歷代志下33:10-13

 

 

33:10 耶和華警戒瑪拿西和他的百姓，他們卻是不聽。
33:11 所以耶和華使亞述王的將帥來攻擊他們，用鐃鉤鉤住瑪拿西，用銅鍊鎖住他，帶到巴比倫去。
33:12 他在急難的時候，就懇求耶和華─他的上帝，且在他列祖的上帝面前極其自卑。
33:13 他祈禱耶和華，耶和華就允准他的祈求，垂聽他的禱告，使他歸回耶路撒冷，仍坐國位。瑪拿西這才知道惟獨耶和華是上帝。

¹⁰ The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. ¹¹ So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. ¹² In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. ¹³ And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.

 

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    瑪拿西雖然一開始不聽上帝的警戒，上帝就使亞述王來攻擊他，甚至還被抓到巴比倫。而故事在此也有變化，就是「他在急難的時候，就懇求耶和華─他的上帝，且在他列祖的上帝面前極其自卑。」

    而他自卑後悔改，就向上帝禱告，這一禱告情勢就改變：「耶和華就允准他的祈求，垂聽他的禱告，使他歸回耶路撒冷，仍坐國位。瑪拿西這才知道惟獨耶和華是上帝。」

    也因為這樣，讓我們在一次想到彼得後書3章9節：「主所應許的尚未成就，有人以為他是耽延，其實不是耽延，乃是寬容你們，不願有一人沉淪，乃願人人都悔改。」

    可見悔改是何等重要啊！