< Jeremiah 6 >
1 Strengthen yourselves, sons of Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem, And in Tekoa blow ye a trumpet, And over Beth-Haccerem lift ye up a flame, For evil hath been seen from the north, And great destruction.
本雅明子民,請你們逃出耶路撒冷,在特科亞吹號,在貝特革楞豎立旗幟! 因為有一個災禍,即一個巨大的毀滅,已由北方隱約出現。
2 The comely and the delicate one I have cut off, The daughter of Zion.
熙雍女郎仿佛美麗的草場,
3 Unto her come do shepherds and their droves, They have stricken tents by her round about, They have fed each [in] his own station.
牧童領著自己的羊群坰她進發,在她四週張設帳幕,各據一方牧放。
4 Sanctify ye against her the battle, Rise, and we go up at noon. Woe to us, for turned hath the day, For stretched out are the shades of evening,
「請你們備戰,向她進攻;來,讓我們在正午就上前進攻! 我們真不幸! 因為日已偏西,暮影已長!
5 'Rise, and we go up by night, And we destroy her palaces.'
不妨! 就趁夜上去,破壞她的閭闕。」
6 For thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Cut down her wood, And pour out against Jerusalem a mount, She [is] the city to be inspected, Wholly — she is oppression in her midst.
因為萬軍的上主這樣說:6.「他們該砍伐她的樹木,雀起壁壘,圍攻耶路撒冷,這該受罰的城市,因為在那裏充滿了壓榨。
7 As the digging of a well, is [for] its waters, So she hath digged [for] her wickedness, Violence and spoil is heard in her, Before My face continually [are] sickness and smiting.
泉源怎樣湧出泉水,她就怎樣湧出邪惡;從那裏只可聽到強暴和迫害,我金看見疾病和瘡痍。
8 Be instructed, O Jerusalem, Lest My soul be alienated from thee, Lest I make thee a desolation, a land not inhabited.
耶路撒冷! 你應接受訓戒,免得我的心疏遠你,使你荒涼,成為沒有人居住的地方。」
9 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: They surely glean, as a vine, the remnant of Israel, Put back thy hand, as a gatherer to the baskets.
萬軍的上主這樣說:「你應像收拾葡萄,把以色列的遺民收拾淨盡;又如收割的人 向枝條再伸出你的手來。」
10 To whom do I speak, and testify, and they hear? Lo, their ear [is] uncircumcised, And they are not able to attend. Lo, a word of Jehovah hath been to them for a reproach, They delight not in it.
我應對誰說,應警告誰,使他們聽信我呢﹖看,他們的耳朵遲鈍不靈,不能留心細聽;看,上主的話對他們已成了笑柄,一點也不感興趣
11 And with the fury of Jehovah I have been filled, (I have been weary of containing, ) To pour [it] on the suckling in the street, And on the assembly of youths together, For even husband with wife are captured, An elder with one full of days,
為此,我滿懷上主火憤怒,我已無法再控制:「只得將憤怒發洩在街上的孩童和青年的隊伍身上,因為男人和女人,年長和年老的人,都要被擄去;
12 And their houses have been turned to others, Fields and wives together, For I stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land, An affirmation of Jehovah.
他們的住它、莊田和妻室,都要歸他人,因為我要向本地的居民伸出我的手──上主的斷語。」
13 For from their least unto their greatest, Every one is gaining dishonest gain, And from prophet even unto priest, Every one is dealing falsely,
實在,從最小的到最的,都貪財圖利;從先知到司祭,都欺詐行事,
14 And they heal the breach of the daughter of my people slightly, Saying, 'Peace, peace!' and there is no peace.
草率治療我人民的瘡痍說:「好了,好了! 」其實卻沒有好。
15 They were ashamed when they did abomination! Yea, they are not at all ashamed, Yea, blushing they have not known, Therefore they do fall among those falling, In the time I have inspected them, They stumble, said Jehovah.
他們既彿事可憎,就應當知恥;可是,他們不但毫不知恥,反而連羞愧也不知道是什麼;為此,他們要與倒斃者一同倒斃,在我降罰他們時,都要一厥不振──上主說。
16 Thus said Jehovah: Stand ye by the ways and see, and ask for paths of old, Where [is] this — the good way? and go ye in it, And find rest for yourselves. And they say, 'We do not go.'
上主這樣說:「你們應站在交叉路口,觀察探問舊路;那一條是好路,就在那路上走,你們的的心靈必獲安寧。」他們卻答說:「我們偏不走。」
17 And I have raised up for you watchmen, Attend ye to the voice of the trumpet. And they say, 'We do not attend.'
我給你們派駐哨兵,你們連注意號聲! 」他們卻答說:「我們偏不注意。
18 Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O company, That which [is] upon them.
為此,萬民! 你們必需細聽;群眾! 你們應知道他們的遭遇。
19 Hear, O earth, lo, I am bringing evil on this people, The fruit of their devices, For to My words they gave no attention, And My law — they kick against it.
大地注意:看,我必給這百姓帶來災禍,作他們失節的的苦果,因為他們沒有聽從我的言辭,拋棄了卜法律。
20 Why [is] this to Me? frankincense from Sheba cometh, And the sweet cane from a land afar off, Your burnt-offerings [are] not for acceptance, And your sacrifices have not been sweet to Me.
那些來自舍巴的乳香,出自遠方的香蒲,於我有何用﹖你們的全燔祭不受悅納,你的犧牲不樂我意。
21 Therefore thus said Jehovah: Lo, I do give to this people stumbling blocks, And stumbled against them have fathers and sons together, The neighbour and his friend do perish.
為此,上主這樣說:「看,我將這人民設下絆腳石,使父子一起絆倒,使鄰居和朋友同趨滅亡。」
22 Thus said Jehovah: Lo, a people hath come from a north country, And a great nation is stirred up from the sides of the earth.
上主這樣說:「看,有一個民族從北方前來,有一個強大的異邦從地極興起,
23 Bow and javelin they take hold of, Fierce it [is], and they have no mercy, Their voice as a sea doth sound, And on horses they ride, set in array as a man of war, Against thee, O daughter of Zion.
緊握弓戈,殘忍無情,像海嘯一般喧嚷,騎著戰馬,萬眾一心,嚴陣準備向你進攻,熙雍女郎! 」
24 'We have heard its sound, feeble have been our hands, Distress hath seized us, pain as of a travailing woman.
我們聽到了這消息,束手無策,不勝憂慮,痛苦得有如臨產的婦女。
25 Go not forth to the field, And in the way walk not, For a sword hath the enemy, fear [is] round about.
你們不要到田間去,不要在路上徘徊,因為敵人正在撕殺,四處令人恐怖。
26 O daughter of My people, Gird on sackcloth, and roll thyself in ashes, The mourning of an only one make for thee, A lamentation most bitter, For suddenly come doth the spoiler against us.
我的女兒──人民──你該穿上麻衣,輾轉於灰塵,悲哀傷心痛哭,如喪獨子,因為劫奪者要突然來襲擊我們!
27 A watch-tower I have given thee, Among My people a fortress, And thou knowest, and hast tried their way.
我立了你作我人民的查察員,原是為叫你認識並考察他們的行徑。
28 All of them are turned aside by apostates, Walking slanderously — brass and iron, All of them are corrupters.
他們盡是極頑固的叛徒,往來散播流言,確是壞透了的破銅爛鐵。
29 The bellows have been burnt, By fire hath the lead been consumed, In vain hath a refiner refined, And the wicked have not been drawn away.
風箱猛吹,雖有烈火,但鉛仍不溶化;煉工徒然鍛煉,渣滓總煉不掉。
30 'Silver rejected,' they have called to them, For Jehovah hath kicked against them!
人都稱他們為「拋棄的銀渣,」因為上主已將他們拋棄。