Jeremias 27
1 THE WORD OF THE LORD WHICH HE SPOKE AGAINST BABYLON.
猶大王約史雅的兒子漆德克雅第四年，上主有這話傳給耶肋米亞說：「
2 Proclaim you amongst the Gentiles, and cause the tidings to be heard, and suppress [them] not: say you, Babylon is taken, Belus is confounded; the fearless, the luxurious Maerodach is delivered up.
上主對我這樣說：你要備製繩索和木軛，放在你頸上；
3 For a nation has come up against her from the north, he shall utterly ravage her land, and there shall be none to dwell in it, neither man nor beast.
然後託那些來耶路撒冷覲見猶大王漆德克雅的使者，送給厄東王和摩阿布王，阿孟子民的王和提洛王以及漆冬王，
4 In those days, and at that time, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Juda together; they shall proceed, weeping as they go, seeking the Lord their God.
吩咐他們對自己的主上說：萬軍的上主，以色列的天主這樣說：你們應如此對你們的主上說：
5 They shall ask the way till [they come to] Sion, for that way shall they set their face; and they shall come and flee for refuge to the Lord their God; for the everlasting covenant shall not be forgotten.
是我以我的大能和我伸展的手臂，創造了大地、人類及地面上的走獸，我能把大地賜給我喜歡給的人。
6 My people have been lost sheep: their shepherds thrust them out, they caused them to wander on the mountains: they went from mountain to hill, they forgot their resting-place.
現在我把這些土地交在我的僕人巴比倫王拿步高的手中，連田野的走獸我也賜給他，作他的奴隸；
7 All that found them consumed them: their enemies said, Let us not leave them alone, because they have sinned against the Lord: he that gathered their fathers [had] a pasture of righteousness.
列國要作他、他的兒子和孫子的奴隸，直到他國家的時運終於來到──他也不例外──那時必有強盛的民族和強大的君王來使他作奴隸。
8 Flee you out of the midst of Babylon, and from the land of the Chaldeans, and go forth, and be as serpents before sleep.
若一個民族或國家，不願作巴比倫王拿步高的奴隸，或不願屈服在巴比倫王軛下，我必以戰爭、饑饉和瘟疫懲罰這民族──上主的斷語──直至將他們悉數交在他手中。
9 For, behold, I stir up against Babylon the gatherings of nations out of the land of the north; and they shall set themselves in array against her: thence shall she be taken, as the dart of an expert warrior shall not return empty.
所以你們不要聽從常對你們說：「你們決不會作巴比倫王的奴隸」的先知、占卦師、卜夢者、巫士和術士的話，
10 And Chaldea shall be a spoil: all that spoil her shall be satisfied.
因為他們給你們預言的只是謊話，致使你們遠故土，叫我驅逐你們，令你們趨於滅亡。
11 Because you rejoiced, and boasted, [while] plundering mine heritage; because you exulted as calves in the grass, and pushed with the horn as bulls.
至於引領接受巴比倫王的軛，甘願作他奴隸的民族，我必使他們仍留在本土──上主的斷語──在那裏安居樂業。
12 Your mother is greatly ashamed; your mother that bore you for prosperity is confounded: [she is] the last of the nations, desolate,
我於是全依照這些話轉告猶大王漆德克雅說：「你應引頸接受巴比倫王的軛，服事他和他的人民，你們纔可生存。
13 by reason of the Lord's anger: it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be all a desolation; and every one that passes through Babylon shall scowl, and they shall hiss at all her plague.
為什麼你和你的人民寧願死於刀劍、饑饉和瘟疫，如同上主對不願服事巴比倫王的民族所警告的呢﹖
14 Set yourselves in array against Babylon round about, all you that bend the bow; shoot at her, spare not your arrows,
你們不要聽從對你們說：「不要服事巴比倫王」的先知的話，因為他們給你們預言的只是謊話；
15 and prevail against her: her hands are weakened, her bulwarks are fallen, and her wall is broken down: for it is vengeance from God: take vengeance upon her; as she has done, do to her.
我並沒有派遣他們──上主的斷語──他們竟奉我的名向你們預言，叫我驅逐你們，使你們和對你們說預言的先知同趨滅亡。」
16 Utterly destroy seed out of Babylon, [and] him that holds a sickle in time of harvest: for fear of the Grecian sword, they shall return every one to his people, and every one shall flee to his own land.
對司祭和這全體人民我也曾警告說：「上主這樣說：你們的先知們對你們說：看，上主殿宇的器皿，現在快要由巴比送回來了! 你們不要聽信，因為他們對你們預言的只是謊話。
17 Israel is a wandering sheep; the lions have driven him out: the king of Assyria first devoured him, and afterward this king of Babylon [has gnawed] his bones.
你們不要聽信他們，只管服事巴比倫王，就必生存。為什麼要使這城變為荒野﹖
18 Therefore thus says the Lord; Behold, I [will] take vengeance on the king of Babylon, and upon his land, as I took vengeance on the king of Assyria.
假使他們是先知，真有上主的話，請他們祈求萬軍的上主，使尚留在上主殿宇，猶大王宮和耶路撒冷的器皿，不致運到巴比倫去。
19 And I will restore Israel to his pasture, and he shall feed on Carmel and on mount Ephraim and in Galaad, and his soul shall be satisfied.
因為萬軍的上主這樣論到銅柱、銅海和銅座，以及在這城剩下的殘餘器皿，
20 In those days, and at that time, they shall seek for the iniquity of Israel, and there shall be none; and for the sins of Juda, and they shall not be found: for I will be merciful to them that are left
即巴比倫王拿步高把猶大王約雅金的兒子耶苛尼雅，及猶大和耶路撒冷所有的貴族，從耶路撒冷擄到巴比倫時，沒有帶走的器皿，
21 on the land, says the Lord. Go up against it roughly, and against them that dwell on it: avenge, O sword, and destroy utterly, says the Lord, and do according to all that I command you.
萬軍的上主，以色列的天主論到這些尚存在上主殿宇、猶大王宮和耶路撒冷的器皿，這樣說：
22 A sound of war, and great destruction in the land of the Chaldeans!
都要運到巴比倫去，留在那裏，直到我再來眷顧的一天──上主的斷語──那時，我必再取回來，放在原處。」
23 How is the hammer of the whole earth broken and crushed! How is Babylon become a desolation amongst the nations!
24 They shall come upon you, and you shall not know it, Babylon, that you will even be taken captive: you are found and taken, because you did resist the Lord.
25 The Lord has opened his treasury, and brought forth the weapons of his anger: for the Lord God [has] a work in the land of the Chaldeans.
26 For her times are come: open you her storehouses: search her as a cave, and utterly destroy her: let there be no remnant of her.
27 Dry you up all her fruits, and let them go down to the slaughter: woe to them! for their day is come, and the time of their retribution.
28 A voice of men fleeing and escaping from the land of Babylon, to declare to Sion the vengeance [that comes] from the Lord our God.
29 Summon many against Babylon, [even] every one that bends the bow: camp against her round about; let no one of her [people] escape: render to her according to her works; according to all that she has done, do to her: for she has resisted the Lord, the Holy God of Israel.
30 Therefore shall her young men fall in the streets, and all her warriors shall be cast down, says the Lord.
31 Behold, I am against you the haughty one, says the Lord: for your day is come, and the time of your retribution.
32 And your pride shall fail, and fall, and there shall be no one to set it up again: and I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all things round about her.
33 Thus says the Lord; The children of Israel and the children of Juda have been oppressed: all they that have taken them captive have oppressed them together; for they would not let them go.
34 But their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name: he will enter into judgement with his adversaries, that he may destroy the earth;
35 and he will sharpen a sword against the Chaldeans, and against the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her nobles and upon her wise men;
36 a sword upon her warriors, and they shall be weakened: a sword upon their horses, and upon their chariots:
37 a sword upon their warriors and upon the mixed people in the midst of her; and they shall be as women: a sword upon the treasures, and they shall be scattered upon her water,
38 and they shall be ashamed: for it is a land of graven [images]; and in the islands, where they boasted.
39 Therefore shall idols dwell in the islands, and the young of monsters shall dwell in it: it shall not be inhabited any more for ever.
40 As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities bordering upon them, says the Lord: no man shall dwell there, and no son of man shall sojourn there.
41 Behold, a people comes from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be stirred up from the end of the earth; holding bow and dagger:
42 [the people] is fierce, and will have no mercy: their voices shall sound as the sea, they shall ride upon horses, prepared for war, like fire, against you, O daughter of Babylon.
43 The king of Babylon heard the sound of them, and his hands were enfeebled: anguish overcame him, pangs as of a woman in travail.
44 Behold, he shall come up as a lion from Jordan to Gaethan; for I will speedily drive them from her, and I will set all the youths against her: for who is like me? and who will resist me? and who is this shepherd who will stand before me?
45 Therefore hear you the counsel of the Lord, which he has taken against Babylon; and his devices, which he has devised upon the Chaldeans inhabiting [it]: surely lambs of their flock shall be destroyed: surely pasture shall be cut off from them.
46 For at the sound of the taking of Babylon the earth shall quake, and a cry shall be heard amongst the nations.
