< Lamentations 3 >
1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.
在上主盛怒的鞭責下,我成了受盡痛苦的人;
2 He hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness and not in light.
他引我走入黑暗,不見光明;
3 Surely against me He turneth His hand again and again all the day.
且終日再三再四,伸手與我為敵;
4 My flesh and my skin hath He worn out; He hath broken my bones.
他使我肌膚枯瘦,折斷我的骨頭;
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
他在我四周築起圍牆,用毒草和痛苦環繞我,
6 He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
讓我居住在黑暗之中,好像久已死去的人。
7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot go forth; He hath made my chain heavy.
他用垣牆圍困我,不能逃脫;並且加重我的桎梏;
8 Yea, when I cry and call for help, He shutteth out my prayer.
我呼籲求救時,他卻掩耳不聽我的祈禱。
9 He hath enclosed my ways with hewn stone, He hath made my paths crooked.
他用方石堵住了我的去路,阻塞了我的行徑。
10 He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.
上主之於我,像是一隻潛伏的狗熊,是一頭藏匿的獅子,
11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; He hath made me desolate.
他把我拖到路旁,撲捉撕裂,加以摧殘;
12 He hath bent His bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
又拉開他的弓,瞄準我,把我當作眾矢之的。
13 He hath caused the arrows of His quiver to enter into my reins.
他用箭囊的箭,射殺了我的雙腰;
14 I am become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
使我成了萬民的笑柄,終日受他們的嘲笑;
15 He hath filled me with bitterness, He hath sated me with wormwood.
他使我飽食苦菜,醉飲苦酒。
16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, He hath made me to wallow in ashes.
他用砂礫破碎我的牙齒,用灰塵給我充饑。
17 And my soul is removed far off from peace, I forgot prosperity.
他除去了我心中的平安,我已經忘記了一切幸福;
18 And I said: 'My strength is perished, and mine expectation from the LORD.'
於是我說:「我的光榮已經消逝,對上主的希望也已經幻滅。」
19 Remember mine affliction and mine anguish, the wormwood and the gall.
我回憶著我的困厄和痛苦,盡是茹苦含辛!
20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.
我的心越回想,越覺沮喪。
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
但是我必要追念這事,以求獲得希望:
22 Surely the LORD'S mercies are not consumed, surely His compassions fail not.
上主的慈愛,永無止境;他的仁慈,無窮無盡。
23 They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness.
你的仁慈,朝朝常新;你的忠信,浩大無垠!
24 'The LORD is my portion', saith my soul; 'Therefore will I hope in Him.'
我心中知道:上主是我的福分;因此,我必信賴他。
25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.
上主對信賴他和尋求他的人,是慈善的。
26 It is good that a man should quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
最好是靜待上主的救援,
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
最好是自幼背負上主的重軛,
28 Let him sit alone and keep silence, because He hath laid it upon him.
默然獨坐,因為是上主加於他的軛;
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
他該把自己的口貼近塵埃,這樣或者還有希望;
30 Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him, let him be filled full with reproach.
向打他的人,送上面頰,飽受凌辱。
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
因為上主決不會永遠把人遺棄;
32 For though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies.
縱使懲罰,他必按照自己豐厚的慈愛,而加以憐憫。
33 For He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
因為他苛待和懲罰世人,原不是出於他的心願。
34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
將世上所有的俘虜,都踐踏在腳下,
35 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
在至上者前剝奪人的權利,
36 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.
與人爭訟時,欺壓他人:難道上主看不見﹖
37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
若非上主有命,誰能言出即成呢﹖
38 Out of the mouth of the Most High proceedeth not evil and good?
吉凶禍福,難道不是出自至上者之口﹖
39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a strong man because of his sins?
人生在世,為自己的罪受罰,為什麼還叫苦﹖
40 Let us search and try our ways, and return to the LORD.
我們應檢討考察我們的行為,回頭歸向上主!
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
應向天上的大主,雙手奉上我們的心!
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled; Thou hast not pardoned.
正因為我們犯罪背命,你纔沒有寬恕。
43 Thou hast covered with anger and pursued us; Thou hast slain unsparingly.
你藏在盛怒之中,追擊我們,殺死我們,毫不留情。
44 Thou hast covered Thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
你隱在濃雲深處,哀禱不能上達。
45 Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
你使我們在萬民中,成了塵垢和廢物。
46 All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
我們所有的仇人,都向我們大張其口。
47 Terror and the pit are come upon us, desolation and destruction.
為我們只有恐怖和陷阱,破壞和滅亡。
48 Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water, for the breach of the daughter of my people.
為了我女兒──人民的滅亡,我的眼淚湧流如江河。
49 Mine eye is poured out, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
我的眼淚湧流不止,始終不停,
50 Till the LORD look forth, and behold from heaven.
直到上主從天垂顧憐視,
51 Mine eye affected my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
因我城中的一切女兒,使我觸目傷心。
52 They have chased me sore like a bird, that are mine enemies without cause.
我的仇人無故追捕我,像獵取飛鳥一樣;
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast stones upon me.
他們將我投入坑穴之中,把石塊擲在我身上;
54 Waters flowed over my head; I said: 'I am cut off.'
水淹沒了我的頭頂,我想:「我要死了! 」
55 I called upon Thy name, O LORD, Out of the lowest dungeon.
上主,我從坑穴深處,呼號你的聖名;
56 Thou heardest my voice; hide not Thine ear at my sighing, at my cry.
你曾俯聽過我的呼聲,對我的哀禱,不要掩耳不聞。
57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon Thee; Thou saidst: 'Fear not.'
在我呼號你的那一天,願你走近而對我說:「不要害怕! 」
58 O Lord, Thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; Thou hast redeemed my life.
上主,你辯護了我的案件,贖回我的性命。
59 O LORD, Thou hast seen my wrong; judge Thou my cause.
上主,你見我遭受冤屈,你替我伸了冤,
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.
你看見了他們對我的種種仇恨和陰謀。
61 Thou hast heard their taunt, O LORD, and all their devices against me;
上主,你聽見了他們加於我的種種侮辱和陰謀,
62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their muttering against me all the day.
你也聽見了反對我者的誹謗,和他們終日對我的企圖。
63 Behold Thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song.
你看! 他們或坐或立,我始終是他們嘲笑的對象。
64 Thou wilt render unto them a recompense, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
上主,求你按照他們雙手的作為,報復他們;
65 Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, Thy curse unto them.
求你使他們的心思頑固,並詛咒他們。
66 Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
上主,求你憤怒地追擊他們,將他們由普天之下除掉。