25:15 耶和華─以色列的上帝對我如此說:「你從我手中接這杯忿怒的酒,使我所差遣你去的各國的民喝。
25:16 他們喝了就要東倒西歪,並要發狂,因我使刀劍臨到他們中間。」
25:17 我就從耶和華的手中接了這杯,給耶和華所差遣我去的各國的民喝,
25:18 就是耶路撒冷和猶大的城邑,並耶路撒冷的君王與首領,使這城邑荒涼,令人驚駭、嗤笑、咒詛,正如今日一樣。
25:19 又有埃及王法老和他的臣僕、首領,以及他的眾民,
25:20 並雜族的人民和烏斯地的諸王,與非利士地的諸王(亞實基倫、迦薩、以革倫,以及亞實突剩下的人);
25:21 以東、摩押、亞捫人、
25:22 泰爾的諸王、西頓的諸王、海島的諸王、
25:23 底但、提瑪、布斯,和一切剃周圍頭髮的;
25:24 阿拉伯的諸王、住曠野雜族人民的諸王、
25:25 心利的諸王、以攔的諸王、米底亞的諸王、
25:26 北方遠近的諸王,以及天下地上的萬國喝了,以後示沙克(就是巴比倫)王也要喝。
25:27 「你要對他們說:『萬軍之耶和華─以色列的上帝如此說:你們要喝,且要喝醉,要嘔吐,且要跌倒,不得再起來,都因我使刀劍臨到你們中間。』
25:28 「他們若不肯從你手接這杯喝,你就要對他們說:『萬軍之耶和華如此說:你們一定要喝!
25:29 我既從稱為我名下的城起首施行災禍,你們能盡免刑罰嗎?你們必不能免,因為我要命刀劍臨到地上一切的居民。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。』
25:30 「所以你要向他們預言這一切的話,攻擊他們,說:耶和華必從高天吼叫,從聖所發聲,向自己的羊群大聲吼叫;他要向地上一切的居民吶喊,像踹葡萄的一樣。
25:31 必有響聲達到地極,因為耶和華與列國相爭;凡有血氣的,他必審問;至於惡人,他必交給刀劍。這是耶和華說的。
25:32 萬軍之耶和華如此說:看哪,必有災禍從這國發到那國,並有大暴風從地極颳起。
25:33 「到那日,從地這邊直到地那邊都有耶和華所殺戮的。必無人哀哭,不得收殮,不得葬埋,必在地上成為糞土。
25:34 牧人哪,你們當哀號,呼喊;群眾的頭目啊,你們要滾在灰中;因為你們被殺戮分散的日子足足來到。你們要跌碎,好像美器打碎一樣。
25:35 牧人無路逃跑;群眾的頭目也無法逃脫。
25:36 聽啊,有牧人呼喊,有群眾頭目哀號的聲音,因為耶和華使他們的草場變為荒場。
25:37 耶和華發出猛烈的怒氣,平安的羊圈就都寂靜無聲。
25:38 他離了隱密處像獅子一樣,他們的地,因刀劍凶猛的欺壓,又因他猛烈的怒氣都成為可驚駭的。」
Thus
the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup of the
wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. They shall drink and stagger and be crazed
because of the sword that I am sending among them.”
So I took the cup from the Lord's hand, and
made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink it: Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings
and officials, to make them a desolation and a waste, a hissing and a curse, as
at this day; Pharaoh king of Egypt, his
servants, his officials, all his people,
and all the mixed tribes among them; all the kings of the land of Uz and
all the kings of the land of the Philistines (Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the
remnant of Ashdod); Edom, Moab, and the
sons of Ammon; all the kings of Tyre,
all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastland across the sea; Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who cut the corners
of their hair; all the kings of Arabia
and all the kings of the mixed tribes who dwell in the desert; all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of
Elam, and all the kings of Media; all
the kings of the north, far and near, one after another, and all the kingdoms
of the world that are on the face of the earth. And after them the king of
Babylon shall drink.
“Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the
Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink, be drunk and vomit, fall and rise no
more, because of the sword that I am sending among you.’
“And if they refuse to accept the cup from
your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts:
You must drink! For behold, I begin to
work disaster at the city that is called by my name, and shall you go
unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all
the inhabitants of the earth, declares the Lord of hosts.’
“You, therefore, shall prophesy against them
all these words, and say to them:
“‘The Lord will roar from on high,
and from
his holy habitation utter his voice;
he will
roar mightily against his fold,
and
shout, like those who tread grapes,
against
all the inhabitants of the earth.
The clamor will resound to the ends of the
earth,
for the
Lord has an indictment against the nations;
he is
entering into judgment with all flesh,
and the
wicked he will put to the sword,
declares
the Lord.’
“Thus says the Lord of hosts:
Behold,
disaster is going forth
from
nation to nation,
and a
great tempest is stirring
from the
farthest parts of the earth!
“And those pierced by the Lord on that day
shall extend from one end of the earth to the other. They shall not be
lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall be dung on the surface of the
ground.
“Wail, you shepherds, and cry out,
and roll
in ashes, you lords of the flock,
for the
days of your slaughter and dispersion have come,
and you
shall fall like a choice vessel.
No refuge will remain for the shepherds,
nor
escape for the lords of the flock.
A voice—the cry of the shepherds,
and the
wail of the lords of the flock!
For the
Lord is laying waste their pasture,
and the peaceful folds are devastated
because
of the fierce anger of the Lord.
Like a lion he has left his lair,
for their
land has become a waste
because
of the sword of the oppressor,
and
because of his fierce anger.”
************
上帝透過先知來宣告祂要藉由巴比倫來審判列國,使列國面臨到比亞述國更強大的軍事強權,讓世界各國認識到上帝是歷史與時勢的主宰者,進而成為上帝大能的見證人。
人最淒慘的狀態,就是不知上帝的權能,還自以為了不起,以至於受到極大的懲罰之後,還自以為是抗拒上帝,不肯順服在上帝的手下,以為自己可以闖出一番榮景,可以揚眉吐氣來傲視群雄。
因此,人必須要向上帝的主權低頭,承認自己的不能、無知與有罪,必須透過耶穌基督和祂釘十字架的救恩,生命才能得著更新,享受上帝在基督裡的一切恩典與大能,成為主的見證人!