Jeremiah 2
1 The word of Jehovah came to me, saying:
上主的話傳給我說：
2 Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, Thus saith Jehovah: I remember the kindness shown thee in thy youth, The love with which I espoused thee, When thou wast led by me through the wilderness, Through a land that was not sown.
「你去! 向耶路撒冷大聲疾呼說：上主這樣說：我憶起你年青時的熱情，你訂婚時的戀愛；那你在曠野裏，在未耕種的地上追隨了我。
3 Israel was a sacred thing to Jehovah, His first ripe fruit. All that devoured him were held guilty; Evil came upon them, saith Jehovah.
以色列成了上主的聖民，成了衪收穫的初果，凡舌食她的都要有罪，災禍必要降在他們身上──上主的斷語。
4 Hear ye the word of Jehovah, O house of Jacob, And all the families of the house of Israel!
雅各伯家和以色列家的一切家族! 你們聽上主的話，
5 Thus saith Jehovah: What fault did your fathers find in me, That they went far from me, And walked after vanity, and practised folly?
上主這樣說：你們的祖先在我身上發現了什麼不義竟遠離我而去追隨「虛無」，自成為虛無呢﹖
6 They said not, Where is Jehovah, Who brought us up from the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, Through a land of deserts and pits, Through a land of drought and deathlike gloom, Through a land which no man passed through, And where no man dwelt?
他們也不問一問：那曾引我們由埃及地上來，那經過曠野、荒原和崎嶇之地，乾旱和黑暗之地，沒人遊歷無人居住之地，引領我們的上主現在在哪裏呢﹖
7 I brought you to a land of fruitful fields, To eat the fruit thereof, and the good thereof; But when ye had come in, ye defiled my land, And made my inheritance an abomination.
我引領你們進入了肥沃的土地，吃其中的出產和美物；但你們一進來，就玷污了我的土地，使我的產業成了可憎之物。
8 The priests said not, Where is Jehovah? And the teachers of the law knew me not; The rulers also rebelled against me; The prophets prophesied in the name of Baal, And walked after things that could not profit.
司祭們也不問一問：「上主在哪裏﹖」那些管理法律的，不認識我了；那些為人牧的，叛離了我；先知們也奉巴耳講預言，追隨無能的神袛。
9 Therefore I will yet contend with you, saith Jehovah; Yea, with your children's children will I contend.
為此，我要控訴你們──上主的斷語，也要控訴你們的子孫
10 For pass over to the islands of the Chittaeans, and see; Send ye to Kedar, and inform yourselves well; And see if such a thing hath been done!
好吧! 你們往基廷島嶼去觀察一下，派人到刻達爾去詳細調察，看看巾沒有與此相類似的事：
11 Hath any nation changed their gods, even those that are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which cannot profit.
難道有一個民族更換了自己的神袛﹖──雖然他們並非真神；但是我的人民竟以自己的光榮換取了一個「無能的東西。」
12 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this! Shudder, and be amazed! saith Jehovah.
諸天! 你們對此應驚駭戰慄，大為驚異──上主的斷語，
13 For my people have committed two evils; Me have they forsaken, the fountain of living water, And they have hewn out for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
因為我的人民犯了雙重的罪惡：他們離棄了我這活水的泉源，卻給自己掘了蓄水池，不能蓄水的漏水池。
14 Is Israel a slave? Is he a home-born servant? Why then hath he become a spoil?
以色列豈是 奴隸，或是家生的奴隸﹖為什麼竟成了人的掠奪物﹖
15 The young lions roar over him; They lift up their voice; They have made his land a desolation; His cities are burned so as to be without an inhabitant.
獅子向她咆哮，高聲吼叫：牠們使她的地域變成了荒野，使她的城市化為灰燼，無人居住。
16 Even the sons of Noph and Tahpanhes have consumed the crown of thy head.
連諾夫和塔黑乃斯的子民，也削去你的腦蓋。
17 Hath not this come upon thee, Because thou didst forsake Jehovah thy God, When he would have led thee in the way?
你這不是自作自受嗎﹖因為上主你的天主在路上引導你的時候，你竟離棄了衪。
18 And now what hast thou to do with the way of Egypt, To drink the waters of the Nile? Or what hast thou to do with the way of Assyria, To drink the waters of the Euphrates?
現在你又為什麼路到埃及去喝尼羅河的水，跑到亞述去喝幼發拉的河水﹖
19 Thy wickedness shall chasten thee, And thy transgressions reprove thee; And thou shalt know and see that it is an evil and bitter thing That thou hast forsaken Jehovah thy God, And that the fear of me is not with thee, Saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.
是你的罪惡懲罰你，是你的不忠責斥你，那麼你應該明白覺察：離棄上主你的天主，對我沒有敬畏，是如何邪惡和痛苦的事──吾主萬軍上主的斷語。
20 Of old hast thou broken thy yoke, And burst thy bands, And said, “I will not be in subjection!” For upon every high hill, And under every green tree, Hast thou reclined, playing the harlot.
的確，從古以來，你就折斷了你的軛，掙斷了你的繩索說：我不願服從；反在一切高丘上，和一切綠樹下，偃臥行淫。
21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, Wholly a genuine seed; How then art thou changed to the degenerate shoot of a strange vine?
我種植你時，原是精選的葡萄，純粹的真種子；你是怎麼竟給我變成了壞樹，成了野葡萄﹖
22 For though thou wash thee with nitre, And take thee much soap, Yet is thine iniquity black before me, saith Jehovah.
現在既使你用鹼洗濯，多加滷汁，你的罪污仍留在我面前──吾主上主的斷語──
23 How canst thou say, “I am not polluted,” “I have not gone after Baals”? Behold thy way in the valley! Know what thou hast done, A swift young camel, traversing her ways.
你怎能說：我沒有玷污我自己，我沒有追隨過巴耳﹖觀察你在谷中的行動，便知你的行動，無異一隻到處遊蕩，敏捷的母駱駝；
24 A wild ass, used to the wilderness, That in her desire snuffeth up the wind, In her occasion, who can turn her aside? All that seek her do not weary themselves; In her month they will find her.
又像一頭習慣在荒野，急欲求配，呼氣喘息的母野驢；誰能抑制牠的性慾﹖凡尋找牠的，不必費辛苦，在她春情發動的月分，就可找著。
25 Withhold thy feet from being unshod, And thy throat from thirst! But thou sayest, There is no remedy! No! For I love strangers, And after them I will go.
留心! 不要使你的腳赤裸，不要使你的喉嚨乾渴! 但是你卻說：不會，不可能! 我既愛異邦神袛，我要跟隨他們。
26 As a thief is ashamed when he is taken, So is the house of Israel ashamed, They, their kings, and their princes, And their priests, and their prophets;
就如小偷被人發現時，感到羞愧；以色列家：他們，他們的君王和首領，他們的司祭和先知，都要同樣蒙受羞辱。
27 That say to a stock, Thou art my father, And to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth! For they turn the back to me, and not the face. Yet in the time of their trouble they say, Arise and save us!
他們對木偶說：你是我的父親；對石碣說：是你生了我。的確，他們不但向我轉過臉去，而且也以褙向著我；但是，在他們遭難的時候，卻喊說：起來，拯救我們!
28 But where are thy gods, which thou hast made thee? Let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble! For according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah!
你自己製造的神祗在哪裏﹖在你遭難的時候，他們若能救你，就讓他們起來! 因為猶大! 你祗的數目竟等於你域邑的數目，巴耳的香壇與耶路撒冷的街道一般多。
29 Why do ye enter into controversy with me? Ye have all rebelled against me, saith Jehovah.
你們竟背叛了我，為什麼又向我提出抗議──上主的斷語──
30 In vain have I smitten your children; They would receive no correction; Your own sword hath devoured your prophets, Like a destroying lion.
我打擊了你們的子孫，竟是徒然，你們沒有受到教訓；你們的刀劍如同一隻兇殘的獅子吞滅了眾先知。
31 O generation! Behold ye the word of Jehovah! Have I been a wilderness to Israel? Or a land of darkness? Why then say my people, “We will rove at pleasure, We will come no more to thee”?
你們這一代人，體會上主的話吧! 難道我對以色列像一個荒野，或像一個黑暗地方﹖為什麼我的人民說：我們獲得了自由，我們不再來找你﹖
32 Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her belt? Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number!
一個處女豈能忘了自己的珍飾﹖一位新娘豈能忘了自己的彩帶﹖我的人民卻忘了我，時日已久長無法計算。
33 Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? On this account hast thou accustomed thy ways to wickedness.
你怎麼會如此想盡好方法去求愛﹖你也將你的方法教給了邪惡的女人；
34 Upon thy skirts is found the blood of the innocent poor, Whom thou didst not find committing violence.
連在你的衣邊上也發現無辜窮人的血漬：並不是在挖洞穴時，你捉住他們，而是在橡樹邊。
35 But notwithstanding all this, thou sayest, I am innocent; Surely his anger is turned away from me. Behold, I will enter into judgment with thee, Because thou sayest, “I have not sinned.”
但你還說：我是無罪的，他的憤怒已離我遠去。看! 我要審判你，因你說：我沒有犯罪。
36 Why dost thou run so eagerly, changing thy way? By Egypt also shalt thou be put to shame, Even as thou hast been put to shame by Assyria.
為什麼這樣輕易改變你的道路﹖你必要因埃及而蒙羞，猶如曾因亞述而蒙羞一樣。
37 From Egypt also shalt thou go forth With thy hands upon thy head. For Jehovah hath rejected the objects of thy confidence, Therefore shalt thou not prosper in them.
你畢竟要從那裏抱頭出走，因為上主擯棄了你所仗恃的，使你不能靠他們獲得成功。
