耶路撒冷的敗壞
1這叛逆、污穢、充滿壓迫的城有禍了！
2她不聽命令，不受管教；
不倚靠耶和華，
不親近她的上帝。
3她的首領是咆哮的獅子，
她的審判官是夜間的豺狼，
不留一點獵物到天明。
4她的先知是狂妄詭詐之徒，
她的祭司褻瀆聖殿，違背律法。
5但城中的耶和華是公義的，
祂絕不做不義之事。
祂每天早晨伸張正義，從不間斷。
然而，不義之人卻不知羞恥。
6「我已消滅列國，
摧毀他們的城樓，
使他們的街道荒廢，沒有路人；
他們的城邑淪為廢墟，杳無人跡，沒有居民。
7我以為這城一定會敬畏我，接受管教，
這樣我就不必照所定的毀滅她。
然而，他們卻更加熱衷於犯罪作惡。
8「因此，等著我吧，
等著我指控的那一天吧。
我已決定召集列國列邦，
向他們傾倒我的烈怒，
我的怒火必吞噬天下。
這是耶和華說的。
耶和華的拯救
9「那時，我必潔淨萬民的口，
以便他們可以求告我的名，
同心合意地事奉我。
10那些敬拜我的，
就是我那些分散的子民必從古實河對岸帶著供物來獻給我。
11到那天，你必不再因背叛我而感到羞愧，
因為那時我必除掉你那裡狂妄自大的人，
你在我的聖山上必不再高傲。
12我必把謙卑貧苦的人留在你那裡，
他們必投靠在我耶和華的名下。
13以色列的餘民必不再作惡，
撒謊或出詭詐之言。
他們吃喝躺臥，無人驚擾。」
歡樂之歌
14錫安城3·14 「城」希伯來文是「女子」，可能是對錫安的暱稱。啊，歌唱吧！
以色列啊，歡呼吧！
耶路撒冷城啊，盡情地歡喜快樂吧！
15耶和華已經撤銷對你的刑罰，
趕走你的仇敵，
以色列的王耶和華與你同在，
你必不再懼怕災禍。
16到那天，耶路撒冷必聽到這樣的話：
「錫安啊，不要害怕！不要雙手發軟！
17你的上帝耶和華與你同在，
祂是大能的拯救者，
祂必因你而歡喜快樂，歡然歌唱，
用祂的愛安慰你。」
18「我必招聚你那裡因不能守節期而憂愁的人，
使你不再蒙受羞辱。
19看啊，那時我必懲罰所有欺壓你的人，
拯救瘸腿的，召回分散的，
使他們的羞辱化為尊榮，聲名遠播。
20那時，我必招聚你們，帶你們回到故土。
你們回到故土後，
我必使你們在天下萬民中聲名遠播，得到尊榮。」
這是耶和華說的。
A Message About Jerusalem
1How terrible it will be for Jerusalem!
Its people crush others.
They refuse to obey the Lord.
They are “unclean.”
2They don’t obey anyone.
They don’t accept the Lord’s warnings.
They don’t trust in him.
They don’t ask their God for his help.
3Jerusalem’s officials are like roaring lions.
Their rulers are like wolves that hunt in the evening.
They don’t leave anything to eat in the morning.
4Their prophets care about nothing.
They can’t be trusted.
Their priests make the temple “unclean.”
They break the law they teach others to obey.
5In spite of that, the Lord is good to Jerusalem.
He never does anything that is wrong.
Every morning he does what is fair.
Each new day he does the right thing.
But those who do what is wrong
aren’t even ashamed of it.
Jerusalem Remains Unrepentant
6The Lord says to his people,
“I have destroyed other nations.
I have wiped out their forts.
I have left their streets deserted.
No one walks along them.
Their cities are destroyed.
They are deserted and empty.
7Here is what I thought about Jerusalem.
‘Surely you will have respect for me.
Surely you will accept my warning.’
Then the city you think is safe would not be destroyed.
And I would not have to punish you so much.
But they still wanted to go on sinning
in every way they could.
8So wait for me to come as judge,”
announces the Lord.
“Wait for the day I will stand up
to witness against all sinners.
I have decided to gather the nations.
I will bring the kingdoms together.
And I will pour out all my burning anger on them.
The fire of my jealous anger
will burn the whole world up.
Israel Will Trust in the Lord
9“But then I will purify what all the nations say.
And they will use their words to worship me.
They will serve me together.
10My scattered people will come to me
from beyond the rivers of Cush.
They will worship me.
They will bring me offerings.
11Jerusalem, you have done many wrong things to me.
But at that time you will not be put to shame anymore.
That’s because I will remove from this city
those who think so highly of themselves.
You will never be proud again
on my holy mountain of Zion.
12But inside your city I will leave
those who are not proud at all.
Those who are still left alive will trust in the Lord.
13They will not do anything wrong.
They will not tell any lies.
They will not say anything to fool other people.
They will eat and lie down in peace.
And no one will make them afraid.”
14People of Zion, sing!
Israel, shout loudly!
People of Jerusalem, be glad!
Let your hearts be full of joy.
15The Lord has stopped punishing you.
He has made your enemies turn away from you.
The Lord is the King of Israel.
He is with you.
You will never again be afraid
that others will harm you.
16The time is coming when people will say to Jerusalem,
“Zion, don’t be afraid.
Don’t give up.
17The Lord your God is with you.
He is the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you.
In his love he will no longer punish you.
Instead, he will sing for joy because of you.”
18The Lord says to his people,
“You used to celebrate my appointed feasts in Jerusalem.
You are sad because you can’t do that anymore.
Other people make fun of you because of that.
That sadness was a heavy load for you to carry.
But I will remove that load from you.
19At that time I will punish
all those who crushed you.
I will save those among you who are disabled.
I will gather those who have been taken away.
I will give them praise and honor
in every land where they have been put to shame.
20At that time I will gather you together.
And I will bring you home.
I will give you honor and praise
among all the nations on earth.
I will bless you with great success again,”
says the Lord.
