22:1 耶和華如此說:「你下到猶大王的宮中,在那裡說這話,
22:2 說:『坐大衛寶座的猶大王啊,你和你的臣僕,並進入城門的百姓,都當聽耶和華的話。
22:3 耶和華如此說:你們要施行公平和公義,拯救被搶奪的脫離欺壓人的手,不可虧負寄居的和孤兒寡婦,不可以強暴待他們,在這地方也不可流無辜人的血。
22:4 你們若認真行這事,就必有坐大衛寶座的君王和他的臣僕百姓,或坐車或騎馬,從這城的各門進入。
22:5 你們若不聽這些話,耶和華說:我指著自己起誓,這城必變為荒場。』
22:6 耶和華論到猶大王的家如此說:我看你如基列,如黎巴嫩頂;然而,我必使你變為曠野,為無人居住的城邑。
22:7 我要預備行毀滅的人,各拿器械攻擊你;他們要砍下你佳美的香柏樹,扔在火中。
22:8 「許多國的民要經過這城,各人對鄰舍說:『耶和華為何向這大城如此行呢?』
22:9 他們必回答說:『是因離棄了耶和華─他們上帝的約,事奉敬拜別神。』」
Thus says the Lord: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and
speak there this word, and say, Hear the
word of the Lord, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David, you, and
your servants, and your people who enter these gates. Thus says the Lord: Do justice and
righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been
robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and
the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. For if you will indeed obey this word, then
there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David,
riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their
people. But if you will not obey these
words, I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that this house shall become a
desolation. For thus says the Lord
concerning the house of the king of Judah:
“‘You are like Gilead to me,
like the summit of Lebanon,
yet surely I will make you a desert,
an uninhabited city.
I
will prepare destroyers against you,
each with his weapons,
and they shall cut down your choicest
cedars
and cast them into the fire.
“‘And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his
neighbor, “Why has the Lord dealt thus with this great city?” And they will answer, “Because they have
forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and worshiped other gods and served
them.”’”
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先知在這裡向猶大的君王說預言,而這樣的預言中讓我們看出耶和華信仰的精神,是在遵行上帝的話,尤其是執政掌權者,不要自以為有權柄,就忘記上帝的要求:「你們要施行公平和公義,拯救被搶奪的脫離欺壓人的手,不可虧負寄居的和孤兒寡婦,不可以強暴待他們,在這地方也不可流無辜人的血。」
同樣在今日,基督的教會中之領袖更是要如此,要讓上帝的公義施行在教會中,然後延伸到社會與國家。使上帝的旨意,可以實行在地上,就如上帝的國降臨一般。
也因此基督徒不只說上帝的保守,更是要實行上帝的旨意,除了聽到之外,更是要行道!也唯有行道,才可彰顯自己是上帝的兒女,使人藉由我們知道何為基督信仰!