今日读经

写信给被掳的人

¹先知耶利米从耶路撒冷寄信与被掳的祭司、先知，和众民，并生存的长老，就是尼布甲尼撒从耶路撒冷掳到巴比伦去的。This is the text of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets, and all the others Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

²（这在耶哥尼雅王和太后、太监，并犹大、耶路撒冷的首领，以及工匠、铁匠都离了耶路撒冷以后。）(This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had been exiled from Jerusalem.)

³他借沙番的儿子以利亚萨和希勒家的儿子基玛利的手寄去。他们二人是犹大王西底家打发往巴比伦去见尼布甲尼撒王的。The letter was entrusted to Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It stated:

安家落户，为那城求平安

⁴信上说：“万军之耶和华—以色列的　神对一切被掳去的（就是我使他们从耶路撒冷被掳到巴比伦的人）如此说：This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:

⁵你们要盖造房屋，住在其中；栽种田园，吃其中所产的；“Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.

⁶娶妻生儿女，为你们的儿子娶妻，使你们的女儿嫁人，生儿养女。在那里生养众多，不致减少。Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease.

⁷我所使你们被掳到的那城，你们要为那城求平安，为那城祷告耶和华；因为那城得平安，你们也随着得平安。Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

不要听假先知

⁸万军之耶和华—以色列的　神如此说：不要被你们中间的先知和占卜的诱惑，也不要听信自己所做的梦；For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them.

⁹因为他们托我的名对你们说假预言，我并没有差遣他们。这是耶和华说的。For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the LORD.”

七十年满了必回来

¹⁰“耶和华如此说：为巴比伦所定的七十年满了以后，我要眷顾你们，向你们成就我的恩言，使你们仍回此地。For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place.

¹¹耶和华说：我知道我向你们所怀的意念是赐平安的意念，不是降灾祸的意念，要叫你们末后有指望。For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.

¹²你们要呼求我，祷告我，我就应允你们。Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

¹³你们寻求我，若专心寻求我，就必寻见。You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

¹⁴耶和华说：我必被你们寻见，我也必使你们被掳的人归回，将你们从各国中和我所赶你们到的各处招聚了来，又将你们带回我使你们被掳掠离开的地方。这是耶和华说的。I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and places to which I have banished you, declares the LORD. I will restore you to the place from which I sent you into exile.”

留在耶路撒冷的人要受罚

¹⁵“你们说：‘耶和华在巴比伦为我们兴起先知’；Because you may say, “The LORD has raised up for us prophets in Babylon,”

¹⁶所以耶和华论到坐大卫宝座的王和住在这城里的一切百姓，就是未曾与你们一同被掳的弟兄，this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your brothers who did not go with you into exile—

¹⁷万军之耶和华如此说：‘看哪，我必使刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫临到他们，使他们像极坏的无花果，坏得不可吃。this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will send against them sword and famine and plague, and I will make them like rotten figs, so bad they cannot be eaten.

¹⁸我必用刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫追赶他们，使他们在天下万国抛来抛去，在我所赶他们到的各国中，令人咒诅、惊骇、嗤笑、羞辱。I will pursue them with sword and famine and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse, a desolation, and an object of scorn and reproach among all the nations to which I banish them.

¹⁹耶和华说：这是因为他们没有听从我的话，就是我从早起来差遣我仆人众先知去说的，无奈他们不听。这是耶和华说的。I will do this because they have not listened to My words, declares the LORD, which I sent to them again and again through My servants the prophets. And neither have you exiles listened, declares the LORD.”

²⁰所以你们一切被掳去的，就是我从耶路撒冷打发到巴比伦去的，当听耶和华的话。’”So hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.

假先知亚哈和西底家

²¹万军之耶和华—以色列的　神论到哥赖雅的儿子亚哈，并玛西雅的儿子西底家，如此说：“他们是托我名向你们说假预言的，我必将他们交在巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒的手中；他要在你们眼前杀害他们。This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you lies in My name: “I will deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes.

²²住巴比伦一切被掳的犹大人必借这二人赌咒说：‘愿耶和华使你像巴比伦王在火中烧的西底家和亚哈一样。’Because of them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’

²³这二人是在以色列中行了丑事，与邻舍的妻行淫，又假托我名说我未曾吩咐他们的话。知道的是我，作见证的也是我。这是耶和华说的。”For they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with the wives of their neighbors and speaking lies in My name, which I did not command them to do. I am He who knows, and I am a witness, declares the LORD.”

示玛雅的信

²⁴“论到尼希兰人示玛雅，你当说，You are to tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite that

²⁵万军之耶和华—以色列的　神如此说：你曾用自己的名寄信给耶路撒冷的众民和祭司玛西雅的儿子西番雅，并众祭司，说：this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “In your own name you have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests. You said to Zephaniah:

²⁶‘耶和华已经立你西番雅为祭司，代替祭司耶何耶大，使耶和华殿中有官长，好将一切狂妄自称为先知的人用枷枷住，用锁锁住。‘The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada, to be the chief officer in the house of the LORD, responsible for any madman who acts like a prophet—you must put him in stocks and neck irons.

²⁷现在亚拿突人耶利米向你们自称为先知，你们为何没有责备他呢？So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you?

²⁸因为他寄信给我们在巴比伦的人说：被掳的事必长久。你们要盖造房屋，住在其中；栽种田园，吃其中所产的。’”For he has sent to us in Babylon, claiming: Since the exile will be lengthy, build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat their produce.’”

²⁹祭司西番雅就把这信念给先知耶利米听。(Zephaniah the priest, however, had read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.)

示玛雅必受刑罚

³⁰于是耶和华的话临到耶利米说：Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

³¹“你当寄信给一切被掳的人说：‘耶和华论到尼希兰人示玛雅说：因为示玛雅向你们说预言，我并没有差遣他，他使你们倚靠谎言；“Send a message telling all the exiles what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you—though I did not send him—and has made you trust in a lie,

³²所以耶和华如此说：我必刑罚尼希兰人示玛雅和他的后裔，他必无一人存留住在这民中，也不得见我所要赐与我百姓的福乐，因为他向耶和华说了叛逆的话。这是耶和华说的。’”this is what the LORD says: ‘I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good that I will bring to My people, declares the LORD, for he has preached rebellion against the LORD.’”

务要传道

¹我在　神面前，并在将来审判活人死人的基督耶稣面前，凭着他的显现和他的国度嘱咐你：I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom:

²务要传道，无论得时不得时，总要专心，并用百般的忍耐、各样的教训责备人，警戒人，劝勉人。Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction.

人要厌烦纯正的道理

³因为时候要到，人必厌烦纯正的道理，耳朵发痒，就随从自己的情欲增添好些师傅，For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.

⁴并且掩耳不听真道，偏向荒渺的言语。So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

⁵你却要凡事谨慎，忍受苦难，做传道的工夫，尽你的职分。But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

美好的仗已经打过

⁶我现在被浇奠，我离世的时候到了。For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.

⁷那美好的仗我已经打过了，当跑的路我已经跑尽了，所信的道我已经守住了。I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

⁸从此以后，有公义的冠冕为我存留，就是按着公义审判的主到了那日要赐给我的；不但赐给我，也赐给凡爱慕他显现的人。From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.

你要赶紧到我这里来

⁹你要赶紧地到我这里来。Make every effort to come to me quickly,

¹⁰因为底马贪爱现今的世界，就离弃我往帖撒罗尼迦去了；革勒士往加拉太去；提多往挞马太去；because Demas, in his love of this world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.

¹¹独有路加在我这里。你来的时候，要把马可带来，因为他在传道（或译：服事我）的事上于我有益处。Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me in the ministry.

¹²我已经打发推基古往以弗所去。Tychicus, however, I have sent to Ephesus.

带外衣和书卷来

¹³我在特罗亚留于加布的那件外衣，你来的时候可以带来，那些书也要带来，更要紧的是那些皮卷。When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.

防备铜匠亚历山大

¹⁴铜匠亚历山大多多地害我；主必照他所行的报应他。Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds.

¹⁵你也要防备他，因为他极力敌挡了我们的话。You too should beware of him, for he has vigorously opposed our message.

惟有主站在我旁边

¹⁶我初次申诉，没有人前来帮助，竟都离弃我；但愿这罪不归与他们。At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them.

¹⁷惟有主站在我旁边，加给我力量，使福音被我尽都传明，叫外邦人都听见；我也从狮子口里被救出来。But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.

¹⁸主必救我脱离诸般的凶恶，也必救我进他的天国。愿荣耀归给他，直到永永远远。阿们。And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

最后的问安

¹⁹问百基拉、亚居拉，和阿尼色弗一家的人安。Greet Prisca and Aquila, as well as the household of Onesiphorus.

²⁰以拉都在哥林多住下了。特罗非摩病了，我就留他在米利都。Erastus has remained at Corinth, and Trophimus I left sick in Miletus.

²¹你要赶紧在冬天以前到我这里来。有友布罗、布田、利奴、革老底亚，和众弟兄都问你安。Make every effort to come to me before winter. Eubulus sends you greetings, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.

²²愿主与你的灵同在！愿恩惠常与你们同在！The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.