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預示埃及之禍亂

19 埃及的默示。

看哪,耶和華乘駕快雲,臨到埃及埃及的偶像在他面前戰兢,埃及人的心在裡面消化。 「我必激動埃及人攻擊埃及人,弟兄攻擊弟兄,鄰舍攻擊鄰舍,這城攻擊那城,這國攻擊那國。 埃及人的心神必在裡面耗盡,我必敗壞他們的謀略,他們必求問偶像和念咒的、交鬼的、行巫術的。 我必將埃及人交在殘忍主的手中,強暴王必轄制他們。」這是主萬軍之耶和華說的。

海中的水必絕盡,河也消沒乾涸。 江河要變臭,埃及的河水都必減少枯乾,葦子和蘆荻都必衰殘。 尼羅河旁的草田,並沿尼羅河所種的田,都必枯乾,莊稼被風吹去,歸於無有。 打魚的必哀哭,在尼羅河一切釣魚的必悲傷,在水上撒網的必都衰弱。 用梳好的麻造物的,和織白布的,都必羞愧。 10 國柱必被打碎,所有傭工的心必愁煩。

牧伯謀士盡為愚蒙

11 瑣安的首領極其愚昧,法老大有智慧的謀士所籌劃的成為愚謀。你們怎敢對法老說「我是智慧人的子孫,我是古王的後裔」? 12 你的智慧人在哪裡呢?萬軍之耶和華向埃及所定的旨意,他們可以知道,可以告訴你吧! 13 瑣安的首領都變為愚昧,挪弗的首領都受了迷惑,當埃及支派房角石的使埃及人走錯了路。 14 耶和華使乖謬的靈摻入埃及中間,首領使埃及一切所做的都有差錯,好像醉酒之人嘔吐的時候東倒西歪一樣。 15 埃及中,無論是頭與尾,棕枝與蘆葦,所做之工都不成就。

16 到那日,埃及人必像婦人一樣,他們必因萬軍之耶和華在埃及以上所掄的手戰兢懼怕。 17 猶大地必使埃及驚恐,向誰提起猶大地,誰就懼怕。這是因萬軍之耶和華向埃及所定的旨意。

18 當那日,埃及地必有五城的人說迦南的方言,又指著萬軍之耶和華起誓,有一城必稱為滅亡城。

埃及人識主蒙救

19 當那日,在埃及地中必有為耶和華築的一座壇,在埃及的邊界上必有為耶和華立的一根柱。 20 這都要在埃及地為萬軍之耶和華做記號和證據。埃及人因為受人的欺壓哀求耶和華,他就差遣一位救主,做護衛者,拯救他們。 21 耶和華必被埃及人所認識,在那日,埃及人必認識耶和華,也要獻祭物和供物敬拜他,並向耶和華許願還願。 22 耶和華必擊打埃及,又擊打又醫治,埃及人就歸向耶和華。他必應允他們的禱告,醫治他們。

23 當那日,必有從埃及亞述去的大道,亞述人要進入埃及埃及人也進入亞述埃及人要與亞述人一同敬拜耶和華。

24 當那日,以色列必與埃及亞述三國一律,使地上的人得福。 25 因為萬軍之耶和華賜福給他們,說:「埃及我的百姓,亞述我手的工作,以色列我的產業,都有福了!」

關於埃及的預言

19 以下是關於埃及的預言:

看啊,耶和華駕著疾馳的雲來到埃及。
埃及的偶像在祂面前顫抖,
埃及人膽戰心驚。
「我必使埃及人彼此為敵——手足相殘,
鄰居互鬥,城邑相爭,
邦國互攻。
埃及人必灰心喪志,
我必破壞他們的計謀。
他們必求問偶像、巫師、靈媒和術士。
我必將埃及人交給一位殘忍的主人,
一位暴君必統治他們。」
這是主——萬軍之耶和華說的。

尼羅河必枯竭,
河床必乾涸。
河流必發臭,
埃及的河流逐漸枯竭。
蘆荻和燈心草必枯死,
尼羅河兩岸青草枯黃,
田地龜裂,莊稼被風吹去,
蕩然無存。
所有在尼羅河下鉤的漁夫都哀哭悲傷,
在河上撒網的人都傷痛。
紡紗織布的人一籌莫展,
感到絕望。
10 埃及的顯貴都沒落,
靠工錢維生的人都憂心忡忡。

11 埃及王聰明的謀士——瑣安的首領們變得愚不可及。
他們怎敢在埃及王面前自稱是古聖先賢的子孫呢?
12 埃及王啊,你的智者在哪裡呢?
讓他們把萬軍之耶和華對付埃及的計劃告訴你吧!
13 瑣安的首領愚昧,
挪弗的首領糊塗。
他們是埃及的房角石,
卻把埃及人引入歧途。
14 耶和華使錯謬的靈進入他們當中,
使他們像又嘔又吐、東倒西歪的醉漢,
做什麼都錯誤百出。
15 埃及從首領到平民,
從權貴到草根必一籌莫展。

16 到那日,當萬軍之耶和華揮拳懲罰的時候,埃及人必恐懼戰抖,如柔弱的女子。 17 他們必對猶大充滿恐懼,一聽見猶大的名字就害怕,因為萬軍之耶和華定下計劃要對付他們。 18 到那日,埃及必有五座城的人講迦南的語言,並信奉萬軍之耶和華,其中有一座必叫滅亡城[a]

19 到那日,埃及的中央必有一座為耶和華築的祭壇,邊境必有一根為耶和華立的石柱。 20 這是萬軍之耶和華在埃及的記號和憑據。埃及人因受到欺壓就呼求耶和華,祂必差遣一位救主保護、拯救他們。 21 耶和華必向埃及人彰顯自己。到那日,埃及人必認識祂,帶著祭物和供品來敬拜祂,向祂許願還願。 22 耶和華必擊打他們,也必醫治他們。他們必歸向耶和華,祂必應允他們的禱告,醫治他們。

23 到那日,必有一條大道連接埃及和亞述,兩國人民可以互相往來,一同敬拜耶和華。 24 到那日,以色列必與埃及和亞述一同成為世人的祝福。 25 萬軍之耶和華必賜福給他們,說:「我的子民埃及、我手中的傑作亞述、我的產業以色列都有福了!」

Footnotes

  1. 19·18 滅亡城」有些抄本作「太陽城」。

Anarchy and Chaos and Killing!

19 A Message concerning Egypt:

Watch this! God riding on a fast-moving cloud,
    moving in on Egypt!
The god-idols of Egypt shudder and shake,
    Egyptians paralyzed by panic.

2-4 God says, “I’ll make Egyptian fight Egyptian,
    brother fight brother, neighbor fight neighbor,
City fight city, kingdom fight kingdom—
    anarchy and chaos and killing!
I’ll knock the wind out of the Egyptians.
    They won’t know coming from going.
They’ll go to their god-idols for answers;
    they’ll conjure ghosts and hold séances, desperate for answers.
But I’ll turn the Egyptians
    over to a tyrant most cruel.
I’ll put them under the rule of a mean, merciless king.”
    Decree of the Master, God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

5-10 The River Nile will dry up,
    the riverbed baked dry in the sun.
The canals will become stagnant and stink,
    every stream touching the Nile dry up.
River vegetation will rot away
    the banks of the Nile-baked clay,
The riverbed hard and smooth,
    river grasses dried up and gone with the wind.
Fishermen will complain
    that the fishing’s been ruined.
Textile workers will be out of work, all weavers
    and workers in linen and cotton and wool
Dispirited, depressed in their forced idleness—
    everyone who works for a living, jobless.

11-15 The princes of Zoan are fools,
    the advisors of Pharaoh stupid.
How could any of you dare tell Pharaoh,
    “Trust me: I’m wise. I know what’s going on.
    Why, I’m descended from the old wisdom of Egypt”?
There’s not a wise man or woman left in the country.
    If there were, one of them would tell you
    what God-of-the-Angel-Armies has in mind for Egypt.
As it is, the princes of Zoan are all fools
    and the princes of Memphis, idiots.
The honored pillars of your society
    have led Egypt into detours and dead ends.
God has scrambled their brains,
    Egypt’s become a falling-down-in-his-own-vomit drunk.
Egypt’s hopeless, past helping,
    a senile, doddering old fool.

* * *

16-17 On that Day, Egyptians will be like hysterical schoolgirls, screaming at the first hint of action from God-of-the-Angel-Armies. Little Judah will strike terror in Egyptians! Say “Judah” to an Egyptian and see panic. The word triggers fear of the God-of-the-Angel-Armies’ plan against Egypt.

18 On that Day, more than one city in Egypt will learn to speak the language of faith and promise to follow God-of-the-Angel-Armies. One of these cities will be honored with the title “City of the Sun.”

19-22 On that Day, there will be a place of worship to God in the center of Egypt and a monument to God at its border. It will show how the God-of-the-Angel-Armies has helped the Egyptians. When they cry out in prayer to God because of oppressors, he’ll send them help, a savior who will keep them safe and take care of them. God will openly show himself to the Egyptians and they’ll get to know him on that Day. They’ll worship him seriously with sacrifices and burnt offerings. They’ll make vows and keep them. God will wound Egypt, first hit and then heal. Egypt will come back to God, and God will listen to their prayers and heal them, heal them from head to toe.

23 On that Day, there will be a highway all the way from Egypt to Assyria: Assyrians will have free range in Egypt and Egyptians in Assyria. No longer rivals, they’ll worship together, Egyptians and Assyrians!

24-25 On that Day, Israel will take its place alongside Egypt and Assyria, sharing the blessing from the center. God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who blessed Israel, will generously bless them all: “Blessed be Egypt, my people! . . . Blessed be Assyria, work of my hands! . . . Blessed be Israel, my heritage!”