耶利米書 12
1 耶和華啊，我與你爭辯的時候， 你顯為義； 但有一件，我還要與你理論： 惡人的道路為何亨通呢？ 大行詭詐的為何得安逸呢？
You are righteous, Yahweh, whenever I bring disputes to you. I must certainly tell you of my reason to complain: Why do the ways of the wicked succeed? All the faithless people are successful.
2 你栽培了他們， 他們也扎了根， 長大，而且結果。 他們的口是與你相近， 心卻與你遠離。
You planted them and they took root. They continue to produce fruit. You are near to them in their mouths, but far away from their hearts.
3 耶和華啊，你曉得我，看見我， 察驗我向你是怎樣的心。 求你將他們拉出來， 好像將宰的羊， 叫他們等候殺戮的日子。
Yet you, Yahweh, know me. You see me and you test my heart toward you. Take them away like sheep to the slaughter, and set them apart for the day of slaughter!
4 這地悲哀， 通國的青草枯乾，要到幾時呢？ 因其上居民的惡行， 牲畜和飛鳥都滅絕了。 他們曾說：他看不見我們的結局。
How long will the land go on drying up, and the plants in every field wither because of the wickedness of its inhabitants? The animals and the birds have been taken away. Indeed, the people say, “God will not see what happens to us.”
5 耶和華說：你若與步行的人同跑， 尚且覺累， 怎能與馬賽跑呢？ 你在平安之地，雖然安穩， 在約旦河邊的叢林要怎樣行呢？
Yahweh said, “Indeed, if you, Jeremiah, have run with foot soldiers and they have tired you out, how can you compete against horses? If you fall down in the safe countryside, how will you do in the thickets along the Jordan?
6 因為連你弟兄和你父家都用奸詐待你。 他們也在你後邊大聲喊叫， 雖向你說好話， 你也不要信他們。
For even your brothers and your father's family have betrayed you and have loudly denounced you. Do not trust in them, even if they say nice things to you.
7 我離了我的殿宇， 撇棄我的產業， 將我心裏所親愛的交在她仇敵的手中。
I have abandoned my house; I have forsaken my inheritance. I have given my beloved into the hands of her enemies.
8 我的產業向我如林中的獅子， 她發聲攻擊我， 因此我恨惡她。
My inheritance has become to me like a lion in a thicket; she sets herself against me with her own voice, so I hate her.
9 我的產業向我豈如斑點的鷙鳥呢？ 鷙鳥豈在她四圍攻擊她呢？ 你們要去聚集田野的百獸， 帶來吞吃吧！
Has not my prized possession become a speckled bird, that other birds of prey go against her all around? Go and gather all the wild beasts and bring them to devour her.
10 許多牧人毀壞我的葡萄園， 踐踏我的分， 使我美好的分變為荒涼的曠野。
Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard. They have stomped all over my portion of land; they turned my delightful portion into a wilderness, a desolation.
11 他們使地荒涼； 地既荒涼，便向我悲哀。 全地荒涼，因無人介意。
They have made her a desolation. I mourn for her; she is desolate. All the land has been made desolate, for there is no one who takes it to heart.
12 滅命的都來到曠野中一切淨光的高處； 耶和華的刀從地這邊直到地那邊盡行殺滅。 凡有血氣的都不得平安。
Destroyers have come against all the bare places in the wilderness, for Yahweh's sword is devouring from one end of the land to the other. There is no safety in the land for any living creature.
13 他們種的是麥子， 收的是荊棘； 勞勞苦苦卻毫無益處。 因耶和華的烈怒， 你們必為自己的土產羞愧。
They have sown wheat but harvest thornbushes. They are exhausted from work but have gained nothing. So be ashamed of your gain because of Yahweh's anger.”
14 耶和華如此說：「一切惡鄰，就是佔據我使百姓以色列所承受產業的，我要將他們拔出本地，又要將猶大家從他們中間拔出來。
Yahweh says this against all my neighbors, the wicked ones who strike at the possession that I made my people Israel inherit, “See, I am the one who is about to uproot them from their own ground, and I will pull up the house of Judah from among them.
15 我拔出他們以後，我必轉過來憐憫他們，把他們再帶回來，各歸本業，各歸故土。
Then after I uproot those nations, it will happen that I will have compassion on them and bring them back; I will return them—each man to his inheritance and his land.
16 他們若殷勤學習我百姓的道，指着我的名起誓說：『我指着永生的耶和華起誓』，正如他們從前教我百姓指着巴力起誓，他們就必建立在我百姓中間。
It will come about that if those nations carefully learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name 'As Yahweh lives' just as they have taught my people to swear by Baal, then they will be built up in the midst of my people.
17 他們若是不聽，我必拔出那國，拔出而且毀滅。這是耶和華說的。」
But if any do not listen, then I will uproot that nation. It will certainly be uprooted and destroyed—this is Yahweh's declaration.”
