Jeremiah 3
1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.
試問：若男人離棄了自己的妻子，她離開他而另嫁了別人，前夫豈能再回到她那裏去﹖像這樣的女人，豈不是已全被玷污了嗎﹖你已與許多愛人行淫，你還想回到我這裏來嗎﹖──上主的斷語──
2 Lift up thine eyes unto the bare heights, and see; where hast thou not been lain with? By the ways hast thou sat for them, as an Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.
你舉目環顧高丘．看看在什麼地方你沒有受過玷污﹖你坐在路旁等候他們，像個在阿刺伯人，以你淫亂和邪惡玷污了這土地。
3 Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; yet thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.
秋雨不降，春雨不來。你具有娼妓的面孔，仍然不知羞恥。
4 Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?
從此以後，你要向我喊說：「我父! 你是我青年時的良友!」
5 Will he retain [his anger] for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and hast done evil things, and hast had thy way.
心想：「衪豈能永遠發怒，懷恨到底﹖」看，你雖如此說，卻仍盡力作惡。
6 Moreover the LORD said unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
在若史雅為王的時日裏，上主對我說：「失節的以色列所做的，你看見了沒有﹖她上到一切高處上，走到所有的綠樹下，在那裏行淫。
7 And I said after she had done all these things, She will return unto me; but she returned not: and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
我以為她作了這一切以後，會回到我這裏來；但是她沒有回來。她失信的姊妹猶大也看見了此事：
8 And I saw, when, for this very cause that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorcement, yet treacherous Judah her sister feared not; but she also went and played the harlot.
雖然看見了我為了失節的以色列所犯的種種姦淫，而命她離去，給了她休書，她這失信的姊妹猶大卻不害怕，竟然也去行淫。
9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
由於她輕易行淫，與石碣和木偶淫亂，玷污了這土土也。
10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not returned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.
儘管這樣，她失信的姊妹猶大回到我這裏來，仍不是全心，只是假意──上主的斷語。」
11 And the LORD said unto me, Backsliding Israel hath shewn herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
上主於是對我說：「失節的以色列比失信的猶大 ，更顯得正義。
12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; I will not look in anger upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, I will not keep [anger] for ever.
你去向北方宣布這些話說：失節的以色列! 請你歸來──上主的斷語──我不會對你怒容相向，因為我是仁慈的──我不會永遠發怒，
13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.
只要你承認你的罪過，承認背叛上主你的天主，在一切綠樹下，與異邦神祗恣意相愛，沒有聽我的聲音，上主的斷語。
14 Return, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am a husband unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
失節的女子，妳們歸來──上主的斷語──因為我是你們的主人，我要選取妳們，每城選一人，每族選二人，領妳們進入熙雍；
15 and I will give you shepherds according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
在那裏給妳們一些隨我心意的牧者，以智慧和明智牧養妳們。
16 And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD; neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall [that] be done any more.
你們在這地上繁衍增值的時日裏──上主的斷語──人不再提「上主的約櫃」，也不再思念，不再追憶，不再關懷，不再製造。
17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
那時，人要稱耶路撒冷為「上主的御座」，萬民要奉上主的名，匯集在耶路撒冷，不再隨從自己邪惡而頑固的人行事。
18 In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance unto your fathers.
在那些時日內，猶大家與以色列家同行，從北方起回到我賜給了你們祖先作基業的地內。
19 But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of the nations? and I said, Ye shall call me My father; and shall not turn away from following me.
我曾想過：多麼願意你像一個兒子，賜給你賞心悅目的土地，列國中最美好的領土，我以為你會以「我父」稱呼我，不會轉身遠離我；
20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.
但是，你們，以色列家對待我，正如對自己良友不忠的婦女──上主的斷語。
21 A voice is heard upon the bare heights, the weeping [and] the supplications of the children of Israel; for that they have perverted their way, they have forgotten the LORD their God.
在荒丘上可聽到一片喧嚷：那是以色列子民的哀號哭泣，因為他們走入了邪途，忘卻了自己的天主。
22 Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings, Behold, we are come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.
歸來! 失節的子民，讓我療愈你們的失節。」「看，我回到你這裏，的確，你是上主，我們的天主。
23 Truly in vain is [the help that is looked for] from the hills, the tumult on the mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.
誠然丘嶺和山卜的狂歡盡是虛幻；唯在上主，我們的天主那裏，有以色列的救援。
24 But the shameful thing hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
可恥的神祗，自我們幼年就吞噬了我們祖先的收入，他們的羊群、牛群和子女。
25 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day: and we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.
讓我們躺臥在我們恥辱中，讓我們以羞慚遮蓋我們，因為我們和我們的祖先，自我們幼年直到今日，得罪了上主我們的天主，從來沒有聽從上主我們的天主的聲音。」
