Jeremiah 18
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying:
上主有話傳給耶肋米亞說：
2 “Rise up and descend into the house of the potter, and there you will hear my words.”
「起來，下到陶工家裏去，在那裏我要讓你聽到我的話」。
3 And I descended into the house of the potter, and behold, he was making a work on the wheel.
我便下到陶工家裏，見他正在輪盤上工作。
4 And the vessel, which he was making with his hands out of clay, broke. And turning away, he made another vessel, for it had been pleasing in his eyes to make it.
陶工用泥做的器皿，若在他手中壞了，他便再做，或做成另一個器皿，全隨陶工的意思去做。
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
於是上主的話傳給我說：
6 “Am I not able to do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done, says the Lord? Behold, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
「以色列家，我豈不能像這陶工一樣對待你們﹖──上主的斷語──以色列家! 看，你們在我手中，就像泥土在陶工手中一樣。
7 Suddenly, I will speak against a nation and against a kingdom, so that I may uproot, and destroy, and scatter it.
我一時可對一個民族，或如同國家，決意要拔除，要毀壞，要消滅；
8 If that nation, against which I have spoken, will repent from their evil, I too will repent from the evil that I have decided I would do to them.
但是我要打擊的民族，若離棄自己的邪惡，我也反悔，不再給他降原定的災禍。
9 And soon, I will speak about a nation and about a kingdom, so that I may build and plant it.
或者，我一時想對一個民族或一個國家，決意要建設，要栽培，
10 If it does evil in my sight, so as not to listen to my voice, I will repent of the good that I have said I would do to it.
但若她行我不喜歡的事，不聽從我的聲音，我也要反悔，不再給她許過的恩惠。
11 Now, therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am forming an evil against you, and I am considering a plan against you. Let each one of you return from his evil way, and direct your ways and your intentions well.”
現在你可告訴猶大人和耶路撒冷的居民說：上主這樣說：看，我已給你們安排了災禍，定了懲罰你們的計劃，希望你們每人離棄自己的邪道，改善自己的途徑和作為」。
12 And they said: “We have lost hope. And so we will follow our own thoughts, and each of us will act according to the depravity of his own evil heart.”
他們反倒答說：「已沒有希望弓! 因為我們願隨從自己的計謀，各按自己頑固的惡意行事」。
13 For this reason, thus says the Lord: “Inquire among the Gentiles. Who has heard of such horrible things as the virgin of Israel has done to excess?
為此上主這樣說：「你們可到各民族去詢問：有誰聽到了像這樣的事﹖以色列處女做出了極可憎的事。
14 Do the snows of Lebanon fail to fall on the rocks of the field? Or are the cold waters, which burst forth and flow down, able to be rooted out?
黎巴嫩山巔的巖石豈能缺少積雪﹖叢山間湧流的冰泉，豈能涸竭﹖
15 Yet my people have forgotten me, offering useless libations, and stumbling in their ways, in the paths of the world, so that they walk by these on an unmarked route.
但我的人民卻忘掉了我，向「虛無」獻香，滑出了自己的正道，離開舊日的行徑，而走上了小道，不平坦的路，
16 And so their land has been given over to desolation and to perpetual hissing. Each one who passes by will be astonished and will shake his head.
使自己的地域變為驚愕的原因，取笑的目標；凡經過這 中2 的人，莫不驚異搖首。
17 Like a burning wind, I will disperse them in the sight the enemy. I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their perdition.”
我必像一陳東風在敵人面前將他們吹散；在他們滅亡之日，我必使你們只見我背，不見我面」。
18 And they said: “Come, and let us devise a plan against Jeremiah. For the law will not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor a sermon from the prophet. Come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us pay no attention to any of his words.”
他們說：「來，我們合謀陷害耶肋米亞! 因為沒有司祭，法律不會因此廢止；沒有智者，計謀不會因此缺乏；沒有先知，神諭不會因此斷絕。來，我們用舌頭評擊他，不注意他的一切 勸告」。
19 Attend to me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my adversaries.
上主，願你俯聽我，請聽我敵人的聲明。
20 Should evil be rendered for good? For they have dug a pit for my soul! Remember that I have stood in your sight, so as to speak on their behalf for good, and to avert your indignation from them.
難道該以怨報德嗎﹖他們竟掘下陷阱來陷害我的生命! 望你記憶：我曾在你面前為他們求情，替他們挽回你的盛怒。
21 Because of this, give their sons over to famine, and bring them to the hand of the sword. Let their wives be widows without children. And let their husbands be slain by death. Let their youths be stabbed with the sword in battle.
為此，你應使他們的子女遭受饑荒，任人屠殺；使他們的婦女喪予居寡，使他們的男人死於瘟疫，使他們的青年在戰埸上死於刀下。
22 Let an outcry be heard from their houses. For you will lead the robber upon them suddenly. For they have dug a pit, so that they may seize me, and they have hidden snares for my feet.
當你引匪隊突擊他們時，願從他們的屋裏可聽到哭聲，因為他們掘了陷阱捕捉我，在我腳下設下羅網。
23 But you, O Lord, know all their plans against me unto death. May you not forgive their iniquity, and do not allow their sin be taken away from your face. Let them be thrown down in your sight, in the time of your fury, so that you may destroy them.
如同你，上主，你知道他們對我的一切計劃是要殺害我；請你不要寬恕他們的過惡，不要由你面前抹去他們的過惡，務使他們倒仆在你面前；在你發怒時，求你報復他們。
