以賽亞書 17
1 有關大馬士革的神諭：看，大馬士革不再成為城市，將變為一堆廢墟。
A message about Damascus. Look, Damascus will cease to exist as city. Instead it will become a pile of ruins.
2 她的城邑將永被遺棄，成為羊群的牧場；牠們偃臥在那裏，無人驚擾。
The towns of Aroer will be abandoned. Flocks will live in the streets and rest there, because there won't be anyone to chase them away.
3 厄弗辣因的保壘將被撤除，大馬士革的主權將要消失，阿蘭的遺民將如以色列子民的光榮－－萬軍上主的斷語。
The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, Damascus will no longer be a kingdom, and those that are left of the Arameans will be like the lost glory of Israel, declares the Lord Almighty.
4 到那天，雅各 伯的光榮必要衰落，他肥滿的身軀必要消瘦。
At that time the glory of Jacob will fade away; he will lose his strength.
5 將如收割的人一手在抱麥稈，一手在割麥穗；又如人摘取葡萄，或在勒法因山谷採打橄欖樹，
It will look as empty as fields after reapers have harvested the grain, gathering up the grain in their arms. It will be like when people pick the heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim.
6 上面總有些殘粒剩下，或兩三粒留在樹梢，或四五個留在果樹的枝梢上－－上主，以色列的天主的斷語。
Yet there will be some left behind, like an olive tree that has been shaken—two or three ripe olives are left at the top of the tree, four or five on its lower branches, declares the Lord, the God of Israel.
7 到那天，人必仰望自己的造主，眼睛必要注視以色列的聖者。
At that time people will pay attention to their Creator and look to the Holy One of Israel.
8 再不願觀看他親手所造的祭壇；也不再顧盼他手指所製的「阿舍辣」和太陽柱。
They won't believe in the altars they built and the idols they made; they will not look to the Asherah poles or the altars of incense.
9 到那天，你的堅城，將如希威人和阿摩黎人在以色列子民前所放棄的地域，成為一片荒野，
At that time their fortified cities will be like places left to be taken over by bushes and trees, just as they were previously abandoned when the Israelites invaded. The country will become completely desolate.
10 因為你忘卻了拯救你的天主，不懷念作你避難所的磐石。為此，你雖栽種阿多尼花木，種植異鄉的枝條；
You have forgotten the God who saves you; you have not remembered the Rock who protects you. So, even though you plant beautiful plants and grow exotic vines,
11 你縱然在一日之間使你所栽種的生長，清晨使你所種植的開花，但是收穫卻消失在患難和絕望痛苦的日子中。
even though you make them grow on the day that you plant them, and have them blossom in the morning that you sow them, your harvest will heap of trouble on a day of grief and pain that cannot be cured.
12 靜聽！許多民族在喧嚷，喧嚷得有如海嘯；好多百姓在咆哮，咆哮得有如汪洋的怒號。
Disaster is coming to the many nations that growl, growling like the raging sea! Disaster is coming to the peoples who roar, roaring like thundering waters!
13 然而上主一叱責，他必飄逸遠逃，有如為颶風捲去山上的禾湝，有如旋風前的薊絮。
The nations roar like the roaring of crashing waves. But he confronts them, and they run far away, blown by the wind like chaff on the mountains, like tumbleweeds driven by a storm.
14 晚間盡是恐怖；天還未亮，已無蹤影！這是掠奪我們者的份子，搶劫我們者的命運。
Sudden terror comes in the evening! By morning, they're gone! This is what happens to those who loot us, the fate of those who plunder us.
