< Jeremiah 21 >

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent to him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,
上主傳給耶肋米亞的話:那時,漆德克雅王正派瑪耳基雅的兒子帕市胡爾,和司祭瑪阿色雅的兒子責法尼雅來見他說:
2 Inquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; it may be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.
請你替我們詢問上主:「巴比倫王拿步高既來與我們作戰,上主是否依照他所行的奇事來協助我們,叫他離我們遠去﹖」
3 Then said Jeremiah to them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:
耶肋米亞便回答他們說:「你們應這樣對漆德克雅說:
4 Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that [are] in your hands, with which ye fight against the king of Babylon, and [against] the Chaldeans, who besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.
上主,以色列的天主這樣說:看,我必使你們手中所持,用以攻擊在城外圍攻你們的巴比倫王和加色丁人的武器,反回集中在這城的中心。
5 And I myself will fight against you with an out-stretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.
然後我要伸出手來,以強力的手臂、震怒、狂暴和憤恨痛擊你們,
6 And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die by a great pestilence.
痛擊住在這裏的人和獸;他們必死於盛行的瘟疫。
7 And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life; and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.
此後──上主的斷語──我必將猶大王漆德克雅和他的臣僕,並這城中幸免於瘟疫、刀劍和饑饉的人民,交在巴比倫王拿步高和他們的仇敵,以及謀圖他們性命者的手中,叫敵人用利刃擊殺他們,毫不饒恕,毫不憐憫,毫不表同情。
8 And to this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.
此外,你應對這人民說:看,我將生命的路和死亡的路,擺在你們面前:
9 He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be to him for a prey.
凡留在這城中的,必死於刀劍、饑饉和瘟疫;凡出來向圍攻你們的加色丁人投降的,必保全性命,必有生命當作自己的勝利品。
10 For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
我所以轉面向著這城,是為降災,並不是為賜福──上主的斷語──這城必被交在巴比倫王手中,他要火燒這城。」
11 And concerning the house of the king of Judah, [say], Hear ye the word of the LORD;
對於猶大的王室,你應該這樣說:你們該聆聽上主的話,
12 O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver [him that is] made desolate out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench [it], because of the evil of your doings.
達味家族! 上主這樣說:「你們應及早執行正義,從壓迫者手中解救被剝奪的人,免得我的忿怒,因你們行事邪惡,像火一般燒起,而沒有人能夠熄滅。」
13 Behold, I [am] against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, [and] rock of the plain, saith the LORD; who say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?
至於你這居住在谷中和平原巖石上的人,看,我來對付你──上主的斷語──你們誇說:「誰能下來攻擊我們﹖誰能進入我們的巢穴﹖」
14 But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things around it.
我必按照你們行為應得的,來懲罰你們──上主的斷語──我要在她的樹林裏放火,吞滅她四周的一切。

< Jeremiah 21 >