< Jeremiah 32 >
1 After Zedekiah had been ruling Judah for almost ten years, Yahweh gave me another message, during the time that Nebuchadnezzar had been ruling [Babylonia] for almost 18 years.
猶大王漆德克雅第十年,拿步高在位第十八年,由上主傳給耶肋米亞先知的話:
2 His army was surrounding Jerusalem, and I was in a prison area in the courtyard where the guards of the king’s palace stayed.
那時巴比倫王的軍在隊正在圍攻耶路撒冷,耶肋米亞先知被幽禁在猶大王室監獄的庭院裏。
3 King Zedekiah had put me there. I continued to prophesy there [about what would happen]. I continued to say, “Yahweh says that he is about to allow [the army of] the king of Babylon to capture this city [DOU].
猶大王漆德克雅幽禁了先知,對他說:「你為什麼預言說:上主這樣說:看,我必將這城交在巴比倫王手中,他要佔領這座城;
4 And the soldiers of Babylonia will capture King Zedekiah and (take him to/put him in the hands of) the king of Babylon.
猶大王漆德克雅必逃不出加色丁人的手,因為他必被交在巴比倫王的手中,與他面對面相談,眼對眼相視;
5 Then his [soldiers] will take Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will remain there until I arrange for him to be punished. And if he tries to fight against the soldiers from Babylonia, he will not succeed.”
他必帶漆德克雅到巴比倫去,住在那裏,我再來看顧他──上主的斷語──你們若抵擋加色丁人,決不會成功﹖」
6 [At that time], Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
耶肋米亞說:「有上主的話傳給我說:
7 “[Your cousin] Hanamel, the son of Shallum [your uncle], will come to you. He will say to you, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth, [your hometown]. [Because you are my closest relative], [it is written in our laws that] you have the right to buy it [before I ask if anyone else wants to buy it].’”
看,你叔父沙隆的兒子哈納默耳要到你這裏來說:你購買我在阿納托特的那塊田吧! 因為你有買回的權利,應把它買回來」。
8 And just as Yahweh had predicted, my cousin Hanamel came to see me in the courtyard of the palace. He said, “[Please] buy my field at Anathoth in the area [where the descendants of] Benjamin live. It is written in our laws that you have the right to buy it [before I ask if anyone else wants to buy it.]” When he said that, I knew that the message that I had received was [truly] from Yahweh.
我叔父的兒子哈納默耳,正如上主所說,到監獄庭院裏來找我,對我說:「請你購買我在本雅明地內阿納托特木那塊田吧! 因為你有繼承權,和有權買回你為你自己買下吧! 」於是我知道,這是上主的話。
9 [So], I bought the field at Anathoth. I paid Hanamel 17 pieces of silver for it.
便買了我叔父的兒子哈納默刀在阿納托特的那塊地,秤給他十七「協刻耳」銀子,
10 I signed the paper/papyrus on which it was written that I was buying it, while others were watching/witnessing it. Then I weighed the silver [and gave it to him].
寫了契約,封上,請人作證,在天秤上秤了銀子;
11 Then I took two copies of the paper/papyrus. One was sealed and the other was not sealed. On both of them was written the price and conditions of the purchase. I took both copies
然後按照法定條例,拿著加封和未加封的購買契約,
12 and I gave them to Baruch, who was the son of Neraiah and the grandson of Mahseiah. I did this while my cousin Hanamel, the [other] witnesses who had signed the paper/papyrus, and other men of Judah who were there in the courtyard, were watching.
當著我叔父的兒子哈納默耳,和在購買契約上簽名的見證人,以及監獄庭院裏在座的眾猶大人眼前,將這購買的契約交給了乃黎雅的兒子,瑪赫色雅的孫子巴路克,
13 [Then], while they were [all] listening, I said to Baruch,
並當著左營眼前吩咐巴路克說:
14 “This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: ‘Take both copies of this paper/papyrus and put them in a clay jar, to preserve them for a long time.
「萬軍的上主,以色列的天主這將這些加封和未加封的文件,購買的契約拿去,放在一瓦器內,長久保存,
15 [Do that] because this is what [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [you] Israelis [worship], say: “[Some day people will again own property] in this land, and they will buy and sell houses and vineyards and fields.’”
因為萬軍的上主以色列的天主這樣說:在這地方,人還要購買房屋、莊田和葡萄園」。
16 After I had given the papers/papyri to Baruch, I prayed to Yahweh, saying this:
我將購買的契約交給乃黎雅的兒子巴路克以後,便祈求上主說:
17 “Yahweh, [you are my] Lord! You made the sky and the earth by your very great power. [MTY, DOU] Nothing is too difficult for you [to do].
「啊! 我主上主! 看,你以你的大能和伸展的手臂創造了天地;為你是沒有困難的事。
18 You show thousands of people that you faithfully love them, but you punish people for the sins that their parents have committed. [You are the] great and powerful God, the Commander of the armies of angels.
你對千萬人施行仁慈,但也血後世的子孫本人,追討他們祖先的罪債;你們是偉大有力的天主,「萬軍的天主」是你的名號。
19 You make wise plans and you do mighty deeds. You see how all people behave [DOU], and you do to them what they deserve.
你有偉大的計謀,行大事的能力;雙目注視人類子孫所有的行徑,依照各人的行徑和行事的結果,給予酬報。
20 You performed many miracles [DOU] in Egypt, and you continue [to perform miracles here] in Israel and everywhere else in the world. [Because of that], you have (become very famous/caused many people to know that you are very great/powerful).
你直到今日在埃及地,在以色列和人世間,施行奇蹟和異事,使你自己成名,有如今日;
21 You brought our Israeli ancestors out of Egypt by performing many great miracles [DOU], using your very great power [DOU], causing [our enemies to be] terrified.
你以靈蹟奇事,有力的手腕和伸展的臂膊,巨大恐嚇,從埃及地出了你的人民以色列,
22 You gave to us Israeli people this land that you solemnly promised to give to our ancestors, a land that is very fertile [IDM].
給他們的祖先起誓,要給他們的這塊流奶流蜜的土地。
23 Our ancestors came here and conquered this land and started to live in it, but they refused to obey you or to do what you commanded them to do. Because of that, you have caused us to experience all these disasters.
他們來了,佔領了這地,郤沒有聽從你的聲音,沒有履行你的法律,沒有做你命他們應做的一切事,為此你給他們招來了這一切災禍。
24 And now, [the army] of Babylonia has built ramps up against our city [walls] in order to attack our city. Because of [our enemies’] swords and because of famines and diseases, they will be able to conquer it [easily]. The things that you said would happen have [now] happened.
看,圍攻的工程已逼近城市,劫勢必攻陷;這個已面臨兵刀飢荒和瘟疫的城市,必落在進攻的加色丁人手中;你所說的,現已實現,你已目睹;
25 [And it is evident that] the Babylonian army will soon conquer this city. So now, Yahweh my Lord, [I do not understand] why you told me to buy this field with my silver, while others were watching. [It seems that I have just been wasting my money by doing that]!”
然而,我主上主! 正當這城交在加色丁人手中之際,你卻對我說:你要請人作證,用銀子購買田地」。
26 [Then] Yahweh gave me this message:
於是有上主的話通過給我說:
27 “I am Yahweh, the God [who rules] all the people [in the world]. There is absolutely nothing [RHQ] that is too difficult for me [to do].
「看,我是上主,是一切有血肉者的天主:難道我有做不到的事嗎﹖
28 So, this is what I say: [It is true that] I will enable the Babylonian army and King Nebuchadnezzar to capture this city.
為此,上主這樣說:看,我將這城交在加色丁人和巴比倫拿步高的手中,他必佔領這座城。
29 The soldiers of Babylonia who are [now outside the walls] around the city will enter and burn this city. They will burn down [all] the houses where people caused me to become angry by burning incense on [the tops of] their roofs to [honor] Baal and by pouring out offerings of wine to other gods.
進攻這城的加色丁人要來放火焚燒,把這座城和在屋頂上給巴耳焚香,向外神行奠禮,惹我動怒的房屋,燒得乾乾淨淨,
30 The people of Israel and Judah have continually done only evil things from the time that they became a nation. They have caused me to become very angry by all their evil deeds.
因為以色列和猶大子民自幼在我眼前只知作惡;實在,以色列子民雙手所行的,無不使我動怒──上主的斷語──
31 From the time that this city was built until now, the people of this city have done [only] things that caused me to be very angry [DOU]. So [now] I will destroy it.
實在,這座城,自從他們開始建築那一天,直到今日,常惹我動怒生氣,致使我不得不從我面前將她消滅。
32 The people of Israel and Judah, [including] their kings, their officials, the priests, the [false] prophets, and all the other people in Jerusalem have committed many sins that have caused me to become angry.
這全是出於以色列和猶大子民,即他們、他們的君王、朝臣、司祭、先知,以及猶大人和耶路撒冷和居民,所行的一切使我動怒的惡事。
33 My people have turned away from me and have refused to return to me. Even though I taught them things many times, they would not pay attention to what I taught them, and they would not obey me.
他們對我轉過背來,卻不對我轉過臉來;我雖不斷懇切施教,他們仍不願聽從,接受勸告;
34 They have set up their detestable idols [even] in my own [MTY] temple and (defiled it/caused it to become a place that is unacceptable for people to worship me).
反將可惡之物安置在歸我名下的殿裏,使我殿宇受到了玷污;
35 They have built shrines to [honor] Baal in Ben-Hinnom Valley [outside Jerusalem], and there they sacrifice their sons and daughters to [their god] Molech. I never commanded them to do such horrible things. I never even thought that anyone might do such a terrible thing. And by doing it they have caused [all the people of] Judah to [be guilty of having] sinned.”
又在本希農山谷給巴耳建造了一些祭壇,給摩肋客人火祭自己的子女:這是我從來沒有吩咐,也從來沒有想到過的事;他們竟做出這些可惡的事,來引誘猶大犯罪。
36 “But now [I will say something more] about this city. You [people of Jerusalem] have been saying, ‘[The army of] the King of Babylon will conquer it, either by their swords or because of famines or diseases.’ But this is what [I], Yahweh, the God whom you Israeli people [say you belong to], say:
現在,上主以色列的天主,對這座城你要說因兵戈饑荒瘟疫,而被交在巴比倫王手中的,卻這樣說:
37 ‘I will certainly bring my people back here again, from all the countries to which I will force them to go because I am extremely angry [DOU] with them. I will bring them back to this city and allow them to live here safely.
看,我必從我生氣憤恨發怒時逐他們所到的各地,召集他們,領他們回到這地方來,安然居住,
38 They will be my people, and I will be their God.
作我的,我作他們的天主,
39 I will cause them to have one way of thinking [IDM] and behaving, in order that they may revere me, for their good and for the good of their descendants.
且使他們一心一德,終生敬畏我,造福自己和自己後代的子孫;
40 I will make an agreement with them that will last forever: I will never stop doing good things for them, and I will encourage them to revere me and never turn away from me.
與他們訂立一永久的盟約,再不離棄他們,為他們謀幸福,將敬長我之情賦於他們心內,使他們不再離開;
41 I will be happy to do good things for them, and I will surely enable them to return to this land and remain here [MET]; I will do that with all my inner being and all my strength.’
我樂意好待他們,專心致志將他們安頓在這城裏。
42 And this is [also] what [I], Yahweh, say: ‘I have caused them to experience all these disasters. Similarly, [some day] I will do for them all the good things that I have promised.
因為上主這樣說:我怎樣給這人民招來了這一切大災禍,也要同樣給他們招來我預許的一切幸福。
43 [By buying land you, Jeremiah, have predicted that some day] people will buy and sell fields in this land about which you [people of Jerusalem] now say, “The Babylonian soldiers have destroyed it. It is [now] desolate. [It is a land where] there are no longer any people or animals.”
在這個你們說成已成荒野,已人獸絕跡,已交在加色丁人手中的地域裏,還有田地的交易;
44 [But some day] people will [again] buy [and sell] fields here. People will sign documents [about buying those fields], and [other people] will witness them doing that. [That will happen] in the land where [the descendants of] Benjamin live and [here] in the villages near Jerusalem, in [other] towns in Judah, in the hilly areas and in the foothills [to the west], and in the southern desert area, [too. Some day] I will cause them to prosper again. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.’”
在本雅明地,在耶路撒冷城郊,在猶大、山地、平原和南部的城裏,人們還要花錢買田,寫契蓋章,請人作證,因為我要轉變他們的命運──上主的斷語」。