< Osee 7 >

1 When I have healed Israel, then shall the iniquity of Ephraim be revealed, and the wickedness of Samaria; for they have wrought falsehood: and a thief shall come in to him, [even] a robber spoiling in his way;
當我著手醫治以色列時,厄弗辣因的罪孽就顯露出來,撒馬利亞的惡也顯露出來,因為他們行了詭詐的事:竊賊潛入內室,而外遇強盜;
2 that they may concert together as [men] singing in their heart: I remember all their wickedness: now have their own counsels compassed them about; they came before my face.
但他們並不存心細想:我記住他們的一切惡行。現今他們的行為圍繞著他們,一一擺在我眼前。
3 They gladdened kings with their wickedness, and princes with their lies.
他們使君王喜歡,是出於惡意,使首領快樂,是出於詭詐。
4 They are all adulterers, as an oven glowing with flame for hot-baking, on account of the kneading of the dough, until it is leavened.
個個燃起了怒火,像一座火爐,伙夫暫停煽火,直到和好的麵團發酵。
5 [In] the days of our kings, the princes began to be inflamed with wine: he stretched out his hand with pestilent fellows.
在他們君王的慶日上,當官長們酒勁發作,不能支持的時候,君王便和惡徒勾結起來。
6 Therefore their hearts are inflamed as an oven, while they rage all the night: Ephraim is satisfied with sleep; the morning is come; he is burnt up as a flame of fire.
他們的心雖因陰謀而焦慮得像火爐一樣,但他們的怒火卻整夜停息;一到早晨,卻又如烈火復燃。
7 They are all heated like an oven, and have devoured their judges: all their kings are fallen; there was not among them one that called on me.
個個像火爐一樣,熾燃起來,吞噬了他們的官長;他們的君王都倒斃了,但沒有一個向我呼求。
8 Ephraim is mixed among his people; Ephraim became a cake not turned.
厄弗辣因想混雜在列邦之中,厄弗辣因成了一塊尚未翻過的烤餅。
9 Strangers devoured his strength, and he knew [it] not; and grey hairs came upon him, and he knew [it] not.
外邦人耗盡了她的力量,她尚不自覺,頭上已佈滿了白髮,她還不知曉。
10 And the pride of Israel shall be brought down before his face: yet they have not returned to the Lord their God, neither have they diligently sought him for all this.
[雖然如此,以色列的驕傲仍呈現在自己面上,他們仍不歸依,仍不尋求上主,他們的天主]。
11 And Ephraim was as a silly dove, not having a heart: he called to Egypt, and they went to the Assyrians.
厄弗辣因像愚蠢無知的鴿子,一時求救埃及,一時又投奔亞述;
12 Whenever they shall go, I will cast my net upon them; I will bring them down as the birds of the sky, I will chasten them with the rumor of their [coming] affliction.
可是不論他們往何處去,我要向他們撒開我的羅網,使他們像天上的飛鳥跌下:一聽到他們聚齊待飛,我便將他們捕捉。
13 Woe to them! for they have started aside from me: they are cowards; for they have sinned against me: yet I redeemed them, but they spoke falsehoods against me.
他們有禍了! 因為他們遠離離了我;他們必遭受毀滅,因為他們背叛了我。我原想拯救他們,但他們卻對我撒謊,
14 And their hearts did not cry to me, but they howled on their beds: they pined for oil and wine.
並沒有真心呼求我,只是在祭壇旁悲歎;為了五榖和新酒,仍自割己身,仍背叛我。
15 They were instructed by me, and I strengthened their arms; and they devised evils against me.
我雖然加強了他們的手臂,然而他們仍圖謀邪惡反抗我。
16 They turned aside to that which is not, they became as a bent bow: their princes shall fall by the sword, by reason of the unbridled state of their tongue: this is their setting at nothing in the land of Egypt.
他們歸向了虛無,變成了歪曲的弓;他們的首領因自己的狂言,必喪身刀下,且在埃及地為人恥笑。

< Osee 7 >