< Isaiah 21 >
1 The burden of the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South sweep through, it cometh from the wilderness, from a terrible land.
有關瀚海的神諭:猶如風暴由南方掃來;同樣,仇敵將由沙漠,由可怕之地而來。
2 A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous man dealeth treacherously, and the destroyer destroyeth. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.
一悽慘的神視顯示給我:搶奪的盡量搶奪,破壞的盡量破壞。厄藍,上前!瑪待,圍攻!我要結束所有的嘆息!
3 Therefore are my loins filled with anguish; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail: I am pained so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see.
為此我的兩腰滿是酸痛,侵襲我的劇痛無異產婦的痛苦;我惶亂得不能再聽,我昏迷得不能再看。
4 My heart fluttereth, horror hath affrighted me; the twilight that I desired hath been turned into trembling unto me.
我的心神錯亂了,恐怖驟然襲擊了我;我所渴望的黃昏,為我反成了恐怖。
5 They prepare the table, they set the watch, they eat, they drink: rise up, ye princes, anoint the shield.
盛宴已擺,華毯已舖,人們正在吃喝之際:「將帥們!起來!用油擦盾!」
6 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman; let him declare what he seeth:
因為吾主對我這樣說:「去!派置一個警衛,叫他報告他所見的!
7 and when he seeth a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of asses, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed.
當他見到騎兵隊、一對一對的馬兵、驢隊和駱駝隊時,他要注意,要多多注意!」
8 And he cried as a lion: O Lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the day-time, and am set in my ward whole nights;
守望者喊叫:「吾主!我整日站在瞭望台上,長夜鵠立在我的守望所。
9 and, behold, here cometh a troop of men, horsemen in pairs. And he answered and said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground.
看哪!來了一隊人馬,一對一對的騎兵!」有一個喊叫說:「陷落了!巴比倫陷落了!她所有的神像也都摔碎在地!」
10 O thou my threshing, and the grain of my floor! that which I have heard from Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.
我那被碾軋的百姓,我那禾場上的子民!凡是我由萬軍的上主,以色列的天主所聽到的,我都告訴了你們。
11 The burden of Dumah. One calleth unto me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
有關厄東的神諭:從色依爾有人向我喊叫說:「警衛!夜已何時了﹖夜已何時了﹖」
12 The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: turn ye, come.
警衛答說:「黎明已至,然而仍是黑夜;如果你們仍要詢問,詢問罷!再來一次!」
13 The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye caravans of Dedanites.
有關荒野的神諭:你們在森林中,在荒野裏過宿罷!德丹的商旅,
14 Unto him that was thirsty they brought water; the inhabitants of the land of Tema did meet the fugitives with their bread.
請攜水出來迎接口渴的人!特瑪地的居民,請備糧接待逃難的人!
15 For they fled away from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.
因為他們出逃,是由於面臨刀劍,面臨出鞘的刀劍,面臨已張的弓弩,面臨激烈的戰爭。
16 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar shall fail;
上主曾這樣對我說:「照僱工的年限計,還有三年,刻達爾所有的榮耀都要完結;
17 and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be few; for Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath spoken it.
刻達爾子民的英勇弓手人數,剩下的很少。」因為上主以色列的天主,早就這樣說了。