Jeremiah 29
1 And these [are] the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remnant of [the] elderly of the expulsion, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people—whom Nebuchadnezzar removed from Jerusalem to Babylon,
以上是先知耶肋米亞從耶路撒冷給被擄去的長老、司祭和先知，以及拿步高從耶路撒冷擄往巴比倫的其餘民眾寄送的書信全文──
2 after the going forth of Jeconiah the king, and the mistress, and the officers, heads of Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsman, and the smith, from Jerusalem—
耶苛尼雅王與太后和太監，猶大和耶路撒冷的政要、技工及鐵匠，離開耶路撒冷之後，
3 by the hand of Eleasah son of Shaphan, and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying,
猶大王漆德克雅派沙番的兒子厄拉撒和希則克雅的兒子革瑪黎雅以巴比倫見巴比倫王拿步高，耶肋米亞便託他們帶去──信上說：「
4 “Thus said YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel, to all the expulsion that I removed from Jerusalem to Babylon:
萬軍的上主，以色列的天主，向由耶路撒冷被擄往巴比倫的全體俘虜這樣說：
5 Build houses and abide; and plant gardens and eat their fruit;
你們應建築房屋居住，種植田園，吃田園的出產；
6 take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, and they bear sons and daughters; and multiply there, and you are not few;
自己娶妻，生養兒女，也給自己的子女娶妻擇夫，生養兒女；在那裏繁殖，不要減少。
7 and seek the peace of the city to where I have removed you, and pray to YHWH for it, for in its peace you have peace.
在我令你們流徙所到的城裏，你們應尋求當地的平安，
8 For thus said YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel: Do not let your prophets who [are] in your midst, and your diviners, lift you up, nor listen to their dreams, that you are causing [them] to dream;
為當地祈禱上主，以色列的天主這樣說：不要讓你們中間的先知和卜卦師欺騙你們，不要聽信他們所作的幻夢，
9 for they are prophesying with falsehood to you in My Name; I have not sent them, a declaration of YHWH.
因為這些人奉我名給你們預言謊話，我並沒有派遣他們──上主的斷語──
10 For thus said YHWH: Surely at the fullness of Babylon—seventy years—I inspect you, and have established My good word toward you, to bring you back to this place.
上主只這樣說：巴比倫的七十年期限一滿，我必首顧你們，給你們履行我的諾言，領你們回到這地方。
11 For I have known the thoughts that I am thinking toward you—a declaration of YHWH; thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give posterity and hope to you.
誠然，我知道我對你們所懷的計劃──上主的斷語──是和平而不是災禍的計劃，令你們有前途，有希望。
12 And you have called Me, and have gone, and have prayed to Me, and I have listened to you,
那時你呼求我，前來懇求我，我必俯聽；
13 and you have sought Me, and have found, for you seek Me with all your heart;
尋找我，必找到我，因為你們是全心尋求我。
14 and I have been found by you—a declaration of YHWH; and I have turned back [to] your captivity, and have gathered you out of all the nations, and out of all the places to where I have driven you—a declaration of YHWH—and I have brought you back to the place from where I removed you.
我必將我自己顯示給你們──上主的斷語──轉變你們的命運：從我驅逐你們所至的各國各地召集你們──上主的斷語──領你們回到我以前使你們從那裏被擄去的地方。
15 Because you have said, YHWH has raised up prophets to us in Babylon,
因為上主論及坐在達味寶座上的君王，和住在這城裏的全體人民，即沒有與你們同去充軍的兄弟，這樣說：
16 surely thus said YHWH concerning the king who is sitting on the throne of David, and concerning all the people that are dwelling in this city, your brothers who did not go forth with you in the expulsion—
萬軍的上主這樣說：看，我必給他們招來戰爭、饑饉和瘟疫，使他們有如壞得不可吃的爛無花果，
17 thus said YHWH of Hosts: Behold, I am sending the sword, the famine, and the pestilence among them, and I have given them up as figs that [are] vile, that are not eaten because of badness.
以戰爭、饑饉和瘟疫窮迫他們，使他們在地上各國遭受虐待，在我驅逐他們所到的各民族中，成為咒罵、驚恐、嘲笑、詛咒的對象，
18 And I have pursued after them with sword, with famine, and with pestilence, and have given them for a trembling to all kingdoms of the earth, for a curse and for an astonishment, and for a hissing, and for a reproach among all the nations to where I have driven them,
因為他們沒有聽從我的話──上主的斷語──我不斷給他們派遣我的僕人先知，他們卻沒有聽從──上主的斷語──
19 because that they have not listened to My words—a declaration of YHWH—that I sent to them by My servants the prophets, rising early and sending, and you did not listen—a declaration of YHWH.
至於你們，這些我由耶路撒冷遷往巴比倫的全體俘虜，你應該聽從上主的話。
20 And you, hear a word of YHWH, all you of the captivity that I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon—
也許你們要說：上主在巴比倫給我們興起一些先知。
21 thus said YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel, concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying falsehood to you in My Name: Behold, I am giving them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he has struck them before your eyes,
但萬軍的上主，以色列的天主，論及奉我名給你們預言謊話的科拉雅的兒子阿哈布，和瑪阿色雅的兒子漆德克雅這樣說：看，我必將他們交在巴比倫王拿步高的手中，在你們面前將他們處決；
22 and because of them a reviling has been taken by all the expulsion of Judah that [are] in Babylon, saying, YHWH sets you as Zedekiah, and as Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted with fire;
在巴比倫的一切猶大俘虜，必拿他們當詛咒說：願上主使你像巴比倫王用火烙死的漆德克雅和阿哈布!
23 because that they have done folly in Israel, and commit adultery with the wives of their neighbors, and falsely speak a word in My Name that I have not commanded them, and I [am] He who knows and a witness—a declaration of YHWH.
因為他們在以色列中間行了敗德的事：姦污人的妻子，妄用我的名字，說我沒有吩咐的話；這是我知道的，我就是見證──上主的斷語。」
24 And you speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
你應對乃赫藍人舍瑪雅這樣說：
25 Thus said YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel, saying, Because that you have sent letters in your name to all the people who [are] in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
萬軍的上主，以色列的天主這樣說：因為你以自己的名義，給在耶路撒冷的全體人民，和司祭瑪阿色雅的兒子責法尼雅，及所有的司祭致書說：「
26 YHWH has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, for there being inspectors of the house of YHWH over every man [who] is mad and making himself a prophet, and you have put him in the stocks and in the pillory.
上主立你代替司祭約雅達為司祭，作上主殿宇的監督，為拘捕一切自充知的狂妄之徒，給他帶上腳鐐鐵枷。
27 And now, why have you not pushed against Jeremiah of Anathoth, who is making himself a prophet to you?
為什麼你至今還不責斥向你自稱為先知的阿納托特人耶肋米亞﹖
28 Because that he has sent to us [in] Babylon, saying, It [is] long, build houses and abide; and plant gardens and eat their fruit.”
他竟派人到巴比倫對我們說：為期尚遠；不如建屋居住，種植田園，吃田園的出產! 」
29 And Zephaniah the priest reads this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
司祭責法尼雅當面將這書信念給先知耶肋米亞聽了。
30 And there is a word of YHWH to Jeremiah, saying,
於是有上主的話傳給耶肋米亞說：
31 “Send to all the expulsion, saying, Thus said YHWH concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because that Shemaiah prophesied to you, and I have not sent him, and he causes you to trust on falsehood,
「你派人對全體俘虜說：論及乃赫藍人舍瑪雅，上主這樣說：因為舍瑪雅沒有我的委派，竟向你們說預言，叫你們相信謊言，
32 therefore, thus said YHWH: Behold, I am seeing after Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and after his seed, he has none dwelling in the midst of this people, nor does he look on the good that I am doing to My people,” a declaration of YHWH, “for he has spoken apostasy against YHWH.”
為此上主這樣說：看，我必懲罰乃赫藍人舍瑪雅和他的後裔：他的後代必沒有一個人住在這民族中，能見到我賜給我人民的幸福──上主的斷語──因為他說了背叛上主的話。」
