耶利米书 44
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
在埃及的猶大人仍事奉別神
44 以下的話臨到耶利米，論到所有住在埃及地的猶大人，就是那些住在密奪、答比匿、挪弗和巴忒羅地的人，說： 2 “萬軍之耶和華以色列的 神這樣說：‘你們都親眼看見我降在耶路撒冷和猶大各城的一切災禍。看哪！那些城鎮今天仍然荒涼，沒有人居住， 3 這是因為他們所行的惡事的緣故；他們向別神燒香，事奉它們，惹我發怒。這些神是他們和你們，以及你們的列祖所不認識的。 4 雖然我不斷差遣我的僕人眾先知到你們那裡去，說：你們千萬不可行我所恨惡，這可憎的事！ 5 他們卻不聽從，毫不留心，不肯離開他們的惡行，仍向別神燒香。 6 因此，我必傾出我的烈怒和怒氣，在猶大的各城鎮和耶路撒冷的街上燒起，以致它們都荒涼廢棄，像今天一樣。’ 7 現在，耶和華萬軍的 神以色列的 神這樣說：‘你們為甚麼自己招來這樣的大災禍，使你們的男人、女人、孩童和嬰兒都從猶大中除滅，一個餘剩的人也不留下呢？ 8 為甚麼因你們手所作的，在你們來寄居的埃及地向別神燒香，惹我發怒，以致你們被除滅，成為地上萬國咒詛和羞辱的對象呢？ 9 你們列祖的惡行、猶大列王的惡行、他們妻子的惡行、你們自己的惡行和你們妻子的惡行，就是在猶大地和耶路撒冷街上所行的，你們忘記了嗎？ 10 直到今日，他們還沒有痛悔，沒有畏懼，也沒有遵行我在你們和你們列祖面前所立的律法和條例。’
在埃及的猶大人必被殲滅
11 “因此萬軍之耶和華以色列的 神這樣說：‘看哪！我決意向你們降下災禍，把全猶大都除滅。 12 那些決意去埃及地，在那裡寄居的猶大餘剩的人，我必把他們除去；他們必在埃及地滅絕；他們必倒在刀下，必因饑荒滅亡；他們從最小的到最大的都必因刀劍和饑荒而死，以致成了令人驚駭、被人咒罵、咒詛和羞辱的對象。 13 我必用刀劍、饑荒和瘟疫懲罰那些住在埃及地的人，好像懲罰耶路撒冷一樣。 14 那些去埃及地，在那裡寄居的猶大餘剩的人，必不能逃脫，不能倖存，不能返回他們心裡渴望回去居住的猶大地；除了一些逃脫了的人以外，一個都不能返回。’”
人民不聽警告，仍事奉別神
15 那些知道自己的妻子曾向別神燒香的眾人，和一大群站在那裡的婦女，以及住在埃及地巴忒羅的眾民，回答耶利米說： 16 “你奉耶和華的名對我們所說的話，我們不聽從。 17 我們口中說過的一切話，我們一定去作，我們要向天后燒香，澆奠祭，好像我們自己和我們的列祖，以及我們的君王和領袖，在猶大的各城和耶路撒冷的街上所行的一樣。那時我們吃得飽，得享福樂，不見災禍。 18 但是，自從我們停止向天后燒香和澆奠祭以後，我們就樣樣都缺乏，又因刀劍和饑荒滅亡。” 19 那些婦女又說：“我們不錯是向天后燒香和澆奠祭，難道我們的丈夫不知道我們照著天后的形象製餅供奉她，向她澆奠祭嗎？”
再警告必遭災禍
20 耶利米對全體人民，對那些用這話答覆他的男人、女人和眾民說： 21 “你們和你們的列祖，以及你們的君王、領袖，和全國的人民，在猶大的各城和耶路撒冷的街上燒的香，耶和華怎能忘記，他心裡怎能不想起呢？ 22 耶和華再不能容忍你們邪惡的行為，和你們所行可憎的事；故此，你們的土地荒涼，成了令人驚駭、被人咒詛的對象，沒有人居住，好像今天一樣。 23 因為你們向別神燒香，得罪了耶和華，不聽從耶和華的話，不遵行他的律法、條例和法度，所以這災禍臨到你們，好像今天一樣。” 24 耶利米又對眾民和眾婦女說：“在埃及地所有的猶大人哪，要聽耶和華的話！ 25 萬軍之耶和華以色列的 神這樣說：‘你們和你們的妻子親口說過：我們一定要實行我們的願，向天后燒香，澆奠祭。你們果然親手作了。現在你們只管持定你們所許的願，只管實行你們的誓言吧！’ 26 但所有住在埃及地的猶大人哪，你們要聽耶和華的話！耶和華說：‘看哪！我指著我偉大的名起誓：在埃及全地每一個猶大人的口中，再不會呼喚我的名，說：我指著永活的主耶和華起誓。 27 看哪！我要留意向他們降禍不降福；在埃及地所有的猶大人都必因刀劍和饑荒滅亡，直到滅絕。 28 那些逃脫刀劍的，必從埃及地返回猶大地；他們人數很少。這樣，所有去埃及地在那裡寄居的猶大餘剩的人，就知道誰的話實現：我的，還是他們的。
埃及被巴比倫擊敗的預兆
29 “‘我要在這地方懲罰你們，這是給你們的徵兆，好使你們知道我說要降禍給你們的話，一定實現。’這是耶和華的宣告。 30 耶和華這樣說：‘看哪！我必把埃及王法老合弗拉交在他仇敵的手中，和那些尋索他性命的人的手中，像我把猶大王西底家交在他仇敵，那尋索他性命的巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒的手中一樣。’”
Jeremiah 44
Evangelical Heritage Version
The Lord’s Message to the Jews in Egypt
44 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who lived in the land of Egypt—in Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis,[a] and also in Upper Egypt:[b]
2 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says. You have seen the disaster I brought on Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah. You see that today they are desolate and no one lives there 3 because they committed evil and provoked me to anger. They burned incense to serve other gods that neither they, nor you, nor your fathers knew. 4 I kept sending my servants the prophets to you again and again, saying, “Do not do this detestable thing that I hate.” 5 But they did not listen or pay attention. They did not turn away from their wickedness or stop burning incense to other gods. 6 Therefore, my wrath and anger were poured out and ignited against the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, and they were laid waste and desolate, as they are this day.
7 Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says. Why are you doing such an evil thing to yourselves? You are cutting off from Judah man and woman, children and infants, leaving no one remaining. 8 Why are you provoking me to anger with the idols your hands have made? Why are you burning incense to other gods in Egypt where you have gone to live? You will cut yourselves off, making yourselves an object of cursing and ridicule among all the nations of the earth. 9 Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the king of Judah, the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 10 They have not humbled themselves even to this day. They have not feared me or walked in my law or in my statutes that I set before you and your fathers.
11 Therefore the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will certainly set my face against you to bring disaster, to cut off all Judah. 12 I will remove the survivors of Judah who are determined to go to Egypt and settle there, and they will be consumed. In the land of Egypt they will fall. They will be consumed by sword and famine. They will die, from the least to the greatest, by sword and famine. They will become an object of horror and derision, an object of cursing and ridicule. 13 I will punish those who go to live in the land of Egypt as I punished Jerusalem—with the sword, famine, and plague— 14 so that none of the survivors of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah, to which they long to return in order to live there, because none of them will return, except a few refugees.
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, and all the women who were standing there—a large crowd—and all the people living in Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt[c] answered Jeremiah: 16 “We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, 17 but instead we will continue doing everything that we said we would do. We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven, and we will pour out drink offerings to her, just as we and our ancestors, our kings, and our officials used to do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. Then we had plenty of food. We were prosperous, and we had no troubles. 18 But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and stopped pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing at all, and we have been consumed by sword and famine.”
19 Then the women said, “When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make the cakes in her image and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands’ approval?”
20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him, 21 “Do you think the Lord did not remember the incense you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem—you, your ancestors, your kings and officials, and the people of the land? Do you think this did not enter his mind? 22 When the Lord could no longer bear your evil acts and the disgusting things you did, your land became a desolate wasteland, a cursed land, with no one living there to this day. 23 It is because you have burned incense and sinned against the Lord, because you have not obeyed him or walked in his law, his statutes, and his decrees, that this disaster has come upon you now.”
24 Jeremiah then said to all the people, including the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah in Egypt.”
25 The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says this. You and your wives have declared with your words and your actions that you will keep the vows you made to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her. Do what you promised! By all means, fulfill your vows!
26 But hear the word of the Lord, all you Jews living in Egypt. Listen! I swear by my great name, declares the Lord, that my name will no longer be spoken by anyone from Judah living anywhere in Egypt, nor will they swear, “As surely as the Lord God lives.” 27 Look at this! I am watching over them to bring disaster, not good, and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will be consumed by sword and famine until they are all gone. 28 Those who escape the sword and return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah will be very few. Then all the remnant of Judah who entered Egypt to live there will know whose word will stand—mine or theirs.
29 This will be a sign to you, declares the Lord. I will punish you in this place. Then you will know that my warnings to bring disaster upon you will stand. 30 This is what the Lord says. Watch me. I am handing Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt, over to his enemies who seek his life, just as I handed Zedekiah king of Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who sought his life.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 44:1 Hebrew Noph. English usually uses the Greek forms of the names of Egyptian cities.
- Jeremiah 44:1 Hebrew Pathros, the southern part of Egypt
- Jeremiah 44:15 Hebrew in Egypt and Pathros
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.