< Amos 5 >

1 Hear ye this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel:
以色列家! 你們你們應聽這話,應聽我為你們唱的這首哀歌!
2 The virgin of Israel is fallen, she shall no more rise; she is cast down upon her land, there is none to raise her up.
「以色列處女已跌倒,不能再起;摔在地上,無人攙扶。
3 For thus saith the Lord GOD: The city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went forth a hundred shall have ten left, of the house of Israel.
因為吾主上主這樣論以色列家說:出一千兵的城只生還一百;出一百的,只生還十個。尋求上主者生,作惡者亡。
4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel: Seek ye Me, and live;
因為上主這樣對以色列家說:你們尋求我,才可生存。
5 But seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth-el shall come to nought.
不可往基耳加耳,不不去巴爾估巴,因為基耳加耳必被擄掠,貝特耳必化為烏有。
6 Seek the LORD, and live — lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be none to quench it in Bethel —
你們尋求上主,才可生存,免得衪如火衝入若瑟家中,燒毀一切,無人能為以色列家撲滅。
7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and cast righteousness to the ground;
是衪創造了昴星和參星,變昏黑為黎明,使白畫為黑夜,召海水傾流於地面,衪名叫「雅威。」
8 Him that maketh the Pleiades and Orion, and bringeth on the shadow of death in the morning, and darkeneth the day into night; that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth; the LORD is His name;
衪使滅亡閃擊強者,使毀滅臨於城堡。
9 That causeth destruction to flash upon the strong, so that destruction cometh upon the fortress.
凡以毒害代替公正,棄正義於地的,是有禍的!
10 They hate him that reproveth in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
他們憎恨在城門口主持公道的人,厭惡講真話的人。
11 Therefore, because ye trample upon the poor, and take from him exactions of wheat; ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them, ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine thereof.
為此,你們既然欺壓窮人,向他們橫征錢糧,你們縱然用方石建築了房屋,卻不得住在裏面;栽植了美麗的葡萄園,卻喝不到園中的酒。
12 For I know how manifold are your transgressions, and how mighty are your sins; ye that afflict the just, that take a ransom, and that turn aside the needy in the gate.
因為我知道你們罪惡多端,過犯重大:欺壓義人,接受賄賂,在城門口冤枉窮人;
13 Therefore the prudent doth keep silence in such a time; for it is an evil time.
因此明智人在此時緘默不言,因為這是邪惡的時代。
14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, as ye say.
你們應尋求善,不可尋求惡:這樣你們才能生存;上主萬軍的天主也必與你們同在,正如你們所說的。
15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
你們應惡惡好善,在城門口主張正義,或許萬軍的天主會憐憫若瑟的遺民。」
16 Therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord: Lamentation shall be in all the broad places, and they shall say in all the streets: 'Alas! alas!' and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and proclaim lamentation to such as are skilful of wailing.
為此,萬軍的天主,吾主上主這樣說:「人必在一切廣場上哀悼,人必在各街道上說:哀哉! 哀哉! 並且召農人們來弔信,叫會哭的人來痛哭。
17 And in all vineyards shall be lamentation; for I will pass through the midst of thee, saith the LORD.
在所有的葡萄園中,人必哀哭,因為我要在你們中間經過」──上主說。
18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! Wherefore would ye have the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light.
「那仰望上主日子來臨的人是有福的! 上主的日子為你們有我們什麼好處﹖那是黑暗和無光明之日,
19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; and went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
好似人逃避了獅子,又遇到了狗熊;進到房屋裏,手扶在牆上,卻被蛇咬傷。
20 Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it?
上主的日子豈不是黑暗而沒有光明嗎﹖那日實在幽暗而漆黑!
21 I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
我痛恨厭惡你們的慶節;你們的盛會,我也不喜悅;
22 Yea, though ye offer me burnt-offerings and your meal-offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts.
既使你們給我奉獻全燔祭和素祭,我仍不悅納;既使你們獻上肥牲作和平祭,我也不垂顧。
23 Take thou away from Me the noise of thy songs; and let Me not hear the melody of thy psalteries.
讓你們喧嚷的歌聲遠離我;你們的琴聲,我也不願再聽;
24 But let justice well up as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
如願公道如水常流,正義像川流不息的江河!
25 Did ye bring unto Me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
以色列家! 你們在曠野中四十年,何嘗給我奉獻過q和素祭﹖
26 So shall ye take up Siccuth your king and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.
你們應抬著自己所造的偶像,即你們的君王撒雇特和你們的星神克汪,
27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith He, whose name is the LORD God of hosts.
因為 必使你們充軍到大馬士革之外,」名叫「萬軍的天主」的上主說。

< Amos 5 >