< Jeremiah 34 >
1 The worde which came vnto Ieremiah from the Lord (when Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel, and all his hoste, and all the kingdomes of the earth, that were vnder the power of his hand, and all people fought against Ierusalem, and against all the cites thereof) saying,
比倫王拿步高與自己的軍隊,及他手下統治的天下各國和一切民族,前來進攻耶路撒冷和她所有的城鎮時,有上主的話傳給耶肋米亞說:
2 Thus sayth the Lord God of Israel, Goe, and speake to Zedekiah King of Iudah, and tell him, Thus sayth the Lord, Beholde, I will giue this citie into the hand of the King of Babel, and he shall burne it with fire,
「上主以色列的天主這樣說:你對猶大王漆德克雅說,告訴他上主這樣說:看,我必將這城交在巴比倫王手中,他將放火燒城,
3 And thou shall not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and deliuered into his hand, and thine eyes shall beholde the face of the King of Babel, and he shall speake with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babel.
你必逃不出他的手,終必被擒,交在他手中;你必要與巴比倫王目對目相視,面對面相談;你必要到巴比倫去;
4 Yet heare the worde of the Lord, O Zedekiah, King of Iudah: thus sayth the Lord of thee, Thou shalt not dye by the sword,
但是,猶大王漆德克雅! 請聽上主的話,上主論你這樣說:你決不會死在刀下,
5 But thou shalt die in peace: and according to the burning for thy fathers the former Kings which were before thee, so shall they burne odours for thee, and they shall lament thee, saying, Oh lorde: for I haue pronounced the worde, sayth the Lord.
必要和平死去;正如有人給在你以前的上代祖先君王焚香,同樣也有人給你焚香,向你致哀;『嘻嘻,我主! 』的確,是我說了這話──上主的斷語」。
6 Then Ieremiah the Prophet spake all these words vnto Zedekiah King of Iudah in Ierusalem,
耶肋米亞就在耶路撒冷,對猶大君王漆德克雅說了這一切話,
7 (When the King of Babels hoste fought against Ierusalem, and against all the cities of Iudah, that were left, euen against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these strong cities remained of the cities of Iudah)
那時巴比倫不的軍隊正在攻打耶路撒冷和猶大其餘的城市,攻打拉基士和阿則卡,因為在猶大城市中,只剩下了這兩座設防的城市。
8 This is the worde that came vnto Ieremiah from the Lord, after that the King Zedekiah had made a couenant with all the people, which were at Ierusalem, to proclaime libertie vnto them,
漆德克雅王與當時在耶路撒冷的全體人民訂約,要對奴婢宣佈自由以後,有上主的話傳給耶肋米亞:
9 That euery man should let his seruant go free, and euery man his handmayde, which was an Ebrue or an Ebruesse, and that none should serue himselfe of them, to wit, of a Iewe his brother.
每人應釋放自己的希伯來奴婢,使他們獲享自由;誰也不該再以自己的弟兄猶大人作奴婢。
10 Now when all the princes, and all the people which had agreed to the couenant, heard that euery one should let his seruant go free, and euery one his handmaide, and that none should serue them selues of them any more, they obeyed and let them go.
所有入盟的首長和全體人民都同意,每人要釋放自己的奴婢,使他們獲享自由,不再以他們為奴婢:他們同意了,也釋放了。
11 But afterwarde they repented and caused the seruants and the handmayds, whom they had let go free, to returne, and helde them in subiection as seruants and handmayds.
但是,以後他們改變主意,把他們釋放恢復自由的奴婢,再叫回來,強迫他們再作奴婢。
12 Therefore the worde of the Lord came vnto Ieremiah from the Lord, saying,
於是有上主的話傳給耶肋米亞說:
13 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I made a couenant with your fathers, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of seruants, saying,
「上主以色列的天主這樣說:在我領你們的祖先,先由埃及地,奴隸之所,出來的那一天,與他們訂了盟約說:
14 At the terme of seuen yeres let ye go, euery man his brother an Ebrewe which hath bene solde vnto thee: and when he hath serued the sixe yeres, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers obeyed me not, neither inclined their eares.
每七年初,你們應各自釋放賣給你們的希伯來弟兄:他服事了你六年,你應該讓他自由離去。你們的祖先卻不聽,也不向我側耳。
15 And ye were nowe turned, and had done right in my sight in proclayming libertie, euery man to his neighbour, and ye had made a couenant before mee in the house, whereupon my Name is called.
今年你們自己反悔,作了我認為正直的事,各向自己的近人宣布自由,在歸我名下的殿裏,當著我面訂了盟約。
16 But ye repented, and polluted my Name: for ye haue caused euery man his seruant, and euery man his handmayde, whom ye had set at libertie at their pleasure, to returne, and holde them in subiection to bee vnto you as seruantes and as handmaydes.
但事後卻變了主意,褻瀆我名,竟再召回自己已經釋放,身獲自由的奴婢,迫使他們再做你們的奴婢。
17 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Ye haue not obeyed mee, in proclayming freedome euery man to his brother, and euery man to his neighbour: beholde, I proclaime a libertie for you, saith the Lord, to the sworde, to the pestilence, and to the famine, and I will make you a terrour to all the kingdomes of the earth.
為此上主這樣說:你們既不聽從我,各自向自己的弟兄,各向自己的近人宣布自由,看,我來對你們宣佈釋放刀劍和瘟疫及飢荒的自由──上主的斷語──使你們成為地上一切王國驚慌恐怖的對象。
18 And I will giue those men that haue broken my couenant, and haue not kept the wordes of the couenant, which they had made before me, when they cut the calfe in twaine, and passed betweene the partes thereof:
凡違背我盟約,即不履行剖開牛犢,由兩半中間走過,在我面前所立的盟約誓詞人,我必將他們交出:
19 The princes of Iudah, and the princes of Ierusalem, the Eunuches, and the Priestes, and all the people of the lande, which passed betweene the partes of the calfe,
凡剖開牛犢,由兩半中走過的猶大和耶路撒冷的首長、官員、司祭,以及當地的全體人民,
20 I wil euen giue them into the hand of their enemies, and into the handes of them that seeke their life: and their dead bodies shalbe for meate vnto the foules of the heauen, and to the beastes of the earth.
我必將他們悉數交在他們的敵人,和圖謀他們性命者的手中,使他們的屍首成為天上飛鳥和地上走獸的食物。
21 And Zedekiah King of Iudah, and his princes will I giue into the hand of their enemies, and into the hande of them that seeke their life, and into the hande of the King of Babels hoste, which are gone vp from you.
至於猶大王漆德克雅和他的臣相,我也將他們交在他們敵人手中,交在圖謀他們性命者的手中,交在由你們面前撤退的巴比倫王軍隊的手中。
22 Beholde, I will commande, saith the Lord, and cause them to returne to this citie, and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burne it with fire: and I will make the cities of Iudah desolate without an inhabitant.
我必下令──上主的斷語──叫他們再回來,進攻,佔領,火燒這城市;至於猶大的其他城市,我必使它們化為無人居住木荒野」。