真希望我的頭是水泉,

眼是淚泉,
好為我被殺的同胞晝夜哭泣;
真希望我在曠野有棲身之處,
以便遠離我的同胞,
因為他們是一群不忠不貞之徒。
耶和華說:
「他們鼓舌如簧,射出謊言,
遍地充滿詭詐,毫無誠實;
他們行惡不斷,
不認我是上帝。
你們要提防鄰居,
不要信賴弟兄,
因為弟兄詭計多端,
鄰居滿口是非。
他們彼此欺騙,不說真話;
他們說謊成性,
不知疲倦地肆意犯罪;
他們充滿詭詐,
不認我是上帝。
這是耶和華說的。」

因此,萬軍之耶和華說:
「看啊,我要熬煉、試驗這些罪惡的子民,
除此之外,我別無選擇。
他們舌如毒箭,說話詭詐,
對鄰居口蜜腹劍。
難道我不該懲罰他們嗎?
難道我不該報應這樣的民族嗎?
這是耶和華說的。」

10 我要為眾山悲傷痛哭,
為曠野的草原唱哀歌,
因為那裡一片荒涼,杳無人跡,
聽不見牲畜的叫聲,
飛鳥和走獸也逃去無蹤。
11 耶和華說:「我要使耶路撒冷淪為廢墟,
成為豺狼出沒之地;
我要使猶大的城邑荒涼,
不見人煙。」

12 誰有智慧明白這事呢?誰曾受過耶和華的指教可以講解這事呢?為什麼這片土地被蹂躪,變得荒涼、杳無人跡? 13 耶和華說:「這是因為他們棄絕我賜給他們的律法,不聽從我的話,不遵守我的命令, 14 執迷不悟,隨從他們祖先的教導去供奉巴力。」 15 因此,以色列的上帝——萬軍之耶和華說:「看啊,我要使這百姓吃苦艾,喝毒藥; 16 我要把他們分散到他們及其祖先都不認識的列國;我要使敵人追殺他們,直到滅絕他們。」

17 萬軍之耶和華說:
「把陪哭的婦人請來,
把最會哭的婦人帶來,
18 叫她們速來為我的子民哀哭,
哭得他們淚盈滿眶,
哭得他們淚如泉湧。
19 因為從錫安傳出哀鳴,
『我們滅亡了!
我們受了奇恥大辱!
我們的家園被毀,
我們只好背井離鄉。』」
20 婦人啊,你們要聽耶和華的話,
接受祂的教誨;
你們要教導女兒哀哭,
教導鄰居唱輓歌。
21 因為死亡從窗戶爬進我們的城堡,
吞滅街上的孩童和廣場上的青年。
22 耶和華說:「人們必屍橫遍野,
像散佈在田野上的糞便,
又像收割者身後沒有收集的禾捆。」

23 耶和華說:「智者不要誇耀自己的智慧,勇士不要誇耀自己的力量,富人不要誇耀自己的財富。 24 若有人誇耀,就讓他誇耀自己認識我是耶和華,知道我喜歡在地上憑慈愛、公平和正義行事。這是耶和華說的。」 25 耶和華說:「看啊,時候將到,我要懲罰所有只在身體受過割禮的人, 26 就是埃及人、猶大人、以東人、亞捫人、摩押人和所有住在曠野、剃了鬢髮的人,因為這些人,包括以色列人,都沒有受過真正的割禮,沒有受過內心的割禮。」

真希望我的头是水泉,

眼是泪泉,
好为我被杀的同胞昼夜哭泣;
真希望我在旷野有栖身之处,
以便远离我的同胞,
因为他们是一群不忠不贞之徒。
耶和华说:
“他们鼓舌如簧,射出谎言,
遍地充满诡诈,毫无诚实;
他们行恶不断,
不认我是上帝。
你们要提防邻居,
不要信赖弟兄,
因为弟兄诡计多端,
邻居满口是非。
他们彼此欺骗,不说真话;
他们说谎成性,
不知疲倦地肆意犯罪;
他们充满诡诈,
不认我是上帝。
这是耶和华说的。”

因此,万军之耶和华说:
“看啊,我要熬炼、试验这些罪恶的子民,
除此之外,我别无选择。
他们舌如毒箭,说话诡诈,
对邻居口蜜腹剑。
难道我不该惩罚他们吗?
难道我不该报应这样的民族吗?
这是耶和华说的。”

10 我要为众山悲伤痛哭,
为旷野的草原唱哀歌,
因为那里一片荒凉,杳无人迹,
听不见牲畜的叫声,
飞鸟和走兽也逃去无踪。
11 耶和华说:“我要使耶路撒冷沦为废墟,
成为豺狼出没之地;
我要使犹大的城邑荒凉,
不见人烟。”

12 谁有智慧明白这事呢?谁曾受过耶和华的指教可以讲解这事呢?为什么这片土地被蹂躏,变得荒凉、杳无人迹? 13 耶和华说:“这是因为他们弃绝我赐给他们的律法,不听从我的话,不遵守我的命令, 14 执迷不悟,随从他们祖先的教导去供奉巴力。” 15 因此,以色列的上帝——万军之耶和华说:“看啊,我要使这百姓吃苦艾,喝毒药; 16 我要把他们分散到他们及其祖先都不认识的列国;我要使敌人追杀他们,直到灭绝他们。”

17 万军之耶和华说:
“把陪哭的妇人请来,
把最会哭的妇人带来,
18 叫她们速来为我的子民哀哭,
哭得他们泪盈满眶,
哭得他们泪如泉涌。
19 因为从锡安传出哀鸣,
‘我们灭亡了!
我们受了奇耻大辱!
我们的家园被毁,
我们只好背井离乡。’”
20 妇人啊,你们要听耶和华的话,
接受祂的教诲;
你们要教导女儿哀哭,
教导邻居唱挽歌。
21 因为死亡从窗户爬进我们的城堡,
吞灭街上的孩童和广场上的青年。
22 耶和华说:“人们必尸横遍野,
像散布在田野上的粪便,
又像收割者身后没有收集的禾捆。”

23 耶和华说:“智者不要夸耀自己的智慧,勇士不要夸耀自己的力量,富人不要夸耀自己的财富。 24 若有人夸耀,就让他夸耀自己认识我是耶和华,知道我喜欢在地上凭慈爱、公平和正义行事。这是耶和华说的。” 25 耶和华说:“看啊,时候将到,我要惩罚所有只在身体受过割礼的人, 26 就是埃及人、犹大人、以东人、亚扪人、摩押人和所有住在旷野、剃了鬓发的人,因为这些人,包括以色列人,都没有受过真正的割礼,没有受过内心的割礼。”

[a]Oh, that my head were a spring of water
    and my eyes a fountain of tears!(A)
I would weep(B) day and night
    for the slain of my people.(C)
Oh, that I had in the desert(D)
    a lodging place for travelers,
so that I might leave my people
    and go away from them;
for they are all adulterers,(E)
    a crowd of unfaithful(F) people.

“They make ready their tongue
    like a bow, to shoot lies;(G)
it is not by truth
    that they triumph[b] in the land.
They go from one sin to another;
    they do not acknowledge(H) me,”
declares the Lord.
“Beware of your friends;(I)
    do not trust anyone in your clan.(J)
For every one of them is a deceiver,[c](K)
    and every friend a slanderer.(L)
Friend deceives friend,(M)
    and no one speaks the truth.(N)
They have taught their tongues to lie;(O)
    they weary themselves with sinning.
You[d] live in the midst of deception;(P)
    in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,”
declares the Lord.

Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says:

“See, I will refine(Q) and test(R) them,
    for what else can I do
    because of the sin of my people?
Their tongue(S) is a deadly arrow;
    it speaks deceitfully.
With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors,(T)
    but in their hearts they set traps(U) for them.(V)
Should I not punish them for this?”
    declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(W) myself
    on such a nation as this?”

10 I will weep and wail for the mountains
    and take up a lament concerning the wilderness grasslands.(X)
They are desolate and untraveled,
    and the lowing of cattle is not heard.
The birds(Y) have all fled
    and the animals are gone.

11 “I will make Jerusalem a heap(Z) of ruins,
    a haunt of jackals;(AA)
and I will lay waste the towns of Judah(AB)
    so no one can live there.”(AC)

12 Who is wise(AD) enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross?

13 The Lord said, “It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law.(AE) 14 Instead, they have followed(AF) the stubbornness of their hearts;(AG) they have followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.” 15 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “See, I will make this people eat bitter food(AH) and drink poisoned water.(AI) 16 I will scatter them among nations(AJ) that neither they nor their ancestors have known,(AK) and I will pursue them with the sword(AL) until I have made an end of them.”(AM)

17 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Consider now! Call for the wailing women(AN) to come;
    send for the most skillful of them.
18 Let them come quickly
    and wail over us
till our eyes overflow with tears
    and water streams from our eyelids.(AO)
19 The sound of wailing is heard from Zion:
    ‘How ruined(AP) we are!
    How great is our shame!
We must leave our land
    because our houses are in ruins.’”

20 Now, you women, hear the word of the Lord;
    open your ears to the words of his mouth.(AQ)
Teach your daughters how to wail;
    teach one another a lament.(AR)
21 Death has climbed in through our windows(AS)
    and has entered our fortresses;
it has removed the children from the streets
    and the young men(AT) from the public squares.

22 Say, “This is what the Lord declares:

“‘Dead bodies will lie
    like dung(AU) on the open field,
like cut grain behind the reaper,
    with no one to gather them.’”

23 This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom(AV)
    or the strong boast of their strength(AW)
    or the rich boast of their riches,(AX)
24 but let the one who boasts boast(AY) about this:
    that they have the understanding to know(AZ) me,
that I am the Lord,(BA) who exercises kindness,(BB)
    justice and righteousness(BC) on earth,
    for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.

25 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh(BD) 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the wilderness in distant places.[e](BE) For all these nations are really uncircumcised,(BF) and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.(BG)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-26 is numbered 9:1-25.
  2. Jeremiah 9:3 Or lies; / they are not valiant for truth
  3. Jeremiah 9:4 Or a deceiving Jacob
  4. Jeremiah 9:6 That is, Jeremiah (the Hebrew is singular)
  5. Jeremiah 9:26 Or wilderness and who clip the hair by their foreheads