< Jeremiah 34 >
1 The word that has been to Jeremiah from YHWH—and Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his force, and all kingdoms of the land of the dominion of his hand, and all the peoples are fighting against Jerusalem, and against all its cities—saying:
比倫王拿步高與自己的軍隊,及他手下統治的天下各國和一切民族,前來進攻耶路撒冷和她所有的城鎮時,有上主的話傳給耶肋米亞說:
2 “Thus said YHWH, God of Israel: Go, and you have spoken to Zedekiah king of Judah, and have said to him, Thus said YHWH: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he has burned it with fire,
「上主以色列的天主這樣說:你對猶大王漆德克雅說,告訴他上主這樣說:看,我必將這城交在巴比倫王手中,他將放火燒城,
3 and you do not escape out of his hand, for you are certainly caught, and you are given into his hand, and your eyes see the eyes of the king of Babylon, and his mouth speaks with your mouth, and you enter Babylon.
你必逃不出他的手,終必被擒,交在他手中;你必要與巴比倫王目對目相視,面對面相談;你必要到巴比倫去;
4 Only, hear a word of YHWH, O Zedekiah king of Judah—thus said YHWH to you: You do not die by sword,
但是,猶大王漆德克雅! 請聽上主的話,上主論你這樣說:你決不會死在刀下,
5 you die in peace, and with the burnings of your fathers, the former kings who have been before you, so they make a burning for you; and, Oh, lord, they lament for you, for the word I have spoken—a declaration of YHWH.”
必要和平死去;正如有人給在你以前的上代祖先君王焚香,同樣也有人給你焚香,向你致哀;『嘻嘻,我主! 』的確,是我說了這話──上主的斷語」。
6 And Jeremiah the prophet speaks all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,
耶肋米亞就在耶路撒冷,對猶大君王漆德克雅說了這一切話,
7 and the forces of the king of Babylon are fighting against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that are left—against Lachish, and against Azekah, for these have been left among the cities of Judah, cities of fortresses.
那時巴比倫不的軍隊正在攻打耶路撒冷和猶大其餘的城市,攻打拉基士和阿則卡,因為在猶大城市中,只剩下了這兩座設防的城市。
8 The word that has been to Jeremiah from YHWH, after the making of a covenant by King Zedekiah with all the people who [are] in Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them,
漆德克雅王與當時在耶路撒冷的全體人民訂約,要對奴婢宣佈自由以後,有上主的話傳給耶肋米亞:
9 to each send out his manservant, and each his maidservant—the Hebrew and the Hebrewess—free, so as not to lay service on them—on any Jew, a brother, a man;
每人應釋放自己的希伯來奴婢,使他們獲享自由;誰也不該再以自己的弟兄猶大人作奴婢。
10 and all the heads listen, and all the people who have come into the covenant to each send forth his manservant and each his maidservant free, so as not to lay service on them anymore, indeed, they listen, and send them away;
所有入盟的首長和全體人民都同意,每人要釋放自己的奴婢,使他們獲享自由,不再以他們為奴婢:他們同意了,也釋放了。
11 and they turn afterward, and cause the menservants and the maidservants to return, whom they had sent forth free, and they subdue them for menservants and for maidservants.
但是,以後他們改變主意,把他們釋放恢復自由的奴婢,再叫回來,強迫他們再作奴婢。
12 And there is a word of YHWH to Jeremiah from YHWH, saying,
於是有上主的話傳給耶肋米亞說:
13 “Thus said YHWH, God of Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers in the day of My bringing them forth from the land of Egypt, from a house of servants, saying,
「上主以色列的天主這樣說:在我領你們的祖先,先由埃及地,奴隸之所,出來的那一天,與他們訂了盟約說:
14 At the end of seven years you each send forth his brother, the Hebrew, who is sold to you, and has served you six years, indeed, you have sent him forth from you free: and your fathers did not listen to Me, nor inclined their ear.
每七年初,你們應各自釋放賣給你們的希伯來弟兄:他服事了你六年,你應該讓他自由離去。你們的祖先卻不聽,也不向我側耳。
15 And today you turn back and you do that which is right in My eyes, to each proclaim liberty to his neighbor, and you make a covenant before Me in the house over which My Name is called.
今年你們自己反悔,作了我認為正直的事,各向自己的近人宣布自由,在歸我名下的殿裏,當著我面訂了盟約。
16 And you turn back, and defile My Name, and you each cause his manservant and each his maidservant, whom he had sent forth free (at their pleasure), to return, and you subdue them to be for menservants and for maidservants to you.”
但事後卻變了主意,褻瀆我名,竟再召回自己已經釋放,身獲自由的奴婢,迫使他們再做你們的奴婢。
17 Therefore, thus said YHWH: “You have not listened to Me to proclaim freedom, each to his brother, and each to his neighbor; behold, I am proclaiming to you liberty,” a declaration of YHWH, “to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine, and I have given you for a trembling to all kingdoms of the earth.
為此上主這樣說:你們既不聽從我,各自向自己的弟兄,各向自己的近人宣布自由,看,我來對你們宣佈釋放刀劍和瘟疫及飢荒的自由──上主的斷語──使你們成為地上一切王國驚慌恐怖的對象。
18 And I have given the men who are transgressing My covenant, who have not established the words of the covenant that they have made before Me, by the calf, that they have cut in two, and pass through between its pieces—
凡違背我盟約,即不履行剖開牛犢,由兩半中間走過,在我面前所立的盟約誓詞人,我必將他們交出:
19 heads of Judah, and heads of Jerusalem, the officers, and the priests, and all the people of the land who had passed through between the pieces of the calf—
凡剖開牛犢,由兩半中走過的猶大和耶路撒冷的首長、官員、司祭,以及當地的全體人民,
20 indeed, I have given them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those seeking their soul, and their carcass has been for food to the bird of the heavens, and to the beast of the earth.
我必將他們悉數交在他們的敵人,和圖謀他們性命者的手中,使他們的屍首成為天上飛鳥和地上走獸的食物。
21 And I give Zedekiah king of Judah and his heads into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those seeking their soul, and into the hand of the forces of the king of Babylon that are going up from off you.
至於猶大王漆德克雅和他的臣相,我也將他們交在他們敵人手中,交在圖謀他們性命者的手中,交在由你們面前撤退的巴比倫王軍隊的手中。
22 Behold, I am commanding,” a declaration of YHWH, “and have brought them back to this city, and they have fought against it, and captured it, and burned it with fire, and I make the cities of Judah a desolation—without inhabitant.”
我必下令──上主的斷語──叫他們再回來,進攻,佔領,火燒這城市;至於猶大的其他城市,我必使它們化為無人居住木荒野」。