耶利米書 18
1 上主有話傳給耶肋米亞說：
The word that came unto Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying:
2 「起來，下到陶工家裏去，在那裏我要讓你聽到我的話」。
Arise and go down to the house of the potter, —and, there, will I cause thee to hear my words.
3 我便下到陶工家裏，見他正在輪盤上工作。
So I went down, to the house of the potter, —and there he was! making a piece of work on the wheels,
4 陶工用泥做的器皿，若在他手中壞了，他便再做，或做成另一個器皿，全隨陶工的意思去做。
Then was marred, the vessel that he was making, while yet it was clay in the hand of the potter, —so he turned and made of it another vessel, as seemed right in the eyes of the potter to make it.
5 於是上主的話傳給我說：
Then came the word of Yahweh unto me, saying:
6 「以色列家，我豈不能像這陶工一樣對待你們﹖──上主的斷語──以色列家! 看，你們在我手中，就像泥土在陶工手中一樣。
Like this potter, can I not deal with you O house of Israel? Demandeth Yahweh: Lo! as clay in the hand of the potter, So, are, ye, in my hand O house of Israel.
7 我一時可對一個民族，或如同國家，決意要拔除，要毀壞，要消滅；
The moment I speak, concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, —to pull up and to break down, and to destroy;
8 但是我要打擊的民族，若離棄自己的邪惡，我也反悔，不再給他降原定的災禍。
and that nation return from its wickedness against whom I have spoken, then will I repent concerning the calamity which I had devised to bring upon it.
9 或者，我一時想對一個民族或一個國家，決意要建設，要栽培，
And, the moment I speak, concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, —to build and to plant;
10 但若她行我不喜歡的事，不聽從我的聲音，我也要反悔，不再給她許過的恩惠。
and it commit wickedness in mine eyes, in not hearkening unto my voice, then will I repent concerning the good wherewith I had said I would do it good.
11 現在你可告訴猶大人和耶路撒冷的居民說：上主這樣說：看，我已給你們安排了災禍，定了懲罰你們的計劃，希望你們每人離棄自己的邪道，改善自己的途徑和作為」。
Now, therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the men of Judah and concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, Thus, saith Yahweh, —Lo! I am fashioning against you calamity, and devising against you, a device, —Return I pray you every man from his wicked way, And amend your ways and your doings.
12 他們反倒答說：「已沒有希望弓! 因為我們願隨從自己的計謀，各按自己頑固的惡意行事」。
And, since they will say, Hopeless! For after our own devices, will we walk, And, every one, the stubbornness of his own wicked heart, will we do!
13 為此上主這樣說：「你們可到各民族去詢問：有誰聽到了像這樣的事﹖以色列處女做出了極可憎的事。
Therefore, Thus saith Yahweh, Ask I pray you among the nations, —Who hath heard such things as these? A very horrible thing, hath, the virgin, Israel done!
14 黎巴嫩山巔的巖石豈能缺少積雪﹖叢山間湧流的冰泉，豈能涸竭﹖
Shall the snow of Lebanon, fail from the rock of the field? Or shall waters from afar, deep, overflowing, be dried up?
15 但我的人民卻忘掉了我，向「虛無」獻香，滑出了自己的正道，離開舊日的行徑，而走上了小道，不平坦的路，
Yet my people have forgotten me, Unto vanity, have they been burning incense; And it hath caused them to stumble In their ways The roads of age-past times, To walk in by-paths—A way not cast up.
16 使自己的地域變為驚愕的原因，取笑的目標；凡經過這 中2 的人，莫不驚異搖首。
To make their land a desolation The hissings of age-abiding times, —Every one that passeth by her, shall be astonished and wag his head.
17 我必像一陳東風在敵人面前將他們吹散；在他們滅亡之日，我必使你們只見我背，不見我面」。
Like an east wind, will I scatter them before the enemy, —The back and not the face, will I let them see in the day of their distress.
18 他們說：「來，我們合謀陷害耶肋米亞! 因為沒有司祭，法律不會因此廢止；沒有智者，計謀不會因此缺乏；沒有先知，神諭不會因此斷絕。來，我們用舌頭評擊他，不注意他的一切 勸告」。
Then said they, —Come ye and let us devise against Jeremiah devices, For the law shall not perish from the priest, Nor, counsel, from the wise, Nor, the word from the prophet: Come and let as smite him with the tongue, And let us not give ear to any of his words!
19 上主，願你俯聽我，請聽我敵人的聲明。
Give thou ear O Yahweh unto me, —And hearken unto the voice of mine accusers.
20 難道該以怨報德嗎﹖他們竟掘下陷阱來陷害我的生命! 望你記憶：我曾在你面前為他們求情，替他們挽回你的盛怒。
Shall, evil, be recompensed for good? For they have digged a pit for my life, —Remember how I stood before thee To speak in their behalf what was good! To turn back thine indignation from them.
21 為此，你應使他們的子女遭受饑荒，任人屠殺；使他們的婦女喪予居寡，使他們的男人死於瘟疫，使他們的青年在戰埸上死於刀下。
Therefore, give thou up their sons to the famine And deliver them into the hands of the sword, And let their, wives, become, childless and widows, And let, their men, be slain by death, Their young men be smitten by the sword in battle.
22 當你引匪隊突擊他們時，願從他們的屋裏可聽到哭聲，因為他們掘了陷阱捕捉我，在我腳下設下羅網。
Let there be heard a cry out of their houses, When thou shalt bring in upon them a troop, suddenly, —Because they digged a pit to capture me, And snares, did they hide for my feet.
23 如同你，上主，你知道他們對我的一切計劃是要殺害我；請你不要寬恕他們的過惡，不要由你面前抹去他們的過惡，務使他們倒仆在你面前；在你發怒時，求你報復他們。
But, thou, O Yahweh, knowest all their counsels against me to put me to death, Put thou no propitiatory-covering over their iniquity, And their sin from before thee, do not thou blot out, —But let them be overthrown before thee, In the time of thine anger, deal thou effectively with them.
