< Isaiah 24 >
1 Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
看!上主使大地空虛,使它變為荒涼,翻轉它的面目,使它的居民四散:
2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor.
那時怎樣對百姓,也怎樣對司祭;怎樣對僕人,也怎樣對主人;怎樣對婢女,也怎樣對主母;怎樣對主顧,也怎樣對商賈;怎樣對債戶,也怎樣對債主;怎樣對貸方,也怎樣對借方。
3 The earth shall be utterly emptied, and clean despoiled; for the LORD hath spoken this word.
大地必要完全荒廢,慘遭浩劫,因為上主這樣定了。
4 The earth fainteth and fadeth away, the world faileth and fadeth away, the lofty people of the earth do fail.
大地痛哭哀傷,世界衰頹零落,上天與下地一同衰頹。
5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statute, broken the everlasting covenant.
大地在居民腳下已被玷污,因為他們越規犯法,破壞了永久的盟約。
6 Therefore hath a curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are found guilty; therefore the inhabitants of the earth waste away, and men are left few.
為此詛咒吞噬了大地,其中的居民受了罪罰;為此地上的居民受了折損,剩下來的人數極少。
7 The new wine faileth, the vine fadeth; all the merry-hearted do sigh.
新酒哀傷,葡萄凋殘;心情愉快的,都長聲嘆息!
8 The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.
小鼓的喜樂已停止,歡笑的喧嚷已終結,琴瑟的喜樂已止息。
9 They drink not wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to them that drink it.
人不再飲酒作樂,喝了濃酒的反覺酸苦!
10 Broken down is the city of wasteness; every house is shut up, that none may come in.
空虛的城市已破殘,家家戶戶都已關門閉戶!
11 There is a crying in the streets amidst the wine; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.
廣場上有人為酒而嗟歎,萬般娛樂已闌盡,大地的喜樂遭放逐!
12 In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten unto ruin.
城中所留的只是淒涼,門戶被打得粉碎!
13 For thus shall it be in the midst of the earth, among the peoples, as at the beating of an olive-tree, as at the gleanings when the vintage is done.
誠然,大地間萬民中,必像打過的橄欖樹,或如收割葡萄後所餘的殘粒。
14 Those yonder lift up their voice, they sing for joy; for the majesty of the LORD they shout from the sea:
他們要提高聲音歌頌上主的尊嚴:「萬民啊! 你們歡呼罷!
15 'Therefore glorify ye the LORD in the regions of light, even the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, in the isles of the sea.'
你們在東方的,應頌揚上主!住在海島上的,應頌揚上主,以色列的天主的名!
16 From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs: 'Glory to the righteous.' But I say: I waste away, I waste away, woe is me! The treacherous deal treacherously; yea, the treacherous deal very treacherously.
我們從地極聽到了歌聲:光榮屬於正義者。」然而我說:「我有禍了!我有禍了!我好可憐!反叛的仍在反叛,反叛的仍在極力的反叛!」
17 Terror, and the pit, and the trap, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
地上的居民啊!恐怖、陷阱、羅網,都聚集在你身上。
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the terror shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the trap; for the windows on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth do shake;
那逃得了恐怖聲音的,必要落在陷阱裏;那由陷阱中跳出來的,必要落在羅網中! 的確,天上閘門已開放,大地基礎已動盪。
19 The earth is broken, broken down, the earth is crumbled in pieces, the earth trembleth and tottereth;
大地必將粉碎又粉碎,大地必將崩裂又崩裂,大地必將動搖又動搖!
20 The earth reeleth to and fro like a drunken man, and swayeth to and fro as a lodge; and the transgression thereof is heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again.
大地必東搖西晃,有如一個醉漢,搖盪得好比一座帳幕;自己的罪惡又重壓在上面,倒塌了不能再起!
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD will punish the host of the high heaven on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
到那一天,上主要在高天審視天上所有的軍旅,要在下地察考地上所有的君王。
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the dungeon, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be punished.
他們將被聚集起來,關在深坑內,監禁在監牢裏;待過了許多時日,將受懲罰。
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for the LORD of hosts will reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before His elders shall be Glory.
那時,月亮要臉紅,太陽要羞慚,因為萬軍的上主要 在熙雍山上,要在耶路撒冷為王,在他的長老面前要備受頌揚。