Jeremiah 4
1 “If you will return, Israel,” says the LORD, “if you will return to me, and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight; then you will not be removed;
以色列，若是你歸來──上主的斷語──就應向我歸來；若是你從我面前除去你可惡的偶像，就不應再四處遊蕩；
2 and you will swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations will bless themselves in him, and they will glory in him.”
若是你以誠實、公平和正義指著「上主永在」起誓，那麼，萬民必因你而蒙受祝福，也因你而得到光榮。
3 For the LORD says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up your fallow ground, and don’t sow amongst thorns.
因為上主對猶大人和耶路撒冷居民這樣說：「你們要開懇荒地，不要在荊棘中播種。
4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go out like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
猶大人和耶路撒冷的居民! 你們應為上主自行割損，除去心上的包皮，以免因你們的惡行，我的憤怒如火彶作，焚燒得無人能熄滅。」
5 Declare in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, ‘Blow the trumpet in the land!’ Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves! Let’s go into the fortified cities!’
你們應該在猶大宣佈，在耶路撒冷發表，在境內吹起號角，大聲疾呼說：「你們應集合，我們要進攻堅城! 」
6 Set up a standard towards Zion. Flee for safety! Don’t wait; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.”
你們應該給熙雍指出路標，趕快出逃，絲毫不可遲延，因為我要由北方招來災禍，絕大的毀滅。
7 A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations. He is on his way. He has gone out from his place, to make your land desolate, that your cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.
獅子已衝出牠的叢林，毀滅萬民者已起程走出了他的宮庭，前來使你的地域變為曠野，使你的城邑荒涼，再沒有人居住。
8 For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of the LORD hasn’t turned back from us.
為此，你們應身穿苦衣，涕泣哀號，因為上主尚未由我們身上撤回衪的烈怒。
9 “It will happen at that day,” says the LORD, “that the heart of the king will perish, along with the heart of the princes. The priests will be astonished, and the prophets will wonder.”
到那一天──上主的斷語──君王與王侯必失去勇氣，司祭必驚駭，先知必驚異；
10 Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You will have peace;’ whereas the sword reaches to the heart.”
人必要說：「哎! 吾主上主! 你的確欺騙了這人民和耶路撒冷說：你們必享平安；其實，刀劍已到我們的咽喉! 」
11 At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind blows from the bare heights in the wilderness towards the daughter of my people, not to winnow, nor to cleanse.
那時人要對這人民和耶路撒冷說：「荒丘的熱風由曠野向我人民吹來，不是為吹淨，不是為清潔；
12 A full wind from these will come for me. Now I will also utter judgements against them.”
有一股強烈的風應我的命吹來；現在我要去裁判他們。
13 Behold, he will come up as clouds, and his chariots will be as the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! For we are ruined.
看啊! 他如濃雲湧上來，他的戰車有如旋風，他的戰馬快萵飛鷹! 禍哉! 我們算是完了!
14 Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long will your evil thoughts lodge within you?
耶路撒冷! 洗淨你心內的邪惡，好使你能獲救。你那不義的思念藏在你內，要到何時﹖
15 For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes evil from the hills of Ephraim:
因為由丹傳來信息，由厄弗辣因山聽到了凶信：
16 “Tell the nations, behold, publish against Jerusalem, ‘Watchers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah.
你們應通知人民，轉告耶路撒冷：圍攻的人由遠方前來，向猶大各城高聲吶喊，
17 As keepers of a field, they are against her all around, because she has been rebellious against me,’” says the LORD.
像護守田地的人將她密密包圍，因為她觸怒了我──上主的斷語。
18 “Your way and your doings have brought these things to you. This is your wickedness, for it is bitter, for it reaches to your heart.”
是你的行徑和作為給你造成了這一切；是你的邪惡使你受苦，受到傷心的痛苦。
19 My anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart! My heart trembles within me. I can’t hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
我的肺腑，我的肺腑! 我心已破碎，我心焦燥不寧，我不能緘默! 因為我親自聽到了角聲，開戰的喧嚷。
20 Destruction on destruction is decreed, for the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, and my curtains gone in a moment.
真是毀滅上加毀滅，全地盡已破壞；我的帳幕突然倒塌，我的帷帳突然毀壞。
21 How long will I see the standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?
我瞻望敵旗，聞聽角聲，要到幾時﹖
22 “For my people are foolish. They don’t know me. They are foolish children, and they have no understanding. They are skilful in doing evil, but they don’t know how to do good.”
這是因為我的人民愚昧，竟不認識我，是些無知的子民，沒有明悟，只知作惡，不知行善。
23 I saw the earth and, behold, it was waste and void, and the heavens, and they had no light.
我觀望大地，看，空虛混沌，我觀望諸天，卻毫無光亮；
24 I saw the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth.
我觀望山岳，它在戰慄，
25 I saw, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the sky had fled.
我觀望看，一個人也沒有，連天空的飛鳥都已逃循；所有的丘陵都在搖撼。
26 I saw, and behold, the fruitful field was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of the LORD, before his fierce anger.
我觀望，看，農田盡變為荒野，所有的城邑盡毀於上主，毀於上主的烈怒。
27 For the LORD says, “The whole land will be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.
原來上主這樣說：全地固然要荒蕪，但我卻不徹底加以毀滅。
28 For this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above be black, because I have spoken it. I have planned it, and I have not repented, neither will I turn back from it.”
為此，大地要悲傷，在上諸天要昏暗；因為我說了，再不後悔；決定了，再不撤回。
29 Every city flees for the noise of the horsemen and archers. They go into the thickets and climb up on the rocks. Every city is forsaken, and not a man dwells therein.
全城的人聽到了騎兵和弓手的喧嚷，都四散逃命，有深入森林的，有爬上山岩的；所有的城市都被放棄，沒有人居住。
30 You, when you are made desolate, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with scarlet, though you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with makeup, you make yourself beautiful in vain. Your lovers despise you. They seek your life.
你已被蹂躪還有什麼企圖﹖既使你身被紫綿，佩帶金飾，以鉛華描劃眼眉，使你漂亮，也是徒然! 你的愛人蔑視你，想謀害你的生命。
31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her who gives birth to her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, “Woe is me now! For my soul faints before the murderers.”
的確，我聽到了仿佛產婦的叫聲，仿佛首次分娩的呻吟，是熙雍女兒在伸開雙手喘息哀嘆：我真可憐．因為我的生命已陷在殘害者手中!
