Jeremiah 44
1 The word that came through Jeremiah to all the Jews who were living in the land of Egypt, living at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Memphis, and in the land of Pathros, saying:
以下是關於住在埃及地，住在米革多耳，塔黑培乃斯、諾夫和帕特洛斯地的一切猶太人，傳給耶肋米亞的話：「
2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You yourselves have seen all this evil that I have led over Jerusalem and over all the cities of Judah. And behold, they are desolate to this day, and there is no inhabitant in them,
萬軍的上主，以色列的天主這樣說：你們看見了我對耶路撒冷和猶大各城召來的一切災禍，看，今日已成為無人居住的曠野。
3 because of the wickedness which they have done, so that they provoked me to wrath, and because they went to offer sacrifice and worship to strange gods, which neither they, nor you, nor your fathers knew.
這是因為他們做了惹我動怒的惡事，向他們、你們和你們的祖先從不認識的外方神祇焚香敬拜；
4 And I sent to you all my servants, the prophets, rising in the night, and sending, and saying: ‘Do not choose to do this abominable word, which I hate.’
雖然我早就不斷洽你們派遣我所有的先知僕人們說：你們切不可做我所憎恨的可惡之事!
5 But they did not listen, nor did they incline their ear, so that they would convert from their evil, and so that they would not sacrifice to strange gods.
他們卻沒有側耳聽從，沒有放棄他們向外方神祇焚香的惡習。
6 And so my indignation and my fury was fanned and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. And they have been turned into desolation and devastation, just as it is this day.
於是我的憤恨如火發作，焚毀了猶大城市和耶路撒冷的街市，使她成為荒涼的曠野，有如今日。
7 And now, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Why do you commit this great evil against your own souls, so that, among you, man and woman, child and infant would pass away from the midst of Judah, and so that no remnant at all would be left behind of you?
現在，上主萬軍的天主以色列的天主這樣說：為什麼你們招來這樣大的災禍，加害自己，使你們中的男人、婦女、幼童、嬰兒，全由猶大滅絕，不給你們留下遺民﹖
8 For you have provoked me by the works of your hands, by sacrificing to strange gods in the land of Egypt, into which you have entered in order to live there, and so that you would perish and become a curse and a disgrace before all the nations of the earth.
為什麼你們做惹我動怒的事，向你們來寄居的埃及地的外方神祇獻香，使你們自遭滅亡，成為普世萬民詛咒和恥笑的對象﹖
9 How could you have forgotten the evils of your fathers, and the evils of the kings of Judah, and the evils of their wives, and your own evils, and the evils of your own wives, which they have done in the land of Judah and in the regions of Jerusalem?
難道你們忘了你們的祖先、猶大君王和他們的妻妾、你們自己和你們的女人，在猶大地和耶路撒冷街上犯的種種罪惡﹖
10 They have not been cleansed, even to this day. And they have not feared, and they have not walked in the law of the Lord and in my precepts, which I have given before you and before your fathers.
他們直到今日尚不後悔，也不畏懼，更不履行我給你們和你們的祖先頒布的法律和誡命。
11 For this reason, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will set my face upon you for evil. And I will disperse all of Judah.
為此，萬軍的上主，以色列的天主這樣說：看，我面向你們，是為降災，消滅整個猶大。
12 And I will take the remnant of Judah, who had set their faces so that they would enter into the land of Egypt and live there, and they will all be consumed in the land of Egypt. They will fall by the sword and by famine. And they will be consumed, from the least, even to the greatest. By sword and by famine shall they die. And they will be an oath, and a wonder, and a curse, and a disgrace.
凡決意往埃及地去，要六那裏寄居的猶大遺民，我必要剷除，叫他們全死在埃及地，喪身刀下，饑餓而死；不分老幼都死於刀劍、饑荒，飽受憎恨、厭惡、詛咒和侮辱。
13 And I will visit against those who are living in the land of Egypt, just as I have visited against Jerusalem: with the sword, and with famine, and with pestilence.
我必以刀劍、饑荒和瘟疫懲罰住在埃及地的人，如懲罰耶路撒冷一樣，
14 And there will be no one who escapes, of those who remain among the remnant of the Jews, those who have gone to sojourn in the land of Egypt. And they wish to be returned to the land of Judah, for they lift up their souls so that they might return and live there. But there will be no one who may return, except those who will flee.”
使前往寄居埃及的猶大遺民，無一能幸免逃脫，返回他們所渴望回去居住的猶大地；除少數脫身者外，他們不會回來了。」
15 Then all the men, knowing that their wives were sacrificing to strange gods, and all of the women, a great multitude of whom were standing there, and all of the people who were living in the land of Egypt at Pathros, responded to Jeremiah, by saying:
於是凡知道自己的女人曾向外方神祇燒香的人，和一大群環立在旁的婦女，以及住在埃及地和帕特洛斯的全體人民，就答覆耶肋米亞說：「
16 “Concerning the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not heed you.
你奉上主的名對我們說的話，我們不願聽從；
17 But we will continue to do every word which proceeds from our own mouth, so that we sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and we pour out libations to her, just as we and our fathers have done, our kings and our leaders, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For we were filled with bread, and it was well with us, and we saw no evil.
至於凡出自我們口中的話，我們必定實行，給天后焚香奠酒，如同我們、我們的祖先、君王及首領，在猶大城和耶路撒冷街上所做的一樣；那時我們都豐衣足食，安享太平，不見災禍。
18 But since the time that we ceased to offer sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and to pour out libations to her, we have been in need of all things, and we have been consumed by the sword and by famine.
可是，自從我們斷絕向天后獻香，不給她奠酒以來，我們就什麼也缺乏，死於刀劍和饑荒。
19 But when we offer sacrifice to the queen of heaven and pour out libations to her, do we make cakes for her worship and offer libations to her without our husbands?”
至於我們的女人向天后焚香奠酒，又那能沒有我們男人的同意，依照她的形狀，給她備製祭餅，向她奠酒呢﹖」
20 And Jeremiah spoke to all the people, facing the men, and facing the women, and facing all the people who had responded this word to him, saying:
耶肋米亞便對全體人民，對答覆他的男人和婦女以及所有的人說：「
21 “Was this not the sacrifice that you offered in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your leaders, and the people of the land, which has been called to mind by the Lord and which has entered into his heart?
難道你們、你們的祖先、君王、首領和地方上的人民，在猶大城和耶路冷街上燒香的事，上主就不記得了，再也不懷念在心了嗎﹖
22 And the Lord could no longer bear this, because of the evil of your intentions, and because of the abominations that you have done. And so, your land has become a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, and it is without an inhabitant, even to this day.
上主再也不能容忍你們邪惡的行為，和你們做的可惡的事，為此你們的土地變成了荒野，成了驚愕和詛咒的對象，無人居住，有如今日：
23 This is because you have sacrificed to idols, and you have sinned against the Lord. And you have not heeded the voice of the Lord, and you have not walked in his law, and in his precepts, and in his testimonies. It is for this reason that these evils have happened to you, just as it is today.”
就因為你們燒香得罪了上主，不聽上主的勸告，不覆行他的法律、誡命和法令，纔給你們招來了像今日這樣的災禍。」
24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people and to all the women: “Listen to the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt:
以後，耶肋米亞又對全體人民和全體婦女說：「凡在埃及境內的猶大人，請聽上主的話!
25 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: You and your wives have spoken it with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hands, saying: ‘Let us perform our vows that we have made, so that we may offer sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and pour out libations to her.’ You have fulfilled your vows and accomplished their works.
萬軍的上主，以色列的天主這樣說：你們和你們的女人都要親手做你們親口說的事；你們說：我們決意實踐我們許的誓願，向天后燒香奠酒。你們就實踐你們的誓願，舉行你們的奠祭罷!
26 Because of this, listen to the word of the Lord, all you of Judah, who live in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by my great name, says the Lord, that my name will never again be invoked by the mouth of any man of Judah in the land of Egypt, saying: ‘As the Lord God lives.’
但是，所有住在埃及地的猶大人，你們且聽上主的話：看，我以我偉大的名起誓──上主說：在埃及全地任何猶大人的口中，不會再呼號我名說：我主上主永在!
27 Behold, I will be vigilant over them for harm, and not for good. And all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will be consumed, by the sword and by famine, until they are thoroughly consumed.
看，我注視他們，是為降災，不是為賜福，使在埃及地所有的猶大人，都死於刀劍饑荒，徹底消滅；
28 And a few men, who will flee from the sword, will return from the land of Egypt into the land of Judah. And all the remnant of Judah, who had entered into the land of Egypt so as to live there, will know whose word will be completed, mine or theirs.
即使有逃脫刀劍，從埃及地回到猶大的人，為數也寥寥無幾。到埃及地來寄居的全體猶大遺民，終於會知道：誰的話要應驗，是我的還是他們的。
29 And this will be a sign to you, says the Lord, that I will visit against you in this place, so that truly you may know that my words will be completed against you for harm.”
這為你們是個徵兆──上主的斷語──就在這地方我要懲罰你們，叫你們知道：我對你們要降災的話，必要絕對應驗。
30 Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will deliver Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt, into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of those who are seeking his life, just as I delivered Zedekiah, the king of Judah, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, his enemy and the one who was seeking his life.”
上主這樣說：看，我必將埃及王法郎曷斐辣交在他仇人和圖謀他性命的人手中，就如我曾將猶大王漆德克雅，交在他仇人和圖謀他性命的巴比倫王拿步高的手中一樣。」
