Jeremiah 42
1 Then Johanan and Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the [other] leaders of the [Israeli] soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia], and many [HYP] [other] people, including those who were important and those who were not important, came
眾部隊首領與卡勒亞的兒子約哈南和瑪阿色雅的兒子阿匝黎雅及，不分大小，
2 to me. They said, “Please listen to our request and pray to Yahweh our God for all of us. Although we were previously a huge number of people, you can see that now we are only a small number of people [who have survived].
前來對耶肋米亞先知說：「願你接受我們對你的請求，請你為我們全體遺民，轉求上主你的天主。我們原來人數眾多，如今只剩下你親眼見的這幾個人了。
3 [Pray] that Yahweh our God will show us what we should do and where we should go.”
惟願上主你的天主指示我們該走的路，和當行的事! 」
4 I replied, “Okay, I will pray to Yahweh our God, like you have requested, and I will tell you what he says. I will (tell you everything/not hide anything from you).”
耶肋米亞先知答覆他們說：「我聽見了! 好，我願依照你們的話，祈求上主你們的天主；但凡上主答覆的話，我必全告訴你們，不對你們隱瞞什麼。」
5 They replied to me, “We hope/wish that Yahweh our God will be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to do everything that he tells us to do.
他們鑽覆耶肋米亞說：「願上主在我們中間作真實和忠信的見證，如果我們不依照上主你的天主叫你傳給我們的一切話去做。
6 We are requesting you to ask Yahweh our God what we should do. [When he replies], we will obey him, whether we like what he says or not. We will do that because [we know that] things will go well for us if we obey him.”
或好或壞，我們願聽從上主我們天主的話，因為是我們派你去向他祈求；我們聽從了上主我們的天主的話，我們就必順利。」
7 [So I prayed] to Yahweh, and ten days later he gave me his reply.
十天以後，上主有話傳給了耶肋米亞，
8 So I summoned Johanan and all his [other] soldiers and all the [other] people, including those who were important and those who were not important.
他便召集卡勒亞的兒子約哈南和隨從他的眾部隊首領以及全體人民，不分大小，
9 I said to them, “You told me to tell Yahweh, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], what you were requesting. This is what he replied:
對他們說：「你們派我去向他面陳你們的請求的上主，以色列的天主這樣說：
10 ‘You [should] stay here in this land. If you do that, I will cause your [nation] to be strong and not be weak. I will cause you to prosper and not be exiled [again]. I am sorry about the disasters that I [was forced to] cause you to experience.
如果你們決意住在這地方，我必建立你們，決不加以破壞；我必栽培你們，決不予以拔除，因為我已後悔給你們所降的災禍。
11 But do not be afraid of the king of Babylon [any more], because I will (be with/help) you. I will rescue you [DOU] from his power [MTY].
你們不要害怕你們所害怕的巴比倫王；不要害怕他──上主的斷語──因為有我與你們同在，作你們的救援，從他的手中搶救你們。
12 I will be merciful to you by causing him to act kindly toward you. So as a result, he will allow you to stay here in your land.’
我必憐恤你們，也叫他憐恤你們，讓你們仍住在你們的國土內。
13 But if you refuse to obey Yahweh our God, and if you say ‘We will not stay here;
但是，如果你們不聽從上主你們的天主的話，說：我們不願住在這地方；
14 instead, we will go to Egypt. There we will not experience [any] wars, we will not hear trumpets [signaling our soldiers to prepare for battles], and we will not be hungry,’
或說：不，我們要去埃及地，在那裏再見不到戰爭，再聽不到號聲，再不缺乏食糧；我們要去住在那裏!
15 then listen to what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt, and you go and live there,
那麼，猶大的遺民! 請你們聽上主的話。萬軍的上主，以色列的天主這樣說：假使你們決意要往埃及去，在那裏寄居，
16 you will experience those wars and famines that you are afraid of, and you will [all] die there.
你們害怕的刀劍，必在埃及地襲擊你們；你們憂慮的饑荒，必在埃及跟蹤你們，使你們死在那裏。
17 That is what will happen to all you who are determined to go to Egypt and live there. [Some of you] will be killed by the swords [of your enemies, and others of you will die] from famines and from diseases. None of you will escape the disasters that I will bring on you.’
凡決意往埃及去，到那裏寄居的人，必要死於刀劍、饑荒和瘟疫，沒有一人能幸免，逃脫我給他們招來的災禍。
18 And the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], also says this: ‘Because I was very angry, I severely punished [MTY] [all] the people of Jerusalem. I will do the same things to you when you go to Egypt. [The result will be that] people will curse you. They will be horrified about [what has happened to] you. They will make fun of you, and you will never see this land again.’
的確，萬軍的上主，以色列的天主這樣說：正如我對耶路撒冷居民曾發怒洩恨；同樣我要對去埃及的你們洩恨，叫你們遭受憎恨、厭惡、詛咒、侮辱，永不再見此地。」
19 You little group of people of Judah who are still alive, [listen to me]: Yahweh has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ [So] do not forget what I have warned you today.
「猶大的遺民! 這是上主對你們說的話：不要到埃及去。你們該清楚知道：我今天對你們作證，
20 I know that you were lying when you requested me to pray to Yahweh our God.
你們實在是自己欺騙自己；原是你們派我去求問上主你天主說：請你為我們轉求上主我們的天主，凡上主我們的天主說的，你要全告訴我們，我們必依照遵行。
21 And today I have told you exactly what he said, but [I know that] you will not obey Yahweh our God now, just as you have not obeyed him previously.
我今天告訴了你們，你們卻全不聽從上主你們的天主，打發我來告訴你們的話。
22 You want to go to Egypt and live there. So now, you can be sure of this: [All of] you will die there. [Some of you will be killed] by the swords [of your enemies and others will die] from famines or from diseases.”
現在，你們該知道：在你們要去寄居的地方，你們必死於刀劍、饑荒和瘟疫。」
