Jeremiah 34
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, all his army, all the earthly kingdoms under his control, and all the other nations were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding cities.
比倫王拿步高與自己的軍隊，及他手下統治的天下各國和一切民族，前來進攻耶路撒冷和她所有的城鎮時，有上主的話傳給耶肋米亞說：
2 The LORD, the God of Israel, told Jeremiah to go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him that this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I am about to deliver this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.
「上主以色列的天主這樣說：你對猶大王漆德克雅說，告訴他上主這樣說：看，我必將這城交在巴比倫王手中，他將放火燒城，
3 And you yourself will not escape his grasp, but will surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You will see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face; and you will go to Babylon.
你必逃不出他的手，終必被擒，交在他手中；你必要與巴比倫王目對目相視，面對面相談；你必要到巴比倫去；
4 Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the LORD says concerning you: You will not die by the sword;
但是，猶大王漆德克雅! 請聽上主的話，上主論你這樣說：你決不會死在刀下，
5 you will die in peace. As spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who preceded you, so people will burn spices for you and lament, ‘Alas, O master!’ For I Myself have spoken this word, declares the LORD.”
必要和平死去；正如有人給在你以前的上代祖先君王焚香，同樣也有人給你焚香，向你致哀；『嘻嘻，我主! 』的確，是我說了這話──上主的斷語」。
6 In Jerusalem, then, Jeremiah the prophet relayed all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah
耶肋米亞就在耶路撒冷，對猶大君王漆德克雅說了這一切話，
7 as the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the remaining cities of Judah—against Lachish and Azekah. For these were the only fortified cities remaining in Judah.
那時巴比倫不的軍隊正在攻打耶路撒冷和猶大其餘的城市，攻打拉基士和阿則卡，因為在猶大城市中，只剩下了這兩座設防的城市。
8 After King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty, the word came to Jeremiah from the LORD
漆德克雅王與當時在耶路撒冷的全體人民訂約，要對奴婢宣佈自由以後，有上主的話傳給耶肋米亞：
9 that each man should free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, and no one should hold his fellow Jew in bondage.
每人應釋放自己的希伯來奴婢，使他們獲享自由；誰也不該再以自己的弟兄猶大人作奴婢。
10 So all the officials and all the people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their menservants and maidservants and no longer hold them in bondage. They obeyed and released them,
所有入盟的首長和全體人民都同意，每人要釋放自己的奴婢，使他們獲享自由，不再以他們為奴婢：他們同意了，也釋放了。
11 but later they changed their minds and took back the menservants and maidservants they had freed, and they forced them to become slaves again.
但是，以後他們改變主意，把他們釋放恢復自由的奴婢，再叫回來，強迫他們再作奴婢。
12 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
於是有上主的話傳給耶肋米亞說：
13 “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying:
「上主以色列的天主這樣說：在我領你們的祖先，先由埃及地，奴隸之所，出來的那一天，與他們訂了盟約說：
14 Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.
每七年初，你們應各自釋放賣給你們的希伯來弟兄：他服事了你六年，你應該讓他自由離去。你們的祖先卻不聽，也不向我側耳。
15 Recently you repented and did what pleased Me; each of you proclaimed freedom for his neighbor. You made a covenant before Me in the house that bears My Name.
今年你們自己反悔，作了我認為正直的事，各向自己的近人宣布自由，在歸我名下的殿裏，當著我面訂了盟約。
16 But now you have changed your minds and profaned My name. Each of you has taken back the menservants and maidservants whom you had set at liberty to go wherever they wanted, and you have again forced them to be your slaves.
但事後卻變了主意，褻瀆我名，竟再召回自己已經釋放，身獲自由的奴婢，迫使他們再做你們的奴婢。
17 Therefore this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed Me; you have not proclaimed freedom, each man for his brother and for his neighbor. So now I proclaim freedom for you, declares the LORD—freedom to fall by sword, by plague, and by famine! I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
為此上主這樣說：你們既不聽從我，各自向自己的弟兄，各向自己的近人宣布自由，看，我來對你們宣佈釋放刀劍和瘟疫及飢荒的自由──上主的斷語──使你們成為地上一切王國驚慌恐怖的對象。
18 And those who have transgressed My covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before Me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two in order to pass between its pieces.
凡違背我盟約，即不履行剖開牛犢，由兩半中間走過，在我面前所立的盟約誓詞人，我必將他們交出：
19 The officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the pieces of the calf,
凡剖開牛犢，由兩半中走過的猶大和耶路撒冷的首長、官員、司祭，以及當地的全體人民，
20 I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.
我必將他們悉數交在他們的敵人，和圖謀他們性命者的手中，使他們的屍首成為天上飛鳥和地上走獸的食物。
21 And I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives, to the army of the king of Babylon that had withdrawn from you.
至於猶大王漆德克雅和他的臣相，我也將他們交在他們敵人手中，交在圖謀他們性命者的手中，交在由你們面前撤退的巴比倫王軍隊的手中。
22 Behold, I am going to give the command, declares the LORD, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, capture it, and burn it down. And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”
我必下令──上主的斷語──叫他們再回來，進攻，佔領，火燒這城市；至於猶大的其他城市，我必使它們化為無人居住木荒野」。
