耶利米書29:24-32

29:24 「論到尼希蘭人示瑪雅，你當說，
29:25 萬軍之耶和華─以色列的上帝如此說：你曾用自己的名寄信給耶路撒冷的眾民和祭司瑪西雅的兒子西番雅，並眾祭司，說：
29:26 『耶和華已經立你西番雅為祭司，代替祭司耶何耶大，使耶和華殿中有官長，好將一切狂妄自稱為先知的人用枷枷住，用鎖鎖住。
29:27 現在亞拿突人耶利米向你們自稱為先知，你們為何沒有責備他呢？
29:28 因為他寄信給我們在巴比倫的人說：被擄的事必長久。你們要蓋造房屋，住在其中；栽種田園，吃其中所產的。』」
29:29 祭司西番雅就把這信念給先知耶利米聽。
29:30 於是耶和華的話臨到耶利米說：
29:31 「你當寄信給一切被擄的人說：『耶和華論到尼希蘭人示瑪雅說：因為示瑪雅向你們說預言，我並沒有差遣他，他使你們倚靠謊言；
29:32 所以耶和華如此說：我必刑罰尼希蘭人示瑪雅和他的後裔，他必無一人存留住在這民中，也不得見我所要賜與我百姓的福樂，因為他向耶和華說了叛逆的話。這是耶和華說的。』」

²⁴ To Shemaiah of Nehelam you shall say: ²⁵Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: In your own name you sent a letter to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying, ²⁶The Lord himself has made you priest instead of the priest Jehoiada, so that there may be officers in the house of the Lord to control any madman who plays the prophet, to put him in the stocks and the collar. ²⁷So now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who plays the prophet for you? ²⁸For he has actually sent to us in Babylon, saying, “It will be a long time; build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat what they produce.”

²⁹ The priest Zephaniah read this letter in the hearing of the prophet Jeremiah. ³⁰Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ³¹Send to all the exiles, saying, Thus says the Lord concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and has led you to trust in a lie, ³²therefore thus says the Lord: I am going to punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants; he shall not have anyone living among this people to see the good that I am going to do to my people, says the Lord, for he has spoken rebellion against the Lord.

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    耶利米宣講上帝的話，常常受到假先知的干擾，甚至於到侮蔑的地步。正如這裡說到的尼希蘭人示瑪雅，他不僅傳講信息害人，更是寫信宣稱耶利米是假先知，要祭司西番雅斥責耶利米。

    這樣的行徑讓人感受到，有一些人常常在教會中自以為是，用自己的意思左右教會各樣的事務。但是說到真理，或對聖經的學習，卻是興趣缺缺。所以，當求聖靈動工，使弟兄姊妹渴慕上帝的話。更求上帝使牧者的講道或教導，可以改變這些人的心，使他們柔軟下來。

    因此，牧者牧會到一個地步必須常常為著羊群禱告。若不是聖靈的動工，人的話語效力是有限的！除非聖靈動工，使上帝的話語扎入信徒的心，才可以使剛硬的人醒悟過來，成為上帝的好同工！