耶利米哀歌4:3-6

4:3 野狗尚且把奶乳哺其子，我民的婦人倒成為殘忍，好像曠野的鴕鳥一般。

4:4 吃奶孩子的舌頭因乾渴貼住上膛；孩童求餅，無人擘給他們。

4:5 素來吃美好食物的，現今在街上變為孤寒；素來臥朱紅褥子的，現今躺臥糞堆。

4:6 都因我眾民的罪孽比所多瑪的罪還大；所多瑪雖然無人加手於她，還是轉眼之間被傾覆。

3 Even jackals offer the breast;

they nurse their young,

but the daughter of my people has become cruel,

like the ostriches in the wilderness.

4 The tongue of the nursing infant sticks

to the roof of its mouth for thirst;

 the children beg for food,

but no one gives to them.

5 Those who once feasted on delicacies

perish in the streets;

 those who were brought up in purple

embrace ash heaps.

6 For the chastisement of the daughter of my people has been greater

than the punishment of Sodom,

 which was overthrown in a moment,

and no hands were wrung for her.

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    先知再一次用以色列人的犯罪來說明他們為何會遭受到苦難，因為他們得罪了上帝，遭到上帝的棄絕，使他們失去從前的榮境。

    當然我們不可以用反推法來說明，也就是說弟兄姊妹遭受到苦難是得罪上帝。我們只能在弟兄姊妹違背上帝旨意時，要他們快快悔改與認罪的時候，警告他們上帝必追討行不義的責任，人必須為自己的行為負責。

    也因為如此，我們要清楚犯罪必定要付代價的，再做任何事之前要先三思，想想我們的所作所為是不是違反上帝的命令，以免將來被上帝追討！因為，上帝是輕慢不得的！