耶利米書 5
1 請你們巡行耶路撒冷的街道，觀察注意，在她的廣場上搜尋：若他們能找到一人，一個履正義，追求信實的人，我就寬恕這城。
RUN ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.
2 雖然他們起誓說：「上主永在! 」其實他們起的誓仍是虛誓。
And though they say, The Lord liveth; surely they swear falsely.
3 上主，你的眼睛難道不顧信實﹖你打擊了他們，他們卻毫不覺痛；你使他們挫敗，他們仍拒絕受教，使自己的面孔比火石還要頑硬，不願悔改。
O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.
4 我想：「不錯，他們原是無知的平民，不認識上主的道路和衪他們天主的法律。
Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God.
5 我要去問有權勢的人，與他們談論，因為他們知道火道路和他們天主的法律。」哎! 連他們也都折斷了軛，掙斷了繩索。
I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.
6 為此，獅子由叢林出來襲擊他們，曠野的豺狼出來傷害他們，豹子潛伏在他們的城旁，凡出來的人都被撕裂，因為他們罪上加罪，失節有增無已。
Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.
7 如此，我怎能寬恕你﹖你的子孫離棄了我，奉「非神」發誓。我使他們飽食，他們卻去行淫，群集在妓院裏；
How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.
8 他們像荒淫雄壯的牡馬，各向自己近人的妻室嘶鳴。
They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour’s wife.
9 這些事，我怎能不懲罰﹖──上主的斷語──像這些火民族，我怎能不親自報復﹖
Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
10 請你們登上她的牆上頭，加以毀壞，但不要完全毀滅，該除去她的枝條，因為它們不屬於上主。
Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the Lord’s.
11 以色列和猶大家，實在對我不忠，達到極點──
For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the Lord.
12 上主的斷語。他們否認上主說：「衪不存在! 災禍不會臨到我們身上，我們也決不會見到戰爭和飢荒；
They have belied the Lord, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:
13 先知們不過是一陣風，他們並沒有上主的話；他們這樣只有自作自受。」
And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.
14 為此，上主萬軍火天主這樣說：「因為他們說了這話，我必使我的話在你的口中成為火，使這人民成為木柴，將他們吞滅。
Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
15 以色列家! 看，我從遠方給你們引來一個民族──上主的斷語──一個所向無敵的民族，一個支老的民族，一個你們不慬她的語言，也聽不出她說什麼的民族
Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the Lord: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.
16 他們的箭有如張口墳墓；他們都是善戰的勇士。
Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.
17 這民族必吃掉你的收穫和食糧，必吃掉你的兒子和女兒，必吃掉你的羊群和牛群，必吃掉你的葡萄和無花果，必以武力蹂躝你依恃的堅城。
And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword.
18 即在那些時日裏──上主的斷語──我也不對你們加以徹底的毀滅。」
Nevertheless in those days, saith the Lord, I will not make a full end with you.
19 假使有人問：「為什麼上主我們的天主對我們做了這一切的事﹖」你當對他們說：「你們怎樣離棄了我，在你們國內事奉了外邦的神祗，你們也該怎樣在不屬於你們的境內事奉外邦人。」
And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the Lord our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.
20 你們你們將這事通知雅各伯家，轉告猶大說：
Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,
21 「你們愚昧無知，有目不見，有耳不聞的人民，請聽聽這話：
Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
22 你們不敬畏我嗎﹖──上主的斷語──你們在我面前不戰憟嗎﹖是我堆集了沙石作海的界限，作為它永不能越過的界限浪雖然洶湧，仍無能為力；雖怒號澎湃，仍不能越過。」
Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?
23 但這內心頑固的心民，竟背叛而離去，
But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.
24 從不反心自省：「我們應該敬畏上主，我們的天主，因為衪按時降下雨露、秋霜和春雨；又給我們保持固定的收穫時節。」
Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
25 是你們的過犯混亂了這些時令，是罪惡阻止了你們享這幸福。
Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.
26 因為在我的人民中發現惡人；他們像隱伏的捕鳥者在窺探，布下羅網捕捉人。
For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.
27 猶如籠中滿了飛鳥，他們家中也充滿了欺詐，因此成了有勢力，有錢財的人。
As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.
28 他們肥胖紅潤，作奸犯科，不為孤兒辯護；只求自己享受，也不關懷窮人的權利。
They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.
29 像這樣的事，我怎能不懲罰﹖──上主的斷語──像這樣的民族，我怎能不親自報復﹖
Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
30 在國內發生了一件恐怖而可憎的事：
A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;
31 先知們說假預言，司祭們爭權奪利，我的人民反以此為樂；到了最後，你們究竟還要作什麼﹖
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
