耶利米書 31
1 時候────將作以色列各宗族的天主，他們將作我的人民。
At that time, I will be the God of all Israel's families, and they will be my people, declares the Lord.
2 上主這樣說：逃脫了刀劍的，在曠野中找到了聖寵遇；以色列前來自己巿身的地方。
This is what the Lord says: The Israelites who survive death by the sword were blessed by the Lord in the desert as they looked for peace and quiet.
3 上主自遠處顯示給她說：我愛妳，我永遠愛妳，因此我給妳留了我的仁慈；
Long ago the Lord came and told us, My love for you will last forever. I hold you close to me with my trustworthy love.
4 我要再修建妳，而妳必建再建立起來；妳必再帶上妳的小鼓，出來歡樂哥舞；
I'm going to rebuild you, and it will happen. You will be rebuilt, Virgin Israel. You will pick up your tambourines again and run outside to dance with joy.
5 再在撒馬黎雅山上栽種葡萄，栽種培埴，必有收穫；
You will replant vineyards on Samaria's hills; those who plant and will enjoy the grapes.
6 因為終有一天，守望的人要在厄弗辣因山上嘁說：起來，讓我們上熙雍去，到上主我們的天主那裏去!
A day is coming when watchmen will call out from the hills of Ephraim, “Come on, let's go up to Zion, to worship the Lord our God!”
7 因為上主這樣說：你們應為雅各伯歡呼，向為首的民族喝采，傳揚稱讚說：上主救了自己的百姓，以色列的遺民。
This is what the Lord says: Sing happily for the descendants of Jacob; shout for the greatest of all nations! Let everybody know! Praise and call out, “Lord, save your people, those who are left of Israel!”
8 看，我由北地引他們歸來，從大地的盡頭召集他們，其中有瞎子，有跛子，有懷孕的和正在生產的，形成一大隊回到這裏來。
Watch, because I will bring them back from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Everyone will return, even the blind and the lame, pregnant women, even mothers giving birth—a great gathering coming home,
9 他們含淚前行，我卻撫引導，領他們踏上不會跌倒的坦途，來到溪流旁，因為我是以色列的慈父，厄弗辣因是我的長子。
They will come back with tears in their eyes, and they will be praying as I take them home. I will lead them beside streams of waters, on level paths where they won't stumble. For I am Israel's Father; Ephraim is my firstborn.
10 萬民! 請聽上主的話，向遙遠的海島宣傳說：那
Listen, nations, to what the Lord has to say, and let others know about in faraway countries: The Lord who scattered Israel will gather them together and keep them safe, just like a shepherd looks after his flock.
11 那昔日驅散以色列的，再要來聚集他們，看守他們像牧童看守自己的羊群。11. 因為上主必拯救雅各伯，比他更強者的手中將他們贖回。
The Lord has redeemed the descendants of Jacob and rescued them from their enemies who had defeated them.
12 他們將來前來，在熙雍山巔歡呼，湧向上主的美物，飽享穀、麥、酒、油，子牛小羊；他們的心靈好像受灌溉的田園，再也不感憔悴。
They will return and celebrate with happy shouts on Mount Zion; their faces will beam over the Lord's wonderful gifts—the grain, new wine, and olive oil, and the young of their flocks and herds. Their life will be like a well-watered garden; and they won't ever be depressed again.
13 那時，處女必歡欣鼓舞，老幼必相聚同樂，因為我將使的悲哀變成喜樂，仗他們由自己的憂苦中獲得安慰歡樂；
The girls will dance in celebration; young men and old people will join in too. I will turn their sorrow into joy, and I will comfort them and change their sadness into happiness.
14 我將以肥脂滋潤司祭的心靈，以美物飽飫我的人民──上主的斷語。
I will give my priests everything they need and more, and my people will be more than satisfied with my goodness towards them, declares the Lord.
15 上主這樣說：「聽! 在辣瑪有嘆息聲，酸辛哭泣；辣黑耳悲悼自己的兒子，不願接受安慰，因為他們已不存在了! 」
This is what the Lord says: The sound of terrible weeping and mourning is heard in Ramah. It's Rachel crying for her children. They are dead, and she can't be comforted
16 上主這樣說：「要止往痛哭，不再流淚，因為你的苦終必有報──上主的斷語──他們必會由敵地歸來!
This is what the Lord says: Don't cry anymore, don't weep anymore, because you're going to be rewarded for what you've done, declares the Lord. Your children will return from the country of your enemies.
17 你們的前途大有希望──上主的斷語──你的子孫都要歸回自己的疆域。
So you can have hope for the future, declares the Lord. Your children will return to their own country.
18 我實在聽到厄弗辣因在悲歎說：你懲罰了我，我受了杖搫，有如一頭不馴服的公牛犢；你使我歸來，我必歸來，因為你是上主，我的天主x。
Don't worry, I've heard Ephraim's groans, saying, “You disciplined me really hard as if I was a calf that hadn't been trained. Please bring me back, let me return, for you are the Lord my God.
19 的確，我離棄你以後，我已後悔；在覺悟以後，我拍腿自慚自愧，因為我又染上了我少年時的恥辱。
When I came back to you I was sorry, and once I understood, I held my head in sadness. I was ashamed and I blushed, embarrassed at what I'd done when I was young.”
20 厄弗辣因豈? 是我的寵兒，我鍾愛嬌子﹖因為我幾時恐嚇他，反倒更顧念他；對他我五內感動，不得不大施愛憐──上主的斷語」。
But isn't Ephraim still my precious son, my lovely child? Even though I often have to scold him, I can't forget him. So I'm torn inside with longing, wanting to show how much I care about him! declares the Lord.
21 請你給自己樹立路程碑，設置指路牌，細心回想你走的路線，以往你走過的大道；以色列處女! 回到妳自己的城邑。
Put up markers on the road; make signposts for yourselves. You need to be sure you can find the highway, the road you traveled on. Come back, Virgin Israel, come back to your towns.
22 妳要流浪到幾時﹖叛逆的女兒! 因為上主在地上正在創造一件新事：女人包圍男人。
How long are you going to waver in your decision, you unfaithful daughter? For the Lord has made something new happen here: a woman is going to protect a man.
23 萬軍的上主，以色列的天主這樣說：「當我轉變他們的命運時，在猶大地和她城市中的人，還要用這話祝賀說：正義的所在，神聖的山嶺! 願上主祝福你。
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: When I bring them back home from exile, they will say again in the land of Judah and in its towns: “May the Lord bless you, holy mountain of Jerusalem, home of what is good and right.
24 猶大和她各城中的人，農夫和隨羊遷徒的人，將要同住在那裏，
The people of Judah and all its towns will live together in the land, the farmers and those who move around with their flocks,
25 因為我要振作困乏的心靈，飽飫一切苦悶的心靈。──
because I'm going to give rest to those who are tired and give strength to all those who are weak.”
26 至此，我醒來了，我看見了，我的睡眠為我實在甘甜。
At this I woke up and looked around. I'd had a very pleasant sleep.
27 ──上主的斷語──我要給以色列家和猶大家播散人種和獸種；
Look! The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make the numbers of people and livestock grow in Israel and Judah.
28 就如往昔我曾監視他們，為將他們拔除、破壞、推翻、毀滅、損害；同樣，日後我必要監視他們、為將他們建設、栽培──上主的斷語──
I took care of them by uprooting them and tearing them down, by wiping them out and destroying them and bringing them disaster. Now I will take care of them by building them up and helping them grow, declares the Lord.
29 在那時裏，人必不再說：「祖先吃了酸葡萄，子孫的牙齒也要酸軟」。
At that time people won't repeat this proverb, “The fathers ate the unripe grapes, but their children got the sour taste.”
30 不，各人只因自己的的罪惡而死；只有吃酸葡萄的人，自己的牙齒才酸軟。
No. Each person will die because of their own sins. If anyone eats unripe grapes, they will get the sour taste themselves.
31 看，時日將到──上主的斷語──我必要與叵家和猶大家訂立新約，
Look! The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and Judah.
32 不像我昔日──握住他們的手，引他們出離埃及時──與他們的祖先訂立盟約；雖然我是他們的夫君，他們已自行破壞了我這盟約──上主的斷語──
It won't be like the agreement that I made with their forefathers when I held their hands and led them out of Egypt. They broke that agreement, even though I was faithful like a husband to them, declares the Lord.
33 我願在那些時日，與叵家訂立的盟約──上主的斷語──就是：我要將我的法律放在他們的肺腑裏，寫在他們的心頭上；我要作他們的天主，他們要作我的人民。
But this is the agreement I'm going to make with the people of Israel at that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws inside them and write them in their minds. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34 那時，誰也不教訓自己的近人或弟兄說：「你們該認識上主」，因為不論大小，人人都必認識我──上主的斷語──因為我要寬恕他們的過犯，不再記憶他們的罪惡。
No one will need to teach a neighbor or their brother, telling them, “You ought to know the Lord.” For everyone will know me, from the smallest to the greatest. I will forgive them when they do wrong, and I will forget about their sins.
35 那指定太陽照耀白日規定月亮星辰照耀黑夜，撥動海洋使波濤怒號，號稱「萬軍的上主」
This is what the Lord says, who provides the sun to give light during the day, who places in order the moon and stars to give light at night, who makes the sea rough so that its waves roar; his name is the Lord Almighty:
36 假若這些規定已由我面前消失──上主的斷語──以色列種族在我面前也就永不再是一個民族。
Only if I allowed this order to fell apart, declares the Lord, would Israel's descendants stop being my people.
37 上主這樣說：假若能測量在上的諸天，能探察在下大地的基礎，我也就因他們所做的一切，拋棄整個以色列種族──上主的斷語」。
This is what the Lord says: Only if the heavens above could be measured, and the foundations of the earth below could be investigated, would I reject all of Israel's descendants because of everything they've done, declares the Lord.
38 看，時日將到──上主的斷語──上主的城市必要重建，不佰自哈納乃布堡直到角門，
The time is coming, declares the Lord, when this city will be rebuilt for the Lord, all the way from the tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.
39 而且測量的繩墨還要向外伸展，直到加勒布丘，再轉向哥阿；
The builder's measuring line will again stretch out directly to Gareb Hill and then turn toward Goah.
40 滿了屍首和灰燼的整個山谷，以及直到克德隆溪流和東邊馬門角旁所有木田地，都將祝聖給上主，永不再遭受」。
The entire valley, where the dead are buried and the trash is dumped, and all the fields from the Kidron Valley as far as the Horse Gate to the east, will be holy to the Lord. Jerusalem will never again be torn down or destroyed.
