耶利米书 3
1 有话说：人若休妻， 妻离他而去，作了别人的妻， 前夫岂能再收回她来？ 若收回她来，那地岂不是大大玷污了吗？ 但你和许多亲爱的行邪淫， 还可以归向我。 这是耶和华说的。
If a man divorces his wife and she goes and marries someone else, could he ever go back to her? Wouldn't the country be made totally unclean by this? But you have done worse by prostituting yourselves with many lovers, and now you want to come back to me? declares the Lord.
2 你向净光的高处举目观看， 你在何处没有淫行呢？ 你坐在道旁等候， 好像阿拉伯人在旷野埋伏一样， 并且你的淫行邪恶玷污了全地。
Look up at the bare hilltops. Is there anywhere that you haven't had sex? You sat at the roadside like someone from the desert waiting for your lovers to pass by. You have made the land unclean with your prostitution and evil.
3 因此甘霖停止， 春雨不降。 你还是有娼妓之脸， 不顾羞耻。
That's why no showers have been sent, and no spring rains have fallen. But you just stare back shamelessly like a prostitute; you refuse to accept you've done anything wrong.
4 从今以后，你岂不向我呼叫说： 我父啊，你是我幼年的恩主。
Didn't you just tell me, “My father, you've been such a close friend to me since I was little.
5 耶和华岂永远怀怒，存留到底吗？ 看哪，你又发恶言又行坏事， 随自己的私意而行。”
You won't be angry with me for a long time, will you? You won't go on being like that forever?” This is what you've said, but you keep on sinning as much as you can.
6 约西亚王在位的时候，耶和华又对我说：“背道的以色列所行的，你看见没有？她上各高山，在各青翠树下行淫。
During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord told me, Have you seen what unfaithful Israel has done? She has prostituted herself on every high hill and under every green tree.
7 她行这些事以后，我说她必归向我，她却不归向我。她奸诈的妹妹犹大也看见了。
I hoped that after she'd done all this she'd come back to me. But she didn't come back, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw what happened.
8 背道的以色列行淫，我为这缘故给她休书休她；我看见她奸诈的妹妹犹大，还不惧怕，也去行淫。
She saw that because of everything unfaithful Israel had done on committing adultery, I sent her away, giving her a certificate of divorce. But her unfaithful sister Judah wasn't afraid and prostituted herself too.
9 因以色列轻忽了她的淫乱，和石头木头行淫，地就被玷污了。
Israel didn't care about the immorality, as she made herself and the land unclean, committing adultery by worshiping stones and trees.
10 虽有这一切的事，她奸诈的妹妹犹大还不一心归向我，不过是假意归我。这是耶和华说的。”
Despite all this, her unfaithful sister Judah didn't come back to me in sincerity. She only pretended to do so, declares the Lord.
11 耶和华对我说：“背道的以色列比奸诈的犹大还显为义。
The Lord told me, Unfaithful Israel showed that she wasn't as guilty as unfaithful Judah.
12 你去向北方宣告说： 耶和华说：背道的以色列啊，回来吧！ 我必不怒目看你们； 因为我是慈爱的， 我必不永远存怒。 这是耶和华说的。
Now go and announce this message to the north: Come back, unfaithful Israel, declares the Lord. I won't be angry with you anymore, because I am merciful, declares the Lord. I won't be angry forever.
13 只要承认你的罪孽， 就是你违背耶和华—你的 神， 在各青翠树下向别神东奔西跑， 没有听从我的话。 这是耶和华说的。
Just admit you did wrong, that you rebelled against the Lord your God. You spread yourself around, committing adultery by worshiping foreign gods under every green tree, refusing to do what I told you, declares the Lord.
14 耶和华说：背道的儿女啊，回来吧！ 因为我作你们的丈夫， 并且我必将你们从一城取一人， 从一族取两人，带到锡安。
Come back, unfaithful children, declares the Lord, because I am married to you. I will take you, one from a town and two from a family, and bring you to Zion.
15 我也必将合我心的牧者赐给你们。他们必以知识和智慧牧养你们。”
I will give you shepherds who are like me who will feed you wisely and with understanding.
16 耶和华说：“你们在国中生养众多；当那些日子，人必不再提说耶和华的约柜，不追想，不记念，不觉缺少，也不再制造。
At that time as you increase in number in the country, declares the Lord, no one will be talking about the Ark of the Lord's Agreement anymore. People won't need to think about it or remember it or wonder what happened to it; and certainly won't need to make a new one.
17 那时，人必称耶路撒冷为耶和华的宝座；万国必到耶路撒冷，在耶和华立名的地方聚集。他们必不再随从自己顽梗的恶心行事。
When that time comes Jerusalem will be called the Throne of the Lord, and all the nations will come together in Jerusalem to honor the Lord. They won't be stubborn or wicked anymore.
18 当那些日子，犹大家要和以色列家同行，从北方之地一同来到我赐给你们列祖为业之地。”
At that time the people of Judah will join with the people of Israel, and they will return from the land of the north to the country I gave to your forefathers to own.
19 我说：我怎样将你安置在儿女之中， 赐给你美地， 就是万国中肥美的产业。 我又说：你们必称我为父， 也不再转去不跟从我。
I said to myself, I really want you to be my children, and to give you the best country, the most beautiful place of any nation. I hoped you would call me “Father,” and never give up following me.
20 以色列家，你们向我行诡诈， 真像妻子行诡诈离开她丈夫一样。 这是耶和华说的。
But just like a wife might betray her husband, you have betrayed me, people of Israel, declares the Lord.
21 在净光的高处听见人声， 就是以色列人哭泣恳求之声， 乃因他们走弯曲之道， 忘记耶和华—他们的 神。
Voices are crying on bare hilltops—the Israelites weeping and pleading for mercy, because they have gone astray and forgotten the Lord their God.
22 你们这背道的儿女啊，回来吧！ 我要医治你们背道的病。 看哪，我们来到你这里， 因你是耶和华—我们的 神。
Come back, unfaithful children, and I will heal your unfaithfulness. “We're here! Yes, we're coming back to you, because you are the Lord our God.”
23 仰望从小山或从大山的喧嚷中得帮助， 真是枉然的。 以色列得救，诚然在乎耶和华—我们的 神。
There's no doubt that pagan worship from the hills is pure lies; the idolatry that comes from the mountains is just noise. Israel's salvation is in the Lord our God alone.
24 从我们幼年以来，那可耻的偶像将我们列祖所劳碌得来的羊群、牛群，和他们的儿女都吞吃了。
All our lives pagan idolatry has destroyed what our fathers worked so hard for: their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.
25 我们在羞耻中躺卧吧！愿惭愧将我们遮盖；因为从立国以来，我们和我们的列祖常常得罪耶和华—我们的 神，没有听从耶和华—我们 神的话。
We should lie down in shame, and have our disgrace bury us. We have sinned against the Lord our God, us and our fathers. From when we were young right up to now we have not obeyed what the Lord our God told us to do.
