Jeremiah 1 1 This word of the LORD came to me: 2 2 Go, cry out this message for "你去!向耶路撒冷大声疾呼说:上主这样说:我忆起你年轻时的热情,你订婚时的恋爱;那时你在旷野里,在未耕种的地上追随了我。 3 3 Sacred to the LORD was 以色列成了上主的圣民,成了他收获的初果,凡吞食她的,都要有罪,灾祸必要因此降在他们身上──上主的断语。 4 Listen to the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob! All you clans of the house of 雅各伯家和以色列家的一切家族!你们听上主的话, 5 thus says the LORD: What fault did your fathers find in me that they withdrew from me, Went after empty idols, and became empty themselves? 6 They did not ask, "Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, Who led us through the desert, through a land of wastes and gullies, Through a land of drought and darkness, through a land which no one crosses, where no man dwells?" 他们也不问一问:那曾引我们由埃及地上来,那经过旷野、荒原和崎岖之地,干旱和黑暗之地,没人游历,无人居住之地,引领我们的上主现在哪里呢? 7 When I brought you into the garden land to eat its goodly fruits, You entered and defiled my land, you made my heritage loathsome. 我引你们进入了肥沃的土地,吃食其中的出产和美物;但你们一进来,就玷污了我的土地,使我的产业成了可憎之物。 8 4 The priests asked not, "Where is the LORD?" Those who dealt with the law knew me not: the shepherds rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, and went after useless idols. 司祭们也不问一问:"上主在哪里?"那些管理法律的,不认识我了;那些为人牧的,叛离了我;先知们也奉巴耳讲预言,追随无能的神祗。 9 Therefore will I yet accuse you, says the LORD, and even your children's children I will accuse. 为此,我要控诉你们──上主的断语,也要控诉你们的子孙。 10 5 Pass over to the coast of the Kittim and see, send to Kedar and carefully inquire: Where has the like of this been done? 好罢!你们往基廷岛屿去观察一下,派人到刻达尔去详细调察,看看有没有与此相类似的事: 11 Does any other nation change its gods?-- yet they are not gods at all! But my people have changed their glory for useless things. 难道有一个民族更换了自己的神祗?──虽然他们并非真神;但是我的人民竟以自己的光荣,换取了一个"无能的东西。" 12 Be amazed at this, O heavens, and shudder with sheer horror, says the LORD. 诸天!你们对此应惊骇战慄,大为惊异──上主的断语, 13 Two evils have my people done: they have forsaken me, the source of living waters; They have dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water. 因为我的人民犯了双重的罪恶:他们离弃了我这活水的泉源,却给自己掘了蓄水池,不能蓄水的漏水池。 14 6 Is Israel a slave, a bondman by birth? Why then has he become booty? 以色列岂是奴隶,或是家生的奴隶?为什么竟成了人的掠夺物? 15 Against him lions roar full-throated cries. They have made his land a waste; his cities are charred ruins, without inhabitant. 狮子向她咆哮,高声吼叫:它们使她的地域成了荒野,使她的城市化为灰烬,无人居住。 16 7 Yes, the people of 连诺夫和塔黑培乃斯的子民,也削去你的脑盖。 17 Has not the forsaking of the LORD, your God, done this to you? 你这不是自作自受吗?因为上主你的天主在路上引导你的时候,你竟离弃了他。 18 8 And now, why go to 现在你又为什么跑到埃及去喝尼罗河的水,跑到亚述去喝幼发拉的河水? 19 Your own wickedness chastises you, your own infidelities punish you. Know then, and see, how evil and bitter is your forsaking the LORD, your God, And showing no fear of me, says the Lord, the GOD of hosts. 是你的罪恶惩罚你,是你的不忠责斥你,那么你应该明白觉察:离弃上主你的天主,对我没有敬畏,是如何邪恶和痛苦的事──我主万军上主的断语。 20 9 Long ago you broke your yoke, you tore off your bonds. "I will not serve," you said. On every high hill, under every green tree, you gave yourself to harlotry. 的确,从古以来,你就折断了你的轭,挣断了你的绳索说:我不愿服从;反在一切高丘上,和一切绿树下,偃卧行淫。 21 I had planted you, a choice vine of fully tested stock; How could you turn out obnoxious to me, a spurious vine? 我种植你时,原是精选的葡萄,纯粹的真种子;你怎么竟给我变成了坏树,成了野葡萄? 22 Though you scour it with soap, and use much lye, The stain of your guilt is still before me, says the Lord GOD. 现在即使你用碱洗濯,多加卤汁,你的罪污仍留在我面前──我主上主的断语── 23 10 How can you say, "I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baals"? Consider your conduct in the Valley, recall what you have done: A frenzied she-camel, coursing near and far, 你怎能说:我没有玷污我自己,我没有追随过巴耳?观察你在谷中的行动,便知你的行动,无异一只到处游荡,敏捷的母骆驼; 24 breaking away toward the desert, Snuffing the wind in her ardor-- who can restrain her lust? No beasts need tire themselves seeking her; in her month they will meet her. 又象一头习惯在荒野,急欲求配,呼气喘息的野母驴;谁能抑制它的性欲?凡寻找它的,不必费辛苦,在她春情发动的月分,就可找着。 25 Stop wearing out your shoes and parching your throat! But you say, "No use! no! I love these strangers, and after them I must go." 留心!不要使你的脚赤裸,不要使你的喉咙干渴!但是你却说:不会,不可能!我既爱异邦神祗,我要跟随他们。 26 As the thief is shamed when caught, so shall the house of 就如小偷被人发现时,感到羞愧;以色列家:他们,他们的君王和首领,他们的司祭和先知,都要同样蒙受羞辱。 27 They who say to a piece of wood, "You are my father," and to a stone, "You gave me birth." They turn to me their backs, not their faces; yet, in their time of trouble they cry out, "Rise up and save us!" 他们对木偶说:你是我的父亲;对石碣说:是你生了我。的确,他们不但向我转过脸去,而且也以背向着我;但是,在他们遭难的时候,却喊说:起来,拯救我们! 28 Where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up! Will they save you in your time of trouble? For as numerous as your cities are your gods, O Judah! And as many as the streets o, f Jerusalem are the altars you have set up for Baal. 你自己制造的神祗在哪里?在你遭难的时候,他们若能救你,就让他们起来!因为犹大!你神祗的数目竟等于你域邑的数目,巴耳的香坛与耶路撒冷的街道一般多。 29 How dare you still plead with me? You have all rebelled against me, says the LORD. 我打击了你们的子孙,竟是徒然,你们没有受到教训;你们的刀剑如同一只凶残的狮子,吞灭了众先知。 31 You, of this generation, take note of the word of the Lord: Have I been a desert to Israel, a land of darkness? Why do my people say, "We have moved on, we will come to you no more"? 你们这一代人,体会上主的话吧!难道我对以色列象一个荒野,或象一个黑暗的地方?为什么我的人民说:我们获得了自由,我们不再来找你? 32 Does a virgin forget her jewelry, a bride her sash? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number. 一个处女岂能忘了自己的珍饰?一位新娘岂能忘了自己的彩带?我的人民却忘了我,时日已久长,无法计算。 33 How well you pick your way when seeking love! You who, in your wickedness, have gone by ways unclean! 你怎么会如此想尽好方法去求爱?你也将你的方法教给了邪恶的女人; 34 You, on whose clothing there is the life-blood of the innocent, whom you found committing no burglary; 连在你的衣边上也发现无辜穷人的血渍:并不是在挖掘洞穴时,你捉住他们,而是在橡树边。 35 Yet withal you say, "I am innocent; at least, his anger is turned away from me." Behold, I will judge you on that word of yours, "I have not sinned." 但你还说:我是无罪的,他的忿怒已离我远去。看!我要审判你,正因为你说:我没有犯罪。 36 How very base you have become in changing your course! By Egypt will you be shamed, as you were shamed by Assyria. 你为什么这样轻易改变你的道路?你必要因埃及而蒙羞,犹如曾因亚述而蒙羞一样。 37 From there also shall you go away with hands upon your head; For the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust, with them you will have no success. 你毕竟要从那里抱头出走,因为上主摈弃了你所仗恃的,使你不能靠他们获得成功。 Footnotes(注解) 1 [1-3, 5] These verses probably contain the earliest of Jeremiah's preachings. The covenant relationship, symbolized by the figure of a marriage, was frequently broken by Israel, seen here as an unfaithful wife unworthy of reconciliation with God (Jeremiah 3:1-5). 2 [2] Devotion: Israel's gratitude, fidelity, and love for God. 3 [3] First fruits: an offering to God which became his exclusive property, and could therefore not be put to profane use; cf Lev 22:1. 4 [8] Those who dealt with the law: the priests. The shepherds: the kings and nobles. 5 [10] Kittim: a Phoenician colony in Cyprus. Kedar: a nomad tribe of the Syrian desert. These two names represent West and East. 6 [14] Bondman by birth: a perpetual slave, different from the debt-slave, who was to be freed after six years; cf Exodus 21:2. 7 [16] Memphis: the capital of Lower Egypt. Tahpanhes: A frontier city of Egypt, east of the Delta. Shave the crown of your head: the spoilation of Judah at the hands of the Egyptians. 8 [18] Egypt and Assyria were the protecting foreign powers favored by rival parties within Judah. The desire for such foreign alliances is a further desertion of the Lord, the source of living waters (Jeremiah 2:13), in favor of the above-named powers, symbolized by the Nile and the Euphrates rivers. 9 [20] Harlotry: idolatry (because Israel is the bride of God). 10 [23] The Valley: of Ben-hinnom, south of Jerusalem, site of the infamous sanctuary of Topheth where children were sacrificed to Molech; cf Jeremiah 7:31. |