耶利米書 3
1 試問：若男人離棄了自己的妻子，她離開他而另嫁了別人，前夫豈能再回到她那裏去﹖像這樣的女人，豈不是已全被玷污了嗎﹖你已與許多愛人行淫，你還想回到我這裏來嗎﹖──上主的斷語──
“They say, ‘If a man puts away his wife, and she goes from him, and becomes another man’s, should he return to her again?’ Wouldn’t that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the prostitute with many lovers; yet return again to me,” says the LORD.
2 你舉目環顧高丘．看看在什麼地方你沒有受過玷污﹖你坐在路旁等候他們，像個在阿刺伯人，以你淫亂和邪惡玷污了這土地。
“Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see! Where have you not been lain with? You have sat waiting for them by the road, as an Arabian in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and with your wickedness.
3 秋雨不降，春雨不來。你具有娼妓的面孔，仍然不知羞恥。
Therefore the showers have been withheld and there has been no latter rain; yet you have had a prostitute’s forehead and you refused to be ashamed.
4 從此以後，你要向我喊說：「我父! 你是我青年時的良友!」
Will you not from this time cry to me, ‘My Father, you are the guide of my youth!’?
5 心想：「衪豈能永遠發怒，懷恨到底﹖」看，你雖如此說，卻仍盡力作惡。
“‘Will he retain his anger forever? Will he keep it to the end?’ Behold, you have spoken and have done evil things, and have had your way.”
6 在若史雅為王的時日裏，上主對我說：「失節的以色列所做的，你看見了沒有﹖她上到一切高處上，走到所有的綠樹下，在那裏行淫。
Moreover, the LORD said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and has played the prostitute there.
7 我以為她作了這一切以後，會回到我這裏來；但是她沒有回來。她失信的姊妹猶大也看見了此事：
I said after she had done all these things, ‘She will return to me;’ but she didn’t return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
8 雖然看見了我為了失節的以色列所犯的種種姦淫，而命她離去，給了她休書，她這失信的姊妹猶大卻不害怕，竟然也去行淫。
I saw when, for this very cause, that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce, yet treacherous Judah, her sister, had no fear, but she also went and played the prostitute.
9 由於她輕易行淫，與石碣和木偶淫亂，玷污了這土土也。
Because she took her prostitution lightly, the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with wood.
10 儘管這樣，她失信的姊妹猶大回到我這裏來，仍不是全心，只是假意──上主的斷語。」
Yet for all this her treacherous sister, Judah, has not returned to me with her whole heart, but only in pretence,” says the LORD.
11 上主於是對我說：「失節的以色列比失信的猶大 ，更顯得正義。
The LORD said to me, “Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
12 你去向北方宣布這些話說：失節的以色列! 請你歸來──上主的斷語──我不會對你怒容相向，因為我是仁慈的──我不會永遠發怒，
Go, and proclaim these words towards the north, and say, ‘Return, you backsliding Israel,’ says the LORD; ‘I will not look in anger on you, for I am merciful,’ says the LORD. ‘I will not keep anger forever.
13 只要你承認你的罪過，承認背叛上主你的天主，在一切綠樹下，與異邦神祗恣意相愛，沒有聽我的聲音，上主的斷語。
Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the LORD your God, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice,’” says the LORD.
14 失節的女子，妳們歸來──上主的斷語──因為我是你們的主人，我要選取妳們，每城選一人，每族選二人，領妳們進入熙雍；
“Return, backsliding children,” says the LORD, “for I am a husband to you. I will take one of you from a city, and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
15 在那裏給妳們一些隨我心意的牧者，以智慧和明智牧養妳們。
I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.
16 你們在這地上繁衍增值的時日裏──上主的斷語──人不再提「上主的約櫃」，也不再思念，不再追憶，不再關懷，不再製造。
It will come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,” says the LORD, “they will no longer say, ‘the ark of the LORD’s covenant!’ It will not come to mind. They won’t remember it. They won’t miss it, nor will another be made.
17 那時，人要稱耶路撒冷為「上主的御座」，萬民要奉上主的名，匯集在耶路撒冷，不再隨從自己邪惡而頑固的人行事。
At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The LORD’s Throne;’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the LORD’s name, to Jerusalem. They will no longer walk after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
18 在那些時日內，猶大家與以色列家同行，從北方起回到我賜給了你們祖先作基業的地內。
In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance to your fathers.
19 我曾想過：多麼願意你像一個兒子，賜給你賞心悅目的土地，列國中最美好的領土，我以為你會以「我父」稱呼我，不會轉身遠離我；
“But I said, ‘How I desire to put you amongst the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the armies of the nations!’ and I said, ‘You shall call me “My Father”, and shall not turn away from following me.’
20 但是，你們，以色列家對待我，正如對自己良友不忠的婦女──上主的斷語。
“Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with me, house of Israel,” says the LORD.
21 在荒丘上可聽到一片喧嚷：那是以色列子民的哀號哭泣，因為他們走入了邪途，忘卻了自己的天主。
A voice is heard on the bare heights, the weeping and the petitions of the children of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten the LORD their God.
22 歸來! 失節的子民，讓我療愈你們的失節。」「看，我回到你這裏，的確，你是上主，我們的天主。
Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backsliding. “Behold, we have come to you; for you are the LORD our God.
23 誠然丘嶺和山卜的狂歡盡是虛幻；唯在上主，我們的天主那裏，有以色列的救援。
Truly help from the hills, the tumult on the mountains, is in vain. Truly the salvation of Israel is in the LORD our God.
24 可恥的神祗，自我們幼年就吞噬了我們祖先的收入，他們的羊群、牛群和子女。
But the shameful thing has devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
25 讓我們躺臥在我們恥辱中，讓我們以羞慚遮蓋我們，因為我們和我們的祖先，自我們幼年直到今日，得罪了上主我們的天主，從來沒有聽從上主我們的天主的聲音。」
Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day. We have not obeyed the LORD our God’s voice.”
