耶利米書 42

1 眾部隊首領與卡勒亞的兒子約哈南和瑪阿色雅的兒子阿匝黎雅及，不分大小，

Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, came near,

2 前來對耶肋米亞先知說：「願你接受我們對你的請求，請你為我們全體遺民，轉求上主你的天主。我們原來人數眾多，如今只剩下你親眼見的這幾個人了。

and said to Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we pray thee, our supplication be presented before thee, and pray for us to Jehovah thy God, even for all this remnant, for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us,

3 惟願上主你的天主指示我們該走的路，和當行的事! 」

that Jehovah thy God may show us the way in which we should walk, and the thing that we should do.

4 耶肋米亞先知答覆他們說：「我聽見了! 好，我願依照你們的話，祈求上主你們的天主；但凡上主答覆的話，我必全告訴你們，不對你們隱瞞什麼。」

Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, I have heard you. Behold, I will pray to Jehovah your God according to your words, and it shall come to pass that whatever thing Jehovah shall answer you, I will declare it to you. I will keep nothing back from you.

5 他們鑽覆耶肋米亞說：「願上主在我們中間作真實和忠信的見證，如果我們不依照上主你的天主叫你傳給我們的一切話去做。

Then they said to Jeremiah, Jehovah be a true and faithful witness amongst us, if we do not according to all the word with which Jehovah thy God shall send thee to us.

6 或好或壞，我們願聽從上主我們天主的話，因為是我們派你去向他祈求；我們聽從了上主我們的天主的話，我們就必順利。」

Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of Jehovah our God, to whom we send thee, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of Jehovah our God.

7 十天以後，上主有話傳給了耶肋米亞，

And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah.

8 他便召集卡勒亞的兒子約哈南和隨從他的眾部隊首領以及全體人民，不分大小，

Then he called Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,

9 對他們說：「你們派我去向他面陳你們的請求的上主，以色列的天主這樣說：

and said to them, Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, to whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him:

10 如果你們決意住在這地方，我必建立你們，決不加以破壞；我必栽培你們，決不予以拔除，因為我已後悔給你們所降的災禍。

If ye will still abide in this land, then I will build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up, for I relent of the evil that I have done to you.

11 你們不要害怕你們所害怕的巴比倫王；不要害怕他──上主的斷語──因為有我與你們同在，作你們的救援，從他的手中搶救你們。

Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid. Be not afraid of him, says Jehovah, for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.

12 我必憐恤你們，也叫他憐恤你們，讓你們仍住在你們的國土內。

And I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.

13 但是，如果你們不聽從上主你們的天主的話，說：我們不願住在這地方；

But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, so that ye do not obey the voice of Jehovah your God,

14 或說：不，我們要去埃及地，在那裏再見不到戰爭，再聽不到號聲，再不缺乏食糧；我們要去住在那裏!

saying, No, but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread, and we will dwell there-

15 那麼，猶大的遺民! 請你們聽上主的話。萬軍的上主，以色列的天主這樣說：假使你們決意要往埃及去，在那裏寄居，

Now therefore hear ye the word of Jehovah, O remnant of Judah. Thus says Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: If ye indeed set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there,

16 你們害怕的刀劍，必在埃及地襲擊你們；你們憂慮的饑荒，必在埃及跟蹤你們，使你們死在那裏。

then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye fear, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, of which ye are afraid, shall follow hard after you there in Egypt, and there ye shall die.

17 凡決意往埃及去，到那裏寄居的人，必要死於刀劍、饑荒和瘟疫，沒有一人能幸免，逃脫我給他們招來的災禍。

So shall it be with all the men who set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there. They shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.

18 的確，萬軍的上主，以色列的天主這樣說：正如我對耶路撒冷居民曾發怒洩恨；同樣我要對去埃及的你們洩恨，叫你們遭受憎恨、厭惡、詛咒、侮辱，永不再見此地。」

For thus says Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: As my anger and my wrath has been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall my wrath be poured forth upon you when ye shall enter into Egypt. And ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach. And ye shall see this place no more.

19 「猶大的遺民! 這是上主對你們說的話：不要到埃及去。你們該清楚知道：我今天對你們作證，

Jehovah has spoken concerning you, O remnant of Judah, Go ye not into Egypt. Know certainly that I have testified to you this day.

20 你們實在是自己欺騙自己；原是你們派我去求問上主你天主說：請你為我們轉求上主我們的天主，凡上主我們的天主說的，你要全告訴我們，我們必依照遵行。

For ye have dealt deceitfully against your own souls. For ye sent me to Jehovah your God, saying, Pray for us to Jehovah our God, and according to all that Jehovah our God shall say, so declare to us, and we will do it.

21 我今天告訴了你們，你們卻全不聽從上主你們的天主，打發我來告訴你們的話。

And I have this day declared it to you. But ye have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah your God in anything for which he has sent me to you.

22 現在，你們該知道：在你們要去寄居的地方，你們必死於刀劍、饑荒和瘟疫。」

Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place where ye desire to go to sojourn there.