< Amos 2 >

1 THUS saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:
上主這樣說:「為了摩阿布再三再四犯罪,我不收回成命,因為他們曾將厄東的骨骸焚化成灰。
2 But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet:
我必將火投於摩阿布,燒盡克黎約特的王宮;摩阿布必在騷嚷、吶喊和號角聲中滅亡。
3 And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith the Lord.
我必由其中消滅民長,將她的一切長官同她一起殺死」──上主說。
4 Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:
上主這樣說:「為了猶大再三再四犯罪,我不收回成命,因為他們離背了上主的法律,沒有遵守衪的誡命;他們祖先所追隨的邪神,使他們走入了岐途。
5 But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.
我必把火投於,燒盡耶路撒冷的王官」
6 Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;
上主這樣說:「為了以色列再三再四犯罪,我不收回成命,因為他們為了銀錢出賣人;為一雙鞋,出賣無辜的人。
7 That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:
他們把窮人的頭踏在塵土裏,侵奪卑微人的權利;兒子與父親走近同一少女,以致褻瀆我的聖名;
8 And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.
他們靠近每個祭壇,躺在抵押者的衣服上,在他們的神廟內喝剝削來的酒。
9 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.
是我由你們面前消滅了阿摩黎人,他們雖高大似香柏,堅固如橡樹,但我仍從樹上摘去了果實,由樹下拔出了根子。
10 Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.
是我由埃及國領你們上來,四十年之久引你們經過曠野,使你們佔領了阿摩黎人的國土。
11 And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the Lord.
是我從你們的子孫中立了一些人為先知,由你們少年中選拔了一些人作獻身者。以色列子民,是不是這樣呢﹖──上主的斷語。
12 But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.
但是,你們竟叫獻身者喝酒,又吩咐先知說:「別傳神言! 」
13 Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.
看,我要使你們腳下的地搖蕩,好像車搖蕩一樣,
14 Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:
以致疾行者無法逃遁,強有力者無法施展,武士救不了自己,
15 Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself.
弓手不能屹立,捷足者不能逃脫,騎馬者不能自救。
16 And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the Lord.
在那一天,武士中最勇敢的,也僅能赤身逃走」──上主的斷語。

< Amos 2 >