< Jeremiah 3 >

1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she goe from him, and become another mans, shall hee returne againe vnto her? shall not this land be polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many louers: yet turne againe to mee, sayeth the Lord.
試問:若男人離棄了自己的妻子,她離開他而另嫁了別人,前夫豈能再回到她那裏去﹖像這樣的女人,豈不是已全被玷污了嗎﹖你已與許多愛人行淫,你還想回到我這裏來嗎﹖──上主的斷語──
2 Lift vp thine eyes vnto the hie places, and beholde, where thou hast not plaied the harlot: thou hast sit waiting for them in the waies, as the Arabian in the wildernesse: and thou hast polluted the lande with thy whoredomes, and with thy malice.
你舉目環顧高丘.看看在什麼地方你沒有受過玷污﹖你坐在路旁等候他們,像個在阿刺伯人,以你淫亂和邪惡玷污了這土地。
3 Therefore the showres haue beene restrained, and the latter raine came not, and thou haddest a whores forehead: thou wouldest not bee ashamed.
秋雨不降,春雨不來。你具有娼妓的面孔,仍然不知羞恥。
4 Diddest thou not stil crie vnto me, Thou art my father, and the guide of my youth?
從此以後,你要向我喊說:「我父! 你是我青年時的良友!」
5 Wil he keepe his anger for euer? will he reserue it to the ende? thus hast thou spoken, but thou doest euill, euen more and more.
心想:「衪豈能永遠發怒,懷恨到底﹖」看,你雖如此說,卻仍盡力作惡。
6 The Lord saide also vnto me, in the daies of Iosiah the King, Hast thou seene what this rebell Israel hath done? for she hath gone vp vpon euery high mountaine, and vnder euery greene tree, and there plaied the harlot.
在若史雅為王的時日裏,上主對我說:「失節的以色列所做的,你看見了沒有﹖她上到一切高處上,走到所有的綠樹下,在那裏行淫。
7 And I sayde, when shee had done all this, Turne thou vnto me: but she returned not, as her rebellious sister Iudah sawe.
我以為她作了這一切以後,會回到我這裏來;但是她沒有回來。她失信的姊妹猶大也看見了此事:
8 When I sawe, howe that by all occasions rebellious Israel had plaied the harlot, I cast her away, and gaue her a bill of diuorcement: yet her rebellious sister Iudah was not afraied, but shee went also, and plaied the harlot.
雖然看見了我為了失節的以色列所犯的種種姦淫,而命她離去,給了她休書,她這失信的姊妹猶大卻不害怕,竟然也去行淫。
9 So that for the lightnesse of her whoredome shee hath euen defiled the lande: for shee hath committed fornication with stones and stockes.
由於她輕易行淫,與石碣和木偶淫亂,玷污了這土土也。
10 Neuerthelesse for all this, her rebellious sister Iudah hath not returned vnto mee with her whole heart, but fainedly, sayth the Lord.
儘管這樣,她失信的姊妹猶大回到我這裏來,仍不是全心,只是假意──上主的斷語。」
11 And the Lord said vnto me, The rebellious Israel hath iustified her selfe more then the rebellious Iudah.
上主於是對我說:「失節的以色列比失信的猶大 ,更顯得正義。
12 Goe and crie these woordes towarde the North and say, Thou disobedient Israel, returne, sayeth the Lord, and I will not let my wrath fall vpon you: for I am mercifull, sayeth the Lord, and I will not alway keepe mine anger.
你去向北方宣布這些話說:失節的以色列! 請你歸來──上主的斷語──我不會對你怒容相向,因為我是仁慈的──我不會永遠發怒,
13 But knowe thine iniquitie: for thou hast rebelled against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy waies to the straunge gods vnder euery greene tree, but yee woulde not obey my voyce, sayeth the Lord.
只要你承認你的罪過,承認背叛上主你的天主,在一切綠樹下,與異邦神祗恣意相愛,沒有聽我的聲音,上主的斷語。
14 O yee disobedient children, turne againe, sayeth the Lord, for I am your Lord, and I will take you one of a citie, and two of a tribe and wil bring you to Zion,
失節的女子,妳們歸來──上主的斷語──因為我是你們的主人,我要選取妳們,每城選一人,每族選二人,領妳們進入熙雍;
15 And I will giue you pastours according to mine heart, which shall feede you with knowledge and vnderstanding.
在那裏給妳們一些隨我心意的牧者,以智慧和明智牧養妳們。
16 Moreouer, when yee be increased and multiplied in the land, in those daies, saieth the Lord, they shall say no more, The Arke of the couenant of the Lord: for it shall come no more to minde, neither shall they remember it, neither shall they visite it, for that shalbe no more done.
你們在這地上繁衍增值的時日裏──上主的斷語──人不再提「上主的約櫃」,也不再思念,不再追憶,不再關懷,不再製造。
17 At that time they shall cal Ierusalem, The throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered vnto it, euen to the Name of the Lord in Ierusalem: and thence foorth they shall follow no more the hardnesse of their wicked heart.
那時,人要稱耶路撒冷為「上主的御座」,萬民要奉上主的名,匯集在耶路撒冷,不再隨從自己邪惡而頑固的人行事。
18 In those daies ye house of Iudah shall walke with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the lande of the North, into the lande, that I haue giuen for an inheritance vnto your fathers.
在那些時日內,猶大家與以色列家同行,從北方起回到我賜給了你們祖先作基業的地內。
19 But I sayde, Howe did I take thee for children and giue thee a pleasant lande, euen the glorious heritage of the armies of the heathen, and saide, Thou shalt call mee, saying, My father, and shalt not turne from me?
我曾想過:多麼願意你像一個兒子,賜給你賞心悅目的土地,列國中最美好的領土,我以為你會以「我父」稱呼我,不會轉身遠離我;
20 But as a woman rebelleth against her husband: so haue yee rebelled against me, O house of Israel, sayeth the Lord.
但是,你們,以色列家對待我,正如對自己良友不忠的婦女──上主的斷語。
21 A voice was heard vpon the hie places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they haue peruerted their way, and forgotten the Lord their God.
在荒丘上可聽到一片喧嚷:那是以色列子民的哀號哭泣,因為他們走入了邪途,忘卻了自己的天主。
22 O yee disobedient children, returne and I wil heale your rebellions. Behold, we come vnto thee, for thou art the Lord our God.
歸來! 失節的子民,讓我療愈你們的失節。」「看,我回到你這裏,的確,你是上主,我們的天主。
23 Truely the hope of the hilles is but vaine, nor the multitude of mountaines: but in the Lord our God is the health of Israel.
誠然丘嶺和山卜的狂歡盡是虛幻;唯在上主,我們的天主那裏,有以色列的救援。
24 For confusion hath deuoured our fathers labour, from our youth their sheepe and their bullocks, their sonnes and their daughters.
可恥的神祗,自我們幼年就吞噬了我們祖先的收入,他們的羊群、牛群和子女。
25 Wee lie downe in our confusion, and our shame couereth vs: for we haue sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers from our youth, euen vnto this day, and haue not obeyed the voyce of the Lord our God.
讓我們躺臥在我們恥辱中,讓我們以羞慚遮蓋我們,因為我們和我們的祖先,自我們幼年直到今日,得罪了上主我們的天主,從來沒有聽從上主我們的天主的聲音。」

< Jeremiah 3 >