< 以賽亞書 18 >
Tragedy is coming to the land of whirring wings that lies along the rivers of Ethiopia,
2 即由海上遣發使者,在海面上乘蘆舟的:「去罷!輕快的使者!到一個高瘦膚褐的民族那裏去,到一個一向可畏的國家那裏去,到一個強大而好勝,河流橫貫其地的民族那裏去!」
They send messengers downriver in papyrus boats. Swift messengers, go and take a message to a tall and smooth-skinned people, to a people feared by everyone, to a very powerful nation of conquerors, whose land is washed away by rivers.
3 舉世的居民和住在大地上的人哪!當山上的旗幟一舉,你們要觀望;號聲一響,你們要靜聽!
All you people of the world, everyone who lives on earth—you will see when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will hear when a trumpet sounds.
4 因為上主曾對我這樣說:「我要在我的住處寧靜地觀察,彷彿日光中溫暖的熱氣,彷彿收割時炎熱中的露雲。」
For this is what the Lord has told me: I will watch quietly from where I live, quiet as heat haze in sunlight, quiet as a mistcloud in the heat of harvest.
5 因為在收割前,花苞已放;花蒂成熟結為葡萄時,他就要用鐮刀砍去嫩枝,將參差的枝蔓斬除。
For before the harvest, after the flower is gone and becomes an unripe grape, he prunes the vine with a knife to take out the shoots and branches.
6 這些枝蔓都要一律被棄捨給山中的猛禽,和地上的野獸;猛禽要在其上過夏,野獸要在其上過冬。
They will all be left as carrion for the birds of prey of the mountains, and for the wild animals. The birds will eat them in summer, and all the wild animals in winter.
7 到那時,那高瘦膚褐的民族,那一向可畏的國家,那強大而好勝,河流橫貫其地的民族,要帶禮品到熙雍山上,萬軍上主的名號的居所,獻給萬軍的上主。
At that time a gift will be brought to the Lord Almighty from a tall and smooth-skinned people, from a people feared by everyone, from a very powerful nation of conquerors, whose land is washed away by rivers. It will be brought to Mount Zion, the place identified with the Lord Almighty.