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：
The word which came unto Jeremiah from Yahweh, —when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his force and all the kingdoms of the earth the dominion of his hand, and all the peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and against all her cities, saying:
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，
Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, Go and speak unto Zedekiah king of Judah, —and say unto him—Thus, saith Yahweh, Behold me! giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire;
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；
And, thou, shalt not escape out of his hand, For thou shalt be, taken, And into his hand, shalt thou be delivered, —And, thine own eyes, into the eyes of the king of Babylon, shall look, And his mouth, with thy mouth, shall speak And Babylon, shalt thou enter.
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，
Nevertheless, hear the word of Yahweh, O Zedekiah, king of Judah, —Thus, saith Yahweh Concerning thee, Thou shalt not die, by the sword;
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」。
In peace, shalt thou die, And with the burnings made for thy fathers the former kings who were before thee, so, shall they make a burning unto thee, And, with an, Alas lord! shall they lament thee, —Because of the word, I, have spoken, Declareth Yahweh.
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，
Then spake Jeremiah the prophet, unto Zedekiah king of Judah all these words 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。
when, the force of the king of Babylon, was fighting against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, —against Lachish and against Azekah, for they, remained among the cities of Judah as fortified cities.
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：
The word which came unto Jeremiah, from Yahweh, —after that King Zedekiah had solemnised a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem, proclaiming unto them liberty:
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。
that every man should let his servant and every man his handmaid, being a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free, —so that no man should use them as slaves, to wit a Jew his brother;
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。
so then they hearkened—even all the princes and all the people who had entered into the covenant that every man should let his servant and every man his handmaid, go free, so as not to use them as slaves, any longer, —yea they hearkened, and let them go,
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。
howbeit they turned after that, and brought back the servants and the handmaids whom they had let go, free, and brought them into subjection as servants and as handmaids,
12 於是有上主的話傳給耶肋米亞說：
So then the word of Yahweh came unto Jeremiah from Yahweh, 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：
Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, —I myself, solemnised a covenant with your fathers, in the day when I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves 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。
At the end of seven years, shall ye let go every man his brother, being a Hebrew, who shall sell himself unto thee and serve thee, six years, then shalt thou let him go, free, from thee, Howbeit your fathers hearkened not unto me neither inclined their ear.
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。
And, though, ye, just now turned and did that which was right in mine eyes, by proclaiming liberty, every man to his neighbour, —and solemnised a covenant before me, in the house on which my Name hath been called,
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。
yet have ye turned and profaned my Name, and brought back, every man his servant and every man his hand-maid, whom ye had let go, free, at their own desire, —and have brought them into subjection, to become your servants and handmaids.
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。
Therefore—Thus, saith Yahweh, Ye, have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every man to his brother and every man to his neighbour: Behold me! proclaiming, to you, a liberty: Declareth Yahweh unto the sword, unto the pestilence, and unto the famine, so will I make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth;
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：
and will give the men who are transgressing my covenant, in that they have not confirmed the words of the covenant, which they solemnised, before me, when they cut the calf, in twain, and passed between the parts thereof;
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，
even the princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs and the priests, and all the people of the land, —who passed between the parts 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。
yea I will give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them who are seeking their life, —and their dead bodies shall become food for the birds of the heavens, and for the beasts of the earth.
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。
Zedekiah king of Judah also with his princes, will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them who are seeking their life, —even into the hand of the force of the king of Babylon, who are going up from 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」。
Behold me! giving command, Declareth Yahweh, and I will bring them back unto this city, and they will fight against it and capture it, and consume it with fire, —and, the cities of Judah, will I make too desolate to have an inhabitant.
