耶利米書44:1-14

44:1 有臨到耶利米的話，論及一切住在埃及地的猶大人，就是住在密奪、答比匿、挪弗、巴忒羅境內的猶大人，說：
44:2 「萬軍之耶和華─以色列的上帝如此說：我所降與耶路撒冷和猶大各城的一切災禍你們都看見了。那些城邑今日荒涼，無人居住；
44:3 這是因居民所行的惡，去燒香事奉別神，就是他們和你們，並你們列祖所不認識的神，惹我發怒。
44:4 我從早起來差遣我的僕人眾先知去說，你們切不要行我所厭惡這可憎之事。
44:5 他們卻不聽從，不側耳而聽，不轉離惡事，仍向別神燒香。
44:6 因此，我的怒氣和忿怒都倒出來，在猶大城邑中和耶路撒冷的街市上，如火著起，以致都荒廢淒涼，正如今日一樣。
44:7 現在耶和華─萬軍之上帝、以色列的上帝如此說：你們為何作這大惡自害己命，使你們的男人、婦女、嬰孩，和吃奶的都從猶大中剪除、不留一人呢？
44:8 就是因你們手所做的，在所去寄居的埃及地向別神燒香惹我發怒，使你們被剪除，在天下萬國中令人咒詛羞辱。
44:9 你們列祖的惡行，猶大列王和他們后妃的惡行，你們自己和你們妻子的惡行，就是在猶大地、耶路撒冷街上所行的，你們都忘了嗎？
44:10 到如今還沒有懊悔，沒有懼怕，沒有遵行我在你們和你們列祖面前所設立的法度律例。
44:11 「所以萬軍之耶和華─以色列的上帝如此說：我必向你們變臉降災，以致剪除猶大眾人。
44:12 那定意進入埃及地、在那裡寄居的，就是所剩下的猶大人，我必使他們盡都滅絕，必在埃及地仆倒，必因刀劍饑荒滅絕；從最小的到至大的都必遭刀劍饑荒而死，以致令人辱罵、驚駭、咒詛、羞辱。
44:13 我怎樣用刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫刑罰耶路撒冷，也必照樣刑罰那些住在埃及地的猶大人；
44:14 甚至那進入埃及地寄居的，就是所剩下的猶大人，都不得逃脫，也不得存留歸回猶大地。他們心中甚想歸回居住之地；除了逃脫的以外，一個都不能歸回。」

The word that came to Jeremiah for all the Judeans living in the land of Egypt, at Migdol, at Tahpanhes, at Memphis, and in the land of Pathros, ²Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You yourselves have seen all the disaster that I have brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah. Look at them; today they are a desolation, without an inhabitant in them, ³because of the wickedness that they committed, provoking me to anger, in that they went to make offerings and serve other gods that they had not known, neither they, nor you, nor your ancestors. ⁴Yet I persistently sent to you all my servants the prophets, saying, “I beg you not to do this abominable thing that I hate!” ⁵But they did not listen or incline their ear, to turn from their wickedness and make no offerings to other gods. ⁶So my wrath and my anger were poured out and kindled in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they became a waste and a desolation, as they still are today. ⁷And now thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel: Why are you doing such great harm to yourselves, to cut off man and woman, child and infant, from the midst of Judah, leaving yourselves without a remnant? ⁸Why do you provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, making offerings to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have come to settle? Will you be cut off and become an object of cursing and ridicule among all the nations of the earth? ⁹Have you forgotten the crimes of your ancestors, of the kings of Judah, of their wives, your own crimes and those of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? ¹⁰They have shown no contrition or fear to this day, nor have they walked in my law and my statutes that I set before you and before your ancestors.

¹¹ Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I am determined to bring disaster on you, to bring all Judah to an end. ¹²I will take the remnant of Judah who are determined to come to the land of Egypt to settle, and they shall perish, everyone; in the land of Egypt they shall fall; by the sword and by famine they shall perish; from the least to the greatest, they shall die by the sword and by famine; and they shall become an object of execration and horror, of cursing and ridicule. ¹³I will punish those who live in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, ¹⁴so that none of the remnant of Judah who have come to settle in the land of Egypt shall escape or survive or return to the land of Judah. Although they long to go back to live there, they shall not go back, except some fugitives.

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    先知耶利米和那一群留在耶路撒冷的人，一起被帶到埃及。而這一群在埃及的百姓竟然和他們在耶路撒冷時一樣，繼續拜偶像，甚至於把埃及的偶像都帶進來拜，讓上帝非常的憤怒，所以透過先知來責備他們。

    這也讓我想到以前牧過的教會中，竟然有些已經決志信主了，或是第二代的基督徒，竟然不能堅守信仰的原則，還跑去參加觀落陰、招魂的活動。還有已經讀了聖經學院，應該信仰很堅定，卻因為對學校反感而去讀佛經想要否定信仰！就讓我感覺到，這個信仰的持守實在不容易，要不是聖靈的保守，相信這樣的事會層出不窮，因為人心對上帝是悖逆的！

    求主保守我們警醒的心，使我們不要受到環境的影響，要好好的信靠主不要離開這個信仰。更要求聖靈隨時保守，靠自己的持守是非常軟弱的！正如這一群猶大百姓，真的是教不會！