< 以賽亞書 10 >
Terrible things will happen to you judges who are unjust and who make unfair laws.
2 為屈枉小民的案件,剝削我窮民的權利,攘奪寡婦和劫掠孤兒的人!
You refuse to help poor people, and you do not allow them to get the things that they should get. You [allow people to] steal things from widows and do unfair things to orphans.
3 當懲罰之日,風暴由遠而近的時候,你們將怎樣應付﹖你們將向誰求助﹖你們的財寶將棄於何地﹖
When I punish you by sending people from distant lands to cause you to experience disasters, (to whom will you run to get help?/there will be no one who can help you.) [RHQ] Your valuable possessions will certainly [not be safe] [RHQ] anywhere.
4 唯有屈伏在被俘者中,倒斃在被殺者下;然而他的震怒並未因此而熄滅,他的手仍然伸著。
You will be able only to stumble along as you are taken away with other prisoners, or [else] your corpses will lie on the ground with others who have been killed. But even after that happens, Yahweh will still be very angry with you. He will still be ready to strike you again with his fist.
[Yahweh says], “Terrible things will happen to Assyria. [It is true that their army] is like a rod/club [DOU] with which I [punish other nations] because I am very angry with those nations [DOU].
6 我派遣她是為攻擊一個邪惡的百姓,我委任他是為攻擊我所憤恨的民族,為擄掠劫奪,並為蹂躪他們,有如街上的糞土。
[Sometimes] I send the armies of Assyria to attack a godless nation, to fight against [other] people who have caused me to be angry. I send them to capture people and to seize and take away their possessions, and to trample them like [SIM] people walk on mud in the streets.
7 但她並沒有這樣想,心裏也沒有這樣推測,只圖肆意破壞,剿滅不少的民族。
But the [king of Assyria] does not understand, he does not realize [that he is only like a weapon in my hand]. He wants [only] to destroy people, to get rid of many nations.
He says, ‘All of my army commanders will soon be kings [of these nations that I conquer]!
9 加耳諾不是與與加革米士一樣嗎﹖哈瑪特不是與阿爾帕得一樣嗎﹖撒瑪黎雅不是與大馬士革一樣嗎﹖
We destroyed Calno [city] like we destroyed Carchemish [city], We destroyed Hamath [city] like we destroyed Arpad [city]; we destroyed Samaria just like we destroyed Damascus.
10 我的手既然征服了這些偶像的王國--況且他們的偶像還多過耶路撒冷和撒瑪黎雅--
We were able to destroy [all] those kingdoms [that were full] of idols, kingdoms whose idols were greater than the idols in Jerusalem and Samaria.
11 難道我不能對待耶路撒冷和她的神像,有如對待了撒瑪黎雅和她的偶像嗎﹖」
So we will defeat Jerusalem and destroy the idols that are there, just like we destroyed Samaria and the idols that were there!’
12 當吾主對熙雍山和耶路撒冷完成了他的一切工作時,必要懲罰亞述王心高氣傲的功績,和他目空一切的驕傲。
[But, I, Yahweh, say that] after I [have used Assyria to] finish what I want to do to punish the people in Jerusalem [DOU], I will punish the king of Assyria because he has been very proud and arrogant/boastful [DOU].
13 因為他曾說過:「我完成了這一切,全憑我的手和我的智慧,因為我是聰明的;我撤除了各民族的界限,擄掠了他們的財寶,有如強者打倒了居於高位的人。
He says, ‘By my own great power [MTY] I have done these things. I have been able to do them because I am very wise and very intelligent. My army removed the barriers [at the borders] of nations and carried away all their valuable things. My army has knocked down their kings like [SIM] a ferocious bull would.
14 我的手奪取了列國的財富,有如取諸窩巢;我兼併了大地,有如拾取遺卵,沒有誰敢鼓翼和張口鼓噪。」
Like [MET] a farmer reaches into a bird’s nest [to take away the eggs], we have taken away the treasures of other countries [DOU]. The people were not like birds that would flap their wings or chirp loudly [to protest about their eggs being stolen]; the people did not object at all [to their treasures being stolen].’
15 斧頭豈能對用斧頭砍伐的人自豪﹖鋸豈能向拉鋸的人自誇﹖難道棍杖能揮動那舉它的人﹖木棒能舉起那不是木頭的人﹖
[But I, Yahweh, say that] an axe certainly cannot [RHQ] boast about being stronger than the person who uses it, and a saw is not greater than the person who uses it. A rod cannot control the one who holds it [RHQ], and a wooden club cannot lift up a person [RHQ]. [So the king of Assyria should not boast that he has done these things with his own wisdom and strength].
16 因此吾主,萬軍的天主,將瘦弱放在她的肥碩之中,在她的光輝之下燃起火燄,有如烈火焚燒。
And [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, will send a plague among the proud soldiers of Assyria; it will be like [MET] a fire that will kill them and get rid of their glory/wealth.
17 以色列的光將變為火,他的聖者將變為烈燄,一日間即將她的荊棘蒺藜焚燬。
[I], Yahweh, who am like [MET] a light for the people of Israel, will be the fire; [I], the Holy One, will be like a flame. [The soldiers of Assyria are like] [MET] thorns and briers, and I will burn them up in one night.
18 她的叢林和她田園的華麗,必將由內到外毀滅,有如為蟲蝕盡一樣。
There are glorious forests and fertile farmlands in Assyria, but I will completely destroy them; they will be like [SIM] a [very] sick person who shrivels up and then dies.
19 她的叢林所剩餘的樹木不多,一個兒童就能計算。
There will be very few trees left in those forests; even a child will be able to count them.”
20 到那一日,以色列的遺民和雅各伯家的逃亡者,不再依恃打擊他們的人,卻誠心依賴上主,以色列的聖者。
In the future there will be only a few people left in Israel; not many descendants of Jacob will still be alive. [But] they will no longer rely on [the king of Assyria], [the king of the nation] that tried to destroy them. Instead, they will faithfully/sincerely trust in Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel.
21 遺民必將歸回,雅各伯的遺民必將歸依強有力的天主!
Those Israelis will return to their mighty God.
22 以色列啊! 你的百姓雖然多如海沙,其中唯有殘存者得以歸回:毀滅已經決定,但是充溢著公義,
[Now], the people of Israel are as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore, but only a few of them will return [from the countries to which they were exiled]. Yahweh has decided to destroy [most of the Israelis] and that is what [he must do because he is completely] just/righteous.
23 因為吾主,萬軍的上主必在大地上執行所決定的毀滅。
[Yes, ] the Commander of the armies of angels has [already] decided to destroy the entire land [of Israel].
24 因此吾主,萬軍的上主這樣說:我的百姓,熙雍的居民!亞述雖然用木棒痛擊你,像埃及一樣,舉起棍杖敲打你,但你不必害怕,
This is what the Commander of the armies of angels says: “My people in Jerusalem, do not be afraid of the army of Assyria when they beat you with rods and clubs, like the men of Egypt did [to your ancestors long ago].
25 因為瞬息間我的怒氣即將終止,我的憤怒將轉為他們的毀滅。
Soon I will no longer be angry with you, and [then] I will be angry with the people of Assyria and destroy them!”
26 萬軍的上主將揮動刑鞭鞭打他們,有如昔日在曷勒布磐石處打擊米德楊一樣;高舉向海上伸出的棍杖,有如在埃及一樣。
The Commander of the armies of angels will whip them. He will do to them like he did when he helped Gideon [and his 300 soldiers] to defeat the [army of the] Midian people-group, and like he did when he showed his mighty power [MTY] [by causing the army of Egypt to drown] in the [Red] Sea.
27 到那日,她的重負將由你肩上卸下,她的重軛將由你頸上解除。
Some day, Yahweh will cause the army of Assyria to stop oppressing you, [his people]; he will end your suffering and your being slaves of the people of Assyria [MET]; he will take away the load that you people of Judah have been carrying, and cause things to go well for you.
28 破壞者由黎孟而來,來到阿雅特,經過米革龍,將輜重貯在米革瑪斯;
[The army of Assyria will enter northern Judah] near Aiath [town], they will go through Migron [town] and store their supplies at Micmash [town north of Jerusalem].
29 又穿過要隘,夜宿革巴。辣瑪驚慌了,撒烏耳的基貝亞逃走了。
They will cross through a mountain pass and set up their tents at Geba [town]. [People in] Ramah [town] will tremble [because of being afraid]. [The people of] Gibeah [town], where King Saul [was born], will [all] run away.
30 巴特加林!你們應大聲疾呼;拉依士!你們應該傾聽;阿納托特!你們應該回答。
You people of Gallim [town] will cry out [for help]. You will shout to [the people of] Laish [city near Jerusalem] to warn them! [The people of] Anathoth [town] will suffer a lot.
[The people of] Madmenah [town north of Jerusalem will all] be running away, and [the people of] Gebim [town close to Jerusalem] will be trying to hide.
32 在諾布暫停一天,遂即揮手指向熙雍女兒山,耶路撒冷的山崗。
The soldiers of Assyria will stop at Nob [city outside Jerusalem]. They will shake their fists [as they threaten the people] on Zion Hill in Jerusalem.
33 看啊!吾主,萬軍的上主將用斧鉞砍伐枝幹:高出的要削去,聳出的要砍低。
But listen to this! The Commander of the armies of angels with his great power will destroy [MET] the mighty army of Assyria. [It is as though they are] a huge tree [MET] that he will cut down.
34 他將用鐵斧砍伐叢林,黎巴嫩和她的壯麗必被伐倒。
He will destroy the [soldiers of Assyria] like men use big axes to cut down the tall trees in the forests of Lebanon.