Jeremiah 2
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
上主的話傳給我說：
2 “Go, and cry out to the ears of Jerusalem, saying: Thus says the Lord: I have remembered you, taking pity on your youth and on the charity of your betrothal, when you followed me into the desert, into a land which is not sown.
「你去! 向耶路撒冷大聲疾呼說：上主這樣說：我憶起你年青時的熱情，你訂婚時的戀愛；那你在曠野裏，在未耕種的地上追隨了我。
3 Israel is holy to the Lord, the first of his fruits. All those who devour him commit an offense. Evils will overwhelm them, says the Lord.”
以色列成了上主的聖民，成了衪收穫的初果，凡舌食她的都要有罪，災禍必要降在他們身上──上主的斷語。
4 Listen to the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all you families of the house of Israel.
雅各伯家和以色列家的一切家族! 你們聽上主的話，
5 Thus says the Lord: “What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they would draw far away from me, and would walk after emptiness, and would become empty?
上主這樣說：你們的祖先在我身上發現了什麼不義竟遠離我而去追隨「虛無」，自成為虛無呢﹖
6 And they have not said: ‘Where is the Lord, who caused us to ascend from the land of Egypt; who led us through the desert, through an uninhabited and impassable land, through a land of drought and of the image of death, through a land in which no one walked and in which no man lived?’
他們也不問一問：那曾引我們由埃及地上來，那經過曠野、荒原和崎嶇之地，乾旱和黑暗之地，沒人遊歷無人居住之地，引領我們的上主現在在哪裏呢﹖
7 And I led you into the land of Carmel, so that you would eat from its fruit and from its excellence. And having entered it, you defiled my land, and you turned my inheritance into an abomination.
我引領你們進入了肥沃的土地，吃其中的出產和美物；但你們一進來，就玷污了我的土地，使我的產業成了可憎之物。
8 The priests have not said: ‘Where is the Lord?’ And those who held the law did not know me. And the pastors betrayed me. And the prophets prophesied in Baal and followed idols.
司祭們也不問一問：「上主在哪裏﹖」那些管理法律的，不認識我了；那些為人牧的，叛離了我；先知們也奉巴耳講預言，追隨無能的神袛。
9 Because of this, I will still contend in judgment against you, says the Lord, and I will dispute with your sons.
為此，我要控訴你們──上主的斷語，也要控訴你們的子孫
10 Cross over to the isles of Kittim, and gaze. And send to Kedar, and consider diligently. And see if anything like this has ever been done.
好吧! 你們往基廷島嶼去觀察一下，派人到刻達爾去詳細調察，看看巾沒有與此相類似的事：
11 See if a nation has ever changed their gods, though certainly those are not gods. Yet truly, my people have exchanged their glory for an idol.
難道有一個民族更換了自己的神袛﹖──雖然他們並非真神；但是我的人民竟以自己的光榮換取了一個「無能的東西。」
12 Be astonished at this, O heavens, and be utterly desolate, O gates of heaven, says the Lord.
諸天! 你們對此應驚駭戰慄，大為驚異──上主的斷語，
13 For my people have done two evils. They have forsaken me, the Fountain of living water, and they have dug for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that are unable to hold water.
因為我的人民犯了雙重的罪惡：他們離棄了我這活水的泉源，卻給自己掘了蓄水池，不能蓄水的漏水池。
14 Is Israel a servant, or one born into slavery? Then why has he become a prey?
以色列豈是 奴隸，或是家生的奴隸﹖為什麼竟成了人的掠奪物﹖
15 The lions have roared over him, and they have uttered their voice. They have set his land in solitude; his cities have been burned up, and there is no one who lives in them.
獅子向她咆哮，高聲吼叫：牠們使她的地域變成了荒野，使她的城市化為灰燼，無人居住。
16 Likewise, the sons of Memphis and of Tahpanhes have defiled you, even to the top of the head.
連諾夫和塔黑乃斯的子民，也削去你的腦蓋。
17 Has this not been done to you because you abandoned the Lord your God, in that time when he was leading you by the way?
你這不是自作自受嗎﹖因為上主你的天主在路上引導你的時候，你竟離棄了衪。
18 And now what do you want from the way of Egypt, but to drink their turbid water? And what do you want from the way of the Assyrians, but to drink the water of their river?
現在你又為什麼路到埃及去喝尼羅河的水，跑到亞述去喝幼發拉的河水﹖
19 Your own malice will reprove you, and your own apostasy will rebuke you! But know and perceive this: it is an evil and bitter thing for you to forsake the Lord your God, and to be without my fear within you, says the Lord, the God of hosts.
是你的罪惡懲罰你，是你的不忠責斥你，那麼你應該明白覺察：離棄上主你的天主，對我沒有敬畏，是如何邪惡和痛苦的事──吾主萬軍上主的斷語。
20 From ancient times, you have broken my yoke; you have torn apart my bonds, and you have said, ‘I will not serve.’ For on every high hill, and under every leafy tree, you have been debased, O harlot.
的確，從古以來，你就折斷了你的軛，掙斷了你的繩索說：我不願服從；反在一切高丘上，和一切綠樹下，偃臥行淫。
21 Yet I planted you as an elect vineyard, with only true seed. Then how have you been turned away from me, toward that which is depraved, O strange vineyard?
我種植你時，原是精選的葡萄，純粹的真種子；你是怎麼竟給我變成了壞樹，成了野葡萄﹖
22 Even if you wash yourself with soap, and increase your use of herbal soaps, you are still stained by your iniquity in my sight, says the Lord God.
現在既使你用鹼洗濯，多加滷汁，你的罪污仍留在我面前──吾主上主的斷語──
23 How can you say: ‘I have not been polluted. I have not walked after Baal?’ Consider your ways in the steep valley. Acknowledge what you have done, so that you may be like a swift runner, following his course.
你怎能說：我沒有玷污我自己，我沒有追隨過巴耳﹖觀察你在谷中的行動，便知你的行動，無異一隻到處遊蕩，敏捷的母駱駝；
24 A wild donkey accustomed to solitude, out of the desire in his soul, caught the scent of his lover. Now nothing will turn him away from her. All those who seek her will not cease. But they will find her in her menstruation.
又像一頭習慣在荒野，急欲求配，呼氣喘息的母野驢；誰能抑制牠的性慾﹖凡尋找牠的，不必費辛苦，在她春情發動的月分，就可找著。
25 You should keep your foot from being naked, and your throat from being thirsty. But you have said: ‘I have lost hope. I will not do it. For certainly, I have loved strangers, and I will walk after them.’
留心! 不要使你的腳赤裸，不要使你的喉嚨乾渴! 但是你卻說：不會，不可能! 我既愛異邦神袛，我要跟隨他們。
26 In the same way that a thief is confounded when he has been apprehended, so the house of Israel has been confounded, they and their kings, their leaders and priests and prophets.
就如小偷被人發現時，感到羞愧；以色列家：他們，他們的君王和首領，他們的司祭和先知，都要同樣蒙受羞辱。
27 For they say to a piece of wood, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You have conceived me.’ They have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their affliction, they will say: ‘Rise up and deliver us.’
他們對木偶說：你是我的父親；對石碣說：是你生了我。的確，他們不但向我轉過臉去，而且也以褙向著我；但是，在他們遭難的時候，卻喊說：起來，拯救我們!
28 Where are your gods that you made for yourselves? Let them rise up and deliver you in the time of your affliction. For certainly, your gods were like the number of your cities, O Judah.
你自己製造的神祗在哪裏﹖在你遭難的時候，他們若能救你，就讓他們起來! 因為猶大! 你祗的數目竟等於你域邑的數目，巴耳的香壇與耶路撒冷的街道一般多。
29 Why do you want to contend against me in judgment? You have all forsaken me, says the Lord.
你們竟背叛了我，為什麼又向我提出抗議──上主的斷語──
30 I have struck your children to no effect; they have not accepted discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets. Your generation is like a raging lion.
我打擊了你們的子孫，竟是徒然，你們沒有受到教訓；你們的刀劍如同一隻兇殘的獅子吞滅了眾先知。
31 Consider the word of the Lord. Have I become like a wilderness to Israel, or like a land late to bear fruit? Then why have my people said, ‘We are withdrawing; we will no longer approach you’?
你們這一代人，體會上主的話吧! 難道我對以色列像一個荒野，或像一個黑暗地方﹖為什麼我的人民說：我們獲得了自由，我們不再來找你﹖
32 Can a virgin forget her ornament, or a bride the covering across her breast? Yet truly, my people have forgotten me, for innumerable days.
一個處女豈能忘了自己的珍飾﹖一位新娘豈能忘了自己的彩帶﹖我的人民卻忘了我，時日已久長無法計算。
33 Why are you striving to claim that your way is good, as if to seek my love, when all the while you are also displaying your malice by your own way,
你怎麼會如此想盡好方法去求愛﹖你也將你的方法教給了邪惡的女人；
34 and in your armpits there is found the blood of poor and innocent souls? I have found them, not in ditches, but everywhere that I mentioned previously.
連在你的衣邊上也發現無辜窮人的血漬：並不是在挖洞穴時，你捉住他們，而是在橡樹邊。
35 And you have said: ‘I am innocent and without sin. And because of this, let your fury be turned away from me.’ Behold, I will contend with you in judgment, because you have said: ‘I have not sinned.’
但你還說：我是無罪的，他的憤怒已離我遠去。看! 我要審判你，因你說：我沒有犯罪。
36 How exceedingly vile you have become, repeating your ways again and again! And so, you will be ashamed of Egypt, just as you were ashamed of Assur.
為什麼這樣輕易改變你的道路﹖你必要因埃及而蒙羞，猶如曾因亞述而蒙羞一樣。
37 For you will also depart from that place, and your hand will be upon your head. For the Lord has crushed your confidence, and you will have nothing prosperous by it.”
你畢竟要從那裏抱頭出走，因為上主擯棄了你所仗恃的，使你不能靠他們獲得成功。
