< Jeremias 16 >

1 And thou shalt not take a wife, saith the Lord God of Israel:
上主的話傳給說:
2 and there shall be no son born to thee, nor daughter in this place.
「在這地方,你不要取妻,不要有兒女,
3 For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that have born them, and concerning their fathers that have begotten them in this land;
因為上主關於生在這地方的子女,和這境內生育他們的母親,以及生養他們的父親這樣說:
4 They shall die of grievous death; they shall not be lamented, nor buried; they shall be for an example on the face of the earth; and they shall be for the wild beasts of the land, and for the birds of the sky: they shall fall by the sword, and shall be consumed with famine.
「他們必死於死症,沒有人哀悼,沒有人掩埋,有如地面上的糞土。他們反為戰爭和饑荒所毀滅,他們的屍首,必成為天上飛鳥和地上野獸的食物」。
5 Thus saith the Lord, Enter not into their mourning feast, and go not to lament, and mourn not for them: for I have removed my peace from this people.
因為上主這樣說:「你不要進入居喪者之家,去舉哀弔唁,因為我已由這人民撤回了我的平安、慈愛和憐憫──上主的斷語──
6 They shall not bewail them, nor make cuttings for them, and they shall not shave themselves [for them]:
無論大小都要死在這地方,無人掩埋,
7 and there shall be no bread broken in mourning for them for consolation over the dead: they shall not give one to drink a cup for consolation over his father or his mother.
沒有人為他們舉喪,沒有人與居喪者分食喪餅,以相弔慰;沒有人與居喪或父母者飲一杯慰唁酒。
8 Thou shalt not enter into the banquet-house, to sit with them to eat and to drink.
有宴會的家,你 也不要進去,與他們一同坐下吃喝,
9 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Behold, I [will] make to cease out of this place before your eyes, and in your days, the voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.
因為萬軍的上主,以色列的天主這樣說:看,我必在你們眼前,在你們的時日內,使這地方再也聽不到歡和喜樂的聲音,新郎和新娘的聲音。
10 And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt report to this people all these words, and they shall say to thee, Wherefore has the Lord pronounced against us all these evils? what is our unrighteousness? and what is our sin which we have sinned before the Lord our God?
當你把這一切話告訴這人民,他們必問你說:為什麼上主對我們宣佈了這一切大災禍﹖我們有什麼過犯,我們有什麼罪惡干犯了上主我們的天主﹖
11 Then thou shalt say to them, Because your fathers forsook me, saith the Lord, and went after strange gods and served them, and worshipped them, and forsook me, and kept not my law;
你就答應說:是因為你的祖先離棄了我──上主的斷語──跟隨了別的神祗,事奉朝拜,而背棄了我,沒有遵守我的法律。
12 (and ye sinned worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the lusts of your own evil heart, so as not to hearken to me);
至於你們,你們作惡更甚於你的祖先;看,你們各人隨從自己頑固的惡意生活,不聽從我;
13 therefore I will cast you off from this good land into a land which neither ye nor your fathers have known; and ye shall serve their other gods, who shall have no mercy upon you.
所以我必從這地上將你們驅逐,到你們和你的祖先從不認識的地方去,讓你們在那裏日夜事奉別的神祗;我再也不對你們表示憐愛。
14 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when they shall no more say, The Lord lives, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
[為此,看,時日必將來臨──上主的斷語──人不再發誓說:領以色列子民由埃及地上來的「上主永在」,
15 but, The Lord lives, who brought up the house of Israel from the land of the north, and from all countries whither they were thrust out: and I will restore them to their own land, which I gave to their fathers.
卻要說:領以色列子民由北方,並由衪驅逐他們所至的各地回來的「上主永在」;因為我必領他們回到我已賜給他們祖先的地方]。
16 Behold, I [will] send many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send many hunters, and they shall hunt them upon every mountain, and upon every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.
看,我必派許多漁夫上主的斷語──來捕捉他們;以後,我又派許多獵人來, 8各山上,各丘陵和岩石的裂縫間,獵取他們,
17 For mine eyes are upon all their ways; and their iniquities have not been hidden from mine eyes.
因為我的眼注視他們的一切行徑,他們不能由我面前隱藏,他們的過犯在我眼前也不能隱藏。
18 And I will recompense their mischiefs doubly, and their sins, whereby they have profaned my land with the carcases of their abominations, and with their iniquities, whereby they have trespassed against mine inheritance.
我首先先要加倍報復他們的過犯和罪惡,因為他們以死屍般的偶像玷污了我的土地,使我的的基業上滿是醜惡的神像」。
19 O Lord, thou art my strength, and mine help, and my refuge in days of evil: to thee the Gentiles shall come from the end of the earth, and shall say, How vain [were the] idols [which] our fathers procured to themselves, and there is no help in them.
上主,我的力量,我的保障,我憂患之日的避難所,萬民必從地極來到你面前說:「我們的祖先承受的只是虛假、空虛和毫無益處的事」。
20 Will a man make gods for himself, whereas these are no gods?
人豈能為自己製造神祗﹖凡製造的,絕不是神!
21 Therefore, behold, I will at this time manifest my hand to them, and will make known to them my power; and they shall know that my name is the Lord.
為此,看,我必叫他們知道,這此我必叫他們體驗我的手和我的能力,使他們知道我的名字是「上主」。

< Jeremias 16 >