< Isaiah 19 >
1 The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and cometh unto Egypt; and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at His presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt within it.
有關埃及的神諭:看,上主乘著輕快的彩雲,來到了埃及,埃及的偶像在他面前戰慄,埃及人的心靈在己身內消溶。
2 And I will spur Egypt against Egypt; and they shall fight every one against his brother, and everyone against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.
我要激動埃及人相反埃及人,使人人與自己的兄弟相鬥,人人與自己的近人作對,城與城爭,國與國戰。
3 And the spirit of Egypt shall be made empty within it; and I will make void the counsel thereof; and they shall seek unto the idols, and to the whisperers, and to the ghosts, and to the familiar spirits.
埃及的精神要紛亂,我要混亂她的計謀;為此他們必要去卜問神明、巫覡、陰魂和術士。
4 And I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts.
我要把埃及交在暴君手中,暴虐的君王要統治他們--這是主,萬軍上主的斷語。
5 And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be drained dry,
海洋的水將乾涸,江河將荒涼乾旱;
6 And the rivers shall become foul; the streams of Egypt shall be minished and dried up; the reeds and flags shall wither.
水道都將發臭,埃及的河渠都要轉弱乾涸;蘆荻和昌蒲必將萎謝;
7 The mosses by the Nile, by the brink of the Nile, and all that is sown by the Nile, shall become dry, be driven away, and be no more.
河畔的蘆葦必將枯萎,沿河的植物,盡將凋零,吹散,消滅。
8 The fishers also shall lament, and all they that cast angle into the Nile shall mourn, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish.
漁夫必要呻吟嘆息,河畔垂釣者必要悲傷,水面撒網者必要沮喪。
9 Moreover they that work in combed flax, and they that weave cotton, shall be ashamed.
種植亞麻者必要羞慚,理麻婦與紡織工也都要面色蒼白。
10 And her foundations shall be crushed, all they that make dams shall be grieved in soul.
她的顯貴將受輕視,受僱的工人莫不意志消沉。
11 The princes of Zoan are utter fools; the wisest counsellors of Pharaoh are a senseless counsel; how can ye say unto Pharaoh: 'I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings'?
左罕的首領極其愚蠢,法郎的謀士出的,盡是糊塗計謀;你們怎敢對法郎說:「我是賢者的子孫,古代帝王的後裔﹖」
12 Where are they, then, thy wise men? And let them tell thee now; and let them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed concerning Egypt.
你的賢士如今在那裏﹖何不讓他們告訴你知道,萬軍的上主對埃及打了什麼主意!
13 The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have caused Egypt to go astray, that are the corner-stone of her tribes.
左罕的首領都夠糊塗,諾夫的首領被人愚弄,各州的諸侯使埃及陷入迷途。
14 The LORD hath mingled within her a spirit of dizziness; and they have caused Egypt to stagger in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.
上主在他們中間注入了昏神,叫他們使埃及在自己所作的事上無不錯亂,有如醉漢在嘔吐中打滾。
15 Neither shall there be for Egypt any work, which head or tail, palm-branch or rush, may do.
不論是為首的、為尾的、為棕枝的、或為蘆葦的作什麼,為埃及無所作為。
16 In that day shall Egypt be like unto women; and it shall tremble and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which He shaketh over it.
到那天,埃及面對著正在她身上揮動著的萬軍上主的手臂,將如婦女般的戰慄害怕。
17 And the land of Judah shall become a terror unto Egypt, whensoever one maketh mention thereof to it; it shall be afraid, because of the purpose of the LORD of hosts, which He purposeth against it.
猶大地將成為埃及的恐怖;凡提及她的,無不對萬軍的上主對埃及所打的主意而害怕。
18 In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called The city of destruction.
到那天,在埃及境內將有五座城說客納罕話,並指著萬軍的上主起誓,且有一座稱作「太陽城。」
19 In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD.
到那天,在埃及地域中,將有一座獻與上主的祭壇,在她的邊界上,將有一個為上主建立的石柱。
20 And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and He will send them a saviour, and a defender, who will deliver them.
這在埃及境內,將成為萬軍上主的記號和證據:當他們面臨迫害呼號上主時,他必給他們遣發一位救主,來奮鬥拯救他們。
21 And the LORD shall make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day; yea, they shall worship with sacrifice and offering, and shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and shall perform it.
到那天,上主將為埃及所認識,埃及要認識上主,並奉獻犧牲和祭品,向上主許願還願。
22 And the LORD will smite Egypt, smiting and healing; and they shall return unto the LORD, and He will be entreated of them, and will heal them.
上主將打擊埃及,打擊只是為醫治;他們要歸依上主,上主要俯聽他們,要醫治他們。
23 In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria; and the Egyptians shall worship with the Assyrians.
到那天,將有一條大路,由埃及通至亞述:亞述人要到埃及去,埃及人要到亞述來;埃及和亞述將共同敬拜上主。
24 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth;
到那天,以色列將屬第三,聯同埃及和亞述成為大地上受祝福的,
25 for that the LORD of hosts hath blessed him, saying: 'Blessed be Egypt My people and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel Mine inheritance.'
因為萬軍的上主曾這樣祝福說:「我的百姓埃及,我雙手的工程亞述,我的嗣業以色列,是應受祝福的!」