Jeremiah 3
1 They say, If a man puts away his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man's, will he go back to her again? will not that land have been made unclean? but though you have been acting like a loose woman with a number of lovers, will you now come back to me? says the Lord.
有話說：人若休妻， 妻離他而去，作了別人的妻， 前夫豈能再收回她來？ 若收回她來，那地豈不是大大玷污了嗎？ 但你和許多親愛的行邪淫， 還可以歸向我。 這是耶和華說的。
2 Let your eyes be lifted up to the open hilltops, and see; where have you not been taken by your lovers? You have been seated waiting for them by the wayside like an Arabian in the waste land; you have made the land unclean with your loose ways and your evil-doing.
你向淨光的高處舉目觀看， 你在何處沒有淫行呢？ 你坐在道旁等候， 好像阿拉伯人在曠野埋伏一樣， 並且你的淫行邪惡玷污了全地。
3 So the showers have been kept back, and there has been no spring rain; still your brow is the brow of a loose woman, you will not let yourself be shamed.
因此甘霖停止， 春雨不降。 你還是有娼妓之臉， 不顧羞恥。
4 Will you not, from this time, make your prayer to me, crying, My father, you are the friend of my early years?
從今以後，你豈不向我呼叫說： 我父啊，你是我幼年的恩主。
5 Will he be angry for ever? will he keep his wrath to the end? These things you have said, and have done evil and have had your way.
耶和華豈永遠懷怒，存留到底嗎？ 看哪，你又發惡言又行壞事， 隨自己的私意而行。」
6 And the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king, Have you seen what Israel, turning away from me, has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every branching tree, acting like a loose woman there.
約西亞王在位的時候，耶和華又對我說：「背道的以色列所行的，你看見沒有？她上各高山，在各青翠樹下行淫。
7 And I said, After she has done all these things she will come back to me; but she did not. And her false sister Judah saw it.
她行這些事以後，我說她必歸向我，她卻不歸向我。她奸詐的妹妹猶大也看見了。
8 And though she saw that, because Israel, turning away from me, had been untrue to me, I had put her away and given her a statement in writing ending the relation between us, still Judah, her false sister, had no fear, but went and did the same.
背道的以色列行淫，我為這緣故給她休書休她；我看見她奸詐的妹妹猶大，還不懼怕，也去行淫。
9 So that through all her loose behaviour the land became unclean, and she was untrue, giving herself to stones and trees.
因以色列輕忽了她的淫亂，和石頭木頭行淫，地就被玷污了。
10 But for all this, her false sister Judah has not come back to me with all her heart, but with deceit, says the Lord.
雖有這一切的事，她奸詐的妹妹猶大還不一心歸向我，不過是假意歸我。這是耶和華說的。」
11 And the Lord said to me, Israel in her turning away is seen to be more upright than false Judah.
耶和華對我說：「背道的以色列比奸詐的猶大還顯為義。
12 Go, and give out these words to the north, and say, Come back, O Israel, though you have been turned away from me, says the Lord; my face will not be against you in wrath: for I am full of mercy, says the Lord, I will not be angry for ever.
你去向北方宣告說： 耶和華說：背道的以色列啊，回來吧！ 我必不怒目看你們； 因為我是慈愛的， 我必不永遠存怒。 這是耶和華說的。
13 Only be conscious of your sin, the evil you have done against the Lord your God; you have gone with strange men under every branching tree, giving no attention to my voice, says the Lord.
只要承認你的罪孽， 就是你違背耶和華－你的上帝， 在各青翠樹下向別神東奔西跑， 沒有聽從我的話。 這是耶和華說的。
14 Come back, O children who are turned away, says the Lord; for I am a husband to you, and I will take you, one from a town and two from a family, and will make you come to Zion;
耶和華說：背道的兒女啊，回來吧！ 因為我作你們的丈夫， 並且我必將你們從一城取一人， 從一族取兩人，帶到錫安。
15 And I will give you keepers, pleasing to my heart, who will give you your food with knowledge and wisdom.
我也必將合我心的牧者賜給你們。他們必以知識和智慧牧養你們。」
16 And it will come about, when your numbers are increased in the land, in those days, says the Lord, that they will no longer say, The ark of the agreement of the Lord: it will not come into their minds, they will not have any memory of it, or be conscious of the loss of it, and it will not be made again.
耶和華說：「你們在國中生養眾多；當那些日子，人必不再提說耶和華的約櫃，不追想，不記念，不覺缺少，也不再製造。
17 At that time Jerusalem will be named the seat of the Lord's kingdom; and all the nations will come together to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: and no longer will their steps be guided by the purposes of their evil hearts.
那時，人必稱耶路撒冷為耶和華的寶座；萬國必到耶路撒冷，在耶和華立名的地方聚集。他們必不再隨從自己頑梗的惡心行事。
18 In those days the family of Judah will go with the family of Israel, and they will come together out of the land of the north into the land which I gave for a heritage to your fathers.
當那些日子，猶大家要和以色列家同行，從北方之地一同來到我賜給你們列祖為業之地。」
19 But I said, How am I to put you among the children, and give you a desired land, a heritage of glory among the armies of the nations? and I said, You are to say to me, My father; and not be turned away from me.
我說：我怎樣將你安置在兒女之中， 賜給你美地， 就是萬國中肥美的產業。 我又說：你們必稱我為父， 也不再轉去不跟從我。
20 Truly, as a wife is false to her husband, so have you been false to me, O Israel, says the Lord.
以色列家，你們向我行詭詐， 真像妻子行詭詐離開她丈夫一樣。 這是耶和華說的。
21 A voice is sounding on the open hilltops, the weeping and the prayers of the children of Israel; because their way is twisted, they have not kept the Lord their God in mind.
在淨光的高處聽見人聲， 就是以色列人哭泣懇求之聲， 乃因他們走彎曲之道， 忘記耶和華－他們的上帝。
22 Come back, you children who have been turned away, and I will take away your desire for wandering. See, we have come to you, for you are the Lord our God.
你們這背道的兒女啊，回來吧！ 我要醫治你們背道的病。 看哪，我們來到你這裏， 因你是耶和華－我們的上帝。
23 Truly, the hills, and the noise of an army on the mountains, are a false hope: truly, in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.
仰望從小山或從大山的喧嚷中得幫助， 真是枉然的。 以色列得救，誠然在乎耶和華－我們的上帝。
24 But the Baal has taken all the work of our fathers from our earliest days; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
從我們幼年以來，那可恥的偶像將我們列祖所勞碌得來的羊群、牛群，和他們的兒女都吞吃了。
25 Let us be stretched on the earth in our downfall, covering ourselves with our shame: for we have been sinners against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our earliest years even till this day: and we have not given ear to the voice of the Lord our God.
我們在羞恥中躺臥吧！願慚愧將我們遮蓋；因為從立國以來，我們和我們的列祖常常得罪耶和華－我們的上帝，沒有聽從耶和華－我們上帝的話。
