disgrace.

44:12 The metalworker takes a piece of metal and works with it over a fire. His strong arm swings a hammer to pound the metal into shape. As he works, he gets hungry, thirsty, and tired.

44:13 The carpenter measures the wood. He outlines a figure with chalk, carves it out with his tools, and makes it in the form of a man, a handsome human figure, to be placed in his house.

44:14 He might cut down cedars to use, or choose oak or cypress wood from the forest. Or he might plant a laurel tree and wait for the rain to make it grow.

44:15 A person uses part of a tree for fuel and part of it for making an idol. With one part he builds a fire to warm himself and bake bread; with the other part he makes a god and worships it.

44:16 With some of the wood he makes a fire; he roasts meat, eats it, and is satisfied. He warms himself and says, "How nice and warm! What a beautiful fire!"

44:17 The rest of the wood he makes into an idol, and then he bows down and worships it. He prays to it and says, "You are my god-save me!"

44:18 Such people are too stupid to know what they are doing. They close their eyes and their minds to the truth.

44:19 The maker of idols hasn't the wit or the sense to say, "Some of the wood I burned up. I baked some bread on the coals, and I roasted meat and ate it. And the rest of the wood I made into an idol. Here I am bowing down to a block of wood!"

44:20 It makes as much sense as eating ashes. His foolish ideas have so misled him that he is beyond help. He won't admit to himself that the idol he holds in his hand is not a god at all.

44:21 The Lord says, /"Israel, remember this; /remember that you are my servant. /I created you to be my servant, /and I will never forget you.

44:22 I have swept your sins away like a cloud. /Come back to me; I am the one who saves you."

44:23 Shout for joy, you heavens! /Shout, deep places of the earth! /Shout for joy, mountains, and every tree of the forest! /The Lord has shown his greatness /by saving his people Israel.