Jeremiah 1
1 [I], Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, [am writing] these messages. [I am] a priest, from Anathoth [town] in the area where the tribe of Benjamin [lives].
便雅憫地亞拿突城的祭司中，希勒家的兒子耶利米的話記在下面。
2 Yahweh started to give me these messages when Josiah had been ruling Judah for almost 13 years.
猶大王亞們的兒子約西亞在位十三年，耶和華的話臨到耶利米。
3 Yahweh continued to give me more messages when Josiah’s son Jehoiakim was the king, and he continued to do that until Zedekiah had been the king of Judah for almost eleven years. It was in August of that year that the people of Jerusalem were (exiled/taken as prisoners) [to Babylonia].
從猶大王約西亞的兒子約雅敬在位的時候，直到猶大王約西亞的兒子西底家在位的末年，就是十一年五月間耶路撒冷人被擄的時候，耶和華的話也常臨到耶利米。
4 [One day] Yahweh gave me this message:
耶利米說，耶和華的話臨到我說：
5 “I knew you before I [finished] forming you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I (set you apart/chose you) and I appointed you to be [my] prophet [whose messages would be] for [all] nations.”
我未將你造在腹中，我已曉得你； 你未出母胎，我已分別你為聖； 我已派你作列國的先知。
6 I replied, “O, Yahweh my God, I am [not qualified to] speak [for you], because I am very young!”
我就說：主耶和華啊，我不知怎樣說，因為我是年幼的。
7 Yahweh replied, “Do not say that, because you must go to everyone to whom I will send you, and you must tell them everything that I tell you to say.
耶和華對我說： 你不要說我是年幼的， 因為我差遣你到誰那裏去，你都要去； 我吩咐你說甚麼話，你都要說。
8 And you must not be afraid of the people [to whom you will speak], because I will protect you [from being harmed by them]. [This will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
你不要懼怕他們， 因為我與你同在， 要拯救你。 這是耶和華說的。
9 Then [it was as though] Yahweh touched my mouth and said, “Listen to me! I am (putting my message into your mouth/telling you what you must speak).
於是耶和華伸手按我的口，對我說： 我已將當說的話傳給你。
10 Today I am appointing you to warn nations and kingdoms. You will tell them that I will completely destroy and get rid of [DOU] some of them and that I will establish [MET] others and cause them to be strong.”
看哪，我今日立你在列邦列國之上， 為要施行拔出、拆毀、毀壞、傾覆， 又要建立、栽植。
11 Then Yahweh said to me, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”
耶和華的話又臨到我說：「耶利米，你看見甚麼？」我說：「我看見一根杏樹枝。」
12 Yahweh said, “That is correct. And [because the word for ‘almond’ resembles the word for ‘watching’], it means that I am watching [what will happen], and I will make certain that what I have said to you [about destroying nations] will happen.”
耶和華對我說：「你看得不錯；因為我留意保守我的話，使得成就。」
13 [Then] Yahweh spoke to me again and said, “What do you see [now]?” I replied, “I see a pot full of boiling [water] [MTY]. It is tipping [toward me] from the north.”
耶和華的話第二次臨到我說：「你看見甚麼？」我說：「我看見一個燒開的鍋，從北而傾。」
14 Yahweh replied, “[Yes! It means that] from the north great trouble/destruction will [spread] [MET] over this land, [like boiling water] [MET] pouring [from a pot].
耶和華對我說：「必有災禍從北方發出，臨到這地的一切居民。」
15 Listen to what I say: I am summoning [the armies of] kingdoms that will come from the north [of Judah] to Jerusalem. Their kings will set up their thrones at the gates of this city [to indicate that they are now the kings of Judah]. [Their armies] will attack [and break down] the walls of this city, and [they will do the same thing to] all the [other] towns in Judah.
耶和華說：「看哪，我要召北方列國的眾族；他們要來，各安座位在耶路撒冷的城門口，周圍攻擊城牆，又要攻擊猶大的一切城邑。
16 I will punish [MTY] my people because of all the evil things that they have done; they have abandoned me and they worship gods/idols. They worship idols that they have made with their own hands!
至於這民的一切惡，就是離棄我、向別神燒香、跪拜自己手所造的，我要發出我的判語，攻擊他們。
17 So, get up and put on your clothes [to get ready for action]! Then go to the people of Judah and tell them everything that I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, because [if you are afraid of them], I will cause you to be truly terrified in front of them!
所以你當束腰，起來將我所吩咐你的一切話告訴他們；不要因他們驚惶，免得我使你在他們面前驚惶。
18 But listen! I will cause you to be [strong, like] [MET] a city that has strong walls around it. You will be [as strong as] [MET] an iron pillar or a bronze wall. None of the kings or officials or priests will be able to defeat you.
看哪，我今日使你成為堅城、鐵柱、銅牆，與全地和猶大的君王、首領、祭司，並地上的眾民反對。
19 They will oppose you, but they will not be able to defeat you, because I will be with you and will protect you. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
他們要攻擊你，卻不能勝你；因為我與你同在，要拯救你。這是耶和華說的。」
