耶利米書51:24-64

51:24 耶和華說：「我必在你們眼前報復巴比倫人和迦勒底居民在錫安所行的諸惡。」
51:25 耶和華說：你這行毀滅的山哪，就是毀滅天下的山，我與你反對。我必向你伸手，將你從山巖滾下去，使你成為燒毀的山。
51:26 人必不從你那裡取石頭為房角石，也不取石頭為根基石；你必永遠荒涼。這是耶和華說的。
51:27 要在境內豎立大旗，在各國中吹角，使列國預備攻擊巴比倫，將亞拉臘、米尼、亞實基拿各國招來攻擊她；又派軍長來攻擊她，使馬匹上來如螞蚱，
51:28 使列國和瑪代君王，與省長和副省長，並他們所管全地之人，都預備攻擊她。
51:29 地必震動而瘠苦；因耶和華向巴比倫所定的旨意成立了，使巴比倫之地荒涼，無人居住。
51:30 巴比倫的勇士止息爭戰，藏在堅壘之中。他們的勇力衰盡，好像婦女一樣。巴比倫的住處有火著起，門閂都折斷了。
51:31 通報的要彼此相遇，送信的要互相迎接，報告巴比倫王說：城的四方被攻取了，
51:32 渡口被佔據了，葦塘被火燒了，兵丁也驚慌了。
51:33 萬軍之耶和華─以色列的上帝如此說：巴比倫城（原文作女子）好像踹穀的禾場；再過片時，收割她的時候就到了。
51:34 以色列人說：巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒吞滅我，壓碎我，使我成為空虛的器皿。他像大魚將我吞下，用我的美物充滿他的肚腹，又將我趕出去。
51:35 錫安的居民要說：巴比倫以強暴待我，損害我的身體，願這罪歸給她。耶路撒冷人要說：願流我們血的罪歸到迦勒底的居民。
51:36 所以，耶和華如此說：我必為你伸冤，為你報仇；我必使巴比倫的海枯竭，使她的泉源乾涸。
51:37 巴比倫必成為亂堆，為野狗的住處，令人驚駭、嗤笑，並且無人居住。
51:38 他們要像少壯獅子咆哮，像小獅子吼叫。
51:39 他們火熱的時候，我必為他們設擺酒席，使他們沉醉，好叫他們快樂，睡了長覺，永不醒起。這是耶和華說的。
51:40 我必使他們像羊羔、像公綿羊和公山羊下到宰殺之地。
51:41 示沙克（就是巴比倫）何竟被攻取，天下所稱讚的何竟被佔據？巴比倫在列國中何竟變為荒場？
51:42 海水漲起，漫過巴比倫；她被許多海浪遮蓋。
51:43 她的城邑變為荒場、旱地、沙漠，無人居住，無人經過之地。
51:44 我必刑罰巴比倫的彼勒，使他吐出所吞的。萬民必不再流歸他那裡；巴比倫的城牆也必坍塌了。
51:45 我的民哪，你們要從其中出去！各人拯救自己，躲避耶和華的烈怒。
51:46 你們不要心驚膽怯，也不要因境內所聽見的風聲懼怕；因為這年有風聲傳來；那年也有風聲傳來，境內有強暴的事，官長攻擊官長。
51:47 日子將到，我必刑罰巴比倫雕刻的偶像。她全地必然抱愧；她被殺的人必在其中仆倒。
51:48 那時，天地和其中所有的，必因巴比倫歡呼，因為行毀滅的要從北方來到她那裡。這是耶和華說的。
51:49 巴比倫怎樣使以色列被殺的人仆倒，照樣她全地被殺的人也必在巴比倫仆倒。
51:50 你們躲避刀劍的要快走，不要站住！要在遠方記念耶和華，心中追想耶路撒冷。
51:51 我們聽見辱罵就蒙羞，滿面慚愧，因為外邦人進入耶和華殿的聖所。
51:52 耶和華說：日子將到，我必刑罰巴比倫雕刻的偶像，通國受傷的人必唉哼。
51:53 巴比倫雖升到天上，雖使她堅固的高處更堅固，還有行毀滅的從我這裡到她那裡。這是耶和華說的。
51:54 有哀號的聲音從巴比倫出來；有大毀滅的響聲從迦勒底人之地發出。
51:55 因耶和華使巴比倫變為荒場，使其中的大聲滅絕。仇敵彷彿眾水，波浪匉訇，響聲已經發出。
51:56 這是行毀滅的臨到巴比倫。巴比倫的勇士被捉住，他們的弓折斷了；因為耶和華是施行報應的上帝，必定施行報應。
51:57 君王─名為萬軍之耶和華的說：我必使巴比倫的首領、智慧人、省長、副省長，和勇士都沉醉，使他們睡了長覺，永不醒起。
51:58 萬軍之耶和華如此說：巴比倫寬闊的城牆必全然傾倒；他高大的城門必被火焚燒。眾民所勞碌的必致虛空；列國所勞碌的被火焚燒，他們都必困乏。
51:59 猶大王西底家在位第四年，上巴比倫去的時候，瑪西雅的孫子、尼利亞的兒子西萊雅與王同去（西萊雅是王宮的大臣），先知耶利米有話吩咐他。
51:60 耶利米將一切要臨到巴比倫的災禍，就是論到巴比倫的一切話，寫在書上。
51:61 耶利米對西萊雅說：「你到了巴比倫務要念這書上的話；
51:62 又說：『耶和華啊，你曾論到這地方說：要剪除，甚至連人帶牲畜沒有在這裡居住的，必永遠荒涼。』
51:63 你念完了這書，就把一塊石頭拴在書上，扔在幼發拉底河中，
51:64 說：『巴比倫因耶和華所要降與她的災禍，必如此沉下去，不再興起，人民也必困乏。』」耶利米的話到此為止。

²⁴ I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea before your very eyes for all the wrong that they have done in Zion, says the Lord.

 

25

I am against you, O destroying mountain,

says the Lord,

that destroys the whole earth;

I will stretch out my hand against you,

and roll you down from the crags,

and make you a burned-out mountain.

26

No stone shall be taken from you for a corner

and no stone for a foundation,

but you shall be a perpetual waste,

says the Lord.

27

Raise a standard in the land,

blow the trumpet among the nations;

prepare the nations for war against her,

summon against her the kingdoms,

Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz;

appoint a marshal against her,

bring up horses like bristling locusts.

28

Prepare the nations for war against her,

the kings of the Medes, with their governors and deputies,

and every land under their dominion.

29

The land trembles and writhes,

for the Lord’s purposes against Babylon stand,

to make the land of Babylon a desolation,

without inhabitant.

30

The warriors of Babylon have given up fighting,

they remain in their strongholds;

their strength has failed,

they have become women;

her buildings are set on fire,

her bars are broken.

31

One runner runs to meet another,

and one messenger to meet another,

to tell the king of Babylon

that his city is taken from end to end:

32

the fords have been seized,

the marshes have been burned with fire,

and the soldiers are in panic.

33

For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:

Daughter Babylon is like a threshing floor

at the time when it is trodden;

yet a little while

and the time of her harvest will come.

34

“King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon has devoured me,

he has crushed me;

he has made me an empty vessel,

he has swallowed me like a monster;

he has filled his belly with my delicacies,

he has spewed me out.

35

May my torn flesh be avenged on Babylon,”

the inhabitants of Zion shall say.

“May my blood be avenged on the inhabitants of Chaldea,”

Jerusalem shall say.

36

Therefore thus says the Lord:

I am going to defend your cause

and take vengeance for you.

I will dry up her sea

and make her fountain dry;

37

and Babylon shall become a heap of ruins,

a den of jackals,

an object of horror and of hissing,

without inhabitant.

38

Like lions they shall roar together;

they shall growl like lions’ whelps.

39

When they are inflamed, I will set out their drink

and make them drunk, until they become merry

and then sleep a perpetual sleep

and never wake, says the Lord.

40

I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter,

like rams and goats.

41

How Sheshach is taken,

the pride of the whole earth seized!

How Babylon has become

an object of horror among the nations!

42

The sea has risen over Babylon;

she has been covered by its tumultuous waves.

43

Her cities have become an object of horror,

a land of drought and a desert,

a land in which no one lives,

and through which no mortal passes.

44

I will punish Bel in Babylon,

and make him disgorge what he has swallowed.

The nations shall no longer stream to him;

the wall of Babylon has fallen.

45

Come out of her, my people!

Save your lives, each of you,

from the fierce anger of the Lord!

46

Do not be fainthearted or fearful

at the rumors heard in the land—

one year one rumor comes,

the next year another,

rumors of violence in the land

and of ruler against ruler.

47

Assuredly, the days are coming

when I will punish the images of Babylon;

her whole land shall be put to shame,

and all her slain shall fall in her midst.

48

Then the heavens and the earth,

and all that is in them,

shall shout for joy over Babylon;

for the destroyers shall come against them out of the north,

says the Lord.

49

Babylon must fall for the slain of Israel,

as the slain of all the earth have fallen because of Babylon.

50

You survivors of the sword,

go, do not linger!

Remember the Lord in a distant land,

and let Jerusalem come into your mind:

51

We are put to shame, for we have heard insults;

dishonor has covered our face,

for aliens have come

into the holy places of the Lord’s house.

52

Therefore the time is surely coming, says the Lord,

when I will punish her idols,

and through all her land

the wounded shall groan.

53

Though Babylon should mount up to heaven,

and though she should fortify her strong height,

from me destroyers would come upon her,

says the Lord.

54

Listen!—a cry from Babylon!

A great crashing from the land of the Chaldeans!

55

For the Lord is laying Babylon waste,

and stilling her loud clamor.

Their waves roar like mighty waters,

the sound of their clamor resounds;

56

for a destroyer has come against her,

against Babylon;

her warriors are taken,

their bows are broken;

for the Lord is a God of recompense,

he will repay in full.

57

I will make her officials and her sages drunk,

also her governors, her deputies, and her warriors;

they shall sleep a perpetual sleep and never wake,

says the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts.

58

Thus says the Lord of hosts:

The broad wall of Babylon

shall be leveled to the ground,

and her high gates

shall be burned with fire.

The peoples exhaust themselves for nothing,

and the nations weary themselves only for fire.

 

Jeremiah’s Command to Seraiah

⁵⁹ The word that the prophet Jeremiah commanded Seraiah son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, when he went with King Zedekiah of Judah to Babylon, in the fourth year of his reign. Seraiah was the quartermaster. ⁶⁰Jeremiah wrote in a scroll all the disasters that would come on Babylon, all these words that are written concerning Babylon. ⁶¹And Jeremiah said to Seraiah: “When you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words, ⁶²and say, ‘O Lord, you yourself threatened to destroy this place so that neither human beings nor animals shall live in it, and it shall be desolate forever.’ ⁶³When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it, and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates, ⁶⁴and say, ‘Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disasters that I am bringing on her.’ ”

Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

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    巴比倫的驕傲導致敗亡！