耶利米書 31
1 耶和華說：「那時，我必作以色列各家的上帝；他們必作我的子民。」
Yahweh says that at that time, he will be the God [who is worshiped by] all the clans in Israel, and they will be his people.
2 耶和華如此說： 脫離刀劍的就是以色列人。 我使他享安息的時候， 他曾在曠野蒙恩。
This is what Yahweh says: “Those [people] who remained alive and were not killed by [their enemies’] swords were blessed [by me even] in the desert; I enabled them to have peace.
3 古時耶和華向以色列顯現，說： 我以永遠的愛愛你， 因此我以慈愛吸引你。
Long ago [I, ] Yahweh, said to [your ancestors, ] the Israeli people, ‘I have loved you and I will continue to love you forever. By faithfully loving you, I have brought you close to myself.’
4 以色列的民哪， 我要再建立你，你就被建立； 你必再以擊鼓為美， 與歡樂的人一同跳舞而出；
And [now I tell you], my Israeli people whom I love [MET], that I will cause you to be a nation again. You will [joyfully] dance as you play your tambourines.
5 又必在撒馬利亞的山上栽種葡萄園， 栽種的人要享用所結的果子。
Again you will plant your vineyards on the hills of Samaria, and you will eat the grapes [that grow there].
6 日子必到，以法蓮山上守望的人必呼叫說： 起來吧！我們可以上錫安， 到耶和華－我們的上帝那裏去。
There will be a time when watchmen will call out from the hills of Samaria [MTY], ‘Come, let’s go up to Jerusalem to [worship] Yahweh, our God!'”
7 耶和華如此說： 你們當為雅各歡樂歌唱， 因萬國中為首的歡呼。 當傳揚頌讚說： 耶和華啊， 求你拯救你的百姓以色列所剩下的人。
And now Yahweh also says this: “Sing joyfully about [what I have done for] the people of Israel! Shout about [your nation, ] the greatest nation! Shout joyfully, praising me and saying, ‘Yahweh, rescue your people, the ones who are still alive!’
8 我必將他們從北方領來， 從地極招聚； 同着他們來的有瞎子、瘸子、孕婦、產婦； 他們必成為大幫回到這裏來。
Do that [because] I will bring them back from the northeast, from the most distant places on the earth. Among them will be blind people and lame people, women who are pregnant and women who are (having labor pains/about to give birth to babies). They will be a huge group of people!
9 他們要哭泣而來。 我要照他們懇求的引導他們， 使他們在河水旁走正直的路， 在其上不致絆跌； 因為我是以色列的父， 以法蓮是我的長子。
They will be crying as they return, and they will be praying [to me]. I will guide them along streams of water, on level paths where they will not stumble. [I will do this] because I am [like] a father to the Israeli people; [it is as though] Israel is my oldest son.”
10 列國啊，要聽耶和華的話， 傳揚在遠處的海島說： 趕散以色列的必招聚他， 又看守他，好像牧人看守羊群。
Yahweh says, “[You people in the] nations of the world, listen to this message from me. Then proclaim it to [people who live along] the coasts far away. I scattered my people, but I will gather them [again] and will take care of them like [SIM] a shepherd takes care of his sheep.
11 因耶和華救贖了雅各， 救贖他脫離比他更強之人的手。
I will buy [my] Israeli people back from those who [conquered them because] they were more powerful [than my people].
12 他們要來到錫安的高處歌唱， 又流歸耶和華施恩之地， 就是有五穀、新酒，和油， 並羊羔、牛犢之地。 他們的心必像澆灌的園子； 他們也不再有一點愁煩。
My people will return [to Jerusalem] and shout joyfully on the slopes of Zion Hill. They will rejoice about the things that I have abundantly given to them— grain and new wine and [olive] oil and young sheep and cattle. They themselves will be like a well-watered garden, and they will no longer be sad.
13 那時，處女必歡樂跳舞； 年少的、年老的，也必一同歡樂； 因為我要使他們的悲哀變為歡喜， 並要安慰他們，使他們的愁煩轉為快樂。
The young women will dance joyfully, and [all] the men, young ones and old ones, will join with them. I will cause them to rejoice instead of mourning; I will comfort them and cause them to be happy instead of being sad.
14 我必以肥油使祭司的心滿足； 我的百姓也要因我的恩惠知足。 這是耶和華說的。
The priests will have plenty of things to eat and drink, and [all] my people will be filled with the good things that I give them. [That will certainly happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
15 耶和華如此說： 在拉瑪聽見號咷痛哭的聲音， 是拉結哭她兒女，不肯受安慰， 因為他們都不在了。
Yahweh [also] says this: “Women were weeping in Ramah [town on the border between Israel and Judah]; they were mourning and crying very loudly. [The women who were the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, the two grandsons of] Rachel [the wife of Jacob], were weeping about their children, and no one could comfort them because their children were [all] dead.
16 耶和華如此說： 你禁止聲音不要哀哭， 禁止眼目不要流淚， 因你所做之工必有賞賜； 他們必從敵國歸回。 這是耶和華說的。
[But now] this is what [I], Yahweh, say: ‘Do not cry [any more], because I will reward you [for the good things you have done for your children]. Your children will return from the land where their enemies [have taken them].
17 耶和華說：你末後必有指望； 你的兒女必回到自己的境界。
[I], Yahweh, am telling you that there are things that you can confidently expect [me to do for you] in the future. Your children will return to their own land.’
18 我聽見以法蓮為自己悲歎說： 你責罰我，我便受責罰， 像不慣負軛的牛犢一樣。 求你使我回轉，我便回轉， 因為你是耶和華－我的上帝。
I have heard [the people of] Israel grieving very much [and saying to me], ‘You punished us severely, like [SIM] calves are beaten [by their owners to train them for pulling a plow]. [So] bring us back [to obey/worship you again], because we are ready to return to you, because you [alone] are Yahweh, our God.
19 我回轉以後就真正懊悔； 受教以後就拍腿歎息； 我因擔當幼年的凌辱就抱愧蒙羞。
We turned away [from you], but we repented; [after you] caused us to realize [that we were guilty]. We beat our chests to show that we were very ashamed [DOU] of the sins that we committed when we were young.’
20 耶和華說：以法蓮是我的愛子嗎？ 是可喜悅的孩子嗎？ 我每逢責備他，仍深顧念他； 所以我的心腸戀慕他； 我必要憐憫他。
But [I], Yahweh, say this: The Israeli people certainly are [RHQ] still my dear children [DOU]. It is often necessary for me to threaten [to punish] them, but I still love them. That is why I have not forgotten them, and I will certainly act mercifully toward them.
21 以色列民哪， 你當為自己設立指路碑， 豎起引路柱。 你要留心向大路， 就是你所去的原路； 你當回轉，回轉到你這些城邑。
[You Israeli people, ] set up road signs; put up posts [along the roads] to mark the road on which you walked [when you were taken from Jerusalem]. My precious/beloved Israeli people, come back to your towns here.
22 背道的民哪， 你反來覆去要到幾時呢？ 耶和華在地上造了一件新事， 就是女子護衛男子。
You people who have been like [MET] daughters who have forsaken their parents, how long will you continue to wander [away from me] [RHQ]? I, Yahweh, will cause something to happen on the earth that (is new/has not happened before): The women of Israel will be protecting their husbands as they travel [back here]!”
23 萬軍之耶和華－以色列的上帝如此說：「我使被擄之人歸回的時候，他們在猶大地和其中的城邑必再這樣說： 公義的居所啊， 聖山哪，願耶和華賜福給你。
This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israeli people [worship], says: “When I bring them back from the countries to which they have been exiled, all the people from the towns in Judah will again say, [‘I hope that] Yahweh will bless this my home, the holy place where righteous [people will live]!’
24 猶大和屬猶大城邑的人，農夫和放羊的人，要一同住在其中。
[The people of] Judah [who live in] the towns, including the farmers and the shepherds, will all live together [peacefully].
25 疲乏的人，我使他飽飫；愁煩的人，我使他知足。」
I will enable weary people to rest, and enable people who are very exhausted to become strong again.”
26 先知說：「我醒了，覺着睡得香甜！」
I, [Jeremiah], woke up [after dreaming all those things], and I looked [around]. I had slept [very] delightfully!
27 耶和華說：「日子將到，我要把人的種和牲畜的種播種在以色列家和猶大家。
[Then] Yahweh said [to me], “There will be a time when I will greatly increase [MET] the number of people and the number of livestock here in Israel and Judah.
28 我先前怎樣留意將他們拔出、拆毀、毀壞、傾覆、苦害，也必照樣留意將他們建立、栽植。這是耶和華說的。
[Previously], I caused [their enemies to] remove the people from their land and to destroy their land and to cause them to experience many disasters [DOU]. But in the future, I will enable them to build houses and to plant crops [here in Israel again]. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.
29 當那些日子，人不再說： 父親吃了酸葡萄， 兒子的牙酸倒了。
[Previously the people often said, ] ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, but it is the children’s teeth that ache.’ [They meant that it was not fair for them to be punished for their ancestors’ sins]. But [when I bring them back to their land], they will no longer say that.
30 但各人必因自己的罪死亡；凡吃酸葡萄的，自己的牙必酸倒。」
But now all people will die because of the sins that they themselves have committed.
31 耶和華說：「日子將到，我要與以色列家和猶大家另立新約，
[I], Yahweh, say this: ‘There will be a time when I will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and Judah.
32 不像我拉着他們祖宗的手，領他們出埃及地的時候，與他們所立的約。我雖作他們的丈夫，他們卻背了我的約。這是耶和華說的。」
[This new agreement will] not be like the agreement that I made with their ancestors when I took them by their hands and led them out of Egypt. They broke that agreement, even though I [loved them like] [MET] husbands love their wives.’
33 耶和華說：「那些日子以後，我與以色列家所立的約乃是這樣：我要將我的律法放在他們裏面，寫在他們心上。我要作他們的上帝，他們要作我的子民。
This is what I, Yahweh, say: ‘This is the new agreement that I will make with the people of Israel some day: I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their inner beings. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34 他們各人不再教導自己的鄰舍和自己的弟兄說：『你該認識耶和華』，因為他們從最小的到至大的都必認識我。我要赦免他們的罪孽，不再記念他們的罪惡。這是耶和華說的。」
And it will not be [necessary] for them to teach their neighbors or their relatives and say, “[You need to] know Yahweh,” because everyone, including unimportant people and very important people, will [already] know me. And I will forgive them for having been very wicked, and I will never think again about the sins that they have committed.’”
35 那使太陽白日發光， 使星月有定例，黑夜發亮， 又攪動大海，使海中波浪匉訇的， 萬軍之耶和華是他的名。 他如此說：
Yahweh is the one who causes the sun to give light during the day, and who causes the moon and the stars to give light during the night. He stirs up the seas, with the result that waves roar. His name is the Commander of the armies of angels, and this is what he says:
36 這些定例若能在我面前廢掉， 以色列的後裔也就在我面前斷絕， 永遠不再成國。 這是耶和華說的。
“I will not reject my Israeli people any more than I will get rid of the laws [that control the universe].
37 耶和華如此說： 若能量度上天， 尋察下地的根基， 我就因以色列後裔一切所行的棄絕他們。 這是耶和華說的。
And this is what I say: ‘No one can measure the sky, and no one can find out what is supporting the earth. Similarly, I cannot reject forever the descendants of Jacob because of all the [evil] things that they have done.’ [That is certain, because] I, Yahweh, have said it!
38 耶和華說：「日子將到，這城必為耶和華建造，從哈楠業樓直到角門。
[I], Yahweh, also say that there will be a time when [everything in] Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me, from the tower of Hananel [at the northeast corner, west] to [the gate named] the Corner Gate.
39 準繩要往外量出，直到迦立山，又轉到歌亞。
[Workers] will stretch a measuring line/string over Gareb Hill all the way [southwest] to Goah.
40 拋屍的全谷和倒灰之處，並一切田地，直到汲淪溪，又直到東方馬門的拐角，都要歸耶和華為聖，不再拔出，不再傾覆，直到永遠。」
And the whole area, including the place where corpses and ashes are thrown in the [Kidron] Valley, and all the fields to the east as far as the Horse Gate, will become set apart for me. And the city [of Jerusalem] will never again be captured or destroyed.”
