< Jeremiah 22 >
1 The LORD said, “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak this word there:
上主這樣說:「你下到猶大王宮去,在那裏宣佈這話,
2 ‘Hear the LORD’s word, king of Judah, who sits on David’s throne—you, your servants, and your people who enter in by these gates.
說:坐在達味寶座上的猶大王! 你和你的臣僕及從這些門進來的人民,該聆聽上主的話。
3 The LORD says: “Execute justice and righteousness, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong. Do no violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood in this place.
上主這樣說:你們應執行公道正義,從壓迫人的手中解救受剝奪的人,不要傷害虐待外方人和孤兒寡婦,不要在這地方上流無辜者的血。
4 For if you do this thing indeed, then kings sitting on David’s throne will enter in by the gates of this house, riding in chariots and on horses—they, their servants, and their people.
假使你們實在照這話去做,必有坐在達味寶座上的君王,乘車騎馬,與自己的臣僕和人民從這宮殿的門進來;
5 But if you will not hear these words, I swear by myself,” says the LORD, “that this house will become a desolation.”’”
倘若你們不聽從這話,我指著自己起誓──上主的斷語──這宮殿必要變為廢墟。
6 For the LORD says concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You are Gilead to me, the head of Lebanon. Yet surely I will make you a wilderness, cities which are not inhabited.
因為上主這樣論猶大王的宮殿說:即使你為我有如基肋阿得,又如黎巴嫩的山頂,我仍要使你變為荒野,成為無人居住的城市;
7 I will prepare destroyers against you, everyone with his weapons, and they will cut down your choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.
我要祝聖那已武裝的毀滅者來攻擊你,砍伐你最佳美的香柏,投入火中。
8 “Many nations will pass by this city, and they will each ask his neighbor, ‘Why has the LORD done this to this great city?’
許多民族經過這城時,必互相問說:為什麼上主這樣對待了這座大城市﹖
9 Then they will answer, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant of the LORD their God, worshiped other gods, and served them.’”
人必答說:因為他們廢棄了上主他們的天主的盟約,敬拜事奉了別的神祇。」
10 Do not weep for the dead. Do not bemoan him; but weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he will return no more, and not see his native country.
你們不要為已死的人哭泣,不要為他舉哀;卻要為遠去的人痛哭,因為他不會再回來,見他的生身地。
11 For the LORD says touching Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went out of this place: “He will not return there any more.
因為上主這樣論猶大王約史雅的兒子,即繼承他父親約史雅為王的沙隆說:「他一離開這地方,就不會再回來,
12 But he will die in the place where they have led him captive. He will see this land no more.”
必死在被擄去的地方,不會再見此地。」
13 “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his rooms by injustice; who uses his neighbor’s service without wages, and does not give him his hire;
禍哉,那不以公道正義建築自己的宮殿樓臺,叫人為自己徒勞而不給他工資的人!
14 who says, ‘I will build myself a wide house and spacious rooms,’ and cuts out windows for himself, with a cedar ceiling, and painted with red.
他說:我得給自己建築廣大的宮殿,寬敞的樓臺,開設窗戶,鑲上香柏,塗上丹砂。
15 “Should you reign because you strive to excel in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.
你為王是要以香柏爭勝嗎﹖你父親豈不也吃也喝﹖但他執行公道正義,為此能一切順利;
16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; so then it was well. Was not this to know me?” says the LORD.
他親自裁判弱小和貧苦人的案件,因此一切順利;這豈不是表示他認識我﹖──上主的斷語──
17 But your eyes and your heart are only for your covetousness, for shedding innocent blood, for oppression, and for doing violence.”
至於你,你的眼和心,只顧私利,只知無辜者的血,施行欺壓和勒索。
18 Therefore the LORD says concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “They will not lament for him, saying, ‘Ah my brother!’ or, ‘Ah sister!’ They will not lament for him, saying ‘Ah lord!’ or, ‘Ah his glory!’
為此上主這樣說:「對於猶大王約史雅的兒子約雅金,人必不哀悼他說:哀哉,我兄弟! 或哀哉,我姊妹! 人必不哀悼他說:哀哉,主上! 或哀哉,陛下!
19 He will be buried with the burial of a donkey, drawn and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.”
人要埋葬他如同埋葬一匹死驢,將他拖出,拋在耶路撒冷的門外。」
20 “Go up to Lebanon, and cry out. Lift up your voice in Bashan, and cry from Abarim; for all your lovers have been destroyed.
你該上黎巴嫩去呼喊,在巴商提高你的聲音,由阿巴陵喊叫,因為你的情侶都已滅亡。
21 I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from your youth, that you did not obey my voice.
在你歡樂時,我曾勸告過你,你卻說:「我不聽從。」你從幼年,就是這般行徑,從不聽我的聲音。
22 The wind will feed all your shepherds, and your lovers will go into captivity. Surely then you will be ashamed and confounded for all your wickedness.
你所有的牧人將被風捲去,你的情侶必徒遠方;那時你必因你行的一切邪惡,含羞抱愧。
23 Inhabitant of Lebanon, who makes your nest in the cedars, how greatly to be pitied you will be when pangs come on you, the pain as of a woman in travail!
你現在住在黎巴嫩,在香柏樹上營巢,但是,當痛苦,像產婦的痛苦襲擊你時,你將多麼可憐!
24 “As I live,” says the LORD, “though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet on my right hand, I would still pluck you from there.
我永在──上主的斷語──猶大王約雅金的兒子苛尼雅,即便你是我右手上蓋章的指環,我也要將你拔除,
25 I would give you into the hand of those who seek your life, and into the hand of them of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.
交在圖謀你性命和你畏懼的人的手中,交在巴比倫王拿步高和加色丁人的手中;
26 I will cast you out with your mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born; and there you will die.
將你和你生身的母親,拋在不是你們出生的異地,叫你們死在那裏。
27 But to the land to which their soul longs to return, there they will not return.”
他們必不能回到他心靈渴望回去的地方。
28 Is this man Coniah a despised broken vessel? Is he a vessel in which no one delights? Why are they cast out, he and his offspring, and cast into a land which they do not know?
苛尼雅這人,不是個可鄙而該毀滅的器皿,或無人喜稅的傢具嗎﹖為什麼他和他的後裔被拋棄,被投擲到自己不相識的地方去﹖
29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the LORD’s word!
地啊! 地啊! 請聆聽上主的話!
30 The LORD says, “Record this man as childless, a man who will not prosper in his days; for no more will a man of his offspring prosper, sitting on David’s throne and ruling in Judah.”
上主這樣說:「你應記錄:這人是一個無子女,畢生無成就的人,因為他的後裔中,沒有一人能成功,能坐上達味的寶座,再統治猶大。」