葡萄園之歌

我要為我所愛的歌唱,唱一首有關他葡萄園的歌:

我所愛的在肥美的山岡上有一個葡萄園。
他鬆土,清除石頭,
栽種了上好的葡萄,
在園中建了一座瞭望塔,
鑿了榨酒池。
他期望收穫好葡萄,
得到的卻是壞葡萄。

他說,「耶路撒冷和猶大的居民啊,
請你們在我和葡萄園之間評評理。
我不遺餘力地料理葡萄園,
希望得到好葡萄,
為什麼得到的只是壞葡萄呢?

「現在,我告訴你們我會怎樣處理這葡萄園,
我要除去籬笆,任它被毀壞;
我要拆毀圍牆,任它被踐踏。
我不再修剪,不再鋤地,
也不再降雨,
任由它荒廢,長滿荊棘和蒺藜。」

萬軍之耶和華的葡萄園就是以色列,
祂所喜愛的葡萄樹就是猶大人。
祂希望看到公平,
卻只看見殺戮;
指望看到公義,
卻只聽見冤聲。

以色列的罪惡

那些不斷建房置田、佔光土地、
獨居其中的人有禍了!
我親耳聽到萬軍之耶和華說:
「許多富麗堂皇的房屋必荒廢,無人居住。
10 三十畝葡萄園只產二十升酒,
二百公斤種子只產二十公斤糧食。」

11 那些從清早到深夜貪杯好酒,
喝到酩酊大醉的人有禍了!
12 席上,他們在琴、瑟、鼓、笛聲中飲酒作樂,
卻毫不理會耶和華的作為。

13 所以,我的子民必因無知而被擄。
他們的貴族無餅充饑,
民眾無水解渴。
14 陰間必食慾膨脹,
張開大口吞噬耶路撒冷的首領、群眾和宴樂之人。
15 世人遭貶,降為卑下,
狂妄者眼目低垂。
16 唯有萬軍之耶和華因祂的公正而受尊崇,
聖潔的上帝藉公義彰顯自己的聖潔。
17 那時,羊群在那裡吃草,
如在自己的草場,
寄居者在富人的荒場上進食。

18 那些用虛假作繩子扯來罪惡,
用套繩拉來邪惡的人有禍了!
19 他們說:「讓上帝快點完成祂的工作,
好讓我們看看;
讓以色列的聖者早點實現祂的計劃,
好讓我們知道。」
20 那些善惡不分、黑白顛倒、
甜苦不辨的人有禍了!
21 那些自以為聰明、睿智的人有禍了!
22 那些以豪飲稱霸、善於調酒的人有禍了!
23 他們貪贓枉法,坑害無辜。

24 他們的根必朽爛,
花朵如飛塵飄落,
就像火焰吞滅禾稭,燒盡乾草,
因為他們厭棄以色列之聖者的訓誨,
藐視萬軍之耶和華的言語。
25 耶和華向祂的子民發怒,
伸手擊打他們。
山嶺震動,
他們橫屍街頭,猶如糞土。
然而,祂的怒氣還沒有止息,
祂降罰的手沒有收回。
26 祂必豎起旗幟召集遠方的國家,
吹哨叫來地極的人。
看啊,他們必飛速而來!
27 他們無人疲倦,無人踉蹌,
無人打盹,無人睡覺,
都腰帶緊束,鞋帶未斷。
28 他們的利箭上弦,引弓待發;
他們的馬蹄堅如岩石,
車輪快如旋風。
29 他們吼叫如獅子,
像猛獅般咆哮著捕食,
將獵物叼走,無人能救。
30 那日,他們必向以色列咆哮,
如怒海澎湃。
人若觀看大地,
只見黑暗和艱難,
光明被密雲遮蓋。

葡萄園的比喻

我要為我所愛的唱歌,

這歌是關於他的葡萄園:

我所愛的人有一個葡萄園,在肥美的山岡上。

他把園子的泥土挖鬆了,撿去石頭,

栽種了上好的葡萄樹;

在園中建造了一座守望樓,

又鑿了一個榨酒池。

他期望結出好葡萄,

卻結出野葡萄。

耶路撒冷的居民和猶大人哪!

現在請你們在我與我的葡萄園之間斷定是非吧!

我為我的葡萄園所作的以外,還有甚麼要作的呢?

我期望它結出好葡萄,它為甚麼倒結出野葡萄呢?

現在我告訴你們,我要怎樣處理我的葡萄園:

我要把它的籬笆撤去,使它被吞滅;

我要把它的圍牆拆毀,使它被踐踏。

我要使它荒廢,

不再修剪,也不再耕耘,

荊棘和蒺藜卻要長起來;

我也要吩咐雲不再降雨在園子上。

因為萬軍之耶和華的葡萄園就是以色列家,

他喜悅的樹就是猶大人;

他期望的是公平,但看到的只是流血的事;

他期望的是公義,聽到的只是哀叫聲。

人民的惡行─六禍

那些使房屋連接房屋,使田地連接田地,

以致不留餘地的人,有禍了!

你們只可以獨居在境內。

我聽聞萬軍之耶和華說:“必有許多房屋變成荒涼,

甚至那些又大又美的房屋也沒有人居住。

10 十公頃葡萄園只出二十二公升酒;

二百二十公升穀種只結二十二公升糧食。”

11 那些清早起來,追求濃酒,

留連到晚上,以致因酒發燒的人,有禍了!

12 在他們的筵席上,有琴、瑟、手鼓、笛和酒,

但他們不理耶和華的作為,

也不留心他手所作的。

13 所以我的人民因無知被擄去;

他們的尊貴人十分飢餓;

他們的群眾極其乾渴。

14 故此,陰間擴張它的咽喉,張大它的口,沒有限量;

耶路撒冷城的榮耀(“榮耀”或譯:“貴族”)、群眾、喧嚷的人和在城中作樂的人,都要下到陰間。

15 卑賤人俯首,尊貴人降卑,

眼目高傲的也降卑。

16 唯獨萬軍之耶和華,因公平被高舉;

至聖的 神,因公義顯為聖。

17 那時羊羔必來吃草,像在自己的草場一樣;

富裕者的荒場被寄居者隨意吃用。

18 那些人虛假的繩索牽引罪孽,

又像用車繩拉罪惡的人,有禍了!

19 他們說:“願他趕快、迅速地成就他的作為,給我們看看!

願以色列的聖者所計劃的臨近!

願它來到,好讓我們知道!”

20 那些稱惡為善,稱善為惡,

以暗為光,以光為暗,

以苦為甜,以甜為苦的人,有禍了!

21 那些自以為有智慧,

自視為聰明的人,有禍了!

22 那些勇於喝酒,

又精於調和濃酒的人,有禍了!

23 他們因受了賄賂,就稱惡人為義;

卻把義人的權益奪去。

24 因此,火舌怎樣吞滅碎稭,

乾草怎樣落在火燄之中,

照樣,他們的根必像腐朽之物,他們的花必像塵土飛揚;

因為他們棄絕萬軍之耶和華的訓誨,

藐視以色列聖者的話。

25 所以耶和華的怒氣向他的子民發作,

他伸出手來擊打他們,

群山都震動,他們的屍體在街上好像糞土,

雖然這樣,他的怒氣還未轉消,

他的手仍然伸出。

懲罰快要來臨

26 他必豎立旗幟,招一國的人從遠方而來,

發出哨聲把他們從地極召來;

看!他們必急速快奔而來。

27 他們當中沒有疲倦的,沒有絆倒的,

沒有打盹的,也沒有睡覺的;

他們的腰帶沒有放鬆,

鞋帶也沒有折斷。

28 他們的箭銳利,所有的弓都上了弦;

他們的馬蹄看來像火石,車輛似旋風。

29 他們的吼叫像母獅,他們的咆哮如幼獅;

他們咆哮,攫取獵物,

把它叼去,無人援救。

30 到那日,他們要向以色列人咆哮,

像海浪的澎湃聲一樣;

人若望著這地,就只見黑暗與災難;

光在雲中也成了黑暗。

Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:

And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!

In mine ears said the Lord of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.

10 Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.

11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!

12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.

13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

15 And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:

16 But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

17 Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.

18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:

19 That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!

20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:

23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

25 Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:

27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:

28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:

29 Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.

30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.