< Jeremiah 8 >

1 AT that time, saith the Lord, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves:
到那時──上主的斸語──人必從墳墓中拖出猶大君王的遺骸,司祭的遺骸,先知的遺骸,和耶路撒冷居民的遺骸,
2 And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.
陳列在他們曾愛戀、事奉、追隨、求問和朝拜過的太陽、月亮和天上群星,前再沒有人收殮埋葬,任其留在地面充作肥料。
3 And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the Lord of hosts.
這可惡種族剩下的全體遺民,在我驅逐他們所到的任何地,方都願意死,而不願意生──萬軍上主斷語。
4 Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?
你應對他們說:上主這樣說:人跌倒了,豈能不再起來﹖人離去了,豈能不再回來﹖
5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.
為什麼這人民一墮落,便永久墮落,執迷不悟而不肯反悔呢﹖
6 I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.
我留心細聽,他們都言談不軌,沒有一個人悔恨自己的邪惡說:「可憐! 我做是什麼事﹖」反倒各自一再任性奔馳,有如衝入戰場的戰馬。
7 Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord.
天空的鸛鳥也知道自己的時令;斑鳩、燕子和雁,都固守自己的歸期;但是我的人民卻不知道上主法令。
8 How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain.
你怎麼能說:我們是智者,我們有上主的法律﹖的確,但已為書記們以荒謬的筆鋒把乇編成了謊言。
9 The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?
智慧人必要蒙羞驚慌,而至被捕;的確,他們即拋棄了上主話,還能有什麼智慧﹖
10 Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
為此,我必將他們的妻室交給外人,將他們的莊田交與別的地主,因為從最小的到最大的,都貪財圖利;從先知到司祭,都欺詐行事,
11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
草率治愈我的瘡痍說:「好了! 好了! 」其實卻沒有好。
12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.
他們既行事可憎,就理當知恥;可是,他們不但不知恥,反而連羞愧也不知是什麼;為此,他們要與倒斃者倒斃,在我降罰他們時,都要一厥不振──上主說。
13 I will surely consume them, saith the Lord: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.
我要徹底消滅他們──上主的斷語──葡萄樹上沒有葡萄,無花果樹上沒有無花果,樹葉都已凋零;我要派人來蹂躝。
14 Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the Lord our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord.
為什麼我們還坐著﹖集合起來吧! 讓我們進入堅城,死在那裏,因為上主我們的天主要消滅我們,我們喝苦膽,因為我們得罪了上主。
15 We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!
我們原期待和平,卻不見好轉;原期待復興的時機,反而只見恐怖!
16 The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein.
從丹就可聽到敵人戰馬的喘息聲,戰馬嘶鳴,聲震全地;前來併吞土地和地上的一切,吞食城邑和城中的居民。
17 For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the Lord.
看,我必給你們派來不伯符咒的毒蛇,咬傷你們──上主的斷語──
18 When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me.
無法療愈。我戚戚憂傷,我心已憔悴。
19 Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the Lord in Zion? is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities?
由遠方傳來我女兒──人民──哀號的呼聲:「上主已不在熙雍﹖或者衪君王已不在那裏嗎﹖──為什麼他們以自己的偶像和外邦的「虛無」激怒我﹖──
20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
收割期已經過去,夏天已經完結,我們仍沒有獲救! 」
21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.
我的女兒──人民──的創傷使我心痛欲裂,鬱鬱不安,不勝感傷。
22 Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
難道在基肋阿得沒有膏藥,或在那裏沒有醫生嗎﹖究竟為了什麼,我的女兒──人民──的創傷還沒有痊愈﹖

< Jeremiah 8 >