Jeremiah 14
1 This is a message from the Lord that came to Jeremiah regarding the drought:
有上主的話傳給耶肋米亞說：
2 Judah is in mourning; her towns are wasting away. Her people are weeping for the land, and a cry for help comes from Jerusalem.
「猶大悲哀，城門蕭條，人人垂頭至地，耶路撒冷哀號四起。
3 Rich people send their servants to get water. They go to the cisterns, but don't find any water. They return with empty jars, disappointed and ashamed, covering their heads.
顯貴派童僕去打水，來到井邊，卻不見有水，帶著空器回去，迷惑慚愧，遮住自己的頭。
4 The ground has dried up because there hasn't been any rain in the land. The farmers are ashamed; they cover their heads.
因為地上不落雨，田地無法耕耘，農夫們都已絕望，遮住自己的頭。
5 Even the deer abandons her newborn fawn because there's no grass.
甚至母鹿在田間生產，因為沒有青草，也得拋棄自己的幼雛。
6 Wild donkeys stand on the bare hills, panting like jackals. Their eyesight fails because they have nothing to eat.
野獸站在童山上，像黟狗一般喘息；雙目失神，因為沒有草吃。
7 Even though our sins give evidence against us, Lord, please do something for us because of your good nature. Yes, we have rebelled against you so often; we have sinned against you.
上主，我們的罪過若指證我們，但求你因你的名而施救，因為我們屢次失節，得罪了你。
8 You are the hope of Israel, our Savior in times of trouble. Why do you act like a foreigner in our country, like a traveler who only stays a night?
你是以色列的希望，是她在患難中的救主。為什麼你在本鄉好像是個陌生人，好像是個投宿一夜的旅客﹖
9 Why do you act like someone caught unawares, like a powerful warrior who can't help? You are here among us, Lord, and we are known as your people. Please don't give up on us!
為什麼你好像是個沈睡的人，好像是個不能施救的勇士﹖上主，你常在我們之中，我們是歸你名下的人，求你不要離棄我們。
10 This is what the Lord says about his people: They really love to wander away from me—they don't even try to stop themselves. So the Lord refuses to accept them. Now he'll remember their guilty actions and punish them for their sins.
上主論人民說：「他們這樣愛好遊蕩，沒有約束自己的腳，為此上主不喜悅他們；現在憶起了他們的過犯，就懲罰他們的罪惡」。
11 The Lord told me, Don't pray for the welfare of this people.
上主對我說：「你不要為這人民求情!
12 Even if they fast, I won't listen to their cry. Even though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I won't accept them. On the contrary I will wipe them out by sword and famine and plague.
既使他們齋戒，我也不會俯聽他們的呼籲；既使他們奉獻全燔祭和素祭，我也不會悅納，反而要用戰爭、飢饉和瘟疫將他們消滅」。
13 “Oh Lord God!” I answered, “Look what prophets are telling them, claiming to be speaking for you: ‘You won't see war or suffer from famine, but I will give you peace that lasts here in this place.’”
我於是說：「哎呀! 我主上主! 你看，先知們對他們說：你們決不會見到戰爭，你們決不會遭受饑荒，在這地方我必賜給你們真正的平安」。
14 The prophets are prophesying lies in my name, replied the Lord. I didn't send them or choose them or speak to them. It's a lying vision, an empty prediction, a deluded, deceitful product of their own minds that they are prophesying to you.
上主對我說：「先知們以我的名預言謊話，我並沒有派遺他們，也沒有對他們說過話。他們給你們所預言的，是荒謬的幻象空妄的卜筮，存心騙人的欺詐。
15 So this is what the Lord says about such prophets who prophesy in my name: I didn't send them, but even so they say, “This country won't suffer war or famine.” These same prophets will die from war or famine!
為此上主這樣說：關於那些以我名義說預言的先知，我既沒有他們，而他們反說：在這 中2不會有戰爭和饑饉，他們就必死於戰爭和饑饉。
16 The bodies of the people they prophesied to will be thrown into the streets of Jerusalem because of famine and war. There won't be anyone to bury them or their wives, their sons or their daughters. I will pour out their own evil on them.
至於聽他們向自己講說預言的人民，必因饑饉和戰爭，陳屍在耶路撒冷街頭，沒有人掩埋他們和他們的妻室子女；我必將他們的邪惡都傾注在他們身上。
17 This is what you are to tell them: Tears flow from my eyes without stopping day or night, because my people have been crushed by a heavy blow, a really serious wound.
你應將這話轉告他們：我眼淚直流，晝夜不息，因為我的處女──人民──大受摧殘，受了嚴重的打擊。
18 If I go out to the countryside, I see those killed by the sword; if I go into the city, I see those dying by famine. Both prophets and priests wander around the country—they don't know what they're doing.
我若走入田間，看見刀劍的遺屍；我若進入城裏，看見饑饉的可怖慘狀；就連先知和先知們也流亡到他們素不相識的地方」。
19 Have you really rejected Judah? Do you hate Zion so much? Why have you wounded us so badly that we can't be healed? We hoped for peace, but instead nothing good has come; we hoped for a time of healing, but instead there was only sudden terror.
難道你決意拋棄猶大，實心厭惡熙雍﹖為什麼你打擊我們，致使我們醫治無望﹖我們原是期待和平，卻不見好轉；希望醫治的時日，卻只見恐怖!
20 Lord, we admit our wickedness, the guilt of our forefathers as well as our own sins against you.
上主，我們承認我們的罪惡，和我們祖先的過犯；我們實在得罪了你。
21 Because of your own reputation please don't hate us; don't bring dishonor on your glorious throne. Please remember your agreement with us; don't break it.
願你為了你的名，不要嫌棄，不要輕慢你光榮的御! 望你記憶，不要廢除你與我們訂的盟約!
22 Can the false gods of the other nations bring rain? Can the skies themselves send showers? No, it's you, Lord our God. So we put our hope in you, because only you can do all this.
異民的「虛無」中，有能降雨的嗎﹖或是諸天能自施甘霖﹖難道不只是你，上主我們的天主! 我們寄望於你，因為你行了這一切事。
