耶利米哀歌1:3-5

1:3 猶大因遭遇苦難，又因多服勞苦就遷到外邦。她住在列國中，尋不著安息；追逼她的都在狹窄之地將她追上。

1:4 錫安的路徑因無人來守聖節就悲傷；她的城門淒涼；她的祭司歎息；她的處女受艱難，自己也愁苦。

1:5 她的敵人為首；她的仇敵亨通；因耶和華為她許多的罪過使她受苦；她的孩童被敵人擄去。

3 Judah has gone into exile because of affliction

and hard servitude;

 she dwells now among the nations,

 but finds no resting place;

her pursuers have all overtaken her

in the midst of her distress.

4 The roads to Zion mourn,

for none come to the festival;

 all her gates are desolate;

her priests groan;

her virgins have been afflicted,

and she herself suffers bitterly.

5 Her foes have become the head;

her enemies prosper,

because the Lord has afflicted her

 for the multitude of her transgressions;

 her children have gone away,

captives before the foe.

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    先知在這裡悲嘆猶大國因罪惡被滅，導致錫安的子民流落在外邦，以至於節日沒有人來守，整個地方空蕩蕩！

    這也告訴我們，一切的崇拜不是為了上帝的需要，而是上帝為了賜福人所建立的管道。人不願意承受這樣的福分，自願放棄，損失的不是上帝而是人自己！上帝寧可沒有人來崇拜祂，寧可祂的聖殿被毀，好警戒人要信靠祂，要遵行祂的道。

    所以，人不可以嘔氣，認為上帝不會賜他所要的，或不聽他的禱告，就不來敬拜上帝，對上帝無妨礙，對人而言可說是失去上帝的賜福呢！