耶利米書 34
1 比倫王拿步高與自己的軍隊，及他手下統治的天下各國和一切民族，前來進攻耶路撒冷和她所有的城鎮時，有上主的話傳給耶肋米亞說：
This is the Lord's message that came to Jeremiah when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, all his army, along with troops from all the countries he ruled and other nations were attacking Jerusalem and all its nearby towns:
2 「上主以色列的天主這樣說：你對猶大王漆德克雅說，告訴他上主這樣說：看，我必將這城交在巴比倫王手中，他將放火燒城，
This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go and talk to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him that this is what the Lord says: Listen! I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he is going to burn it down.
3 你必逃不出他的手，終必被擒，交在他手中；你必要與巴比倫王目對目相視，面對面相談；你必要到巴比倫去；
You yourself won't escape being captured by him. You will certainly be taken prisoner and brought before him to speak with him personally and see him face to face. You will be taken to Babylon.
4 但是，猶大王漆德克雅! 請聽上主的話，上主論你這樣說：你決不會死在刀下，
Listen to what the Lord is telling you, Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the Lord says about you: You won't be killed;
5 必要和平死去；正如有人給在你以前的上代祖先君王焚香，同樣也有人給你焚香，向你致哀；『嘻嘻，我主! 』的確，是我說了這話──上主的斷語」。
you will die in peace. You will have a proper funeral with incense burned for you as they did for your forefathers, the kings who ruled before you. They will weep for you, crying, “The king is dead.” I myself am telling you this, declares the Lord.
6 耶肋米亞就在耶路撒冷，對猶大君王漆德克雅說了這一切話，
Jeremiah the prophet told Zedekiah king of Judah all this there in Jerusalem.
7 那時巴比倫不的軍隊正在攻打耶路撒冷和猶大其餘的城市，攻打拉基士和阿則卡，因為在猶大城市中，只剩下了這兩座設防的城市。
At this time the king of Babylon's army was attacking the city and the Judean towns of Lachish and Azekah. These were the only fortified cities that had not yet been conquered in Judah.
8 漆德克雅王與當時在耶路撒冷的全體人民訂約，要對奴婢宣佈自由以後，有上主的話傳給耶肋米亞：
A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah had made a agreement with everyone in Jerusalem to announce a proclamation of freedom.
9 每人應釋放自己的希伯來奴婢，使他們獲享自由；誰也不該再以自己的弟兄猶大人作奴婢。
This meant that every slave owner should free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was to force their fellow citizens to remain slaves any longer.
10 所有入盟的首長和全體人民都同意，每人要釋放自己的奴婢，使他們獲享自由，不再以他們為奴婢：他們同意了，也釋放了。
All the officials and all the people who accepted this agreement did what they said. They freed their male and female slaves, not forcing them to remain slaves any longer. They obeyed and let them go free.
11 但是，以後他們改變主意，把他們釋放恢復自由的奴婢，再叫回來，強迫他們再作奴婢。
However, later on they changed their minds and took back the male and female slaves they'd freed, forcing them back into slavery.
12 於是有上主的話傳給耶肋米亞說：
A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,
13 「上主以色列的天主這樣說：在我領你們的祖先，先由埃及地，奴隸之所，出來的那一天，與他們訂了盟約說：
This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a agreement with your forefathers when I led them out of Egypt, out of the prison-house of slavery, saying:
14 每七年初，你們應各自釋放賣給你們的希伯來弟兄：他服事了你六年，你應該讓他自由離去。你們的祖先卻不聽，也不向我側耳。
Every seventh year, each of you are to set free all fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. They can serve you for six years, but then you must set them free. But your forefathers didn't pay attention and didn't obey what I told them.
15 今年你們自己反悔，作了我認為正直的事，各向自己的近人宣布自由，在歸我名下的殿裏，當著我面訂了盟約。
A little while ago you decided to do what's right, which made me happy. You all announced that you would free your slaves. You made a agreement before me in my Temple.
16 但事後卻變了主意，褻瀆我名，竟再召回自己已經釋放，身獲自由的奴婢，迫使他們再做你們的奴婢。
But now you've changed your minds and dishonored me. Each of you took back the male and female slaves you'd set free to do whatever they wanted. You forced them to become your slaves again.
17 為此上主這樣說：你們既不聽從我，各自向自己的弟兄，各向自己的近人宣布自由，看，我來對你們宣佈釋放刀劍和瘟疫及飢荒的自由──上主的斷語──使你們成為地上一切王國驚慌恐怖的對象。
So this is what the Lord says: You haven't obeyed me. You haven't announced freedom for your slaves, your own people. So now I announce “freedom” for you, declares the Lord: Freedom to be killed by war, by disease, and by famine! I will make all the kingdoms of the world horrified by you.
18 凡違背我盟約，即不履行剖開牛犢，由兩半中間走過，在我面前所立的盟約誓詞人，我必將他們交出：
They have broken my agreement, and have not kept the terms of the agreement they promised before me. So I'm going to cut them up just like the calf they cut in half to pass between its two pieces.
19 凡剖開牛犢，由兩半中走過的猶大和耶路撒冷的首長、官員、司祭，以及當地的全體人民，
I will hand them over to their enemies who are trying to kill them. This includes the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and everyone else who passed between the pieces of the calf.
20 我必將他們悉數交在他們的敵人，和圖謀他們性命者的手中，使他們的屍首成為天上飛鳥和地上走獸的食物。
Their dead bodies will become food for birds of prey and wild animals.
21 至於猶大王漆德克雅和他的臣相，我也將他們交在他們敵人手中，交在圖謀他們性命者的手中，交在由你們面前撤退的巴比倫王軍隊的手中。
I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials to their enemies who are trying to kill them, to the army of the king of Babylon which had paused its attack on you.
22 我必下令──上主的斷語──叫他們再回來，進攻，佔領，火燒這城市；至於猶大的其他城市，我必使它們化為無人居住木荒野」。
Listen! I will give the order, declares the Lord, and bring them back to Jerusalem. They will attack it, capture it, and burn it. I'm going to destroy the towns of Judah so nobody will live there.
