Jeremiah 29
1 Jeremiah the prophet wrote this letter and sent it from Jerusalem to the elders who were left among the exiles, to the priests, the prophets, and everyone else who had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.
以上是先知耶肋米亞從耶路撒冷給被擄去的長老、司祭和先知，以及拿步高從耶路撒冷擄往巴比倫的其餘民眾寄送的書信全文──
2 This was after King Jehoiachin, the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metals-workers had been exiled from Jerusalem.
耶苛尼雅王與太后和太監，猶大和耶路撒冷的政要、技工及鐵匠，離開耶路撒冷之後，
3 Elasah, son of Shaphan, and Gemariah, son of Hilkiah, took the letter with them when Zedekiah king of Judah sent them to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. In the letter Jeremiah wrote:
猶大王漆德克雅派沙番的兒子厄拉撒和希則克雅的兒子革瑪黎雅以巴比倫見巴比倫王拿步高，耶肋米亞便託他們帶去──信上說：「
4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were taken from Jerusalem to Babylon:
萬軍的上主，以色列的天主，向由耶路撒冷被擄往巴比倫的全體俘虜這樣說：
5 Build yourselves houses there to live in. Plant gardens and grow food to eat.
你們應建築房屋居住，種植田園，吃田園的出產；
6 Get married and have children. Arrange for your children to get married so they can have children too. Increase in number, don't decrease.
自己娶妻，生養兒女，也給自己的子女娶妻擇夫，生養兒女；在那裏繁殖，不要減少。
7 Help make the city where I've exiled you more prosperous. Pray to the Lord for it, since as it prospers, so will you.
在我令你們流徙所到的城裏，你們應尋求當地的平安，
8 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Don't be fooled by your prophets and fortune-tellers, and don't listen to any dreams they interpret for you.
為當地祈禱上主，以色列的天主這樣說：不要讓你們中間的先知和卜卦師欺騙你們，不要聽信他們所作的幻夢，
9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name; I have not sent them, declares the Lord.
因為這些人奉我名給你們預言謊話，我並沒有派遣他們──上主的斷語──
10 This is what the Lord says: When the seventy years exile in Babylon are over, I will see to you and keep my promise to bring you back to Jerusalem.
上主只這樣說：巴比倫的七十年期限一滿，我必首顧你們，給你們履行我的諾言，領你們回到這地方。
11 I know what I intend to do for you, declares the Lord. I plan good things for you and not bad. I'm going to give you a future and a hope.
誠然，我知道我對你們所懷的計劃──上主的斷語──是和平而不是災禍的計劃，令你們有前途，有希望。
12 Then you will call for my help, you will come and pray to me, and I will answer you.
那時你呼求我，前來懇求我，我必俯聽；
13 You will look for me and you will find me when you're completely committed to looking for me.
尋找我，必找到我，因為你們是全心尋求我。
14 I will let you find me, declares the Lord. I will end your captivity, gathering you from all the nations and places where I scattered you, declares the Lord. I will bring you back home to the place from where I sent you into exile.
我必將我自己顯示給你們──上主的斷語──轉變你們的命運：從我驅逐你們所至的各國各地召集你們──上主的斷語──領你們回到我以前使你們從那裏被擄去的地方。
15 But if you argue, “The Lord has provided prophets for us in Babylon,”
因為上主論及坐在達味寶座上的君王，和住在這城裏的全體人民，即沒有與你們同去充軍的兄弟，這樣說：
16 this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David's throne and everyone who's left in Jerusalem, your fellow citizens who weren't taken with you into exile.
萬軍的上主這樣說：看，我必給他們招來戰爭、饑饉和瘟疫，使他們有如壞得不可吃的爛無花果，
17 This is what the Lord Almighty says: I'm going send war and famine and disease against them. I'll make them like rotten figs, so bad that they can't be eaten.
以戰爭、饑饉和瘟疫窮迫他們，使他們在地上各國遭受虐待，在我驅逐他們所到的各民族中，成為咒罵、驚恐、嘲笑、詛咒的對象，
18 I will chase them down with war and famine and disease. I will make all the kingdoms of the earth horrified by them. They will become a curse word, totally ruined, people to be mocked and criticized among all the nations where I scatter them.
因為他們沒有聽從我的話──上主的斷語──我不斷給他們派遣我的僕人先知，他們卻沒有聽從──上主的斷語──
19 I'm going to do this because they haven't obeyed to my words, declares the Lord, which I sent to them time and again through my servants the prophets. You exiles haven't obeyed me either, declares the Lord.
至於你們，這些我由耶路撒冷遷往巴比倫的全體俘虜，你應該聽從上主的話。
20 So listen to the word of the Lord, all you exiles I sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.
也許你們要說：上主在巴比倫給我們興起一些先知。
21 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in my name. I'm going to hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them right before your eyes.
但萬軍的上主，以色列的天主，論及奉我名給你們預言謊話的科拉雅的兒子阿哈布，和瑪阿色雅的兒子漆德克雅這樣說：看，我必將他們交在巴比倫王拿步高的手中，在你們面前將他們處決；
22 Because of what happens to them, all the exiles of Judah in Babylon will curse others like this: “May the Lord treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, burned alive by the king of Babylon!”
在巴比倫的一切猶大俘虜，必拿他們當詛咒說：願上主使你像巴比倫王用火烙死的漆德克雅和阿哈布!
23 They did outrageous things in Israel—they committed adultery with their neighbor's wives and told lies in my name. I didn't tell them to say anything. I am the one who knows what they did, and I can witness to it, declares the Lord.
因為他們在以色列中間行了敗德的事：姦污人的妻子，妄用我的名字，說我沒有吩咐的話；這是我知道的，我就是見證──上主的斷語。」
24 Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite
你應對乃赫藍人舍瑪雅這樣說：
25 that this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: On your own authority you sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying,
萬軍的上主，以色列的天主這樣說：因為你以自己的名義，給在耶路撒冷的全體人民，和司祭瑪阿色雅的兒子責法尼雅，及所有的司祭致書說：「
26 “Zephaniah, the Lord has chosen you as priest to replace Jehoiada, to be in charge of the Lord's Temple. In that capacity you are required to put in the stocks and neck irons any crazy person who claims to be a prophet.
上主立你代替司祭約雅達為司祭，作上主殿宇的監督，為拘捕一切自充知的狂妄之徒，給他帶上腳鐐鐵枷。
27 So why haven't you not punished Jeremiah of Anathoth, who claims to be a prophet among you?
為什麼你至今還不責斥向你自稱為先知的阿納托特人耶肋米亞﹖
28 You should have done this because he has sent a letter to us here in Babylon, stating, ‘The exile will last a long time. So build yourselves houses there to live in. Plant gardens and grow food to eat.’”
他竟派人到巴比倫對我們說：為期尚遠；不如建屋居住，種植田園，吃田園的出產! 」
29 However, Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.
司祭責法尼雅當面將這書信念給先知耶肋米亞聽了。
30 Then the Lord told Jeremiah:
於是有上主的話傳給耶肋米亞說：
31 Send this message to all the exiles: This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Since Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I didn't send him, and has convinced you to believe in a lie,
「你派人對全體俘虜說：論及乃赫藍人舍瑪雅，上主這樣說：因為舍瑪雅沒有我的委派，竟向你們說預言，叫你們相信謊言，
32 this is what the Lord says: I'm going to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He won't have any family left among this people, and he won't experience the good things that I'm going to do for my people, declares the Lord, for he has promoted rebellion against the Lord.
為此上主這樣說：看，我必懲罰乃赫藍人舍瑪雅和他的後裔：他的後代必沒有一個人住在這民族中，能見到我賜給我人民的幸福──上主的斷語──因為他說了背叛上主的話。」
