犹大毁约

11 耶和华对耶利米说: “你要听这约上的话,把内容告诉犹大人和耶路撒冷的居民。 你要告诉他们,以色列的上帝耶和华说,‘不遵守这约的人必受咒诅。 我把你们的祖先从埃及——苦难的熔炉里带出来,那时我吩咐他们遵守这约。他们若听从我的话,遵行我的吩咐,就必做我的子民,我也必做他们的上帝。 这样,我就实现我向你们祖先起的誓——赐给他们那奶蜜之乡,正如今日一样。’”我回答说:“耶和华啊,遵命!”

耶和华对我说:“你要在犹大各城和耶路撒冷的街头宣告,呼吁百姓听从、遵行这约。 因为自从我把你们祖先从埃及领出来的那天起,一直到今天,我一再劝诫他们要听从我的话。 然而,他们却不听不理,人人凭自己顽固的恶念行事。因此,我要使约中的一切咒诅临到他们,因为我吩咐他们遵守这约,他们却拒绝遵守。”

耶和华对我说:“犹大人和耶路撒冷的居民阴谋背叛我。 10 他们重蹈祖先的覆辙,不听从我的话,跟从、祭拜别的神明。以色列和犹大都违背了我与他们祖先立的约。 11 所以我要使他们灾难临头,无法逃脱,任他们高声呼求,我也不听。这是耶和华说的。 12 那时,犹大各城和耶路撒冷的居民必去呼求他们烧香供奉的神明,却得不到任何帮助。 13 犹大啊,你的神明多如你的城邑,你给可憎的巴力烧香的祭坛多如耶路撒冷的街道。

14 “因此,耶利米啊,你不要为这些人祈祷,不要为他们呼求祷告,因为他们遭难时向我呼求,我必不理会他们。 15 我所爱的子民既然罪恶滔天,还在我殿里做什么?难道祭肉可以为他们消灾免祸吗?他们以作恶为乐。 16 耶和华曾称他们为枝繁叶茂、果实佳美的橄榄树,但现在祂要在呼啸的风暴中把它点燃,烧毁它的枝条。 17 我——万军之耶和华曾栽培以色列人和犹大人,如今我要降祸给他们,因为他们作恶,向巴力献祭,惹我发怒。”

谋害耶利米

18 有人想谋害我,耶和华告诉了我,并让我看见他们的所作所为。 19 我好像一只被牵去宰杀的驯良羊羔,不知他们要谋害我。他们说:

“我们把这棵树连果子一同毁灭,
从世上除掉它,
使它被遗忘吧!”
20 然而,审判公正、洞察肺腑心肠的万军之耶和华啊,
愿我能看见你报应他们,
因为我已向你陈明我的冤屈。

21-22 亚拿突人想杀我,他们威胁我说:“你不要奉耶和华的名说预言,免得死在我们手上。”因此,万军之耶和华说:“看啊,我必惩罚他们。他们的青年必丧身刀下,他们的子女必死于饥荒, 23 一个不留。因为在我报应之年,我必降灾难给亚拿突人。”

11 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying,

Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

And say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,

Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God:

That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, So be it, O Lord.

Then the Lord said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them.

For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.

Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do: but they did them not.

And the Lord said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

10 They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.

11 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.

12 Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble.

13 For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal.

14 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.

15 What hath my beloved to do in mine house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.

16 The Lord called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.

17 For the Lord of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.

18 And the Lord hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings.

19 But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.

20 But, O Lord of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause.

21 Therefore thus saith the Lord of the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the Lord, that thou die not by our hand:

22 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine:

23 And there shall be no remnant of them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.

耶利米宣告主約

11 耶和華的話臨到耶利米說: 「當聽這約的話,告訴猶大人和耶路撒冷的居民, 對他們說:『耶和華以色列的神如此說:不聽從這約之話的人必受咒詛。 這約是我將你們列祖從埃及地領出來,脫離鐵爐的那日所吩咐他們的,說:「你們要聽從我的話,照我一切所吩咐的去行。這樣你們就做我的子民,我也做你們的神。」 我好堅定向你們列祖所起的誓,給他們流奶與蜜之地,正如今日一樣。』」我就回答說:「耶和華啊,阿們!」

責猶大頑梗不遵其約

耶和華對我說:「你要在猶大城邑中和耶路撒冷街市上,宣告這一切話說:你們當聽從遵行這約的話。 因為我將你們列祖從埃及地領出來的那日,直到今日,都是從早起來,切切告誡他們說:『你們當聽從我的話。』 他們卻不聽從,不側耳而聽,竟隨從自己頑梗的惡心去行。所以我使這約中一切咒詛的話臨到他們身上,這約是我吩咐他們行的,他們卻不去行。」

預言必降災禍

耶和華對我說:「在猶大人和耶路撒冷居民中有同謀背叛的事。 10 他們轉去效法他們的先祖,不肯聽我的話,犯罪作孽,又隨從別神,侍奉它。以色列家和猶大家背了我與他們列祖所立的約。」 11 所以耶和華如此說:「我必使災禍臨到他們,是他們不能逃脫的。他們必向我哀求,我卻不聽。 12 那時,猶大城邑的人和耶路撒冷的居民要去哀求他們燒香所供奉的神,只是遭難的時候,這些神毫不拯救他們。 13 猶大啊,你神的數目與你城的數目相等,你為那可恥的巴力所築燒香的壇,也與耶路撒冷街道的數目相等!

主諭耶利米勿為民禱

14 「所以你不要為這百姓祈禱,不要為他們呼求禱告,因為他們遭難向我哀求的時候,我必不應允。 15 我所親愛的既行許多淫亂,聖肉也離了你,你在我殿中做什麼呢?你作惡就喜樂。 16 從前耶和華給你起名叫青橄欖樹,又華美又結好果子,如今他用鬨嚷之聲,點火在其上,枝子也被折斷。 17 原來栽培你的萬軍之耶和華已經說要降禍攻擊你,是因以色列家和猶大家行惡,向巴力燒香,惹我發怒,是自作自受。」

先知自言己民欲加謀害

18 耶和華指示我,我就知道,你將他們所行的給我指明。 19 我卻像柔順的羊羔被牽到宰殺之地,我並不知道他們設計謀害我說:「我們把樹連果子都滅了吧!將他從活人之地剪除,使他的名不再被記念。」

預言亞拿突人受罰

20 按公義判斷,察驗人肺腑心腸的萬軍之耶和華啊,我卻要見你在他們身上報仇,因我將我的案件向你稟明了。 21 所以,耶和華論到尋索你命的亞拿突人如此說:「他們說『你不要奉耶和華的名說預言,免得你死在我們手中』, 22 所以萬軍之耶和華如此說:『看哪,我必刑罰他們,他們的少年人必被刀劍殺死,他們的兒女必因饑荒滅亡。 23 並且沒有餘剩的人留給他們,因為在追討之年,我必使災禍臨到亞拿突人。』」