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耶和華離棄猶大

15 耶和華對我說:“即使摩西和撒母耳站在我面前代求,我的心也不會轉向這人民。你把他們從我面前趕走,叫他們出去! 如果他們問你:‘我們要去哪裡?’你就告訴他們:‘耶和華這樣說:

該死亡的,就死亡;

該被刀劍所殺的,就被刀劍所殺;

該遭遇饑荒的,就遭遇饑荒;

該被擄的,就被擄去!’

我要命定四種刑罰對付他們,就是刀劍殺戮,屍體被野狗拖走,被空中的飛鳥和地上的走獸吞吃與毀滅。”這是耶和華的宣告。 “因猶大王希西家的兒子瑪拿西在耶路撒冷的所作所為,我必使地上萬國看見他們的遭遇就驚恐。”

“耶路撒冷啊!誰會可憐你呢?

誰會為你悲傷呢?

誰會轉身向你問安呢?

你離棄了我,

你轉身背著我;

因此我要伸手攻擊你,毀滅你,

我不會再回心轉意。”

這是耶和華的宣告。

“我在這地的城門口,

用簸箕簸了我的子民,

使他們喪掉兒女,使他們滅亡;

他們仍不轉離自己所行的路。

我使他們寡婦的數目

比海沙還多;

我使行毀滅的在午間臨到我的子民,

打擊年輕人的母親,

使痛苦的驚恐忽然臨到她們身上。

那生過七個子女的母親衰竭疲弱,

幾乎氣絕;

還在白晝,她的太陽已經西落,

她必慚愧蒙羞。

我必使他們餘剩的人在敵人面前死於刀下。”

這是耶和華的宣告。

耶和華安慰且眷顧耶利米

10 我母親哪!我有禍了,因為你生了我,

這個跟全地相爭相鬥的人。

我從沒有借錢給人,也沒有向人借錢,

可是人人都咒罵我。

11 耶和華說:“我必為你的好處釋放你;

在遭遇禍患和災難的時候,

我必叫你的仇敵懇求你。

12 誰可以折斷鐵,

就是從北方來的鐵和銅呢?

13 因你在四境之內所犯的一切罪,

我必把你的財產和寶物,

白白給敵人作掠物。

14 我必使你在你不認識的地方,

服事你的仇敵(有古抄本作“我必使你的仇敵過去,到你所不認識的地方”);

因為我的怒火燃燒起來,

要燒滅你們。”

15 耶和華啊!你知道這一切;

求你記念我,看顧我,

替我向那些逼迫我的人報復。

求你忍怒,不要取去我的性命;

要知道,我為你的緣故受了侮辱。

16 我一得到你的話,就把它們吃了;

你的話成了我心中的歡喜快樂;

耶和華萬軍的 神啊!

因為我是稱為你名下的人。

17 我沒有坐在歡笑者的集會中一同歡樂;

因為你的手在我身上,

你使我滿了忿怒,

我就獨自靜坐。

18 我的痛苦為甚麼長久不止呢?

我的創傷為甚麼無法醫治,不得痊愈呢?

你對我真的像叫人失望、

靠不住的溪流嗎?

19 因此,耶和華這樣說:

“如果你回轉,我必讓你回來,

你就可以侍立在我面前。

如果你說寶貴的話,不說無價值的話,

就必作我的口。

他們要歸向你,

你卻不要歸向他們。

20 我要使你成為堅固的銅牆抵擋這人民,

他們必攻擊你,卻不能勝過你;

因為我與你同在,

要拯救你,搭救你。”

這是耶和華的宣告。

21 “我必搭救你脫離惡人的手,

救贖你脫離強暴人的掌握(“掌握”原文作“手掌”)。”

15 Then the Lord said to me: “Even if Moses(A) and Samuel(B) were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people.(C) Send them away from my presence!(D) Let them go! And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘Those destined for death, to death;
those for the sword, to the sword;(E)
those for starvation, to starvation;(F)
those for captivity, to captivity.’(G)

“I will send four kinds of destroyers(H) against them,” declares the Lord, “the sword(I) to kill and the dogs(J) to drag away and the birds(K) and the wild animals to devour and destroy.(L) I will make them abhorrent(M) to all the kingdoms of the earth(N) because of what Manasseh(O) son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.

“Who will have pity(P) on you, Jerusalem?
    Who will mourn for you?
    Who will stop to ask how you are?
You have rejected(Q) me,” declares the Lord.
    “You keep on backsliding.
So I will reach out(R) and destroy you;
    I am tired of holding back.(S)
I will winnow(T) them with a winnowing fork
    at the city gates of the land.
I will bring bereavement(U) and destruction on my people,(V)
    for they have not changed their ways.(W)
I will make their widows(X) more numerous
    than the sand of the sea.
At midday I will bring a destroyer(Y)
    against the mothers of their young men;
suddenly I will bring down on them
    anguish and terror.(Z)
The mother of seven will grow faint(AA)
    and breathe her last.(AB)
Her sun will set while it is still day;
    she will be disgraced(AC) and humiliated.
I will put the survivors to the sword(AD)
    before their enemies,”(AE)
declares the Lord.

10 Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth,(AF)
    a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!(AG)
I have neither lent(AH) nor borrowed,
    yet everyone curses(AI) me.

11 The Lord said,

“Surely I will deliver you(AJ) for a good purpose;
    surely I will make your enemies plead(AK) with you
    in times of disaster and times of distress.

12 “Can a man break iron—
    iron from the north(AL)—or bronze?

13 “Your wealth(AM) and your treasures
    I will give as plunder,(AN) without charge,(AO)
because of all your sins
    throughout your country.(AP)
14 I will enslave you to your enemies
    in[a] a land you do not know,(AQ)
for my anger will kindle a fire(AR)
    that will burn against you.”

15 Lord, you understand;
    remember me and care for me.
    Avenge me on my persecutors.(AS)
You are long-suffering(AT)—do not take me away;
    think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.(AU)
16 When your words came, I ate(AV) them;
    they were my joy and my heart’s delight,(AW)
for I bear your name,(AX)
    Lord God Almighty.
17 I never sat(AY) in the company of revelers,
    never made merry with them;
I sat alone because your hand(AZ) was on me
    and you had filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain unending
    and my wound grievous and incurable?(BA)
You are to me like a deceptive brook,
    like a spring that fails.(BB)

19 Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“If you repent, I will restore you
    that you may serve(BC) me;
if you utter worthy, not worthless, words,
    you will be my spokesman.(BD)
Let this people turn to you,
    but you must not turn to them.
20 I will make you a wall(BE) to this people,
    a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you
    but will not overcome(BF) you,
for I am with you
    to rescue and save you,”(BG)
declares the Lord.
21 “I will save(BH) you from the hands of the wicked(BI)
    and deliver(BJ) you from the grasp of the cruel.”(BK)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 15:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac (see also 17:4); most Hebrew manuscripts I will cause your enemies to bring you / into

15 Then said the Lord unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.

And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the Lord; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.

And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the Lord: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy.

And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.

For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest?

Thou hast forsaken me, saith the Lord, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.

And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people since they return not from their ways.

Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noonday: I have caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city.

She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the Lord.

10 Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.

11 The Lord said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.

12 Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?

13 Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.

14 And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you.

15 O Lord, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.

16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.

17 I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation.

18 Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?

19 Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.

20 And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

21 And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.