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耶路撒冷的罪恶

“你们去走遍耶路撒冷的街道,

到处观察留意,

又在城的广场上寻觅;

如果能找到一个行正义、求诚实的人,

我就赦免这城。

城里的人虽然指着永活的耶和华起誓,

其实,他们起的誓是假的。”

耶和华啊!你的眼目不是要看诚实的事吗?

你击打他们,他们却不觉得伤痛;

你摧毁他们,他们仍不肯接受管教。

他们板着脸,脸皮比盘石还硬,

总不肯回转。

我说:“这些人只是贫穷小民,

为人愚昧;

他们不晓得耶和华的道路,

也不明白他们 神的法则。

我要亲自去见那些权贵领袖,

跟他们谈谈;

因为他们晓得耶和华的道路,

也明白他们 神的法则。”

谁知他们竟一起把轭折断,

挣脱绳索。

因此,狮子必从林中出来袭击他们,

旷野的豺狼要杀害他们,

豹子在他们的城边窥伺,

出城的都必被撕碎;

因为他们的过犯众多,

背道的事也无法数算。

“为甚么我要赦免你?

你的儿女离弃我,

指着那些不是神的起誓。

我使他们饱足,他们却去行淫,

一起挤在妓院里。

他们像饱食的马,情欲奔放,

各向别人的妻子嘶叫。

我因这些事怎能不施行惩罚呢?

像这样的国家,

我怎能不亲自报复呢?”

这是耶和华的宣告。

10 “你们要走进她的葡萄园(“葡萄园”原文作“葡萄树的行列”)里施行毁坏,

但不可毁灭净尽,要除掉她的枝子,

因为它们不属耶和华。

11 以色列家和犹大家,

待我实在太奸诈了。”

这是耶和华的宣告。

12 他们不信耶和华,

说:“他不会作甚么,

灾祸必不临到我们,

我们也不会看见刀剑和饥荒。

13 先知不过是一阵风,

主的道也不在他们里面;

他们所说的必临到他们身上。”

14 因此,耶和华万军之 神这样说:

“因他们说了这话,

我必使我的话在你口中成为火,

使这人民成为柴,

火要把他们吞灭。

15 以色列家啊!

我必使一国从远方来攻击你们。”

这是耶和华的宣告。

“那国历久不衰,

从古就有;

他们的言语你们不懂得,

他们所说的你们不明白。

16 他们的箭囊像敞开的坟墓,

他们尽都是勇士。

17 他们必吞灭你们的庄稼和粮食,

吞灭你的儿女,

你们的羊群牛群,

以及你们的葡萄和无花果;

他们也必用刀剑毁坏你们所倚仗的坚固城。

18 就是到了那时,

我也不把你们完全毁灭。”

这是耶和华的宣告。

19 “将来如果有人问:‘耶和华我们的 神,为甚么向我们行这一切事呢?’你就要对他们说:‘你们怎样离弃我,在你们的土地上事奉外族人的神,你们也要在不属你们的土地上照样服事外族人。’”

 神的警告

20 你们要在雅各家宣告这事,

在犹大传扬,说:

21 “愚昧无知的民哪!

你们有眼不能看,

有耳不能听;

你们应当听这话:

22 ‘你们连我都不惧怕吗?

在我面前你们也不战兢吗?’

这是耶和华的宣告。

‘我以沙作海的疆界,

作永远的界限,海就不能越过;

波浪翻腾,却不能漫过;

怒涛澎湃,仍无法逾越。

23 可是这人民,竟存着顽梗悖逆的心;

背我而去。’

24 他们心里也不想想:

‘我们应当敬畏耶和华我们的 神,

他按时赐雨,就是秋雨春霖,

又为我们保存定时收割的节令。’

25 你们的罪孽使这些都离开了,

你们的罪恶剥夺了你们的幸福。

26 在我的子民中发现了恶人,

他们好象捕鸟的人蹲伏窥探,

装置网罗捕捉人。

27 笼中怎样满了雀鸟,

他们的屋里也满了诡诈;

他们就因此财雄势大。

28 他们肥胖光润,

作尽各种坏事;

他们不为人辩护,

不替孤儿辨屈,使他们获益,

也不为穷人伸冤。

29 我因这些事怎能不施行惩罚呢?

像这样的国家,

我怎能不亲自报复呢?”

这是耶和华的宣告。

30 “恐怖骇人的事在国中发生了。

31 先知说假预言,

祭司凭己意把持权柄。

我的子民竟喜爱这样,

到了结局你们怎么办呢?”

Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.

And though they say, The Lord liveth; surely they swear falsely.

O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God.

I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.

Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.

They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife.

Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

10 Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the Lord's.

11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the Lord.

12 They have belied the Lord, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:

13 And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.

14 Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

15 Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the Lord: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.

16 Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.

17 And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword.

18 Nevertheless in those days, saith the Lord, I will not make a full end with you.

19 And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the Lord our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not your's.

20 Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,

21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:

22 Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.

24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.

27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.

28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

29 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;

31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

“Roam about through the streets of Jerusalem,
    and look please, and take note,
and search at its public squares,
    if you can find a person who does justice,
who seeks honesty,
    so that I may forgive it.
And though they say, ‘As Yahweh lives,’[a]
    therefore[b] they swear falsely.”
O Yahweh, do not your eyes look for honesty?
    You have struck them, but they felt no pain,
you have destroyed them, they refused to take discipline.
    They have hardened their faces more than rock,
    they have refused to turn back.
Then I said, “They are just simple people,
    they are foolish,
for they know not the way of Yahweh,
    the law[c] of their God.
Let me go to the great,
    and let me speak with them,
for they know the way of Yahweh,
    the law[d] of their God.”
However, they together have broken the yoke,
    they have torn to pieces the bonds.
Therefore a lion from the forest will kill them,
    A wolf from the desert plains[e] will devastate them.
A leopard is watching their cities,
    everyone who goes out from there will be torn,
because their transgressions are many,
    their apostasies are numerous.
How[f] can I forgive you?
    Your children have forsaken me,
and they have sworn by those who are not gods.
    But I fed them to the full,
and they committed adultery,
    and flocked to the house of a prostitute.
They were well-fed lusty horses,
    they neighed each to the wife of his neighbor.
Because of these things shall I not punish?” declares[g] Yahweh,
    “and on a nation who is like this, shall I not take revenge?
10 Go up through her vineyards and destroy,
    but you must not make complete destruction.
Remove her branches,
    for they are not to Yahweh.
11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah
    have dealt utterly treacherously with me,” declares[h] Yahweh.
12 “They have denied Yahweh, and have said,
    ‘Not he, for[i] evil will not come on us,
    we will see neither sword nor famine.
13 And the prophets are like wind,
    and the word is not in them.’
Thus it will be done to them.”
14 Therefore[j] thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts,
    “Because you have spoken this word,
look, I am making my words in your mouth like a fire,
    and this people wood, and it will devour them.
15 Look, I am about to bring on you a nation from afar,
    O house of Israel,” declares[k] Yahweh.
“It is an enduring nation, it is an ancient nation.[l]
    A nation whose language you do not know,
    and you cannot understand what they speak.
16 Their quiver is like an open tomb,
    all of them are warriors.
17 And they will eat your harvest and your food,
    they will eat your sons and your daughters,
they will eat your flock and your herd,
    they will eat your vine and your fig tree,
they will smash with the sword your fortified cities,[m]
    in which you trust.

18 “But even in those days,” declares[n] Yahweh, “I will not make you a complete destruction. 19 And then,[o] when you people say, ‘Why has Yahweh our God done all of these things to us?’ Then you will say to them, ‘As you have forsaken me and have served gods of a foreign land in your land, so will you serve strangers in a land that does not belong to you.’[p]

20 “Declare this in the house of Jacob,
    and proclaim it in Judah, saying,
21 ‘Hear this please, O foolish and senseless[q] people,
    who have eyes[r] but do not see,
    who have ears[s] but do not hear.’
22 Do you not revere me?” declares[t] Yahweh,
    “Do you not tremble before me?[u]
For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea,
    as an everlasting limit,[v] and it cannot pass over it,
and they rise and fall loudly, but they cannot prevail,
    and its waves roar, but they cannot pass over it.
23 But for this people is a stubborn and rebellious heart,
    they have turned aside and have gone away.
24 And they do not say in their hearts,
    ‘Let us fear please Yahweh our God,
the one who gives the autumn rain[w] and the spring rain[x] in its season,
    the set times of the harvest[y] he keeps for us.’
25 Your iniquities have disturbed these,
    and your sins have kept away the good from you.
26 For wicked people are found among my people,
    they lie in wait like the hiding of fowlers,
they set up a trap,
    they catch humans.
27 Like a cage full of birds,[z]
    so their houses are full of fraud.
Therefore[aa] they have become great,
    and they have become rich.
28 They have grown fat,
    they have grown sleek,
also, their evil deeds have no limit.[ab]
    They do not judge with justice,
the legal cause of the orphan,
    or allow it to succeed,
and the legal case of the poor,
    they do not defend.
29 Because of these things shall I not punish?” declares[ac] Yahweh,
    “and on a nation who is like this, shall I not take revenge?
30 A horrific event and something horrible has happened in the land.
31 The prophets prophesy falsely,[ad]
    and the priests rule by their own authority,[ae]
and my people love it[af] so much.
    But what will you do when the end comes?[ag]

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 5:2 Literally “Life of Yahweh”
  2. Jeremiah 5:2 Literally “to thus”
  3. Jeremiah 5:4 Or “ordinance”
  4. Jeremiah 5:5 Or “ordinance”
  5. Jeremiah 5:6 Or “Arabah”
  6. Jeremiah 5:7 Literally “Why to this”
  7. Jeremiah 5:9 Literally “a declaration of”
  8. Jeremiah 5:11 Literally “a declaration of”
  9. Jeremiah 5:12 Literally “and”
  10. Jeremiah 5:14 Literally “To thus”
  11. Jeremiah 5:15 Literally “a declaration of”
  12. Jeremiah 5:15 Literally “a nation from a long time ago”
  13. Jeremiah 5:17 Literally “the cities of your fortification”
  14. Jeremiah 5:18 Literally “a declaration of”
  15. Jeremiah 5:19 Literally “And it will happen”
  16. Jeremiah 5:19 Literally “a land not to you”
  17. Jeremiah 5:21 Literally “without heart”
  18. Jeremiah 5:21 Literally “eyes for them”
  19. Jeremiah 5:21 Literally “ears for them”
  20. Jeremiah 5:22 Literally “a declaration of”
  21. Jeremiah 5:22 Literally “from the face of me”
  22. Jeremiah 5:22 Literally “a limit of eternity”
  23. Jeremiah 5:24 Hebrew “early rain”
  24. Jeremiah 5:24 Hebrew “late rain”
  25. Jeremiah 5:24 Literally “weeks due harvest”
  26. Jeremiah 5:27 Hebrew “bird”
  27. Jeremiah 5:27 Literally “Unto thus”
  28. Jeremiah 5:28 Literally “they cross over evil deeds”
  29. Jeremiah 5:29 Literally “a declaration of”
  30. Jeremiah 5:31 Literally “in the lie”
  31. Jeremiah 5:31 Literally “by their hands”
  32. Jeremiah 5:31 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  33. Jeremiah 5:31 Literally “to end her”

Not One Is Upright

“Go up and down(A) the streets of Jerusalem,
    look around and consider,(B)
    search through her squares.
If you can find but one person(C)
    who deals honestly(D) and seeks the truth,
    I will forgive(E) this city.
Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(F)
    still they are swearing falsely.(G)

Lord, do not your eyes(H) look for truth?
    You struck(I) them, but they felt no pain;
    you crushed them, but they refused correction.(J)
They made their faces harder than stone(K)
    and refused to repent.(L)
I thought, “These are only the poor;
    they are foolish,(M)
for they do not know(N) the way of the Lord,
    the requirements of their God.
So I will go to the leaders(O)
    and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the Lord,
    the requirements of their God.”
But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke
    and torn off the bonds.(P)
Therefore a lion from the forest(Q) will attack them,
    a wolf from the desert will ravage(R) them,
a leopard(S) will lie in wait near their towns
    to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
    and their backslidings many.(T)

“Why should I forgive you?
    Your children have forsaken me
    and sworn(U) by gods that are not gods.(V)
I supplied all their needs,
    yet they committed adultery(W)
    and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.(X)
They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
    each neighing for another man’s wife.(Y)
Should I not punish them for this?”(Z)
    declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(AA) myself
    on such a nation as this?

10 “Go through her vineyards and ravage them,
    but do not destroy them completely.(AB)
Strip off her branches,
    for these people do not belong to the Lord.
11 The people of Israel and the people of Judah
    have been utterly unfaithful(AC) to me,”
declares the Lord.

12 They have lied(AD) about the Lord;
    they said, “He will do nothing!
No harm will come to us;(AE)
    we will never see sword or famine.(AF)
13 The prophets(AG) are but wind(AH)
    and the word is not in them;
    so let what they say be done to them.”

14 Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says:

“Because the people have spoken these words,
    I will make my words in your mouth(AI) a fire(AJ)
    and these people the wood it consumes.(AK)
15 People of Israel,” declares the Lord,
    “I am bringing a distant nation(AL) against you—
an ancient and enduring nation,
    a people whose language(AM) you do not know,
    whose speech you do not understand.
16 Their quivers(AN) are like an open grave;
    all of them are mighty warriors.
17 They will devour(AO) your harvests and food,
    devour(AP) your sons and daughters;
they will devour(AQ) your flocks and herds,
    devour your vines and fig trees.(AR)
With the sword(AS) they will destroy
    the fortified cities(AT) in which you trust.(AU)

18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not destroy(AV) you completely. 19 And when the people ask,(AW) ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods(AX) in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners(AY) in a land not your own.’

20 “Announce this to the descendants of Jacob
    and proclaim(AZ) it in Judah:
21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,(BA)
    who have eyes(BB) but do not see,
    who have ears but do not hear:(BC)
22 Should you not fear(BD) me?” declares the Lord.
    “Should you not tremble(BE) in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,(BF)
    an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
    they may roar,(BG) but they cannot cross it.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious(BH) hearts;
    they have turned aside(BI) and gone away.
24 They do not say to themselves,
    ‘Let us fear(BJ) the Lord our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains(BK) in season,
    who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’(BL)
25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
    your sins have deprived you of good.(BM)

26 “Among my people are the wicked(BN)
    who lie in wait(BO) like men who snare birds
    and like those who set traps(BP) to catch people.
27 Like cages full of birds,
    their houses are full of deceit;(BQ)
they have become rich(BR) and powerful
28     and have grown fat(BS) and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
    they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;(BT)
    they do not defend the just cause of the poor.(BU)
29 Should I not punish them for this?”
    declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(BV) myself
    on such a nation as this?

30 “A horrible(BW) and shocking thing
    has happened in the land:
31 The prophets prophesy lies,(BX)
    the priests(BY) rule by their own authority,
and my people love it this way.
    But what will you do in the end?(BZ)