耶利米書13:1-11

13:1 耶和華對我如此說：「你去買一根麻布帶子束腰，不可放在水中。」
13:2 我就照著耶和華的話，買了一根帶子束腰。
13:3 耶和華的話第二次臨到我說：
13:4 「要拿著你所買的腰帶，就是你腰上的帶子，起來往幼發拉底河去，將腰帶藏在那裡的磐石穴中。」
13:5 我就去，照著耶和華所吩咐我的，將腰帶藏在幼發拉底河邊。
13:6 過了多日，耶和華對我說：「你起來往幼發拉底河去，將我吩咐你藏在那裡的腰帶取出來。」
13:7 我就往幼發拉底河去，將腰帶從我所藏的地方刨出來，見腰帶已經變壞，毫無用了。
13:8 耶和華的話臨到我說：
13:9 「耶和華如此說：我必照樣敗壞猶大的驕傲和耶路撒冷的大驕傲。
13:10 這惡民不肯聽我的話，按自己頑梗的心而行，隨從別神，事奉敬拜，他們也必像這腰帶變為無用。」
13:11 耶和華說：「腰帶怎樣緊貼人腰，照樣，我也使以色列全家和猶大全家緊貼我，好叫他們屬我為子民，使我得名聲，得頌讚，得榮耀；他們卻不肯聽。」

13:1 Thus said the LORD unto me, Go, and buy thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.
13:2 So I bought a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put it upon my loins.
13:3 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying,
13:4 Take the girdle that thou hast bought, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.
13:5 So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.
13:6 And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there.
13:7 Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing.
13:8 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
13:9 Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.
13:10 This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and are gone after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is profitable for nothing.
13:11 For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.

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    上帝透過腰帶來向耶利米說話，當然希望耶利米透過這個腐爛的腰帶向猶大的百姓說明上帝的信息。

    對上帝而言，猶大是如同腰帶對人一樣的親密與接近。但是，這個腰帶離了人就沒有用處；同樣，猶大離了上帝，就失去了她該有的地位，最後就敗壞了、就腐爛了！

    同樣，基督徒離了上帝也是如此！因此，我們要常常來親近上帝，才不至於失去上帝在我們身上的作為，才不會敗壞，維持生命的更新！

耶利米書12:14-17

12:14 耶和華如此說：「一切惡鄰，就是佔據我使百姓以色列所承受產業的，我要將他們拔出本地，又要將猶大家從他們中間拔出來。

12:15 我拔出他們以後，我必轉過來憐憫他們，把他們再帶回來，各歸本業，各歸故土。

12:16 他們若殷勤學習我百姓的道，指著我的名起誓說：『我指著永生的耶和華起誓』，正如他們從前教我百姓指著巴力起誓，他們就必建立在我百姓中間。

12:17 他們若是不聽，我必拔出那國，拔出而且毀滅。這是耶和華說的。」

14 Thus says the Lord concerning all my evil neighbors who touch the heritage that I have given my people Israel to inherit:"Behold, I will pluck them up from their land, and I will pluck up the house of Judah from among them. 15 And after I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them, and I will bring them again each to his heritage and each to his land. 16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, 'As the Lord lives,' even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people. 17 But if any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it, declares the Lord."

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對上帝的信仰不是以色列的專利，上帝的福音是屬於萬國萬邦的，就如先知在這裡宣告的：「他們若殷勤學習我百姓的道，指著我的名起誓說：『我指著永生的耶和華起誓』，正如他們從前教我百姓指著巴力起誓，他們就必建立在我百姓中間。」

    這也說到上帝要成萬民的上帝，而這樣的事實已經發生了，因為上帝已經將聖靈賜下，祂的使徒領受了聖靈之後，就如主耶穌所說：「但聖靈降臨在你們身上，你們就必得著能力，並要在耶路撒冷、猶太全地，和撒馬利亞，直到地極，作我的見證。」（使徒行傳1:8）

    這也告訴我們聖靈來的之後，先知的預言就應驗了！上帝真的成了統管萬國萬民的上帝了！上帝不再單單是以色列的上帝，是全世界得上的了！唯有耶和華是真神，是創造天地萬物的上帝！

耶利米書12:7-13

12:7 我離了我的殿宇，撇棄我的產業，將我心裡所親愛的交在她仇敵的手中。

12:8 我的產業向我如林中的獅子，她發聲攻擊我，因此我恨惡她。

12:9 我的產業向我豈如斑點的鷙鳥呢？鷙鳥豈在她四圍攻擊她呢？你們要去聚集田野的百獸，帶來吞吃吧！

12:10 許多牧人毀壞我的葡萄園，踐踏我的分，使我美好的分變為荒涼的曠野。

12:11 他們使地荒涼；地既荒涼，便向我悲哀。全地荒涼，因無人介意。

12:12 滅命的都來到曠野中一切淨光的高處；耶和華的刀從地這邊直到地那邊盡行殺滅。凡有血氣的都不得平安。

12:13 他們種的是麥子，收的是荊棘；勞勞苦苦卻毫無益處。因耶和華的烈怒，你們必為自己的土產羞愧。

7 "I have forsaken my house;

I have abandoned my heritage;

I have given the beloved of my soul

into the hands of her enemies.

8 My heritage has become to me

like a lion in the forest;

she has lifted up her voice against me;

therefore I hate her.

9 Is my heritage to me like a hyena's lair?

Are the birds of prey against her all around?

Go, assemble all the wild beasts;

bring them to devour.

10 Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard;

they have trampled down my portion;

they have made my pleasant portion

a desolate wilderness.

11 They have made it a desolation;

desolate, it mourns to me.

The whole land is made desolate,

but no man lays it to heart.

12 Upon all the bare heights in the desert

destroyers have come,

for the sword of the Lord devours

from one end of the land to the other;

no flesh has peace.

13 They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns;

they have tired themselves out but profit nothing.

They shall be ashamed of their harvests

because of the fierce anger of the Lord."

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    先知在此宣告：上帝審判祂的子民的怒氣！在這裡上帝不斷地說到，「我的殿宇」、「我的產業」、「我心裡所親愛的」、…。可見上帝對猶大百姓的愛仍然是不改變，雖然他們不斷的犯罪！

    照上帝的烈怒，他們是要受到審判。但是，上帝仍然有赦罪之恩，要是他們肯悔改，離棄罪惡歸向上帝，上帝的慈愛就會顯明出來！因為他們仍然是上帝所愛，是他們為「我的產業」！

    上帝對猶大百姓如此，對我們這些蒙耶穌基督寶血洗淨的人，更是如此！雖然我們還是不完全，還是會犯罪，但是祂卻永遠不會忘記我們是蒙祂愛子耶穌基督寶血所撒的人！

    也因為如此，我們要天天在上帝面前，勇敢承認我們的罪惡，更求聖靈大大動工，使我們的生命日日更新，讓主的話語引導我們，越來越活出上帝兒子的榮美，讓我們有與所得的恩典相稱的生命！

耶利米書12章

    耶利米書12:1-6  ,    耶利米書12:7-13   , 耶利米書12:14-17   ,

耶利米書12:1-6

12:1 耶和華啊，我與你爭辯的時候，你顯為義；但有一件，我還要與你理論：惡人的道路為何亨通呢？大行詭詐的為何得安逸呢？

12:2 你栽培了他們，他們也扎了根，長大，而且結果。他們的口是與你相近，心卻與你遠離。

12:3 耶和華啊，你曉得我，看見我，察驗我向你是怎樣的心。求你將他們拉出來，好像將宰的羊，叫他們等候殺戮的日子。

12:4 這地悲哀，通國的青草枯乾，要到幾時呢？因其上居民的惡行，牲畜和飛鳥都滅絕了。他們曾說：他看不見我們的結局。

12:5 耶和華說：你若與步行的人同跑，尚且覺累，怎能與馬賽跑呢？你在平安之地，雖然安穩，在約旦河邊的叢林要怎樣行呢？

12:6 因為連你弟兄和你父家都用奸詐待你。他們也在你後邊大聲喊叫，雖向你說好話，你也不要信他們。

1 Righteous are you, O Lord,

when I complain to you;

yet I would plead my case before you.

 Why does the way of the wicked prosper?

Why do all who are treacherous thrive?

2 You plant them, and they take root;

they grow and produce fruit;

you are near in their mouth

and far from their heart.

3 But you, O Lord, know me;

you see me, and test my heart toward you.

 Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,

and set them apart for the day of slaughter.

4 How long will the land mourn

and the grass of every field wither?

 For the evil of those who dwell in it

the beasts and the birds are swept away,

because they said, "He will not see our latter end."

5 "If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you,

how will you compete with horses?

And if in a safe land you are so trusting,

what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?

6 For even your brothers and the house of your father,

even they have dealt treacherously with you;

they are in full cry after you;

do not believe them,

though they speak friendly words to you."

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    耶利米向上帝質問一個很特別的問題，就是：「惡人的道路為何亨通呢？大行詭詐的為何得安逸呢？」

    但是上帝的回答也是很有意思：「連你弟兄和你父家都用奸詐待你。他們也在你後邊大聲喊叫，雖向你說好話，你也不要信他們。」

    是啊！在上帝的眼中，每個人都是有罪的，都是詭詐的，都是保護自己而虧待別人的人！更何況對待親人都如此了，別人更不用說了！

    也因為這樣，我們不要自以為義來批判別人時，歸罪上帝待惡人較好，對待義人不好！這樣是不合理的！更何況上帝是義的，不是人可以質疑的！質疑上帝是件危險的事，就像上帝在此回答的：「你若與步行的人同跑，尚且覺累，怎能與馬賽跑呢？你在平安之地，雖然安穩，在約旦河邊的叢林要怎樣行呢？」

    相信先知這段對話要提醒我們，當我們覺得自己受欺壓，認為別人不義之時，反過來要思考自己是不是也是不義的人呢？也是自私自利的人呢？我們不要將人的不義，歸咎於上帝賜福惡人。反而我們要思考，上帝是公義的，祂必定為受壓迫的人申冤，要耐心等候上帝的時間。因為最後公義必定實現的，而且這是永恆的，就是上帝的國完全實現的時候。然而，上帝的國已經來到了，不義的事將一件一件的備顯明。雖然有許多的震撼，但是這一切終將過去，上帝要掌權了！