耶利米書 16
1 上主的話傳給說：
Then the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
2 「在這地方，你不要取妻，不要有兒女，
“You shall not take 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 the LORD says concerning the sons and concerning the daughters who are born in this place, and concerning their mothers who bore them, and concerning their fathers who became their father 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 will die grievous deaths. They will not be lamented, neither will they be buried. They will be as dung on the surface of the ground. They will be consumed by the sword and by famine. Their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and for the animals 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 the LORD says, “Don’t enter into the house of mourning. Don’t go to lament. Don’t bemoan them, for I have taken away my peace from this people,” says the LORD, “even loving kindness and tender mercies.
6 無論大小都要死在這地方，無人掩埋，
Both great and small will die in this land. They will not be buried. Men won’t lament for them, cut themselves, or 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。
Men won’t break bread for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead. Men won’t 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 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 the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel says: “Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth 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﹖
It will happen, when you tell this people all these words, and they ask you, ‘Why 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 you shall tell them, ‘Because your fathers have forsaken me,’ says the LORD, ‘and have walked after other gods, have served them, have worshipped them, 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；
You have done evil more than your fathers, for behold, you each walk after the stubbornness of his evil heart, so that you don’t listen to 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 I will cast you out of this land into the land that you have not known, neither you nor your fathers. There you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no 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 will no more be said, ‘As the LORD lives, who 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, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the countries where he had driven them.’ I will bring them again into their land that I gave to 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 fishermen,” says the LORD, “and they will fish them up. Afterward I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain, from every hill, and out of the clefts 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 my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from my face. Their iniquity isn’t concealed from my 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」。
First I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double, because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable things, and have filled my inheritance with their abominations.”
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」。
LORD, my strength, my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the nations will come to you from the ends of the earth, and will say, “Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, vanity and things in which there is no profit.
20 人豈能為自己製造神祗﹖凡製造的，絕不是神!
Should a man make to himself gods which yet 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 cause them to know, this once I will cause them to know my hand and my might. Then they will know that my name is the LORD.”
