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, Declareth Yahweh, I will become a God, to all the families of Israel; And, they, shall become my people.
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。
Thus, saith Yahweh, —There hath found favour in the desert people escaped from the sword, —I must go to cause him, even Israel, to rest.
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；
From afar, Yahweh hath appeared unto me, Yea with an age-abiding love, have I loved thee, For this cause, have I prolonged to thee lovingkindness.
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；
Again, will I build thee and thou shalt be built, thou virgin, Israel, —Again, shalt thou deck thyself with thy timbrels, And go forth in the dance of them that make merry:
5 再在撒馬黎雅山上栽種葡萄，栽種培埴，必有收穫；
Again, shalt thou plant vineyards in the mountains of Samaria, The planters have planted, and have laid open the vineyards,
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!
For it is a day the watchmen have proclaimed throughout the hill country of Ephraim, —Arise ye and let us go up to Zion, unto Yahweh 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。
For, thus, saith Yahweh—Shout ye for Jacob with gladness, Make shrill thy voice, as the head of the nations, —Publish ye praise ye and say, Save thou O Yahweh thy people, the remnant 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。
Behold me bringing them in out of the land of the North, And I will gather them out of the remote parts of the earth, Among them, the blind and the lame The woman with child and she that giveth birth, together, —A great convocation, shall return hither:
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。
With weeping, shall they come in, And with supplications, will I lead them, I will bring them unto rivers of waters By a smooth way, wherein they shall not stumble, —For I have become, to Israel, a father, And as for Ephraim, my firstborn, is he!
10 萬民! 請聽上主的話，向遙遠的海島宣傳說：那
Hear ye the word of Yahweh, O ye nations, And declare ye in the Coastlands, afar off, —And say—He that scattereth Israel, will gather him, And watch over him as a shepherd 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。
For Yahweh hath ransomed Jacob, —And redeemed him from the hand of one stronger than he.
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。
Then shall they come in and shall shout in triumph on the height of Zion, And shall stream unto the goodness of Yahweh To the wheat, and to the new wine, and to the oil, and to the young of the flocks and of the herds, —So shall their soul become like a garden well watered, And they shall not again languish any more.
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；
Then shall the virgin rejoice, in the dance, And young men and elders [rejoice] together, And I will turn their mourning into gladness and will comfort them, And will make them rejoice from their sorrow;
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。
Then will I satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, And my people with my goodness, shall be satisfied, Declareth Yahweh.
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! 」
Thus, saith Yahweh—A voice, in Ramah, is heard, Wailing, bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, —She refuseth to be comforted for her children, For they are not!
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!
Thus, saith Yahweh—Restrain thy voice from weeping, And thine eyes from tears, —For there is a reward for thy labour, Declareth Yahweh, So they shall return from the land of the enemy:
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。
Yea there is hope for thy future Declareth Yahweh, —And thy sons shall return to their own boundary.
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。
I have, heard, Ephraim bemoaning himself, Thou hast chastised me and I have been chastised, Like a bullock, not broken in, Suffer me to return that I may return, For thou, art Yahweh 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。
Surely after my return, I was filled with regret, And after I came to know myself, I smote upon the thigh, —I turned pale and was even confounded For I had borne the reproach of my youthful days.
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」。
Was Ephraim, a very precious son to me? Was he a most delightful child? For as often as I have spoken against him, I have, remembered, him again! For this cause, have my affections been deeply moved for him, I must have, compassion, upon him, Declareth Yahweh.
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。
Erect thee waymarks Set thee up finger-posts, Apply thy heart to The highway—The road by which thou didst depart, —Return O virgin of Israel, Return unto these thy cities.
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 wilt thou turn hither and thither, O apostate daughter? For Yahweh hath created a new thing in the earth, A female defendeth, a strong 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。
Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, Again, shall they say this word, in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I cause their captivity to return, Yahweh, bless thee, Thou home of righteousness! Thou mountain of holiness!
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，
Then shall there dwell throughout Judah itself and all the cities thereof, together, —Husbandmen, who shall move about with a flock;
25 因為我要振作困乏的心靈，飽飫一切苦悶的心靈。──
For I have satiated the weary soul, —And every languishing soul, have I filled.
26 至此，我醒來了，我看見了，我的睡眠為我實在甘甜。
Upon this, I awoke and considered, —And, my sleep, had been sweet to me!
27 ──上主的斷語──我要給以色列家和猶大家播散人種和獸種；
Lo! days are coming, Declareth Yahweh—That I will sow, The house of Israel, and The house of Judah, With the seed of men, and With the seed of beasts;
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──
And it shall come to pass, that—Just as I watched over them, to root up and to break down and to tear out and to destroy, and to break in pieces, So, will I watch over them, to build and to plant, Declareth Yahweh.
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」。
In those days, shall they say no more, Fathers, did eat sour grapes, —And, children’s teeth, are blunted!
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。
But, every one, for his own iniquity, shall die, —Any human being who eateth the sour grapes, his own teeth, shall be blunted.
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，
Lo! days are coming, Declareth Yahweh, —When I will solemnize—With the house of Israel and With the house of Judah, A new covenant:
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──
Not like the covenant which I solemnised with their fathers, In the day when I grasped their hand, to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt, —In that, they, brake my covenant Though, I, had become a husband unto them, Declareth Yahweh.
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。
For, this, is the covenant which I will solemnize with the house of Israel after those days Declareth Yahweh, I will put my law within them, Yea, on their heart, will I write it, —So will I become their God, And they shall become 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。
Then shall they no longer teach Every man his neighbour, and Every man his brother, saying, Know ye Yahweh, —For, they all, shall know me, From the least of them Even unto the greatest of them, Declareth Yahweh, For I will forgive their iniquity, And their sin, will I remember, no more.
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」
Thus, saith Yahweh—Who hath given the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, —Who excited the sea, and the waves thereof roared Yahweh of hosts, is his name: —
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。
If these ordinances depart from before me, Declareth Yahweh, —the seed of Israel also, may cease from being a nation before me, all the days,
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」。
Thus, saith Yahweh—If the heavens above can be measured, Or the foundations of the earth beneath, be searched out I also, may reject all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, Declareth Yahweh.
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，
Lo days, are coming, Declareth Yahweh, That the city shall be built for Yahweh, From the tower of Hananeel, [As far as] the gate of the corner;
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；
Then shall go forth again the measuring-line straight forward, Over the hill Gareb, And it shall go round to 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」。
And, all the vale of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Kidron torrent-bed, as far as the horse-gate corner on the east, Shall be holy unto Yahweh, —It shall not be rooted up, nor thrown down, any more, unto times age-abiding.
