< 耶利米書 16 >

1 上主的話傳給說:
The word of the LORD came also unto me, saying,
2 「在這地方,你不要取妻,不要有兒女,
You shall not take you a wife, neither shall you have sons or daughters in this place.
3 因為上主關於生在這地方的子女,和這境內生育他們的母親,以及生養他們的父親這樣說:
For thus says the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that brings forth them in this land;
4 「他們必死於死症,沒有人哀悼,沒有人掩埋,有如地面上的糞土。他們反為戰爭和饑荒所毀滅,他們的屍首,必成為天上飛鳥和地上野獸的食物」。
They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcasses shall be food for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
5 因為上主這樣說:「你不要進入居喪者之家,去舉哀弔唁,因為我已由這人民撤回了我的平安、慈愛和憐憫──上主的斷語──
For thus says the LORD, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor lament for them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, says the LORD, even loving kindness and mercies.
6 無論大小都要死在這地方,無人掩埋,
Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:
7 沒有人為他們舉喪,沒有人與居喪者分食喪餅,以相弔慰;沒有人與居喪或父母者飲一杯慰唁酒。
Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother.
8 有宴會的家,你 也不要進去,與他們一同坐下吃喝,
You shall not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them to eat and to drink.
9 因為萬軍的上主,以色列的天主這樣說:看,我必在你們眼前,在你們的時日內,使這地方再也聽不到歡和喜樂的聲音,新郎和新娘的聲音。
For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of delight, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.
10 當你把這一切話告訴這人民,他們必問你說:為什麼上主對我們宣佈了這一切大災禍﹖我們有什麼過犯,我們有什麼罪惡干犯了上主我們的天主﹖
And it shall come to pass, when you shall show this people all these words, and they shall say unto you, Wherefore has the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?
11 你就答應說:是因為你的祖先離棄了我──上主的斷語──跟隨了別的神祗,事奉朝拜,而背棄了我,沒有遵守我的法律。
Then shall you say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, says the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;
12 至於你們,你們作惡更甚於你的祖先;看,你們各人隨從自己頑固的惡意生活,不聽從我;
And all of you have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, all of you walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:
13 所以我必從這地上將你們驅逐,到你們和你的祖先從不認識的地方去,讓你們在那裏日夜事奉別的神祗;我再也不對你們表示憐愛。
Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that all of you know not, neither all of you nor your fathers; and there shall all of you serve other gods day and night; where I will not show you favour.
14 [為此,看,時日必將來臨──上主的斷語──人不再發誓說:領以色列子民由埃及地上來的「上主永在」,
Therefore, behold, the days come, says the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD lives, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
15 卻要說:領以色列子民由北方,並由衪驅逐他們所至的各地回來的「上主永在」;因為我必領他們回到我已賜給他們祖先的地方]。
But, The LORD lives, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands where he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.
16 看,我必派許多漁夫上主的斷語──來捕捉他們;以後,我又派許多獵人來, 8各山上,各丘陵和岩石的裂縫間,獵取他們,
Behold, I will send for many fishers, says the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.
17 因為我的眼注視他們的一切行徑,他們不能由我面前隱藏,他們的過犯在我眼前也不能隱藏。
For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.
18 我首先先要加倍報復他們的過犯和罪惡,因為他們以死屍般的偶像玷污了我的土地,使我的的基業上滿是醜惡的神像」。
And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable and abominable things.
19 上主,我的力量,我的保障,我憂患之日的避難所,萬民必從地極來到你面前說:「我們的祖先承受的只是虛假、空虛和毫無益處的事」。
O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto you from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.
20 人豈能為自己製造神祗﹖凡製造的,絕不是神!
Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?
21 為此,看,我必叫他們知道,這此我必叫他們體驗我的手和我的能力,使他們知道我的名字是「上主」。
Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The LORD.

< 耶利米書 16 >