| 耶肋米亞 |
Jeremiah |
| 1上主對我這樣說：「你去買條麻帶，束在腰間，但是不要浸在水裏。」 |
1 The LORD said to me: Go buy yourself a linen loincloth; wear it on your loins, but do not put it in water. |
| 2我就照上主的話去買了根麻帶，束在腰間。 |
2I bought the loincloth, as the LORD commanded, and put it on. |
| 3上主的話第二次傳給我說； |
3A second time the word of the LORD came to me thus: |
| 4「拿你買來束在腰間的帶子，起身往幼發拉的去，藏在那裏的巖石縫裏。」 |
4Take the loincloth which you bought and are wearing, and go now to the Parath; there hide it in a cleft of the rock. |
| 5我照上主吩咐我的去了；將帶子藏在幼發拉的近傍。 |
5Obedient to the LORD'S command, I went to the Parath and buried the loincloth. |
| 6過了多日，上主對我說：「你起身往幼發拉的去，拿回我吩咐你藏在那裏的帶子。」 |
6After a long interval, he said to me: Go now to the Parath and fetch the loincloth which I told you to hide there. |
| 7我便往幼發拉的去了，由我藏下的地方挖出那帶子；看，已經腐爛，毫無用處了。 |
7Again I went to the Parath, sought out and took the loincloth from the place where I had hid it. But it was rotted, good for nothing! |
| 8於是有上主的話傳給我說： |
8Then the message came to me from the LORD: |
| 9「上主這樣說：我也要這樣毀滅猶大的驕傲，和耶路撒冷極度的高傲。 |
9Thus says the LORD: So also I will allow the pride of Judah to rot, the great pride of Jerusalem. |
| 10這個拒絕聽我的話，而隨從自己固執的心行事，追隨事奉，朝拜其他神祗的邪惡人民，必要如這毫無用處的帶子一樣。 |
10This wicked people who refuse to obey my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts, and follow strange gods to serve and adore them, shall be like this loincloth which is good for nothing. |
| 11因為正如帶子緊貼在人的腰間，同樣我也曾使以色列全家和猶大全家緊緊依附我──上主的斷語──成為我的人民，我的名譽，我的讚美和我的光榮；但是他們卻沒有聽從。 |
11For, as close as the loincloth clings to a man's loins, so had I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the LORD; to be my people, my renown, my praise, my beauty. But they did not listen. |
| 12你應向他們宣佈這話：上主以色列的天主這樣說：每個壺都應盛滿酒。如果他們對你說：難道我們不知道，每個壼都應盛滿酒嗎？ |
12Now speak to them this word: Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Every wineflask is meant to be filled with wine. If they reply, "Do we not know that every wineflask is meant to be filled with wine?" |
| 13你就答覆他們說：上主這樣說：看，我要使這地上的一切居民，坐在達味寶座上的君王，以及司祭和先知並耶路撒冷的一切居民，都酩酊大醉， |
13say to them: Thus says the LORD: Beware! I am filling with drunkenness all the inhabitants of this land, the kings who succeed to David's throne, the priests and prophets, and all the citizens of Jerusalem. |
| 14使他們彼此衝突，連父子也彼此衝突──上主的斷語──我毫不憐憫、不慈悲、不留情地將他們消滅。」 |
14I will dash them against each other, fathers and sons together, says the LORD; I will show no compassion, I will not spare or pity, but will destroy them. |
| 15你們側耳聆聽，不要傲慢，因為是上主在說話。 |
15Give ear, listen humbly, for the LORD speaks. |
| 16黑暗來臨以前，在你們的腳還沒有在黑暗中撞在山石上以前，應將光榮歸於上主你們的天主；不然，你們期待光明，他反發放死影，使它變得漆黑。 |
16Give glory to the LORD, your God, before it grows dark; Before your feet stumble on darkening mountains; Before the light you look for turns to darkness, changes into black clouds. |
| 17假使你們還不聽從這警告，對你的驕傲，我只有暗自痛哭，眼淚直流，因為上主的羊群已被擄去。 |
17If you do not listen to this in your pride, I will weep in secret many tears; My eyes will run with tears for the LORD'S flock, led away to exile. |
| 18你應對君王和太后說：「你們應坐低位，因為你們華麗的王冠已由你們頭上落下。」 |
18Say to the king and to the queen mother: come down from your throne; From your heads fall your magnificent crowns. |
| 19南部的城邑已被封鎖，沒有人去打開，全猶大已被擄去，全被擄去。 |
19The cities of the Negeb are besieged, with no one to relieve them; All Judah is banished in universal exile. |
| 20請你舉目觀望那來自北方的人；昔日委託給你的羊群，那壯麗的羊群，如今在那裏？ |
20Lift up your eyes and see men coming from the north. Where is the flock entrusted to you, the sheep that were your glory? |
| 21他懲罰你，你還有什麼話說？是你教導了昔日的盟友來統治你，豈能不使你痛苦得像個臨產的婦女？ |
21What will you say when they place as rulers over you those whom you taught to be your lovers? Will not pangs seize you like those of a woman giving birth? |
| 22假使你心裏說：為什麼我遭遇了這些事？──是因你罪大惡極，你的衣邊纔被掀起，你的腳跟纔受到污辱。 |
22If you ask in your heart why these things befall you: For your great guilt your skirts are stripped away and you are violated. |
| 23雇士人豈能改變他的膚色，豹子豈能改變牠的斑點？那你們這些習於作惡的人，豈能行善！ |
23Can the Ethiopian change his skin? the leopard his spots? As easily would you be able to do good, accustomed to evil as you are. |
| 24為此，我必使他們四散，像被曠野裏的風捲去的草芥。 |
24I will scatter them like chaff that flies when the desert wind blows. |
| 25這是你的命運，是我量給你的分子──上主的斷語──因為你忘記了我，信賴了「虛無」； |
25This is your lot, the portion measured out to you from me, says the LORD. Because you have forgotten me, and trusted in the lying idol, |
| 26故此我也將你的衣邊掀到你面上，使人見到你的羞恥。 |
26I now will strip off your skirts from you, so that your shame will appear. |
| 27你的姦淫，你春情的嘶鳴，你猥褻的淫亂，你在高丘上和田野間可恥的行為，我都看見了。禍哉，耶路撒冷！你不肯自潔，要到何時？ |
27Your adulteries, your neighings, your shameless prostitutions: On the hills in the highlands I see these horrible crimes of yours. Woe to you, Jerusalem, how long will it yet be before you become clean! |
