Add parallel Print Page Options

召以色列归诚

耶和华说:“以色列啊,你若回来归向我,若从我眼前除掉你可憎的偶像,你就不被迁移。 你必凭诚实、公平、公义指着永生的耶和华起誓,列国必因耶和华称自己为有福,也必因他夸耀。”

劝犹大悔改

耶和华对犹大耶路撒冷人如此说:“要开垦你们的荒地,不要撒种在荆棘中。 犹大人和耶路撒冷的居民哪,你们当自行割礼,归耶和华,将心里的污秽除掉,恐怕我的愤怒因你们的恶行发作,如火着起,甚至无人能以熄灭。

“你们当传扬在犹大,宣告在耶路撒冷说:‘你们当在国中吹角,高声呼叫说:你们当聚集,我们好进入坚固城!’ 应当向锡安竖立大旗!要逃避,不要迟延!因我必使灾祸与大毁灭从北方来到。” 有狮子从密林中上来,是毁坏列国的。它已经动身出离本处,要使你的地荒凉,使你的城邑变为荒场无人居住。 因此你们当腰束麻布,大声哀号,因为耶和华的烈怒没有向我们转消。 耶和华说:“到那时,君王和首领的心都要消灭,祭司都要惊奇,先知都要诧异。”

10 我说:“哀哉!主耶和华啊,你真是大大地欺哄这百姓和耶路撒冷,说‘你们必得平安’,其实刀剑害及性命了!”

11 那时,必有话对这百姓和耶路撒冷说:“有一阵热风从旷野净光的高处向我的众民[a]刮来,不是为簸扬,也不是为扬净, 12 必有一阵更大的风从这些地方为我刮来。现在我又必发出判语,攻击他们。” 13 看哪!仇敌必如云上来,他的战车如旋风,他的马匹比鹰更快。我们有祸了!我们败落了! 14 耶路撒冷啊,你当洗去心中的恶,使你可以得救。恶念存在你心里要到几时呢? 15 有声音从传扬,从以法莲山报祸患。 16 “你们当传给列国,报告攻击耶路撒冷的事说:有探望的人从远方来到,向犹大的城邑大声呐喊。 17 他们周围攻击耶路撒冷好像看守田园的,因为她背叛了我。这是耶和华说的。 18 你的行动、你的作为招惹这事,这是你罪恶的结果,实在是苦,是害及你心了!”

哀叹犹大遭灾

19 我的肺腑啊,我的肺腑啊,我心疼痛!我心在我里面烦躁不安,我不能静默不言,因为我已经听见角声和打仗的喊声。 20 毁坏的信息连络不绝,因为全地荒废。我的帐篷忽然毁坏,我的幔子顷刻破裂。 21 我看见大旗、听见角声要到几时呢? 22 耶和华说:“我的百姓愚顽,不认识我。他们是愚昧无知的儿女,有智慧行恶,没有知识行善。”

23 先知说:我观看地,不料地是空虚混沌。我观看天,天也无光。 24 我观看大山,不料尽都震动,小山也都摇来摇去。 25 我观看,不料无人,空中的飞鸟也都躲避。 26 我观看,不料肥田变为荒地,一切城邑在耶和华面前因他的烈怒都被拆毁。

27 耶和华如此说:“全地必然荒凉,我却不毁灭净尽。 28 因此地要悲哀,在上的天也必黑暗。因为我言已出,我意已定,必不后悔,也不转意不做。” 29 各城的人因马兵和弓箭手的响声就都逃跑,进入密林,爬上磐石。各城被撇下,无人住在其中。 30 你凄凉的时候要怎样行呢?你虽穿上朱红衣服,佩戴黄金装饰,用颜料修饰眼目,这样标致是枉然的!恋爱你的藐视你,并且寻索你的性命。 31 我听见有声音,仿佛妇人产难的声音,好像生头胎疼痛的声音,是锡安女子[b]的声音。她喘着气,挓挲手,说:“我有祸了!在杀人的跟前,我的心发昏了!”

Footnotes

  1. 耶利米书 4:11 原文作:民女。
  2. 耶利米书 4:31 “女子”就是指“民”的意思。

A Call to Repentance

The Lord says, “People of Israel, if you want to turn, then turn back to me. If you are faithful to me and remove the idols I hate, it will be right for you to swear by my name. Then[a] all the nations will ask me to bless them, and they will praise me.”

(A)The Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, “Plow up your unplowed fields; do not plant your seeds among thorns. Keep your covenant with me, your Lord, and dedicate yourselves to me, you people of Judah and Jerusalem. If you don't, my anger will burn like fire because of the evil things you have done. It will burn, and there will be no one to put it out.”

Judah Is Threatened with Invasion

Blow the trumpet throughout the land!
    Shout loud and clear!
Tell the people of Judah and Jerusalem
    to run to the fortified cities.
Point the way to Zion!
    Run for safety! Don't delay!
The Lord is bringing disaster
    and great destruction from the north.
Like a lion coming from its hiding place,
    a destroyer of nations has set out.
He is coming to destroy Judah.
The cities of Judah will be left in ruins,
    and no one will live in them.
So put on sackcloth, and weep and wail
    because the fierce anger of the Lord
    has not turned away from Judah.

The Lord said, “On that day kings and officials will lose their courage; priests will be shocked and prophets will be astonished.”

10 Then I said, “Sovereign Lord, you have completely deceived the people of Jerusalem! You have said there would be peace, but a sword is at their throats.”

11 The time is coming when the people of Jerusalem will be told that a scorching wind is blowing in from the desert toward them. It will not be a gentle wind that only blows away the chaff— 12 the wind that comes at the Lord's command will be much stronger than that! It is the Lord himself who is pronouncing judgment on his people.

Judah Is Surrounded by Enemies

13 Look, the enemy is coming like clouds. Their war chariots are like a whirlwind, and their horses are faster than eagles. We are lost! We are doomed!

14 Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart, so that you may be saved. How long will you go on thinking sinful thoughts?

15 Messengers from the city of Dan and from the hills of Ephraim announce the bad news. 16 They have come to warn the nations and to tell Jerusalem that enemies are coming from a country far away. These enemies will shout against the cities of Judah 17 and will surround Jerusalem like men guarding a field, because her people have rebelled against the Lord. The Lord has spoken.

18 Judah, you have brought this on yourself by the way you have lived and by the things you have done. Your sin has caused this suffering; it has stabbed you through the heart.

Jeremiah's Sorrow for His People

19 The pain! I can't bear the pain!
My heart! My heart is beating wildly!
I can't keep quiet;
I hear the trumpets
    and the shouts of battle.
20 One disaster follows another;
    the whole country is left in ruins.
Suddenly our tents are destroyed;
    their curtains are torn to pieces.
21 How long must I see the battle raging
    and hear the blasts of trumpets?
22 The Lord says, “My people are stupid;
    they don't know me.
They are like foolish children;
    they have no understanding.
They are experts at doing what is evil,
    but failures at doing what is good.”

Jeremiah's Vision of the Coming Destruction

23 I looked at the earth—it was a barren waste;
    at the sky—there was no light.
24 I looked at the mountains—they were shaking,
    and the hills were rocking back and forth.
25 I saw that there were no people;
    even the birds had flown away.
26 The fertile land had become a desert;
    its cities were in ruins
    because of the Lord's fierce anger.

(27 The Lord has said that the whole earth will become a wasteland, but that he will not completely destroy it.)

28 The earth will mourn;
    the sky will grow dark.
The Lord has spoken
    and will not change his mind.
He has made his decision
    and will not turn back.
29 At the noise of the cavalry and archers
    everyone will run away.
Some will run to the forest;
    others will climb up among the rocks.
Every town will be left empty,
    and no one will live in them again.
30 Jerusalem, you are doomed!
    Why do you dress in scarlet?
    Why do you put on jewelry and paint your eyes?
You are making yourself beautiful for nothing!
    Your lovers have rejected you
    and want to kill you.
31 I heard a cry, like a woman in labor,
    a scream like a woman bearing her first child.
It was the cry of Jerusalem gasping for breath,
    stretching out her hand and saying,
“I am doomed!
    They are coming to kill me!”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 4:2 it will be right … name. Then; or and if you swear by my name and are truthful, just, and righteous, then.

“If you, Israel, will return,(A)
    then return to me,”
declares the Lord.
“If you put your detestable idols(B) out of my sight
    and no longer go astray,
and if in a truthful, just and righteous way
    you swear,(C) ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(D)
then the nations will invoke blessings(E) by him
    and in him they will boast.(F)

This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem:

“Break up your unplowed ground(G)
    and do not sow among thorns.(H)
Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
    circumcise your hearts,(I)
    you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
or my wrath(J) will flare up and burn like fire(K)
    because of the evil(L) you have done—
    burn with no one to quench(M) it.

Disaster From the North

“Announce in Judah and proclaim(N) in Jerusalem and say:
    ‘Sound the trumpet(O) throughout the land!’
Cry aloud and say:
    ‘Gather together!
    Let us flee to the fortified cities!’(P)
Raise the signal(Q) to go to Zion!
    Flee for safety without delay!
For I am bringing disaster(R) from the north,(S)
    even terrible destruction.”

A lion(T) has come out of his lair;(U)
    a destroyer(V) of nations has set out.
He has left his place
    to lay waste(W) your land.
Your towns will lie in ruins(X)
    without inhabitant.
So put on sackcloth,(Y)
    lament(Z) and wail,
for the fierce anger(AA) of the Lord
    has not turned away from us.

“In that day,” declares the Lord,
    “the king and the officials will lose heart,(AB)
the priests will be horrified,
    and the prophets will be appalled.”(AC)

10 Then I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! How completely you have deceived(AD) this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’(AE) when the sword is at our throats!”

11 At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, “A scorching wind(AF) from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; 12 a wind(AG) too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments(AH) against them.”

13 Look! He advances like the clouds,(AI)
    his chariots(AJ) come like a whirlwind,(AK)
his horses(AL) are swifter than eagles.(AM)
    Woe to us! We are ruined!(AN)
14 Jerusalem, wash(AO) the evil from your heart and be saved.(AP)
    How long(AQ) will you harbor wicked thoughts?
15 A voice is announcing from Dan,(AR)
    proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.(AS)
16 “Tell this to the nations,
    proclaim concerning Jerusalem:
‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land,(AT)
    raising a war cry(AU) against the cities of Judah.(AV)
17 They surround(AW) her like men guarding a field,
    because she has rebelled(AX) against me,’”
declares the Lord.
18 “Your own conduct and actions(AY)
    have brought this on you.(AZ)
This is your punishment.
    How bitter(BA) it is!
    How it pierces to the heart!”

19 Oh, my anguish, my anguish!(BB)
    I writhe in pain.(BC)
Oh, the agony of my heart!
    My heart pounds(BD) within me,
    I cannot keep silent.(BE)
For I have heard the sound of the trumpet;(BF)
    I have heard the battle cry.(BG)
20 Disaster follows disaster;(BH)
    the whole land lies in ruins.(BI)
In an instant my tents(BJ) are destroyed,
    my shelter in a moment.
21 How long must I see the battle standard(BK)
    and hear the sound of the trumpet?(BL)

22 “My people are fools;(BM)
    they do not know me.(BN)
They are senseless children;
    they have no understanding.(BO)
They are skilled in doing evil;(BP)
    they know not how to do good.”(BQ)

23 I looked at the earth,
    and it was formless and empty;(BR)
and at the heavens,
    and their light(BS) was gone.
24 I looked at the mountains,
    and they were quaking;(BT)
    all the hills were swaying.
25 I looked, and there were no people;
    every bird in the sky had flown away.(BU)
26 I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert;(BV)
    all its towns lay in ruins(BW)
    before the Lord, before his fierce anger.(BX)

27 This is what the Lord says:

“The whole land will be ruined,(BY)
    though I will not destroy(BZ) it completely.
28 Therefore the earth will mourn(CA)
    and the heavens above grow dark,(CB)
because I have spoken and will not relent,(CC)
    I have decided and will not turn back.(CD)

29 At the sound of horsemen and archers(CE)
    every town takes to flight.(CF)
Some go into the thickets;
    some climb up among the rocks.(CG)
All the towns are deserted;(CH)
    no one lives in them.

30 What are you doing,(CI) you devastated one?
    Why dress yourself in scarlet
    and put on jewels(CJ) of gold?
Why highlight your eyes with makeup?(CK)
    You adorn yourself in vain.
Your lovers(CL) despise you;
    they want to kill you.(CM)

31 I hear a cry as of a woman in labor,(CN)
    a groan as of one bearing her first child—
the cry of Daughter Zion(CO) gasping for breath,(CP)
    stretching out her hands(CQ) and saying,
“Alas! I am fainting;
    my life is given over to murderers.”(CR)