Jeremiah 3
1 “[Moses wrote that] if a man divorces his wife and then she marries another man, her first husband certainly must not [RHQ] take her back again [to be his wife], because that would certainly [RHQ] cause the whole nation to become unacceptable to me. But you have more [idols than] prostitutes have men whom they have slept with! So, [why should I accept you if] you return to me?” [RHQ] says Yahweh.
有話說：人若休妻， 妻離他而去，作了別人的妻， 前夫豈能再收回她來？ 若收回她來，那地豈不是大大玷污了嗎？ 但你和許多親愛的行邪淫， 還可以歸向我。 這是耶和華說的。
2 “Look up at the barren hilltops. On every hilltop there are [RHQ] [idols that you have worshiped]. [It is as though] they are all lovers with whom you have had sex. [It is as though] you have sat along the roadsides like an Arab, waiting [to attack and steal things from] those who pass by. Because of worshiping idols and all the other wicked things that you have done, you have caused the [entire] land to become unacceptable to me.
你向淨光的高處舉目觀看， 你在何處沒有淫行呢？ 你坐在道旁等候， 好像阿拉伯人在曠野埋伏一樣， 並且你的淫行邪惡玷污了全地。
3 That is why I have not sent you any rain at the times of the year when you needed it. But you are like prostitutes [MET] who are not at all ashamed [for what they have done].
因此甘霖停止， 春雨不降。 你還是有娼妓之臉， 不顧羞恥。
4 Now each of you says to me, ‘You are my father! You have loved me ever since I was young!
從今以後，你豈不向我呼叫說： 我父啊，你是我幼年的恩主。
5 So surely you will not [RHQ] be angry with me forever!’ But you will not quit sinning!”
耶和華豈永遠懷怒，存留到底嗎？ 看哪，你又發惡言又行壞事， 隨自己的私意而行。」
6 [One day] when Josiah was the king of Judah, Yahweh said to me, “Have you seen what the people of Israel have done? They have turned away from me, like a woman who has abandoned her husband and sleeps with other men. They have gone up on every hilltop and under every big tree and worshiped idols there [MET].
約西亞王在位的時候，耶和華又對我說：「背道的以色列所行的，你看見沒有？她上各高山，在各青翠樹下行淫。
7 I thought that they would return to me, so I said to them, ‘Come back to me!’ But they refused. So I sent them away [to other countries, like a man] writes a note saying that he is divorcing his wife and then sends his wife away because she has committed adultery [MET].
她行這些事以後，我說她必歸向我，她卻不歸向我。她奸詐的妹妹猶大也看見了。
8 The people of Judah saw what I did to them. But they are just like the people of Israel. They are not afraid [of what I will do to them]. They also [have turned away from me and are worshiping idols like] women who abandon their husbands and go to other men [MET].
背道的以色列行淫，我為這緣故給她休書休她；我看見她奸詐的妹妹猶大，還不懼怕，也去行淫。
9 They thought that worshiping idols did not matter to me, so they have made the [entire] land unacceptable to me by worshiping idols of wood and stone.
因以色列輕忽了她的淫亂，和石頭木頭行淫，地就被玷污了。
10 The people of Judah have pretended to return to me, but they have not really done that. [This is true because I], Yahweh, have said it.”
雖有這一切的事，她奸詐的妹妹猶大還不一心歸向我，不過是假意歸我。這是耶和華說的。」
11 Then Yahweh said to me, “The people of Israel have turned away from me, but what the people of Judah have done is worse.
耶和華對我說：「背道的以色列比奸詐的猶大還顯為義。
12 So go and tell this to the people of Israel: ‘Yahweh says this to you Israeli people who have turned away from him: I am merciful. I will not continue to be angry with you forever. So return to me.
你去向北方宣告說： 耶和華說：背道的以色列啊，回來吧！ 我必不怒目看你們； 因為我是慈愛的， 我必不永遠存怒。 這是耶和華說的。
13 But you must admit/say that you are guilty, and that you have rebelled against me, Yahweh, your God, that you have worshiped idols under big trees everywhere, and you have not obeyed me. You have turned away from me.
只要承認你的罪孽， 就是你違背耶和華－你的上帝， 在各青翠樹下向別神東奔西跑， 沒有聽從我的話。 這是耶和華說的。
14 But you belong to me. So I will take you, one from [each] city and two from [each] clan, and bring you [back] to Jerusalem [from the countries to which you were exiled].
耶和華說：背道的兒女啊，回來吧！ 因為我作你們的丈夫， 並且我必將你們從一城取一人， 從一族取兩人，帶到錫安。
15 [If you do that], I will appoint for you leaders with whom I am pleased, leaders who will guide you [well] because they will know and understand [what pleases me].
我也必將合我心的牧者賜給你們。他們必以知識和智慧牧養你們。」
16 And when you become very numerous [DOU] in your land, you will not need to talk about the Sacred Chest that contained the Ten Commandments. You will not think about it, and you will not want to make a new one.
耶和華說：「你們在國中生養眾多；當那些日子，人必不再提說耶和華的約櫃，不追想，不記念，不覺缺少，也不再製造。
17 At that time people will say, “Jerusalem is [the place where] Yahweh’s throne is.” [People from] all nations will come there to worship me. And they will no longer stubbornly do the evil things that they desire.
那時，人必稱耶路撒冷為耶和華的寶座；萬國必到耶路撒冷，在耶和華立名的地方聚集。他們必不再隨從自己頑梗的惡心行事。
18 At that time you people [MTY] of Israel and the people of Judah will return from [being (exiled/forced to live) in] lands to the northeast. You will return to the land that I gave to your ancestors to belong to them [forever].
當那些日子，猶大家要和以色列家同行，從北方之地一同來到我賜給你們列祖為業之地。」
19 You people of Israel, I wanted to accept you to be my children. I wanted to give you [this] delightful land. It is a land more desirable/pleasant than the land of any other nation! I wanted you to call me ‘father’, and I wanted you to never turn away from me.
我說：我怎樣將你安置在兒女之中， 賜給你美地， 就是萬國中肥美的產業。 我又說：你們必稱我為父， 也不再轉去不跟從我。
20 But you have abandoned me like wives who have abandoned their husbands.’” [That is what] Yahweh said, and [I told it] to the people of Israel.
以色列家，你們向我行詭詐， 真像妻子行詭詐離開她丈夫一樣。 這是耶和華說的。
21 People will hear a noise on the barren hilltops. It will be the noise made by people weeping and pleading [for God to be merciful to them]. They will be admitting/saying that they have forgotten Yahweh their God, and that they turned away from behaving as God wanted them to.
在淨光的高處聽見人聲， 就是以色列人哭泣懇求之聲， 乃因他們走彎曲之道， 忘記耶和華－他們的上帝。
22 Yahweh will say to them, “You Israeli people, come back to me! [If you do that], I will cause you to never turn away from me again.” [The people will reply], “We are returning to you, because you are Yahweh, our God.
你們這背道的兒女啊，回來吧！ 我要醫治你們背道的病。 看哪，我們來到你這裏， 因你是耶和華－我們的上帝。
23 We did not get any help from [the idols that we worshiped on] the hilltops; we did not get any help from making all that noise up there.
仰望從小山或從大山的喧嚷中得幫助， 真是枉然的。 以色列得救，誠然在乎耶和華－我們的上帝。
24 From the time when we were young, the shameful [god Baal] has taken away [from us] everything that our ancestors worked hard to acquire. He has taken away their flocks [of sheep] and herds [of cattle], their sons and their daughters.
從我們幼年以來，那可恥的偶像將我們列祖所勞碌得來的羊群、牛群，和他們的兒女都吞吃了。
25 So, now we should lie down feeling very ashamed [DOU], because we and our ancestors have sinned against Yahweh our God, and we have never obeyed him.”
我們在羞恥中躺臥吧！願慚愧將我們遮蓋；因為從立國以來，我們和我們的列祖常常得罪耶和華－我們的上帝，沒有聽從耶和華－我們上帝的話。
