耶利米书 5
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
耶路撒冷的罪
5 耶和华说：
“你们在耶路撒冷街头四处看看，
在广场找找，
如果你们能找到一个公正诚实的人，
我就赦免这城。
2 虽然他们凭永活的耶和华起誓，
却口是心非。”
3 耶和华啊，你要的不是诚实吗？
你责打他们，他们不感到疼痛；
你严惩他们，他们仍不受教。
他们屡教不改，
脸比石头还硬。
4 我想：“他们贫穷、愚昧，
不明白他们上帝耶和华的道，
也不知道祂的法令。
5 我要找他们的首领说话，
因为这些首领明白耶和华的道，
知道他们上帝的法令。”
然而，他们却一致违背耶和华的律法，
不服从祂的法令。
6 因此，林中的狮子必袭击他们，
荒野的豺狼必残害他们，
豹子也蹲伏在他们的城外，
伺机撕裂出城的人，
因为他们罪大恶极，屡屡叛道。
7 耶和华说：
“耶路撒冷啊，我怎能赦免你呢？
你的儿女背弃我，
凭假神起誓。
我供应他们的一切需要，
他们却纵情淫乱，
涌向娼妓的家。
8 他们像吃得肥壮、发情的公马，
垂涎邻居的妻子。
9 我怎能不惩罚他们呢？
我怎能不亲自报应这样的国民呢？
这是耶和华说的。
10 你们要去毁坏她的葡萄园，
但不可彻底毁坏。
要砍掉枝子，
因为那些枝子不属于耶和华。
11 以色列人和犹大人根本不忠于我。
这是耶和华说的。
12 “他们撒谎说，
‘耶和华不会管我们，
我们必不会遇到灾祸、战争和饥荒。
13 先知的话不过是一阵风，
不是来自上帝，
他们预言的灾祸必降临到自己身上。’”
14 因此，万军之上帝耶和华对我说：
“因为他们说了这话，
我要使我的话在你口中成为火，
使他们像柴一样被烧毁。
15 以色列人啊，我要使一个国家，
一个历久不衰的古国从远方来攻击你们，
你们不明白他们的语言，
也听不懂他们说的话。
这是耶和华说的。
16 他们都是勇士，
他们的弓箭杀人无数。
17 他们必吞噬你们的儿女、牛羊、
粮食、葡萄和无花果，
用刀剑摧毁你们所依靠的坚城。”
18 耶和华说：“即使在那时，我也不会彻底毁灭你们。 19 耶利米啊，如果有人问，‘为什么我们的上帝耶和华这样待我们？’你可以对他们说，‘你们怎样背弃耶和华，在自己的土地上供奉外族的神明，也要怎样在异地他乡服侍外族人。’
20 “要在犹大向雅各家高声宣布，
21 ‘听着，你们这群愚昧无知的人啊，
你们视而不见，
听而不闻。
22 难道你们不敬畏我吗？
这是耶和华说的。
难道你们在我面前不颤抖吗？
我以沙石为海的界限，
使水永远不能越过它。
汹涌的波涛不能逾越，
澎湃的海浪不能漫过。
23 但你们这些人顽固不化，
悖逆成性。
你们离我而去。
24 你们心中从未说，
我们要敬畏我们的上帝耶和华，
祂按时降下秋雨和春雨，
让我们按时收割。
25 你们的罪过使你们不再风调雨顺，
你们的罪恶使你们失去祝福。’
26 我的子民中有恶人，
他们像捕鸟人一样埋伏等候，
设下网罗陷害人。
27 他们的家里充满了诡诈，
就像笼子装满了鸟。
他们变得有财有势，
28 吃得肥胖红润，
坏事做尽，不为孤儿申冤，
不为穷人主持公道。”
29 耶和华说：“我怎能坐视不理呢？
我怎能不惩罚这样的国家呢？
30 这地方发生了一件令人震惊、恐惧的事，
31 就是先知说假预言，
祭司滥用权力，
我的子民却以此为乐。
但当最后的结局来临时，
他们还能做什么呢？
Jeremiah 5
The Message
Sins Are Piled Sky-High
5 1-2 “Patrol Jerusalem’s streets.
Look around. Take note.
Search the market squares.
See if you can find one man, one woman,
A single soul who does what is right
and tries to live a true life.
I want to forgive that person.”
God’s Decree.
“But if all they do is say, ‘As sure as God lives . . . ’
they’re nothing but a bunch of liars.”
3-6 But you, God,
you have an eye for truth, don’t you?
You hit them hard, but it didn’t faze them.
You disciplined them, but they refused correction.
Hardheaded, harder than rock,
they wouldn’t change.
Then I said to myself, “Well, these are just poor people.
They don’t know any better.
They were never taught anything about God.
They never went to prayer meetings.
I’ll find some people from the best families.
I’ll talk to them.
They’ll know what’s going on, the way God works.
They’ll know the score.”
But they were no better! Rebels all!
Off doing their own thing.
The invaders are ready to pounce and kill,
like a mountain lion, a wilderness wolf,
Panthers on the prowl.
The streets aren’t safe anymore.
And why? Because the people’s sins are piled sky-high;
their betrayals are past counting.
7-9 “Why should I even bother with you any longer?
Your children wander off, leaving me,
Taking up with gods
that aren’t even gods.
I satisfied their deepest needs, and then they went off with the ‘sacred’ whores,
left me for orgies in sex shrines!
A bunch of well-groomed, lusty stallions,
each one pawing and snorting for his neighbor’s wife.
Do you think I’m going to stand around and do nothing?”
God’s Decree.
“Don’t you think I’ll take serious measures
against a people like this?
Eyes That Don’t Really Look, Ears That Don’t Really Listen
10-11 “Go down the rows of vineyards and rip out the vines,
but not all of them. Leave a few.
Prune back those vines!
That growth didn’t come from God!
They’ve betrayed me over and over again,
Judah and Israel both.”
God’s Decree.
12-13 “They’ve spread lies about God.
They’ve said, ‘There’s nothing to him.
Nothing bad will happen to us,
neither famine nor war will come our way.
The prophets are all windbags.
They speak nothing but nonsense.’”
14 Therefore, this is what God said to me, God-of-the-Angel-Armies:
“Because they have talked this way,
they are going to eat those words.
Watch now! I’m putting my words
as fire in your mouth.
And the people are a pile of kindling
ready to go up in flames.
15-17 “Attention! I’m bringing a far-off nation
against you, O house of Israel.”
God’s Decree.
“A solid nation,
an ancient nation,
A nation that speaks another language.
You won’t understand a word they say.
When they aim their arrows, you’re as good as dead.
They’re a nation of real fighters!
They’ll clean you out of house and home,
rob you of crops and children alike.
They’ll feast on your sheep and cattle,
strip your vines and fig trees.
And the fortresses that made you feel so safe—
leveled with a stroke of the sword!
18-19 “Even then, as bad as it will be”—God’s Decree!—“it will not be the end of the world for you. And when people ask, ‘Why did our God do all this to us?’ you must say to them, ‘This is back on you. Just as you left me and served foreign gods in your own country, so now you must serve foreigners in their own country.’
20-25 “Tell the house of Jacob this,
put out this bulletin in Judah:
Listen to this,
you scatterbrains, airheads,
With eyes that see but don’t really look,
and ears that hear but don’t really listen.
Why don’t you honor me?
Why aren’t you in awe before me?
Yes, me, who made the shorelines
to contain the ocean waters.
I drew a line in the sand
that cannot be crossed.
Waves roll in but cannot get through;
breakers crash but that’s the end of them.
But this people—what a people!
Uncontrollable, untamable runaways.
It never occurs to them to say,
‘How can we honor our God with our lives,
The God who gives rain in both spring and autumn
and maintains the rhythm of the seasons,
Who sets aside time each year for harvest
and keeps everything running smoothly for us?’
Of course you don’t! Your bad behavior blinds you to all this.
Your sins keep my blessings at a distance.
To Stand for Nothing and Stand Up for No One
26-29 “My people are infiltrated by wicked men,
unscrupulous men on the hunt.
They set traps for the unsuspecting.
Their victims are innocent men and women.
Their houses are stuffed with ill-gotten gain,
like a hunter’s bag full of birds.
Pretentious and powerful and rich,
hugely obese, oily with rolls of fat.
Worse, they have no conscience.
Right and wrong mean nothing to them.
They stand for nothing, stand up for no one,
throw orphans to the wolves, exploit the poor.
Do you think I’ll stand by and do nothing about this?”
God’s Decree.
“Don’t you think I’ll take serious measures
against a people like this?
* * *
30-31 “Unspeakable! Sickening!
What’s happened in this country?
Prophets preach lies
and priests hire on as their assistants.
And my people love it. They eat it up!
But what will you do when it’s time to pick up the pieces?”
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson