¹ サムエルはイスラエルの人々に言った、「見よ、わたしは、あなたがたの言葉に聞き従って、あなたがたの上に王を立てた。

² 見よ王は今、あなたがたの前に歩む。わたしは年老いて髪は白くなった。わたしの子らもあなたがたと共にいる。わたしは若い時から、きょうまで、あなたがたの前に歩んだ。

³ わたしはここにいる。主の前と、その油そそがれた者の前に、わたしを訴えよ。わたしが、だれの牛を取ったか。だれのろばを取ったか。だれを欺いたか。だれをしえたげたか。だれの手から、まいないを取って、自分の目をくらましたか。もしそのようなことがあれば、わたしはそれを、あなたがたに償おう」。

⁴ 彼らは言った、「あなたは、われわれを欺いたことも、しえたげたこともありません。また人の手から何も取ったことはありません」。

⁵ サムエルは彼らに言った、「あなたがたが、わたしの手のうちに、なんの不正をも見いださないことを、主はあなたがたにあかしされる。その油そそがれた者も、きょうそれをあかしする」。彼らは言った、「あかしされます」。

⁶ サムエルは民に言った、「モーセとアロンを立てて、あなたがたの先祖をエジプトの地から導き出された主が証人です。

⁷ それゆえ、あなたがたは今、立ちなさい。わたしは主が、あなたがたとあなたがたの先祖のために行われたすべての救のわざについて、主の前に、あなたがたと論じよう。

⁸ ヤコブがエジプトに行って、エジプトびとが、彼らを、しえたげた時、あなたがたの先祖は主に呼ばわったので、主はモーセとアロンをつかわされた。そこで彼らは、あなたがたの先祖をエジプトから導き出して、この所に住まわせた。

⁹ しかし、彼らがその神、主を忘れたので、主は彼らをハゾルの王ヤビンの軍の長シセラの手に渡し、またペリシテびとの手とモアブの王の手にわたされた。そこで彼らがイスラエルを攻めたので、

¹⁰ 民は主に呼ばわって言った、『われわれは主を捨て、バアルとアシタロテに仕えて、罪を犯しました。今、われわれを敵の手から救い出してください。われわれはあなたに仕えます』。

¹¹ 主はエルバアルとバラクとエフタとサムエルをつかわして、あなたがたを周囲の敵の手から救い出されたので、あなたがたは安らかに住むことができた。

¹² ところが、アンモンびとの王ナハシが攻めてくるのを見たとき、あなたがたの神、主があなたがたの王であるのに、あなたがたはわたしに、『いいえ、われわれを治める王がなければならない』と言った。

¹³ それゆえ、今あなたがたの選んだ王、あなたがたが求めた王を見なさい。主はあなたがたの上に王を立てられた。

¹⁴ もし、あなたがたが主を恐れ、主に仕えて、その声に聞き従い、主の戒めにそむかず、あなたがたも、あなたがたを治める王も共に、あなたがたの神、主に従うならば、それで良い。

¹⁵ しかし、もしあなたがたが主の声に聞き従わず、主の戒めにそむくならば、主の手は、あなたがたとあなたがたの王を攻めるであろう。

¹⁶ それゆえ、今、あなたがたは立って、主が、あなたがたの目の前で行われる、この大いなる事を見なさい。

¹⁷ きょうは小麦刈の時ではないか。わたしは主に呼ばわるであろう。そのとき主は雷と雨を下して、あなたがたが王を求めて、主の前に犯した罪の大いなることを見させ、また知らせられるであろう」。

¹⁸ そしてサムエルが主に呼ばわったので、主はその日、雷と雨を下された。民は皆ひじょうに主とサムエルとを恐れた。

¹⁹ 民はみなサムエルに言った、「しもべらのために、あなたの神、主に祈って、われわれの死なないようにしてください。われわれは、もろもろの罪を犯した上に、また王を求めて、悪を加えました」。

²⁰ サムエルは民に言った、「恐れることはない。あなたがたは、このすべての悪をおこなった。しかし主に従うことをやめず、心をつくして主に仕えなさい。

²¹ むなしい物に迷って行ってはならない。それは、あなたがたを助けることも救うこともできないむなしいものだからである。

²² 主は、その大いなる名のゆえに、その民を捨てられないであろう。主が、あなたがたを自分の民とすることを良しとされるからである。

²³ また、わたしは、あなたがたのために祈ることをやめて主に罪を犯すことは、けっしてしないであろう。わたしはまた良い、正しい道を、あなたがたに教えるであろう。

²⁴ あなたがたは、ただ主を恐れ、心をつくして、誠実に主に仕えなければならない。そして主がどんなに大きいことをあなたがたのためにされたかを考えなければならない。

²⁵ しかし、あなたがたが、なおも悪を行うならば、あなたがたも、あなたがたの王も、共に滅ぼされるであろう」。

¹ The word of Yahweh came to me again, saying,

² What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?

³ As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, you shall not have [occasion] any more to use this proverb in Israel.

⁴ Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins, he shall die.

⁵ But if a man is just, and does that which is lawful and right,

⁶ and has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither has defiled his neighbor's wife, neither has come near to a woman in her impurity,

⁷ and has not wronged any, but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has taken nothing by robbery, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;

⁸ he who has not given forth on interest, neither has taken any increase, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,

⁹ has walked in my statutes, and has kept my ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, says the Lord Yahweh.

¹⁰ If he fathers a son who is a robber, a shedder of blood, and who does any one of these things,

¹¹ and who does not any of those [duties], but even has eaten on the mountains, and defiled his neighbor's wife,

¹² has wronged the poor and needy, has taken by robbery, has not restored the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols, has committed abomination,

¹³ has given forth on interest, and has taken increase; shall he then live? he shall not live: he has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be on him.

¹⁴ Now, behold, if he fathers a son, who sees all his father's sins, which he has done, and fears, and does not such like;

¹⁵ who has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor's wife,

¹⁶ neither has wronged any, has not taken anything to pledge, neither has taken by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;

¹⁷ who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, who has not received interest nor increase, has executed my ordinances, has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.

¹⁸ As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he shall die in his iniquity.

¹⁹ Yet you say, Why doesn't the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he shall surely live.

²⁰ The soul who sins, he shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.

²¹ But if the wicked turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

²² None of his transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him: in his righteousness that he has done he shall live.

²³ Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord Yahweh; and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?

²⁴ But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered: in his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die.

²⁵ Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren't your ways unequal?

²⁶ When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies therein; in his iniquity that he has done shall he die.

²⁷ Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

²⁸ Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

²⁹ Yet says the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. house of Israel, are not my ways equal? Aren't your ways unequal?

³⁰ Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways, says the Lord Yahweh. Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

³¹ Cast away from you all your transgressions, in which you have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, house of Israel?

³² For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies, says the Lord Yahweh: therefore turn yourselves, and live.