耶利米书 2
1 耶和华的话临到我说：
The Lord's message came to me, saying,
2 “你去向耶路撒冷人的耳中喊叫说，耶和华如此说： 你幼年的恩爱， 婚姻的爱情， 你怎样在旷野， 在未曾耕种之地跟随我， 我都记得。
Go and announce to the people of Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says: I remember when you were young how devoted to me you were. I remember how you loved me when you were my bride. I remember how you followed me in the desert, in a land where nothing is grown.
3 那时以色列归耶和华为圣， 作为土产初熟的果子； 凡吞吃它的必算为有罪， 灾祸必临到他们。 这是耶和华说的。
Israel was holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of his harvest. Anyone who ate this harvest was guilty of sin, and they experienced the disastrous results, declares the Lord.
4 雅各家、以色列家的各族啊，你们当听耶和华的话。
Listen to the Lord's message, descendants of Jacob, all you Israelites.
5 耶和华如此说： 你们的列祖见我有什么不义， 竟远离我，随从虚无的神， 自己成为虚妄的呢？
This is what the Lord says: What did your forefathers think was wrong with me that they went so far away from me? They went off to worship useless idols, and as a result became useless themselves!
6 他们也不说： 那领我们从埃及地上来， 引导我们经过旷野， 沙漠有深坑之地， 和干旱死荫、无人经过、 无人居住之地的耶和华在哪里呢？
They didn't ask themselves, “Where is the Lord who led us from Egypt, who led us through the wasteland, through a land of deserts and ravines, a land of drought and darkness, a land that no one travels through and where no one lives?”
7 我领你们进入肥美之地， 使你们得吃其中的果子和美物； 但你们进入的时候就玷污我的地， 使我的产业成为可憎的。
I led you into a productive land to eat all the good things that grow there. But you came and made my land unclean, making it offensive to me.
8 祭司都不说，耶和华在哪里呢？ 传讲律法的都不认识我。 官长违背我； 先知借巴力说预言， 随从无益的神。
Your priests did not ask, “Where is the Lord?” Your teachers of the law no longer believed in me, and your leaders rebelled against me. Your prophets prophesied by calling on Baal and followed worthless idols.
9 耶和华说：我因此必与你们争辩， 也必与你们的子孙争辩。
So I'm going to confront you again, declares the Lord, and I will bring charges against your children's children.
10 你们且过到基提海岛去察看， 打发人往基达去留心查考， 看曾有这样的事没有。
Travel over to the islands of Cyprus and take a look; go to the land of Kedar and examine carefully to see if anything like this has ever happened before.
11 岂有一国换了他的神吗？ 其实这不是神！ 但我的百姓将他们的荣耀换了那无益的神。
Has a nation ever changed its gods? —even though they're not gods at all! Yet my people have traded their glorious God for worthless idols.
12 诸天哪，要因此惊奇， 极其恐慌，甚为凄凉！ 这是耶和华说的。
You heavens, you should be appalled, shocked and horrified! declares the Lord.
13 因为我的百姓做了两件恶事， 就是离弃我这活水的泉源， 为自己凿出池子， 是破裂不能存水的池子。
For my people have done two evil things. They have abandoned me, the source of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that can't hold water.
14 以色列是仆人吗？ 是家中生的奴仆吗？ 为何成为掠物呢？
Are Israelites slaves? Were they born into slavery? So why have they become victims?
15 少壮狮子向他咆哮，大声吼叫， 使他的地荒凉； 城邑也都焚烧，无人居住。
The young lions roared at you; they growled loudly. They have devastated your country; your towns lie in ruins. No one lives there.
16 挪弗人和答比匿人也打破你的头顶。
The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved your heads.
17 这事临到你身上，不是你自招的吗？ 不是因耶和华—你 神引你行路的时候， 你离弃他吗？
Didn't you bring this on yourself by abandoning the Lord your God when he was leading you in the right way?
18 现今你为何在埃及路上要喝西曷的水呢？ 你为何在亚述路上要喝大河的水呢？
Now what will you benefit as you travel back to Egypt to drink the waters of Shihor River? What will you gain on your way to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates River?
19 你自己的恶必惩治你； 你背道的事必责备你。 由此可知可见，你离弃耶和华—你的 神， 不存敬畏我的心， 乃为恶事，为苦事。 这是主—万军之耶和华说的。
Your own wickedness will discipline you; your own disobedience will teach you a lesson. Think about it and you'll recognize what a bitter evil it is for you to abandon the Lord your God and not to respect me, declares the Lord God Almighty.
20 我在古时折断你的轭，解开你的绳索。 你说：我必不事奉耶和华； 因为你在各高冈上、各青翠树下屈身行淫。
You broke off your yoke and ripped off your chains long ago. “I won't worship you!” you declared. On the contrary, you lay down like a prostitute on every high hill and under every green tree.
21 然而，我栽你是上等的葡萄树， 全然是真种子； 你怎么向我变为外邦葡萄树的坏枝子呢？
I was the one who planted you like the finest vine, grown from the very best seed. How could you degenerate into a useless wild vine?
22 你虽用硷、多用肥皂洗濯， 你罪孽的痕迹仍然在我面前显出。 这是主耶和华说的。
Even bleach and plenty of soap can't get rid of your guilty stains. I still see them, declares the Lord God.
23 你怎能说： 我没有玷污、没有随从众巴力？ 你看你谷中的路，就知道你所行的如何。 你是快行的独峰驼，狂奔乱走。
How dare you say, “I'm not unclean! I haven't gone to worship the Baals!” Look at what you've been doing down in the valley. Admit what you've done! You're a young female camel, racing around everywhere.
24 你是野驴，惯在旷野， 欲心发动就吸风； 起性的时候谁能使它转去呢？ 凡寻找它的必不致疲乏； 在它的月分必能寻见。
You're a female donkey living in the desert, sniffing the wind for a mate because she's in heat. No one can control her at mating time. All those who're looking for her won't have trouble finding her when she's in heat.
25 我说：你不要使脚上无鞋， 喉咙干渴。 你倒说：这是枉然。 我喜爱别神，我必随从他们。
You don't have to run around barefoot or have your throat go dry. But you reply, “No, it's impossible! I'm in love with foreign gods—I must go to them.”
26 贼被捉拿，怎样羞愧， 以色列家和他们的君王、首领、 祭司、先知也都照样羞愧。
In the same way that a thief feels guilty when they're caught, so the people of Israel have been shamed. All of them—their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets.
27 他们向木头说：你是我的父； 向石头说：你是生我的。 他们以背向我， 不以面向我； 及至遭遇患难的时候却说： 起来拯救我们。
They say to an idol made of wood, “You are my father,” and one made of stone, “You gave birth to me.” They turn their backs on me, and hide their faces from me. But when they're in trouble they come begging to me, saying, “Please come and save us!”
28 你为自己做的神在哪里呢？ 你遭遇患难的时候， 叫他们起来拯救你吧！ 犹大啊，你神的数目与你城的数目相等。
So where are these “gods” of yours that you made for yourselves? Let them come and help you when you're in trouble! Let them save you if they can, because you Israelites have as many gods as you have towns.
29 耶和华说： 你们为何与我争辩呢？ 你们都违背了我。
Why are you complaining to me? It's all of you who have all rebelled against me! declares the Lord.
30 我责打你们的儿女是徒然的， 他们不受惩治。 你们自己的刀吞灭你们的先知， 好像残害的狮子。
It was pointless of me to punish your children because they refused to accept any discipline. You used your own swords to kill your prophets, destroying them like a ferocious lion.
31 这世代的人哪， 你们要看明耶和华的话。 我岂向以色列作旷野呢？ 或作幽暗之地呢？ 我的百姓为何说： 我们脱离约束，再不归向你了？
You people of today, think about what the Lord is saying: Israel, have I treated you like an empty desert, or a land of thick darkness? Why are my people saying, “We can go where we like! We don't have to come and worship you any more”?
32 处女岂能忘记她的妆饰呢？ 新妇岂能忘记她的美衣呢？ 我的百姓却忘记了我无数的日子！
Does a girl forget her jewelry or a bride her wedding dress? Yet my people have forgotten me for too many years to count.
33 你怎么修饰你的道路要求爱情呢？ 就是恶劣的妇人你也叫她们行你的路。
How cleverly you look for your lovers! Even prostitutes could learn something from you!
34 并且你的衣襟上有无辜穷人的血； 你杀他们并不是遇见他们挖窟窿， 乃是因这一切的事。
On top of that, your clothes are stained with the blood of the poor and the innocent. It's not like you killed them breaking into your homes. Despite all this,
35 你还说：我无辜； 耶和华的怒气必定向我消了。 看哪，我必审问你； 因你自说：我没有犯罪。
you go on saying, “I'm innocent! Surely he can't still be upset with me!” Watch out! I'm going to punish you because you go on saying, “I haven't sinned.”
36 你为何东跑西奔要更换你的路呢？ 你必因埃及蒙羞， 像从前因亚述蒙羞一样。
You're just so fickle—you keep on changing your mind! You will end up just as disappointed by your alliance with Egypt as you were with Assyria.
37 你也必两手抱头从埃及出来； 因为耶和华已经弃绝你所倚靠的， 你必不因他们得顺利。
In fact you will go into exile with your hands on your head as prisoners, because the Lord will have nothing to do with those you trust; they will be no help to you.
