Jeremiah 18
1 The word that hath been unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,
上主有話傳給耶肋米亞說：
2 Rise, and thou hast gone down [to] the potter's house, and there I cause thee to hear My words;
「起來，下到陶工家裏去，在那裏我要讓你聽到我的話」。
3 and I go down [to] the potter's house, and lo, he is doing a work on the stones,
我便下到陶工家裏，見他正在輪盤上工作。
4 and marred is the vessel that he is making, as clay in the hand of the potter, and he hath turned and he maketh it another vessel, as it was right in the eyes of the potter to make.
陶工用泥做的器皿，若在他手中壞了，他便再做，或做成另一個器皿，全隨陶工的意思去做。
5 And there is a word of Jehovah to me, saying:
於是上主的話傳給我說：
6 As this potter am I not able to do to you? O house of Israel, an affirmation of Jehovah. Lo, as clay in the hand of the potter, So [are] ye in My hand, O house of Israel.
「以色列家，我豈不能像這陶工一樣對待你們﹖──上主的斷語──以色列家! 看，你們在我手中，就像泥土在陶工手中一樣。
7 The moment I speak concerning a nation, And concerning a kingdom, To pluck up and to break down, and to destroy,
我一時可對一個民族，或如同國家，決意要拔除，要毀壞，要消滅；
8 And that nation hath turned from its evil, Because I have spoken against it, Then I have repented of the evil that I thought to do to it.
但是我要打擊的民族，若離棄自己的邪惡，我也反悔，不再給他降原定的災禍。
9 And the moment I speak concerning a nation, And concerning a kingdom, to build, and to plant,
或者，我一時想對一個民族或一個國家，決意要建設，要栽培，
10 And it hath done the evil thing in Mine eyes, So as not to hearken to My voice, Then I have repented of the good That I have spoken of doing to it.
但若她行我不喜歡的事，不聽從我的聲音，我也要反悔，不再給她許過的恩惠。
11 And now, speak, I pray thee, unto men of Judah, And against inhabitants of Jerusalem, Saying: Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am framing against you evil, And devising against you a device, Turn back, I pray you, each from his evil way And amen your ways and your doings.
現在你可告訴猶大人和耶路撒冷的居民說：上主這樣說：看，我已給你們安排了災禍，定了懲罰你們的計劃，希望你們每人離棄自己的邪道，改善自己的途徑和作為」。
12 And they have said, It is incurable, For after our own devices we do go, And each the stubbornness of his evil heart we do.
他們反倒答說：「已沒有希望弓! 因為我們願隨從自己的計謀，各按自己頑固的惡意行事」。
13 Therefore, thus said Jehovah: Ask, I pray you, among the nations, Who hath heard like these? A very horrible thing hath the virgin of Israel done.
為此上主這樣說：「你們可到各民族去詢問：有誰聽到了像這樣的事﹖以色列處女做出了極可憎的事。
14 Doth snow of Lebanon Cease from the rock of the field? Failed are the cold strange waters that flow?
黎巴嫩山巔的巖石豈能缺少積雪﹖叢山間湧流的冰泉，豈能涸竭﹖
15 But My people have forgotten Me, to a vain thing they make perfume, And they cause them to stumble in their ways — paths of old, To walk in paths — a way not raised up,
但我的人民卻忘掉了我，向「虛無」獻香，滑出了自己的正道，離開舊日的行徑，而走上了小道，不平坦的路，
16 To make their land become a desolation, A hissing age-during, Every passer by it is astonished, And bemoaneth with his head.
使自己的地域變為驚愕的原因，取笑的目標；凡經過這 中2 的人，莫不驚異搖首。
17 As an east wind I scatter them before an enemy, The neck, and not the face, I shew them, In the day of their calamity.'
我必像一陳東風在敵人面前將他們吹散；在他們滅亡之日，我必使你們只見我背，不見我面」。
18 And they say, Come, And we devise against Jeremiah devices, For law doth not perish from the priest, Nor counsel from the wise, Nor the word from the prophet, Come, and we smite him with the tongue, And we do not attend to any of his words.
他們說：「來，我們合謀陷害耶肋米亞! 因為沒有司祭，法律不會因此廢止；沒有智者，計謀不會因此缺乏；沒有先知，神諭不會因此斷絕。來，我們用舌頭評擊他，不注意他的一切 勸告」。
19 Give attention, O Jehovah, unto me, And hearken to the voice of those contending with me.
上主，願你俯聽我，請聽我敵人的聲明。
20 Is evil recompensed instead of good, That they have dug a pit for my soul? Remember my standing before Thee to speak good of them, To turn back Thy wrath from them.
難道該以怨報德嗎﹖他們竟掘下陷阱來陷害我的生命! 望你記憶：我曾在你面前為他們求情，替他們挽回你的盛怒。
21 Therefore, give up their sons to famine, And cause them to run on the sides of the sword, And their wives are bereaved and widows, And their men are slain by death, Their young men smitten by sword in battle,
為此，你應使他們的子女遭受饑荒，任人屠殺；使他們的婦女喪予居寡，使他們的男人死於瘟疫，使他們的青年在戰埸上死於刀下。
22 A cry is heard from their houses, For Thou bringest against them suddenly a troop, For they dug a pit to capture me, And snares they have hidden for my feet.
當你引匪隊突擊他們時，願從他們的屋裏可聽到哭聲，因為他們掘了陷阱捕捉我，在我腳下設下羅網。
23 And Thou, O Jehovah, Thou hast known, All their counsel against me [is] for death, Thou dost not cover over their iniquity, Nor their sin from before Thee blottest out, And they are made to stumble before Thee, In the time of Thine anger work against them!
如同你，上主，你知道他們對我的一切計劃是要殺害我；請你不要寬恕他們的過惡，不要由你面前抹去他們的過惡，務使他們倒仆在你面前；在你發怒時，求你報復他們。
