今日讀經

西底家必被帶到巴比倫

¹巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒率領他的全軍和地上屬他的各國各邦，攻打耶路撒冷和屬耶路撒冷所有的城邑。那時，耶和華的話臨到耶利米說：This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, all his army, all the earthly kingdoms under his control, and all the other nations were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding cities.

²「耶和華─以色列的　神說，你去告訴猶大王西底家，耶和華如此說：我要將這城交付巴比倫王的手，他必用火焚燒。The LORD, the God of Israel, told Jeremiah to go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him that this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I am about to deliver this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.

³你必不能逃脫他的手，定被拿住，交在他的手中。你的眼要見巴比倫王的眼，他要口對口和你說話，你也必到巴比倫去。And you yourself will not escape his grasp, but will surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You will see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face; and you will go to Babylon.

⁴猶大王西底家啊，你還要聽耶和華的話。耶和華論到你如此說：你必不被刀劍殺死，Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the LORD says concerning you: You will not die by the sword;

⁵你必平安而死，人必為你焚燒物件，好像為你列祖，就是在你以前的先王焚燒一般。人必為你舉哀說：『哀哉！我主啊。』耶和華說：這話是我說的。」you will die in peace. As spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who preceded you, so people will burn spices for you and lament, ‘Alas, O master!’ For I Myself have spoken this word, declares the LORD.”

⁶於是，先知耶利米在耶路撒冷將這一切話告訴猶大王西底家。In Jerusalem, then, Jeremiah the prophet relayed all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah

⁷那時，巴比倫王的軍隊正攻打耶路撒冷，又攻打猶大所剩下的城邑，就是拉吉和亞西加。原來猶大的堅固城只剩下這兩座。as the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the remaining cities of Judah—against Lachish and Azekah. For these were the only fortified cities remaining in Judah.

立約釋放希伯來奴僕

^8–9西底家王與耶路撒冷的眾民立約，要向他們宣告自由，叫各人任他希伯來的僕人和婢女自由出去，誰也不可使他的一個猶大弟兄作奴僕。（此後，有耶和華的話臨到耶利米。）After King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty, the word came to Jeremiah from the LORD that each man should free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, and no one should hold his fellow Jew in bondage.

¹⁰所有立約的首領和眾民就任他的僕人婢女自由出去，誰也不再叫他們作奴僕。大家都順從，將他們釋放了；So all the officials and all the people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their menservants and maidservants and no longer hold them in bondage. They obeyed and released them,

反悔叫僕婢回來

¹¹後來卻又反悔，叫所任去自由的僕人婢女回來，勉強他們仍為僕婢。but later they changed their minds and took back the menservants and maidservants they had freed, and they forced them to become slaves again.

神提醒第七年釋放的約

¹²因此耶和華的話臨到耶利米說：Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

¹³「耶和華─以色列的　神如此說：我將你們的列祖從埃及地為奴之家領出來的時候，與他們立約說：“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying:

¹⁴『你的一個希伯來弟兄若賣給你，服事你六年，到第七年你們各人就要任他自由出去。』只是你們列祖不聽從我，也不側耳而聽。Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.

¹⁵如今你們回轉，行我眼中看為正的事，各人向鄰舍宣告自由，並且在稱為我名下的殿中、在我面前立約。Recently you repented and did what pleased Me; each of you proclaimed freedom for his neighbor. You made a covenant before Me in the house that bears My Name.

¹⁶你們卻又反悔，褻瀆我的名，各人叫所任去隨意自由的僕人婢女回來，勉強他們仍為僕婢。But now you have changed your minds and profaned My name. Each of you has taken back the menservants and maidservants whom you had set at liberty to go wherever they wanted, and you have again forced them to be your slaves.

神向他們宣告一樣自由

¹⁷所以耶和華如此說：你們沒有聽從我，各人向弟兄鄰舍宣告自由。看哪！我向你們宣告一樣自由，就是使你們自由於刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫之下，並且使你們在天下萬國中拋來拋去。這是耶和華說的。Therefore this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed Me; you have not proclaimed freedom, each man for his brother and for his neighbor. So now I proclaim freedom for you, declares the LORD—freedom to fall by sword, by plague, and by famine! I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

從劈開的牛犢中經過

^18–19猶大的首領、耶路撒冷的首領、太監、祭司，和國中的眾民曾將牛犢劈開，分成兩半，從其中經過，在我面前立約。後來又違背我的約，不遵行這約上的話。And those who have transgressed My covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before Me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two in order to pass between its pieces. The officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the pieces of the calf,

²⁰我必將他們交在仇敵和尋索其命的人手中；他們的屍首必給空中的飛鳥和地上的野獸作食物。I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.

²¹並且我必將猶大王西底家和他的首領交在他們仇敵和尋索其命的人，與那暫離你們而去巴比倫王軍隊的手中。And I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives, to the army of the king of Babylon that had withdrawn from you.

²²耶和華說：我必吩咐他們回到這城，攻打這城，將城攻取，用火焚燒。我也要使猶大的城邑變為荒場，無人居住。」Behold, I am going to give the command, declares the LORD, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, capture it, and burn it down. And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”

給利甲族人酒喝

¹當猶大王約西亞之子約雅敬的時候，耶和華的話臨到耶利米說：This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:

²「你去見利甲族的人，和他們說話，領他們進入耶和華殿的一間屋子，給他們酒喝。」“Go to the house of the Rechabites, speak to them, and bring them to one of the chambers of the house of the LORD to offer them a drink of wine.”

³我就將哈巴洗尼雅的孫子雅利米雅的兒子雅撒尼亞和他弟兄，並他眾子，以及利甲全族的人，So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the entire house of the Rechabites—

⁴領到耶和華的殿，進入神人伊基大利的兒子哈難眾子的屋子。那屋子在首領的屋子旁邊，在沙龍之子把門的瑪西雅屋子以上。and I brought them into the house of the LORD, to a chamber occupied by the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was near the chamber of the officials, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper.

⁵於是我在利甲族人面前設擺盛滿酒的碗和杯，對他們說：「請你們喝酒。」Then I set pitchers full of wine and some cups before the men of the house of the Rechabites, and I said to them, “Drink some wine.”

利甲族人不喝酒

⁶他們卻說：「我們不喝酒；因為我們先祖利甲的兒子約拿達曾吩咐我們說：『你們與你們的子孫永不可喝酒，“We do not drink wine,” they replied, “for our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us, ‘Neither you nor your descendants are ever to drink wine.

⁷也不可蓋房、撒種、栽種葡萄園，但一生的年日要住帳棚，使你們的日子在寄居之地得以延長。』Nor are you ever to build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard. Those things are not for you. Instead, you must live in tents all your lives, so that you may live a long time in the land where you wander.’

⁸凡我們先祖利甲的兒子約拿達所吩咐我們的話，我們都聽從了。我們和我們的妻子兒女一生的年日都不喝酒，And we have obeyed the voice of our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab in all he commanded us. So we have not drunk wine all our lives—neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters.

⁹也不蓋房居住，也沒有葡萄園、田地，和種子，Nor have we built houses in which to live, and we have not owned any vineyards or fields or crops.

¹⁰但住帳棚，聽從我們先祖約拿達的話，照他所吩咐我們的去行。But we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done exactly as our forefather Jonadab commanded us.

¹¹巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒上此地來，我們因怕迦勒底的軍隊和亞蘭的軍隊，就說：『來吧，我們到耶路撒冷去。』這樣，我們才住在耶路撒冷。」So when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched into the land, we said: ‘Come, let us go into Jerusalem to escape the armies of the Chaldeans and the Arameans.’ So we have remained in Jerusalem.”

利甲族人聽從，猶大卻不聽

¹²耶和華的話臨到耶利米說：Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

¹³「萬軍之耶和華─以色列的　神如此說：你去對猶大人和耶路撒冷的居民說，耶和華說：你們不受教訓，不聽從我的話嗎？“This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem: ‘Will you not accept discipline and obey My words?’ declares the LORD.

¹⁴利甲的兒子約拿達所吩咐他子孫不可喝酒的話，他們已經遵守，直到今日也不喝酒，因為他們聽從先祖的吩咐。我從早起來警戒你們，你們卻不聽從我。The words of Jonadab son of Rechab have been carried out. He commanded his sons not to drink wine, and they have not drunk it to this very day because they have obeyed the command of their forefather. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you have not obeyed Me!

¹⁵我從早起來，差遣我的僕人眾先知去，說：『你們各人當回頭，離開惡道，改正行為，不隨從事奉別神，就必住在我所賜給你們和你們列祖的地上。』只是你們沒有聽從我，也沒有側耳而聽。Again and again I have sent you all My servants the prophets, proclaiming: ‘Turn now, each of you, from your wicked ways, and correct your actions. Do not go after other gods to serve them. Live in the land that I have given to you and your fathers.’ But you have not inclined your ear or listened to Me.

¹⁶利甲的兒子約拿達的子孫能遵守先人所吩咐他們的命，這百姓卻沒有聽從我！Yes, the sons of Jonadab son of Rechab carried out the command their forefather gave them, but these people have not listened to Me.

¹⁷因此，耶和華─萬軍之　神、以色列的　神如此說：我要使我所說的一切災禍臨到猶大人和耶路撒冷的一切居民。因為我對他們說話，他們沒有聽從；我呼喚他們，他們沒有答應。」Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will bring to Judah and to all the residents of Jerusalem all the disaster I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them but they have not obeyed, and I have called to them but they have not answered.’”

約拿達必永不缺人

¹⁸耶利米對利甲族的人說：「萬軍之耶和華─以色列的　神如此說：因你們聽從你們先祖約拿達的吩咐，謹守他的一切誡命，照他所吩咐你們的去行，Then Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites: “This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab and have kept all his commandments and have done all that he charged you to do,

¹⁹所以萬軍之耶和華─以色列的　神如此說：利甲的兒子約拿達必永不缺人侍立在我面前。」this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Jonadab son of Rechab will never fail to have a man to stand before Me.’”

順服掌權的，向眾人溫柔

¹你要提醒眾人，叫他們順服作官的、掌權的，遵他的命，預備行各樣的善事。Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and ready for every good work,

²不要毀謗，不要爭競，總要和平，向眾人大顯溫柔。to malign no one, and to be peaceable and gentle, showing full consideration to everyone.

我們從前的樣子

³我們從前也是無知、悖逆、受迷惑、服事各樣私慾，和宴樂，常存惡毒（或譯：陰毒）嫉妒的心，是可恨的，又是彼此相恨。For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

神的恩慈顯明

⁴但到了　神─我們救主的恩慈和他向人所施的慈愛顯明的時候，But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,

⁵他便救了我們；並不是因我們自己所行的義，乃是照他的憐憫，藉著重生的洗和聖靈的更新。He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

⁶聖靈就是　神藉著耶穌基督─我們救主厚厚澆灌在我們身上的，This is the Spirit He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

⁷好叫我們因他的恩得稱為義，可以憑著永生的盼望成為後嗣（或譯：可以憑著盼望承受永生）。so that, having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs with the hope of eternal life.

這話是可信的

⁸這話是可信的。我也願你把這些事切切實實地講明，使那些已信　神的人留心做正經事業（或譯：留心行善）。這都是美事，並且與人有益。This saying is trustworthy. And I want you to emphasize these things, so that those who have believed God will take care to devote themselves to good deeds. These things are excellent and profitable for the people.

遠避無益的辯論

⁹要遠避無知的辯論和家譜的空談，以及紛爭，並因律法而起的爭競，因為這都是虛妄無益的。But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the law, because these things are pointless and worthless.

¹⁰分門結黨的人，警戒過一兩次，就要棄絕他。Reject a divisive man after a first and second admonition,

¹¹因為知道這等人已經背道，犯了罪，自己明知不是，還是去做。knowing that such a man is corrupt and sinful; he is self-condemned.

行程安排與問安

¹²我打發亞提馬或是推基古到你那裡去的時候，你要趕緊往尼哥坡里去見我，因為我已經定意在那裡過冬。As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there.

¹³你要趕緊給律師西納和亞波羅送行，叫他們沒有缺乏。Do your best to equip Zenas the lawyer and Apollos, so that they will have everything they need.

¹⁴並且我們的人要學習正經事業（或譯：要學習行善），預備所需用的，免得不結果子。And our people must also learn to devote themselves to good works in order to meet the pressing needs of others, so that they will not be unfruitful.

¹⁵同我在一處的人都問你安。請代問那些因有信心愛我們的人安。願恩惠常與你們眾人同在！All who are with me send you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with all of you.