< Jeremias 3 >
1 If a man put away his wife, and she depart from him, and become another man's, shall she return to him any more at all? shall not that woman be utterly defiled? you you have gone a-whoring with many shepherds, and have returned to me, says the Lord.
試問:若男人離棄了自己的妻子,她離開他而另嫁了別人,前夫豈能再回到她那裏去﹖像這樣的女人,豈不是已全被玷污了嗎﹖你已與許多愛人行淫,你還想回到我這裏來嗎﹖──上主的斷語──
2 Lift up your eyes [to look] straight forward, and see where you have not been utterly defiled. You have sat for them by the wayside as a deserted crow, and have defiled the land with your fornications and your wickedness.
你舉目環顧高丘.看看在什麼地方你沒有受過玷污﹖你坐在路旁等候他們,像個在阿刺伯人,以你淫亂和邪惡玷污了這土地。
3 And you did retain many shepherds for a stumbling block to yourself: you had a whore's face, you did become shameless towards all.
秋雨不降,春雨不來。你具有娼妓的面孔,仍然不知羞恥。
4 Hast you not called me as it were a home, and the father and guide of your virgin-time?
從此以後,你要向我喊說:「我父! 你是我青年時的良友!」
5 Will [God's anger] continue for ever, or be preserved to the end? Behold, you have spoken and done these bad things, and had power [to do them].
心想:「衪豈能永遠發怒,懷恨到底﹖」看,你雖如此說,卻仍盡力作惡。
6 And the Lord said to me in the days of Josias the king, Hast you seen what things the house of Israel has done to me? they have gone on every high mountain, and under every shady tree, and have committed fornication there.
在若史雅為王的時日裏,上主對我說:「失節的以色列所做的,你看見了沒有﹖她上到一切高處上,走到所有的綠樹下,在那裏行淫。
7 And I said after she had committed all these acts of fornication, Turn again to me. Yet she returned not. And faithless Juda saw her faithlessness.
我以為她作了這一切以後,會回到我這裏來;但是她沒有回來。她失信的姊妹猶大也看見了此事:
8 And I saw that (for all the sins of which she was convicted, wherein the house of Israel committed adultery, and I put her away, and gave into her hands a bill of divorcement, ) yet faithless Juda feared not, but went and herself also committed fornication.
雖然看見了我為了失節的以色列所犯的種種姦淫,而命她離去,給了她休書,她這失信的姊妹猶大卻不害怕,竟然也去行淫。
9 And her fornication was nothing accounted of; and she committed adultery with wood and stone.
由於她輕易行淫,與石碣和木偶淫亂,玷污了這土土也。
10 And for all these things faithless Juda turned not to me with all her heart, but falsely.
儘管這樣,她失信的姊妹猶大回到我這裏來,仍不是全心,只是假意──上主的斷語。」
11 And the Lord said to me, Israel has justified himself more than faithless Juda.
上主於是對我說:「失節的以色列比失信的猶大 ,更顯得正義。
12 Go and read these words towards the north, and you shall say, Return to me, O house of Israel, says the Lord; and I will not set my face against you: for I am merciful, says the Lord, and I will not be angry with you for ever.
你去向北方宣布這些話說:失節的以色列! 請你歸來──上主的斷語──我不會對你怒容相向,因為我是仁慈的──我不會永遠發怒,
13 Nevertheless, know your iniquity, that you have sinned against the Lord your God, and have scattered your ways to strangers under every shady tree, but you did not listen to my voice, says the Lord.
只要你承認你的罪過,承認背叛上主你的天主,在一切綠樹下,與異邦神祗恣意相愛,沒有聽我的聲音,上主的斷語。
14 Turn, you children that have revolted, says the Lord; for I will rule over you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you in to Sion:
失節的女子,妳們歸來──上主的斷語──因為我是你們的主人,我要選取妳們,每城選一人,每族選二人,領妳們進入熙雍;
15 and I will give you shepherds after my heart, and they shall certainly tend you with knowledge.
在那裏給妳們一些隨我心意的牧者,以智慧和明智牧養妳們。
16 And it shall come to pass that when you are multiplied and increased upon the land, says the Lord, in those days they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Holy One of Israel: it shall not come to mind; it shall not be named; neither shall it be visited; nor shall [this] be done any more.
你們在這地上繁衍增值的時日裏──上主的斷語──人不再提「上主的約櫃」,也不再思念,不再追憶,不再關懷,不再製造。
17 In those days and at that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered to it: and they shall not walk any more after the imaginations of their evil heart.
那時,人要稱耶路撒冷為「上主的御座」,萬民要奉上主的名,匯集在耶路撒冷,不再隨從自己邪惡而頑固的人行事。
18 In those days the house of Juda, shall come together to the house of Israel, and they shall come, together, from the land of the north, and from all the countries, to the land, which I caused their fathers to inherit.
在那些時日內,猶大家與以色列家同行,從北方起回到我賜給了你們祖先作基業的地內。
19 And I said, So be it, Lord, for [you said] I will set you amongst children, and will give you a choice land, the inheritance of the Almighty God of the Gentiles: and I said, You shall call me Father; and you shall not turn away from me.
我曾想過:多麼願意你像一個兒子,賜給你賞心悅目的土地,列國中最美好的領土,我以為你會以「我父」稱呼我,不會轉身遠離我;
20 But as a wife acts treacherously against her husband, so has the house of Israel dealt treacherously against me, says the Lord.
但是,你們,以色列家對待我,正如對自己良友不忠的婦女──上主的斷語。
21 A voice from the lips was heard, [even] of weeping and supplication of the children of Israel: for they have dealt unrighteously in their ways, they have forgotten God their Holy One.
在荒丘上可聽到一片喧嚷:那是以色列子民的哀號哭泣,因為他們走入了邪途,忘卻了自己的天主。
22 Turn, you children that are given to turning, and I will heal your bruises. Behold, we will be your servants; for you are the Lord our God.
歸來! 失節的子民,讓我療愈你們的失節。」「看,我回到你這裏,的確,你是上主,我們的天主。
23 Truly the hills and the strength of the mountains were a lying refuge: but by the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.
誠然丘嶺和山卜的狂歡盡是虛幻;唯在上主,我們的天主那裏,有以色列的救援。
24 But shame has consumed the labours of our fathers from our youth; their sheep and their calves, and their sons and their daughters.
可恥的神祗,自我們幼年就吞噬了我們祖先的收入,他們的羊群、牛群和子女。
25 We have lain down in our shame, and our disgrace has covered us: because we and our fathers have sinned before our God, from our youth until this day; and we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God.
讓我們躺臥在我們恥辱中,讓我們以羞慚遮蓋我們,因為我們和我們的祖先,自我們幼年直到今日,得罪了上主我們的天主,從來沒有聽從上主我們的天主的聲音。」