< 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。
How I wish my head was a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears! Then I would weep day and night over all my people who have been killed.
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。
I wish I had a temporary shelter in the desert—I would give up on my people and leave them, because they're all adulterers, a bunch of traitors!
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 words are like arrows shot from a bow. Lies win out over the truth throughout the country. They go from one evil thing to the next, forgetting all about me, declares 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。
Everyone, watch out for your friends! Don't even trust your brother! Every brother is deceitful, and every friend slanders other people.
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 betrays their friends; no one tells the truth. They've made themselves into expert liars; they tire themselves out doing wrong.
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。
Everyone exploits each other, and in all their lies they don't want to know me, declares 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 this is what the Lord Almighty says: Look, I'm going to test them and purify them like metal in a furnace. What else can I do because of what my people have done?
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。
Their words are arrows that kill; they always tell lies. They're nice to their friends on the outside while plotting against them inside.
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?
Shouldn't I punish them for all this? declares the Lord. Shouldn't I retaliate for what this nation has done?
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。
I will weep and wail for the mountains, I will sing a funeral song over the pastures in the countryside, because they have been so badly burned that no one can pass through, and there are no cattle to make any noise. The birds have flown and the wild animals have run away.
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。
I'm going to make Jerusalem into a heap of rubble, a place where jackals live. I will destroy the towns of Judah, leaving them empty.
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 wise enough to understand this? Has the Lord told anyone so they can explain what's happened? Why has the land been destroyed and burned so it's like a desert, so no one can pass through it?
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;
The Lord replied, It's because they have given up keeping my laws that I placed before them. They haven't followed them; they haven't done what I told them.
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。」
On the contrary, they have followed their own stubborn way of thinking, and went to worship the Baals, just as their forefathers taught them.
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 this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Watch out! I will give these people wormwood to eat and poisoned water to 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。」
I'm about to scatter them among nations unfamiliar to them and their forefathers, and I will send enemies with swords to chase after them until I have wiped them out.
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 Almighty says: Be aware of what's happening! Call for the professional women mourners, ask for the best of them.
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。
Have them come as quickly as possible, and sing a funeral song about us, so we can cry our eyes out, so our tears will flow like streams.
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。
The sound of weeping comes from Zion, “We're completely devastated! We're totally ashamed, because we've had to abandon our country, because our houses have been demolished.”
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。
Women, listen to the Lord's message, hear what he has to say. Teach your daughters to mourn and sing songs of sadness.
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。
Death has slipped in through our windows; it has come into our fortresses. It has killed the children playing in the streets and the young people gathering in the town squares.
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。
Tell everyone this is what the Lord says: Dead bodies will be left where they fall like manure in the fields, lying there like stalks of freshly-cut grain behind the reaper, with no one to collect them.
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 what the Lord says: The wise shouldn't boast about their wisdom. The strong shouldn't boast about their strength. The rich shouldn't boast about their riches.
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。」
Anyone who wants to boast should boast that they really know and understand me, recognizing that I am the Lord who acts with trustworthy love, who shows fairness, and who does what is right everywhere on earth, because these mean the most to me, declares 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,
Watch out, for the time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will punish all who are only physically circumcised.
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。」
Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab, and all the desert people who trim their hair on the sides of their heads—all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the Israelites are spiritually uncircumcised.