你們說：‘事奉神是白費的；遵守他的吩咐，在萬軍之耶和華面前哀痛而行，有甚麼益處呢？

你们说：‘侍奉神是徒然的，遵守神所吩咐的，在万军之耶和华面前苦苦斋戒，有什么益处呢？

你们说：“事奉上帝是枉然，我们遵守上帝所吩咐的，在万军之耶和华面前哀痛而行，有什么益处呢？

你们说：“事奉神是枉然，我们遵守神所吩咐的，在万军之耶和华面前哀痛而行，有什么益处呢？

你们说，‘事奉上帝是虚空的。遵从上帝的吩咐，在万军之耶和华面前痛悔有什么益处？

你们说：‘事奉神是白费的；遵守他的吩咐，在万军之耶和华面前哀痛而行，有什么益处呢？

你们说：‘服事神是枉然的！遵守神所吩咐的，在万军之耶和华面前哀痛而行，有什么好处呢？

你們說：『事奉神是徒然的，遵守神所吩咐的，在萬軍之耶和華面前苦苦齋戒，有甚麼益處呢？

你們說：「事奉上帝是枉然，我們遵守上帝所吩咐的，在萬軍之耶和華面前哀痛而行，有甚麼益處呢？

你們說：「事奉神是枉然，我們遵守神所吩咐的，在萬軍之耶和華面前哀痛而行，有甚麼益處呢？

你們說，『事奉上帝是虛空的。遵從上帝的吩咐，在萬軍之耶和華面前痛悔有什麼益處？

你們說：「事奉上帝是徒然的；遵守上帝所吩咐守的，在萬軍之永恆主面前愁眉苦眼而行、有甚麼益處？

你們說：『服事神是枉然的！遵守神所吩咐的，在萬軍之耶和華面前哀痛而行，有什麼好處呢？

爾曰、奉事上帝、乃徒然耳、我遵其命、於萬軍之耶和華前殷憂而行、何益之有、

爾常言曰、服事上帝、終屬徒勞、我心甚憂、順從萬有之主耶和華、守其法度、何益之有、

答曰、爾嘗言曰、服事天主、實屬徒勞、守其律法、守其律法或作守其所命守者何益之有、因萬有之主愀然度日、愀然度日或作常懷憂悶何益之有、

“ You have said,‘ It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?

“ You have said,‘ It is useless to serve God. What do we gain by obeying his laws? And what do we get by pretending to be sad in front of the Lord?

You have said,‘ It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts?

“ You have said,‘ What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the Lord of Heaven’s Armies that we are sorry for our sins?

You have said,“ It is useless to serve God. What have we gained by keeping his requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Armies?

You have said,‘ It is pointless to serve God; and what benefit is it for us that we have done what He required, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of armies?

You have said,‘ It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the Lord of hosts?

Ye have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before Jehovah of hosts?

You have said:“ It is useless to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the Lord of Hosts?

Ye have said, It[ is] vain to serve God: and what profit[ is it] that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?

You have said,‘ It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD who rules over all?

You have said,‘ It is vain to serve God;’ and‘ What profit is it that we have followed his instructions, and that we have walked mournfully before Yahweh of Armies?

他們說：“為甚麼我們禁食，你不看呢？為甚麼我們刻苦己身，你不理會呢？”看哪！你們在禁食的日子，仍然追求自己喜歡作的事，欺壓為你們作工的人。

他們譏笑人，懷著惡意說欺壓人的話，他們說話自高。他們用口褻瀆上天，他們用舌頭毀謗全地。因此他的人民歸回那裡去，並且喝光了大量的水。他們說：“神怎會曉得？至高者有知識嗎？”看這些惡人，他們常享安逸，財富卻增加。我謹守我心純潔實在徒然；我洗手表明清白也是枉然。

耶和華說：“現在雖然如此，你們仍要全心全意，以禁食、哭泣、哀號，歸向我。”

你們要愁苦、悲哀、哭泣，把歡笑變為傷痛，把快樂變為憂愁。

他們詢問萬軍之耶和華殿裡的眾祭司，以及眾先知說：“我們還要在五月哭泣和禁食，像我們這許多年來所行的嗎？”萬軍之耶和華的話臨到我，說：“你要告訴這地的人民和祭司說：‘這七十年來，你們在五月和七月禁食哀哭，豈是真的為我禁食呢？你們吃，你們喝，豈不是為你們自己吃，為你們自己喝嗎？

你還說：‘你有甚麼益處呢？我不犯罪有甚麼好處？’

那時，我必提燈搜查耶路撒冷，懲罰那些在罪中陶然自得的人（“在罪中陶然自得”直譯是“沉澱在酒渣上”）。這些人心裡說：‘耶和華必不賜福，也不降禍。’

他們對神說：‘離開我們吧！全能者能把我們怎麼樣呢？’

因為他說過：‘人討神的喜悅，對他並無益處。’

然而他們對神說：‘離開我們吧，我們不願意曉得你的道路。全能者是誰，竟要我們服事他呢？我們若向他懇求，有甚麼益處呢？’