そこで主なる神は、水の面に約束の地に向かって吹く激しい風を起こされた。そのために、船は追い風を受けて海の波の上を運ばれて行った。そして船は、砕ける山のような波と、激しい風によって生じたすさまじい大暴風雨のために、何度も海の深みに沈められた。エテル書６：５－６

And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, toward the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind.  And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind.  Ether 6:5-6

This scripture teaches us about the terrible trials faced by the Jaredites as they crossed the ocean to go to the promised land.  There is a good lesson in this for us.

この聖句はヤレド人が海を渡って約束の地に向かうとき経験した恐ろしい試練について教えています。この中には私たちにとって有益な教えがあります。

Think about the challenges that the Jaredites had to face.  They had left their homes and traveled for many years in the wilderness.  That must have been a very difficult experience.  

ヤレド人が立ち向かわねばならなかった幾つものチャレンジについて考えてみてください。彼らは家を捨て、荒野の中を何年も旅したのです。さぞ辛い経験だったことでしょう。

After traveling for many years and thousands of miles, they were told to build ships.  When the ships were ready, they had to put enough food in the ships to last them for one year.  They were also instructed to put their “flocks and herds” in the ships.  They had to have enough food on the ship for the animals to eat.

何年も、何千キロも旅をした後、彼らは船を作る様、指示されました。船の準備ができたら、こんどは一年間暮らせるよう食料を船に積み込まねばなりませんでした。さらに「羊と牛」を積み込むよう指示され、動物が食べるに十分な食料を用意する必要がありました。

Living inside the ships must have been very difficult.  It must have been very crowded, with all the people and all the animals.  There was only a small light in each of the ships, so it was probably a little dark.  And with that many people and animals living is such a small space, it must have been very stinky.

船の中で生活することはとても困難だったに違いありません。人や動物で混雑していたに違いありません。それぞれの船には小さな光しかなく、少し暗かったことでしょう。そしてそのような狭い場所で人と動物が共に暮らすことで非常に臭かったに違いありません。

Once they were on the ocean, the Lord “caused that there should be a furious wind blow”.  If there is a strong wind blowing on the ocean, it makes big waves.  If you are in a small boat and there are big waves, it is very uncomfortable.  It says in this scripture that “they were tossed upon the waves of the sea”.  This went on for almost one full year!

ひとたび出帆すると、主は「激しい風を起こされ」ました。海の上に強いかぜが吹くと大きな波が起こります。大きな波の中で小さな船に載っているのは不快だったに違いありません。聖典では「海の波に叩きつけられ（注：日本語訳では（tossed upon）は訳されおらず（船は追い風を受けて海の波の上を運ばれて行った）と訳されています）」と書かれています。それはほぼ一年続きました。

In spite of all their trials and hardships, it says in verse 9 that they “did thank and praise the Lord all the day long”!

彼らが受けた試練や苦難にもかかわらず、第９節では「一日中感謝し主を褒め称えた」と書かれています。

I am sure that there were some who complained about the wind.  The wind made their journey very uncomfortable.  The wind made big waves, and that probably made some of the people seasick.  I am sure that some of them wished the wind would stop and the sea would be calm.

わたしはその暴風に苦情を言う者もいたと思います。その暴風が彼らの旅をとても不快なものにしました。その暴風は大波を起こし船酔いを起こした者もいたことでしょう。中には暴風が止み海が静まることを願った者もいたと思います。

But, even though the wind appeared to them to be causing their trial, it was really the wind that was taking them to the promised land.  If the Lord had stopped the wind, they would not make any progress.

しかし、暴風が発生し彼らの試練となったにしろ、実のところその暴風が彼らを約束の地へ導いたのです。もし主が暴風を抑えたならば彼らは何処へも進めなかったのです。

Our own trials may be similar to this.  What we may see as a terrible trial may actually be the thing that is helping us move toward our goals.  Without the “wind and waves” in our lives, we might not make any progress.

私たちの抱える試練もこれと似ているかもしれません。 とんでもなく大きな試練と思えるものも実のところ私たちの目標に向かって進む助けになっていることがあります。人生の「風と波」無しに私たちは何の進歩も出来ないかもしれません。

In verse 12, we are told that, after they reached the promised land, the people “did shed tears of joy”.  I am sure that they were very glad that the terrible journey had come to an end.

12節で彼らが約束の地に着いた時、人々は「喜びの涙を流した」と書かれています。　ひどい旅が終わった時彼らはとても喜んだと私は確信しています。

So it is in our own lives.  There will come a time when each of our trials will come to an end.  It may not be as soon as we would like, but the end of the trial will come.  Then we too, like the Jaredites, will shed tears of joy.  We will understand better how the “wind and waves” actually were not bad things, but were the means of helping us progress.

そうです、同じことが私たちの人生でも言えるのです。試練の終わる時が必ず来ます。私たちが期待する様にすぐ来ないかもしれませんが試練が終わる時は来ます。ヤレド人の様に私たちも喜びの涙を流すことでしょう。私たちは「風と涙」が悪いものではなく実は私たちの進歩を助ける手段であることをもっとよく理解するでしょう。

Let’s try hard this week to remember the example of the Jaredites.  Let’s try hard to remember that the “wind and waves” in our own lives may actually be helping us move forward toward our goals.  Let’s endure with patience and faith the trials of this life, looking forward to the day when we will “shed tears of joy”.

今週、ヤレド人の模範を覚えて頑張りましょう。私たちが人生で経験する「波風」は実は私たちの目標に向かう助けになっていることをよく覚えておきましょう。この世で受ける試練を信仰と忍耐を持ち、そして「喜びの涙を流す」その日を待ち望みながら耐え忍びましょう。

I know that these things are true.  I know that we are given trials to help us learn and progress.  I know that the Lord will guide us and bless us as we pass through times of “wind and waves”.  

私はこれらのことが真実だと知っています。私たちが学び、成長するよう試練が与えられることを知っています。私たちが「波風」の中を通る時、主は私たちを導き、祝福して下さることを知っています。

頑張って！

Bill Hiatt