关于非利士的预言

47 在法老攻打迦萨之前,耶和华告诉了耶利米先知有关非利士人的事。

耶和华说:
“看啊,大水将从北方涨溢,
形成一道洪流,
淹没大地和地上的一切,
吞噬城邑和其中的居民。
人们必呼喊,
地上的居民必哀哭。
一听见马蹄嗒嗒、
战车隆隆、车轮滚滚的声音,
做父亲的就吓得手脚发软,
无力照顾儿女。
因为毁灭所有非利士人的日子到了,
铲除泰尔和西顿剩余帮手的日子到了。
耶和华要灭绝迦斐托岛剩余的非利士人。
迦萨一片荒凉,
亚实基伦沦为废墟。
谷中的余民啊!
你们要割伤身体到何时呢?
你们大喊,‘耶和华的刀啊,
你何时才停下来呢?
求你入鞘吧!停下来吧!’
但耶和华已命令它攻击亚实基伦和沿海一带,
它怎能停下来呢?”

A Prophecy against Philistia

47 The Lord spoke this message to the prophet Jeremiah about the Philistines before Pharaoh defeated Gaza. This is what the Lord says:

Water is rising in the north.
It will become an overflowing river.
It will overflow the land and everything in it,
the cities and those who live in them.
People will cry out and everyone who lives in the land will cry loudly.
They will hear the sound of galloping war horses,
the rattling of enemy chariots,
and the rumbling of their wheels.
Fathers who lack courage abandon their children.
The time has come to destroy all the Philistines,
to cut off from Tyre and Sidon any Philistine
who might have escaped to get help.
The Lord will destroy the Philistines
and anyone who is left from the island of Crete.
Gaza will shave its head in mourning.
Ashkelon will be destroyed.
How long will you cut yourselves, you people left on the plains?
You cry out, “Sword of the Lord,
how long will you keep on fighting?
Go back into your scabbard.
Stay there and rest!”
How can the sword of the Lord rest?
The Lord has ordered it to attack Ashkelon and the coast.
He has put it there.

Between Egypt and Babylon are several smaller nations whose futures hang in the balance. To whom will they submit in the coming years? The first of these smaller states to receive a word of judgment is Philistia. At one time a formidable foe of Israel, this nation has seen its power and influence slowly weakening for the last 400 years, since the time of the great King David. In these days of political intrigue, it is likely that the Philistines have entered into a treaty with the city-states of Tyre and Sidon to the north. These allies are among those considering standing up to Babylon (27:3). Perhaps it is this rebellion against God’s greater plan to use Babylon that is the reason for this judgment, or perhaps it is something else He sees in these people who live along the coastal plains of the Mediterranean. Whatever the case, it is God, the mighty warrior, who now moves against the Philistines.

47 The word of the Eternal came to Jeremiah the prophet about the Philistines, before Pharaoh attacked Gaza, one of Philistia’s five major cities.

Eternal One: Do you see how the waters are rising in the north?
        They will become an overwhelming flood.
    They will flow across the land, covering everything—
        including the towns and the people who live there.
    Those people will cry out;
        those who live in that land will weep loudly,
    For they will hear the pounding hooves of the charging horses,
        the clatter of enemy chariots, and the rumbling of their wheels.
    Fathers will panic and abandon their children,
        their hands limp with fear.
    For the time will come
        to destroy all the Philistines.
    She will find no help in Tyre and Sidon—
        these allies, too, will be cut off.
    The Eternal will destroy the Philistines,
        this remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.
    The people of Gaza will shave their heads in mourning,
        for Ashkelon is no more.
    You who remain in the valley,
        how long will you cut yourselves in grief?

You cry out, “O sword of the Eternal, when will you stop?
    Return to your sheath, rest from your destruction, and be still!”
But how can His sword be still
    when the Eternal has given it a direct order?
For Ashkelon and those along the coast will be no more!

Judgment on the Philistines

47 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh smote Gaza.

“Thus says the Lord:
Behold, waters are rising out of the north,
    and shall become an overflowing torrent;
they shall overflow the land and all that fills it,
    the city and those who dwell in it.
Men shall cry out,
    and every inhabitant of the land shall wail.
At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions,
    at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of their wheels,
the fathers look not back to their children,
    so feeble are their hands,
because of the day that is coming to destroy
    all the Philistines,
to cut off from Tyre and Sidon
    every helper that remains.
For the Lord is destroying the Philistines,
    the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor.
Baldness has come upon Gaza,
    Ash′kelon has perished.
O remnant of the Anakim,[a]
    how long will you gash yourselves?
Ah, sword of the Lord!
    How long till you are quiet?
Put yourself into your scabbard,
    rest and be still!
How can it[b] be quiet,
    when the Lord has given it a charge?
Against Ash′kelon and against the seashore
    he has appointed it.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 47:5 Gk: Heb their valley
  2. Jeremiah 47:7 Gk Vg: Heb you

A Message About the Philistines

47 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines(A) before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:(B)

This is what the Lord says:

“See how the waters are rising in the north;(C)
    they will become an overflowing torrent.
They will overflow the land and everything in it,
    the towns and those who live in them.
The people will cry out;
    all who dwell in the land will wail(D)
at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds,
    at the noise of enemy chariots(E)
    and the rumble of their wheels.
Parents will not turn to help their children;
    their hands will hang limp.(F)
For the day has come
    to destroy all the Philistines
and to remove all survivors
    who could help Tyre(G) and Sidon.(H)
The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines,(I)
    the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.[a](J)
Gaza will shave(K) her head in mourning;
    Ashkelon(L) will be silenced.
You remnant on the plain,
    how long will you cut(M) yourselves?

“‘Alas, sword(N) of the Lord,
    how long till you rest?
Return to your sheath;
    cease and be still.’(O)
But how can it rest
    when the Lord has commanded it,
when he has ordered it
    to attack Ashkelon and the coast?”(P)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 47:4 That is, Crete