耶利米書 9
1 但願我的頭為水， 我的眼為淚的泉源， 我好為我百姓中被殺的人晝夜哭泣。
If only my head was a stream of waters and my eyes fountains of weeping, so that I might go on weeping day and night for the dead of the daughter of my people!
2 惟願我在曠野有行路人住宿之處， 使我可以離開我的民出去； 因他們都是行姦淫的， 是行詭詐的一黨。
If only I had in the waste land a night's resting-place for travellers, so that I might go away, far from my people! for they are all untrue, a band of false men.
3 他們彎起舌頭像弓一樣， 為要說謊話。 他們在國中增長勢力， 不是為行誠實， 乃是惡上加惡， 並不認識我。 這是耶和華說的。
Their tongues are bent like a bow to send out false words: they have become strong in the land, but not for good faith: they go on from evil to evil, and they have no knowledge of me, says the Lord.
4 你們各人當謹防鄰舍， 不可信靠弟兄； 因為弟兄盡行欺騙， 鄰舍都往來讒謗人。
Let everyone keep watch on his neighbour, and put no faith in any brother: for every brother will certainly be tricking his brother, and every neighbour will go about saying evil.
5 他們各人欺哄鄰舍，不說真話； 他們教舌頭學習說謊， 勞勞碌碌地作孽。
Everyone will make sport of his neighbour with deceit, not saying what is true: their tongues have been trained to say false words; they are twisted, hating to come back.
6 你的住處在詭詐的人中； 他們因行詭詐，不肯認識我。 這是耶和華說的。
There is wrong on wrong, deceit on deceit; they have given up the knowledge of me, says the Lord.
7 所以萬軍之耶和華如此說： 看哪，我要將他們鎔化熬煉； 不然，我因我百姓的罪該怎樣行呢？
So the Lord of armies has said, See, I will make them soft in the fire and put them to the test; this I will do because of their evil-doing.
8 他們的舌頭是毒箭，說話詭詐； 人與鄰舍口說和平話， 心卻謀害他。
His tongue is an arrow causing death; the words of his mouth are deceit: he says words of peace to his neighbour, but in his heart he is waiting secretly for him.
9 耶和華說：我豈不因這些事討他們的罪呢？ 豈不報復這樣的國民呢？
Am I not to send punishment for these things? says the Lord: will not my soul take payment from such a nation as this?
10 我要為山嶺哭泣悲哀， 為曠野的草場揚聲哀號； 因為都已乾焦，甚至無人經過。 人也聽不見牲畜鳴叫， 空中的飛鳥和地上的野獸都已逃去。
Give yourselves to weeping, crying out in sorrow for the mountains; and for the fields of the waste land send up a song of grief, because they are burned up, so that no one goes through; there is no sound of cattle; the bird of the heavens and the beast are in flight and are gone.
11 我必使耶路撒冷變為亂堆，為野狗的住處， 也必使猶大的城邑變為荒場，無人居住。
And I will make Jerusalem a mass of broken stones, the living-place of jackals; and I will make the towns of Judah a waste, with no man living there.
12 誰是智慧人，可以明白這事？耶和華的口向誰說過，使他可以傳說？遍地為何滅亡，乾焦好像曠野，甚至無人經過呢？
Who is the wise man able to see this? who is he to whom the word of the Lord has come, so that he may make it clear? why is the land given to destruction and burned up like a waste place, so that no one goes through?
13 耶和華說：「因為這百姓離棄我在他們面前所設立的律法，沒有遵行，也沒有聽從我的話；
And the Lord said, Because they have given up my law which I put before them, giving no attention to my voice and not being guided by it;
14 只隨從自己頑梗的心行事，照他們列祖所教訓的隨從眾巴力。」
But they have been walking in the pride of their hearts, going after the Baals, as their fathers gave them teaching.
15 所以萬軍之耶和華－以色列的上帝如此說：「看哪，我必將茵蔯給這百姓吃，又將苦膽水給他們喝。
So the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said, I will give them, even this people, bitter plants for food and bitter water for drink.
16 我要把他們散在列邦中，就是他們和他們列祖素不認識的列邦。我也要使刀劍追殺他們，直到將他們滅盡。」
And I will send them wandering among the nations, among people strange to them and to their fathers: and I will send the sword after them till I have put an end to them.
17 萬軍之耶和華如此說： 你們應當思想， 將善唱哀歌的婦女召來， 又打發人召善哭的婦女來，
This is what the Lord of armies has said: Take thought and send for the weeping women, so that they may come; and send for the wise women, so that they may come:
18 叫她們速速為我們舉哀， 使我們眼淚汪汪， 使我們的眼皮湧出水來。
Let them quickly make cries of sorrow for us, so that drops may be flowing from our eyes till they are streaming with water.
19 因為聽見哀聲出於錫安，說： 我們怎樣敗落了！ 我們大大地慚愧！ 我們撇下地土； 人也拆毀了我們的房屋。
For a sound of weeping goes up from Zion, a cry, How has destruction come on us? we are overcome with shame because we have gone away from our land; he has sent us out from our house.
20 婦女們哪，你們當聽耶和華的話， 領受他口中的言語； 又當教導你們的兒女舉哀， 各人教導鄰舍唱哀歌。
But even now, give ear to the word of the Lord, O you women; let your ears be open to the word of his mouth, training your daughters to give cries of sorrow, everyone teaching her neighbour a song of grief.
21 因為死亡上來， 進了我們的窗戶， 入了我們的宮殿； 要從外邊剪除孩童， 從街上剪除少年人。
For death has come up into our windows, forcing its way into our great houses; cutting off the children in the streets and the young men in the wide places.
22 你當說，耶和華如此說： 人的屍首必倒在田野像糞土， 又像收割的人遺落的一把禾稼， 無人收取。
The bodies of men will be falling like waste on the open fields, and like grain dropped by the grain-cutter, and no one will take them up.
23 耶和華如此說：「智慧人不要因他的智慧誇口，勇士不要因他的勇力誇口，財主不要因他的財物誇口。
This is the word of the Lord: Let not the wise man take pride in his wisdom, or the strong man in his strength, or the man of wealth in his wealth:
24 誇口的卻因他有聰明，認識我是耶和華，又知道我喜悅在世上施行慈愛、公平，和公義，以此誇口。這是耶和華說的。」
But if any man has pride, let it be in this, that he has the wisdom to have knowledge of me, that I am the Lord, working mercy, giving true decisions, and doing righteousness in the earth: for in these things I have delight, says the Lord.
25 耶和華說：「看哪，日子將到，我要刑罰一切受過割禮、心卻未受割禮的，
See, the day is coming, says the Lord, when I will send punishment on all those who have circumcision in the flesh;
26 就是埃及、猶大、以東、亞捫人、摩押人，和一切住在曠野剃周圍頭髮的；因為列國人都沒有受割禮，以色列人心中也沒有受割禮。」
On Egypt and on Judah and on Edom and on the children of Ammon and on Moab and on all who have the ends of their hair cut, who are living in the waste land: for all these nations and all the people of Israel are without circumcision in their hearts.
