预言耶路撒冷的沦陷

21 西底迦王派玛基雅的儿子巴施户珥和玛西雅的儿子西番雅祭司来见耶利米的时候,耶利米听到了耶和华的话。当时,他们对耶利米说: “请你为我们求问耶和华,因为巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒来攻打我们,或许耶和华会像以往一样行神迹,使敌人撤军。”

耶利米对他们说:“你们要告诉西底迦, 以色列的上帝耶和华说,‘看啊,你们与围城的巴比伦王及其率领的迦勒底人作战,我要把你们的兵器掉转过来,我要把它们收集在城中心。 我要在烈怒中伸出大能的臂膀下手击打你们, 我要击打这城里的居民和牲畜,使他们死于瘟疫。 然后,我要把犹大王西底迦及其臣仆以及城中逃过瘟疫、战争和饥荒的人都交给巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒等仇敌,使他们落在想杀灭他们的人手中。巴比伦王必残酷无情地杀戮他们。这是耶和华说的。’

“耶利米啊,你要告诉百姓,‘耶和华说,看啊,我把生命之路和死亡之路摆在你们面前, 留在这城里的必死于战争、饥荒和瘟疫,出城向迦勒底人投降的必保全性命、逃过一死。 10 我必严惩这城,向它降祸不降福。它必落在巴比伦王手中,被付之一炬。这是耶和华说的。’

11 “你要对犹大的王室说,‘你们要听耶和华的话。 12 大卫家啊,耶和华说,

“‘你们要天天秉公行义,
从压迫者手中解救受剥削的人,
免得你们的恶行激起我的怒火,
如烈焰燃起,无人能灭。
13 耶和华说,耶路撒冷啊,
你坐落在山谷之上,
如平原的磐石,
自以为无人能攻击你,
无人能闯入你的住处。
但我要攻击你,
14 照你的所作所为惩罚你;
我要点燃你的树林,
烧光你周围的一切。
这是耶和华说的。’”

預言耶路撒冷必被圍困

21 耶和華有話臨到耶利米。那時,西底家王差遣瑪基雅的兒子巴施戶珥,和瑪西雅的兒子西番雅祭司去見耶利米,說: “請你替我們求問耶和華,因為巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒來攻擊我們;也許耶和華會為我們行奇事,使尼布甲尼撒離開我們回去。”

耶利米就對他們說:“你們要對西底家這樣說: ‘耶和華以色列的 神這樣說:看哪!我必使你們手中的武器,就是你們用來與城外圍困你們的巴比倫王和迦勒底人作戰的武器,轉回堆積在這城的中心。 我必在怒氣、烈怒和忿怒中,用伸出來的手和強有力的膀臂,親自攻擊你們。 我要擊打住在這城的人和牲畜,他們都要因極大的瘟疫而死。 然後,我必把猶大王西底家和他的臣民,就是在這城裡經過瘟疫、刀劍之災和饑荒而倖存的人,都交在巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒和他們的仇敵,以及尋索他們性命的人的手中。尼布甲尼撒要用刀劍擊殺他們,絕不顧惜,不留情,不憐憫。’”這是耶和華的宣告。

勸人民向迦勒底人投降

耶和華又吩咐耶利米:“你要對這人民說:‘耶和華這樣說:看哪!我把生命的路和死亡的路擺在你們面前。 凡留在這城裡的,必因刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫而死;但出去向圍困你們的迦勒底人投降的,必可以活著,撿回自己的性命。 10 因為我已經決意向這城降禍不降福;這城必交在巴比倫王的手中,他必放火把城燒毀。’”這是耶和華的宣告。

懲罰王室

11 “你要對猶大王室說:

‘你們要聽耶和華的話。

12 大衛家啊!耶和華這樣說:

你們每早晨應秉公審判,

解救被搶奪的脫離欺壓者的手;

免得我的烈怒因你們(“你們”有古抄本作“他們”)的惡行發作,

如火焚燒,無人能熄滅。

13 看哪!在山谷上、在巖石平原上的耶路撒冷啊!

我要攻擊你。’

這是耶和華的宣告。

‘你們說:誰能下來攻擊我們,

誰能進入我們的住處呢?

14 我必照著你們所作的事應得的結果懲罰你們;

我要在耶路撒冷的樹林中放火,

吞滅她四圍的一切。’”

這是耶和華的宣告。

預言耶路撒冷的淪陷

21 西底迦王派瑪基雅的兒子巴施戶珥和瑪西雅的兒子西番雅祭司來見耶利米的時候,耶利米聽到了耶和華的話。當時,他們對耶利米說: 「請你為我們求問耶和華,因為巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒來攻打我們,或許耶和華會像以往一樣行神蹟,使敵人撤軍。」

耶利米對他們說:「你們要告訴西底迦, 以色列的上帝耶和華說,『看啊,你們與圍城的巴比倫王及其率領的迦勒底人作戰,我要把你們的兵器掉轉過來,我要把它們收集在城中心。 我要在烈怒中伸出大能的臂膀下手擊打你們, 我要擊打這城裡的居民和牲畜,使他們死於瘟疫。 然後,我要把猶大王西底迦及其臣僕以及城中逃過瘟疫、戰爭和饑荒的人都交給巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒等仇敵,使他們落在想殺滅他們的人手中。巴比倫王必殘酷無情地殺戮他們。這是耶和華說的。』

「耶利米啊,你要告訴百姓,『耶和華說,看啊,我把生命之路和死亡之路擺在你們面前, 留在這城裡的必死於戰爭、饑荒和瘟疫,出城向迦勒底人投降的必保全性命、逃過一死。 10 我必嚴懲這城,向它降禍不降福。它必落在巴比倫王手中,被付之一炬。這是耶和華說的。』

11 「你要對猶大的王室說,『你們要聽耶和華的話。 12 大衛家啊,耶和華說,

『你們要天天秉公行義,
從壓迫者手中解救受剝削的人,
免得你們的惡行激起我的怒火,
如烈焰燃起,無人能滅。
13 耶和華說,耶路撒冷啊,
你座落在山谷之上,
如平原的磐石,
自以為無人能攻擊你,
無人能闖入你的住處。
但我要攻擊你,
14 照你的所作所為懲罰你;
我要點燃你的樹林,
燒光你周圍的一切。
這是耶和華說的。』」

God Rejects Zedekiah’s Request

21 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah(A) sent to him Pashhur(B) son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah(C) son of Maaseiah. They said: “Inquire(D) now of the Lord for us because Nebuchadnezzar[a](E) king of Babylon(F) is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will perform wonders(G) for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us.”

But Jeremiah answered them, “Tell Zedekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn(H) against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians[b] who are outside the wall besieging(I) you. And I will gather them inside this city. I myself will fight(J) against you with an outstretched hand(K) and a mighty arm(L) in furious anger and in great wrath. I will strike(M) down those who live in this city—both man and beast—and they will die of a terrible plague.(N) After that, declares the Lord, I will give Zedekiah(O) king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague,(P) sword and famine, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon(Q) and to their enemies(R) who want to kill them.(S) He will put them to the sword;(T) he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.’(U)

“Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life(V) and the way of death. Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague.(W) But whoever goes out and surrenders(X) to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives.(Y) 10 I have determined to do this city harm(Z) and not good, declares the Lord. It will be given into the hands(AA) of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.’(AB)

11 “Moreover, say to the royal house(AC) of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord. 12 This is what the Lord says to you, house of David:

“‘Administer justice(AD) every morning;
    rescue from the hand of the oppressor(AE)
    the one who has been robbed,
or my wrath will break out and burn like fire(AF)
    because of the evil(AG) you have done—
    burn with no one to quench(AH) it.
13 I am against(AI) you, Jerusalem,
    you who live above this valley(AJ)
    on the rocky plateau, declares the Lord
you who say, “Who can come against us?
    Who can enter our refuge?”(AK)
14 I will punish you as your deeds(AL) deserve,
    declares the Lord.
I will kindle a fire(AM) in your forests(AN)
    that will consume everything around you.’”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 21:2 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, of which Nebuchadnezzar is a variant; here and often in Jeremiah and Ezekiel
  2. Jeremiah 21:4 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 9

21 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,

Enquire, I pray thee, of the Lord for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the Lord will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.

Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:

Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.

And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.

And afterward, saith the Lord, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.

And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.

10 For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

11 And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the Lord;

12 O house of David, thus saith the Lord; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

13 Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the Lord; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?

14 But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the Lord: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.