耶利米書 44

1 有臨到耶利米的話，論及一切住在埃及地的猶大人，就是住在密奪、答比匿、挪弗、巴忒羅境內的猶大人，說：

The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who lived in the land of Egypt, who lived at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Memphis, and in the country of Pathros, saying,

2 「萬軍之耶和華－以色列的上帝如此說：我所降與耶路撒冷和猶大各城的一切災禍你們都看見了。那些城邑今日荒涼，無人居住；

“The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have seen all the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, and on all the cities of Judah. Behold, today they are a desolation, and no man dwells in them,

3 這是因居民所行的惡，去燒香事奉別神，就是他們和你們，並你們列祖所不認識的神，惹我發怒。

because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, to serve other gods that they didn’t know, neither they, nor you, nor your fathers.

4 我從早起來差遣我的僕人眾先知去說，你們切不要行我所厭惡這可憎之事。

However I sent to you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, “Oh, don’t do this abominable thing that I hate.”

5 他們卻不聽從，不側耳而聽，不轉離惡事，仍向別神燒香。

But they didn’t listen and didn’t incline their ear. They didn’t turn from their wickedness, to stop burning incense to other gods.

6 因此，我的怒氣和忿怒都倒出來，在猶大城邑中和耶路撒冷的街市上，如火着起，以致都荒廢淒涼，正如今日一樣。

Therefore my wrath and my anger was poured out, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as it is today.’

7 現在耶和華－萬軍之上帝、以色列的上帝如此說：你們為何作這大惡自害己命，使你們的男人、婦女、嬰孩，和吃奶的都從猶大中剪除、不留一人呢？

“Therefore now the LORD, the God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Why do you commit great evil against your own souls, to cut off from yourselves man and woman, infant and nursing child out of the middle of Judah, to leave yourselves no one remaining,

8 就是因你們手所做的，在所去寄居的埃及地向別神燒香惹我發怒，使你們被剪除，在天下萬國中令人咒詛羞辱。

in that you provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to live, that you may be cut off, and that you may be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?

9 你們列祖的惡行，猶大列王和他們后妃的惡行，你們自己和你們妻子的惡行，就是在猶大地、耶路撒冷街上所行的，你們都忘了嗎？

Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

10 到如今還沒有懊悔，沒有懼怕，沒有遵行我在你們和你們列祖面前所設立的法度律例。

They are not humbled even to this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.’

11 「所以萬軍之耶和華－以色列的上帝如此說：我必向你們變臉降災，以致剪除猶大眾人。

“Therefore the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, even to cut off all Judah.

12 那定意進入埃及地、在那裏寄居的，就是所剩下的猶大人，我必使他們盡都滅絕，必在埃及地仆倒，必因刀劍饑荒滅絕；從最小的到至大的都必遭刀劍饑荒而死，以致令人辱罵、驚駭、咒詛、羞辱。

I will take the remnant of Judah that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to live there, and they will all be consumed. They will fall in the land of Egypt. They will be consumed by the sword and by the famine. They will die, from the least even to the greatest, by the sword and by the famine. They will be an object of horror, an astonishment, a curse, and a reproach.

13 我怎樣用刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫刑罰耶路撒冷，也必照樣刑罰那些住在埃及地的猶大人；

For I will punish those who dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence;

14 甚至那進入埃及地寄居的，就是所剩下的猶大人，都不得逃脫，也不得存留歸回猶大地。他們心中甚想歸回居住之地；除了逃脫的以外，一個都不能歸回。」

so that none of the remnant of Judah, who have gone into the land of Egypt to live there, will escape or be left to return into the land of Judah, to which they have a desire to return to dwell there; for no one will return except those who will escape.’”

15 那些住在埃及地巴忒羅知道自己妻子向別神燒香的，與旁邊站立的眾婦女，聚集成群，回答耶利米說：

Then all the men who knew that their wives burned incense to other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly, even all the people who lived in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,

16 「論到你奉耶和華的名向我們所說的話，我們必不聽從。

“As for the word that you have spoken to us in the LORD’s name, we will not listen to you.

17 我們定要成就我們口中所出的一切話，向天后燒香、澆奠祭，按着我們與我們列祖、君王、首領在猶大的城邑中和耶路撒冷的街市上素常所行的一樣；因為那時我們吃飽飯、享福樂，並不見災禍。

But we will certainly perform every word that has gone out of our mouth, to burn incense to the queen of the sky and to pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food, and were well, and saw no evil.

18 自從我們停止向天后燒香、澆奠祭，我們倒缺乏一切，又因刀劍饑荒滅絕。」

But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of the sky, and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.”

19 婦女說：「我們向天后燒香、澆奠祭，做天后像的餅供奉她，向她澆奠祭，是外乎我們的丈夫嗎？」

The women said, “When we burned incense to the queen of the sky and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her, without our husbands?”

20 耶利米對一切那樣回答他的男人婦女說：

Then Jeremiah said to all the people—to the men and to the women, even to all the people who had given him an answer, saying,

21 「你們與你們列祖、君王、首領，並國內的百姓，在猶大城邑中和耶路撒冷街市上所燒的香，耶和華豈不記念，心中豈不思想嗎？

“The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, didn’t the LORD remember them, and didn’t it come into his mind?

22 耶和華因你們所作的惡、所行可憎的事，不能再容忍，所以你們的地荒涼，令人驚駭咒詛，無人居住，正如今日一樣。

Thus the LORD could no longer bear it, because of the evil of your doings and because of the abominations which you have committed. Therefore your land has become a desolation, an astonishment, and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is today.

23 你們燒香，得罪耶和華，沒有聽從他的話，沒有遵行他的律法、條例、法度，所以你們遭遇這災禍，正如今日一樣。」

Because you have burned incense and because you have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the LORD’s voice, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil has happened to you, as it is today.”

24 耶利米又對眾民和眾婦女說：「你們在埃及地的一切猶大人當聽耶和華的話。

Moreover Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “Hear the LORD’s word, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt!

25 萬軍之耶和華－以色列的上帝如此說：你們和你們的妻都口中說、手裏做，說：『我們定要償還所許的願，向天后燒香、澆奠祭。』現在你們只管堅定所許的願而償還吧！

The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says, ‘You and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and with your hands have fulfilled it, saying, “We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of the sky, and to pour out drink offerings to her.” “‘Establish then your vows, and perform your vows.’

26 所以你們住在埃及地的一切猶大人當聽耶和華的話。耶和華說：我指着我的大名起誓，在埃及全地，我的名不再被猶大一個人的口稱呼說：『我指着主－永生的耶和華起誓。』

“Therefore hear the LORD’s word, all Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have sworn by my great name,’ says the LORD, ‘that my name will no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “As the Lord GOD lives.”

27 我向他們留意降禍不降福；在埃及地的一切猶大人必因刀劍、饑荒所滅，直到滅盡。

Behold, I watch over them for evil, and not for good; and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until they are all gone.

28 脫離刀劍、從埃及地歸回猶大地的人數很少；那進入埃及地要在那裏寄居的，就是所剩下的猶大人，必知道是誰的話立得住，是我的話呢？是他們的話呢？

Those who escape the sword will return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah few in number. All the remnant of Judah, who have gone into the land of Egypt to live there, will know whose word will stand, mine or theirs.

29 耶和華說：我在這地方刑罰你們，必有預兆，使你們知道我降禍與你們的話必要立得住。

“‘This will be the sign to you,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that my words will surely stand against you for evil.’

30 耶和華如此說：我必將埃及王法老合弗拉交在他仇敵和尋索其命的人手中，像我將猶大王西底家交在他仇敵和尋索其命的巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒手中一樣。」

The LORD says, ‘Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, just as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and sought his life.’”