今日读经

西底家必被带到巴比伦

¹巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒率领他的全军和地上属他的各国各邦，攻打耶路撒冷和属耶路撒冷所有的城邑。那时，耶和华的话临到耶利米说：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“耶和华—以色列的　神说，你去告诉犹大王西底家，耶和华如此说：我要将这城交付巴比伦王的手，他必用火焚烧。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你必不能逃脱他的手，定被拿住，交在他的手中。你的眼要见巴比伦王的眼，他要口对口和你说话，你也必到巴比伦去。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犹大王西底家啊，你还要听耶和华的话。耶和华论到你如此说：你必不被刀剑杀死，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，人必为你焚烧物件，好像为你列祖，就是在你以前的先王焚烧一般。人必为你举哀说：‘哀哉！我主啊。’耶和华说：这话是我说的。”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于是，先知耶利米在耶路撒冷将这一切话告诉犹大王西底家。In Jerusalem, then, Jeremiah the prophet relayed all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah

⁷那时，巴比伦王的军队正攻打耶路撒冷，又攻打犹大所剩下的城邑，就是拉吉和亚西加。原来犹大的坚固城只剩下这两座。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.

立约释放希伯来奴仆

^8–9西底家王与耶路撒冷的众民立约，要向他们宣告自由，叫各人任他希伯来的仆人和婢女自由出去，谁也不可使他的一个犹大弟兄作奴仆。（此后，有耶和华的话临到耶利米。）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所有立约的首领和众民就任他的仆人婢女自由出去，谁也不再叫他们作奴仆。大家都顺从，将他们释放了；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,

反悔叫仆婢回来

¹¹后来却又反悔，叫所任去自由的仆人婢女回来，勉强他们仍为仆婢。but later they changed their minds and took back the menservants and maidservants they had freed, and they forced them to become slaves again.

神提醒第七年释放的约

¹²因此耶和华的话临到耶利米说：Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

¹³“耶和华—以色列的　神如此说：我将你们的列祖从埃及地为奴之家领出来的时候，与他们立约说：“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‘你的一个希伯来弟兄若卖给你，服事你六年，到第七年你们各人就要任他自由出去。’只是你们列祖不听从我，也不侧耳而听。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如今你们回转，行我眼中看为正的事，各人向邻舍宣告自由，并且在称为我名下的殿中、在我面前立约。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你们却又反悔，亵渎我的名，各人叫所任去随意自由的仆人婢女回来，勉强他们仍为仆婢。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.

神向他们宣告一样自由

¹⁷所以耶和华如此说：你们没有听从我，各人向弟兄邻舍宣告自由。看哪！我向你们宣告一样自由，就是使你们自由于刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫之下，并且使你们在天下万国中抛来抛去。这是耶和华说的。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.

从劈开的牛犊中经过

^18–19犹大的首领、耶路撒冷的首领、太监、祭司，和国中的众民曾将牛犊劈开，分成两半，从其中经过，在我面前立约。后来又违背我的约，不遵行这约上的话。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我必将他们交在仇敌和寻索其命的人手中；他们的尸首必给空中的飞鸟和地上的野兽作食物。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并且我必将犹大王西底家和他的首领交在他们仇敌和寻索其命的人，与那暂离你们而去巴比伦王军队的手中。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耶和华说：我必吩咐他们回到这城，攻打这城，将城攻取，用火焚烧。我也要使犹大的城邑变为荒场，无人居住。”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.”

给利甲族人酒喝

¹当犹大王约西亚之子约雅敬的时候，耶和华的话临到耶利米说：This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:

²“你去见利甲族的人，和他们说话，领他们进入耶和华殿的一间屋子，给他们酒喝。”“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我就将哈巴洗尼雅的孙子雅利米雅的儿子雅撒尼亚和他弟兄，并他众子，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领到耶和华的殿，进入神人伊基大利的儿子哈难众子的屋子。那屋子在首领的屋子旁边，在沙龙之子把门的玛西雅屋子以上。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于是我在利甲族人面前设摆盛满酒的碗和杯，对他们说：“请你们喝酒。”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他们却说：“我们不喝酒；因为我们先祖利甲的儿子约拿达曾吩咐我们说：‘你们与你们的子孙永不可喝酒，“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也不可盖房、撒种、栽种葡萄园，但一生的年日要住帐棚，使你们的日子在寄居之地得以延长。’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凡我们先祖利甲的儿子约拿达所吩咐我们的话，我们都听从了。我们和我们的妻子儿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也不盖房居住，也没有葡萄园、田地，和种子，Nor have we built houses in which to live, and we have not owned any vineyards or fields or crops.

¹⁰但住帐棚，听从我们先祖约拿达的话，照他所吩咐我们的去行。But we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done exactly as our forefather Jonadab commanded us.

¹¹巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒上此地来，我们因怕迦勒底的军队和亚兰的军队，就说：‘来吧，我们到耶路撒冷去。’这样，我们才住在耶路撒冷。”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.”

利甲族人听从，犹大却不听

¹²耶和华的话临到耶利米说：Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

¹³“万军之耶和华—以色列的　神如此说：你去对犹大人和耶路撒冷的居民说，耶和华说：你们不受教训，不听从我的话吗？“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利甲的儿子约拿达所吩咐他子孙不可喝酒的话，他们已经遵守，直到今日也不喝酒，因为他们听从先祖的吩咐。我从早起来警戒你们，你们却不听从我。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我从早起来，差遣我的仆人众先知去，说：‘你们各人当回头，离开恶道，改正行为，不随从事奉别神，就必住在我所赐给你们和你们列祖的地上。’只是你们没有听从我，也没有侧耳而听。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利甲的儿子约拿达的子孙能遵守先人所吩咐他们的命，这百姓却没有听从我！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，耶和华—万军之　神、以色列的　神如此说：我要使我所说的一切灾祸临到犹大人和耶路撒冷的一切居民。因为我对他们说话，他们没有听从；我呼唤他们，他们没有答应。”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.’”

约拿达必永不缺人

¹⁸耶利米对利甲族的人说：“万军之耶和华—以色列的　神如此说：因你们听从你们先祖约拿达的吩咐，谨守他的一切诫命，照他所吩咐你们的去行，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所以万军之耶和华—以色列的　神如此说：利甲的儿子约拿达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.’”

顺服掌权的，向众人温柔

¹你要提醒众人，叫他们顺服作官的、掌权的，遵他的命，预备行各样的善事。Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and ready for every good work,

²不要毁谤，不要争竞，总要和平，向众人大显温柔。to malign no one, and to be peaceable and gentle, showing full consideration to everyone.

我们从前的样子

³我们从前也是无知、悖逆、受迷惑、服事各样私欲，和宴乐，常存恶毒（或译：阴毒）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.

神的恩慈显明

⁴但到了　神—我们救主的恩慈和他向人所施的慈爱显明的时候，But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,

⁵他便救了我们；并不是因我们自己所行的义，乃是照他的怜悯，借着重生的洗和圣灵的更新。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圣灵就是　神借着耶稣基督—我们救主厚厚浇灌在我们身上的，This is the Spirit He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

⁷好叫我们因他的恩得称为义，可以凭着永生的盼望成为后嗣（或译：可以凭着盼望承受永生）。so that, having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs with the hope of eternal life.

这话是可信的

⁸这话是可信的。我也愿你把这些事切切实实地讲明，使那些已信　神的人留心做正经事业（或译：留心行善）。这都是美事，并且与人有益。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.

远避无益的辩论

⁹要远避无知的辩论和家谱的空谈，以及纷争，并因律法而起的争竞，因为这都是虚妄无益的。But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the law, because these things are pointless and worthless.

¹⁰分门结党的人，警戒过一两次，就要弃绝他。Reject a divisive man after a first and second admonition,

¹¹因为知道这等人已经背道，犯了罪，自己明知不是，还是去做。knowing that such a man is corrupt and sinful; he is self-condemned.

行程安排与问安

¹²我打发亚提马或是推基古到你那里去的时候，你要赶紧往尼哥坡里去见我，因为我已经定意在那里过冬。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你要赶紧给律师西纳和亚波罗送行，叫他们没有缺乏。Do your best to equip Zenas the lawyer and Apollos, so that they will have everything they need.

¹⁴并且我们的人要学习正经事业（或译：要学习行善），预备所需用的，免得不结果子。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同我在一处的人都问你安。请代问那些因有信心爱我们的人安。愿恩惠常与你们众人同在！All who are with me send you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with all of you.