< Jeremiah 21 >

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur, the son of Malchiah, and Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,
上主傳給耶肋米亞的話:那時,漆德克雅王正派瑪耳基雅的兒子帕市胡爾,和司祭瑪阿色雅的兒子責法尼雅來見他說:
2 Will you get directions from the Lord for us; for Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, is making war against us; it may be that the Lord will do something for us like all the wonders he has done, and make him go away from us.
請你替我們詢問上主:「巴比倫王拿步高既來與我們作戰,上主是否依照他所行的奇事來協助我們,叫他離我們遠去﹖」
3 Then Jeremiah said to them, This is what you are to say to Zedekiah:
耶肋米亞便回答他們說:「你們應這樣對漆德克雅說:
4 The Lord God of Israel has said, See, I am turning back the instruments of war in your hands, with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and the Chaldaeans, who are outside the walls and shutting you in; and I will get them together inside this town.
上主,以色列的天主這樣說:看,我必使你們手中所持,用以攻擊在城外圍攻你們的巴比倫王和加色丁人的武器,反回集中在這城的中心。
5 And I myself will be fighting against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even with angry feeling and passion and in great wrath.
然後我要伸出手來,以強力的手臂、震怒、狂暴和憤恨痛擊你們,
6 And I will send a great disease on the people living in this town, on man and on beast, causing their death.
痛擊住在這裏的人和獸;他們必死於盛行的瘟疫。
7 And after that, says the Lord, I will give up Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his servants and his people, even those in the town who have not come to their end from the disease and the sword and from need of food, into the hands of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, and into the hands of their haters, and into the hands of those desiring their death: he will put them to the sword; he will not let anyone get away, he will have no pity or mercy.
此後──上主的斷語──我必將猶大王漆德克雅和他的臣僕,並這城中幸免於瘟疫、刀劍和饑饉的人民,交在巴比倫王拿步高和他們的仇敵,以及謀圖他們性命者的手中,叫敵人用利刃擊殺他們,毫不饒恕,毫不憐憫,毫不表同情。
8 And to this people you are to say, The Lord has said, See, I put before you the way of life and the way of death.
此外,你應對這人民說:看,我將生命的路和死亡的路,擺在你們面前:
9 He who keeps in this town will come to his death by the sword and through need of food and through disease; but he who goes out and gives himself up to the Chaldaeans who are shutting you in, will go on living, and will keep his life safe.
凡留在這城中的,必死於刀劍、饑饉和瘟疫;凡出來向圍攻你們的加色丁人投降的,必保全性命,必有生命當作自己的勝利品。
10 For my face is turned to this town for evil and not for good, says the Lord: it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will have it burned with fire.
我所以轉面向著這城,是為降災,並不是為賜福──上主的斷語──這城必被交在巴比倫王手中,他要火燒這城。」
11 About the family of the king of Judah. Give ear to the word of the Lord;
對於猶大的王室,你應該這樣說:你們該聆聽上主的話,
12 O family of David, this is what the Lord has said: Do what is right in the morning, and make free from the hands of the cruel one him whose goods have been violently taken away, or my wrath will go out like fire, burning so that no one may put it out, because of the evil of your doings.
達味家族! 上主這樣說:「你們應及早執行正義,從壓迫者手中解救被剝奪的人,免得我的忿怒,因你們行事邪惡,像火一般燒起,而沒有人能夠熄滅。」
13 See, I am against you, you who are living on the rock of the valley, says the Lord; you who say, Who will come down against us? or who will get into our houses?
至於你這居住在谷中和平原巖石上的人,看,我來對付你──上主的斷語──你們誇說:「誰能下來攻擊我們﹖誰能進入我們的巢穴﹖」
14 I will send punishment on you in keeping with the fruit of your doings, says the Lord: and I will put a fire in her woodlands, burning up everything round about her.
我必按照你們行為應得的,來懲罰你們──上主的斷語──我要在她的樹林裏放火,吞滅她四周的一切。

< Jeremiah 21 >