耶利米書 29
1 以上是先知耶肋米亞從耶路撒冷給被擄去的長老、司祭和先知，以及拿步高從耶路撒冷擄往巴比倫的其餘民眾寄送的書信全文──
Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the responsible men among those who had been taken away, and to the priests and the prophets and to all the rest of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken away prisoners from Jerusalem to Babylon;
2 耶苛尼雅王與太后和太監，猶大和耶路撒冷的政要、技工及鐵匠，離開耶路撒冷之後，
(After Jeconiah the king and the queen-mother and the unsexed servants and the rulers of Judah and Jerusalem and the expert workmen and the metal-workers had gone away from Jerusalem; )
3 猶大王漆德克雅派沙番的兒子厄拉撒和希則克雅的兒子革瑪黎雅以巴比倫見巴比倫王拿步高，耶肋米亞便託他們帶去──信上說：「
By the hand of Elasah, the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah, the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah, king of Judah, sent to Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, ) saying,
4 萬軍的上主，以色列的天主，向由耶路撒冷被擄往巴比倫的全體俘虜這樣說：
This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said to all those whom I have taken away prisoners from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 你們應建築房屋居住，種植田園，吃田園的出產；
Go on building houses and living in them, and planting gardens and using the fruit of them;
6 自己娶妻，生養兒女，也給自己的子女娶妻擇夫，生養兒女；在那裏繁殖，不要減少。
Take wives and have sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may have sons and daughters; and be increased in number there and do not become less.
7 在我令你們流徙所到的城裏，你們應尋求當地的平安，
And be working for the peace of the land to which I have had you taken away prisoners, and make prayer to the Lord for it: for in its peace you will have peace.
8 為當地祈禱上主，以色列的天主這樣說：不要讓你們中間的先知和卜卦師欺騙你們，不要聽信他們所作的幻夢，
For this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said: Do not let yourselves be tricked by the prophets who are among you, and the readers of signs, and give no attention to their dreams which they may have;
9 因為這些人奉我名給你們預言謊話，我並沒有派遣他們──上主的斷語──
For they are saying to you what is false in my name: I have not sent them, says the Lord.
10 上主只這樣說：巴比倫的七十年期限一滿，我必首顧你們，給你們履行我的諾言，領你們回到這地方。
For this is what the Lord has said: When seventy years are ended for Babylon, I will have pity on you and give effect to my good purpose for you, causing you to come back to this place.
11 誠然，我知道我對你們所懷的計劃──上主的斷語──是和平而不是災禍的計劃，令你們有前途，有希望。
For I am conscious of my thoughts about you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you hope at the end.
12 那時你呼求我，前來懇求我，我必俯聽；
And you will go on crying to me and making prayer to me, and I will give ear to you.
13 尋找我，必找到我，因為你們是全心尋求我。
And you will be searching for me and I will be there, when you have gone after me with all your heart.
14 我必將我自己顯示給你們──上主的斷語──轉變你們的命運：從我驅逐你們所至的各國各地召集你們──上主的斷語──領你們回到我以前使你們從那裏被擄去的地方。
I will be near you again, says the Lord, and your fate will be changed, and I will get you together from all the nations and from all the places where I had sent you away, says the Lord; and I will take you back again to the place from which I sent you away prisoners.
15 因為上主論及坐在達味寶座上的君王，和住在這城裏的全體人民，即沒有與你們同去充軍的兄弟，這樣說：
For you have said, The Lord has given us prophets in Babylon.
16 萬軍的上主這樣說：看，我必給他們招來戰爭、饑饉和瘟疫，使他們有如壞得不可吃的爛無花果，
For this is what the Lord has said about the king who is seated on the seat of David's kingdom, and about all the people living in this town, your countrymen who have not gone out with you as prisoners;
17 以戰爭、饑饉和瘟疫窮迫他們，使他們在地上各國遭受虐待，在我驅逐他們所到的各民族中，成為咒罵、驚恐、嘲笑、詛咒的對象，
This is what the Lord of armies has said: See, I will send on them the sword and need of food and disease, and will make them like bad figs, which are of no use for food, they are so bad.
18 因為他們沒有聽從我的話──上主的斷語──我不斷給他們派遣我的僕人先知，他們卻沒有聽從──上主的斷語──
I will go after them, attacking them with the sword and with need of food and with disease, and will make them a cause of fear to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse and a wonder and a surprise and a name of shame among all the nations where I have sent them:
19 至於你們，這些我由耶路撒冷遷往巴比倫的全體俘虜，你應該聽從上主的話。
Because they have not given ear to my words, says the Lord, when I sent to them my servants the prophets, getting up early and sending them; but you did not give ear, says the Lord.
20 也許你們要說：上主在巴比倫給我們興起一些先知。
And now, give ear to the word of the Lord, all you whom I have sent away prisoners from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21 但萬軍的上主，以色列的天主，論及奉我名給你們預言謊話的科拉雅的兒子阿哈布，和瑪阿色雅的兒子漆德克雅這樣說：看，我必將他們交在巴比倫王拿步高的手中，在你們面前將他們處決；
This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said about Ahab, the son of Kolaiah, and about Zedekiah, the son of Maaseiah, who are saying to you what is false in my name: See, I will give them up into the hands of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, and he will put them to death before your eyes.
22 在巴比倫的一切猶大俘虜，必拿他們當詛咒說：願上主使你像巴比倫王用火烙死的漆德克雅和阿哈布!
And their fate will be used as a curse by all the prisoners of Judah who are in Babylon, who will say, May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, who were burned in the fire by the king of Babylon;
23 因為他們在以色列中間行了敗德的事：姦污人的妻子，妄用我的名字，說我沒有吩咐的話；這是我知道的，我就是見證──上主的斷語。」
Because they have done shame in Israel, and have taken their neighbours' wives, and in my name have said false words, which I did not give them orders to say; and I myself am the witness, says the Lord.
24 你應對乃赫藍人舍瑪雅這樣說：
About Shemaiah the Nehelamite.
25 萬軍的上主，以色列的天主這樣說：因為你以自己的名義，給在耶路撒冷的全體人民，和司祭瑪阿色雅的兒子責法尼雅，及所有的司祭致書說：「
Shemaiah the Nehelamite sent a letter in his name to Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,
26 上主立你代替司祭約雅達為司祭，作上主殿宇的監督，為拘捕一切自充知的狂妄之徒，給他帶上腳鐐鐵枷。
The Lord has made you priest in place of Jehoiada the priest, to be an overseer in the house of the Lord for every man who is off his head and is acting as a prophet, to put such men in prison and in chains.
27 為什麼你至今還不責斥向你自稱為先知的阿納托特人耶肋米亞﹖
So why have you made no protest against Jeremiah of Anathoth, who is acting as a prophet to you?
28 他竟派人到巴比倫對我們說：為期尚遠；不如建屋居住，種植田園，吃田園的出產! 」
For he has sent to us in Babylon saying, The time will be long: go on building houses and living in them, and planting gardens and using the fruit of them.
29 司祭責法尼雅當面將這書信念給先知耶肋米亞聽了。
And Zephaniah the priest made clear to Jeremiah the prophet what was said in the letter, reading it to him.
30 於是有上主的話傳給耶肋米亞說：
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
31 「你派人對全體俘虜說：論及乃赫藍人舍瑪雅，上主這樣說：因為舍瑪雅沒有我的委派，竟向你們說預言，叫你們相信謊言，
Send to all those who have been taken away, saying, This is what the Lord has said about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has been acting as a prophet to you, and I did not send him, and has made you put your faith in what is false;
32 為此上主這樣說：看，我必懲罰乃赫藍人舍瑪雅和他的後裔：他的後代必沒有一個人住在這民族中，能見到我賜給我人民的幸福──上主的斷語──因為他說了背叛上主的話。」
For this cause the Lord has said, Truly I will send punishment on Shemaiah and on his seed; not a man of his family will have a place among this people, and he will not see the good which I am going to do to my people, says the Lord: because he has said words against the Lord.
