32:16 我將買契交給尼利亞的兒子巴錄以後,便禱告耶和華說:
32:17 「主耶和華啊,你曾用大能和伸出來的膀臂創造天地,在你沒有難成的事。
32:18 你施慈愛與千萬人,又將父親的罪孽報應在他後世子孫的懷中,是至大全能的上帝,萬軍之耶和華是你的名。
32:19 謀事有大略,行事有大能,注目觀看世人一切的舉動,為要照各人所行的和他做事的結果報應他。
32:20 在埃及地顯神蹟奇事,直到今日在以色列和別人中間也是如此,使自己得了名聲,正如今日一樣。
32:21 用神蹟奇事和大能的手,並伸出來的膀臂與大可畏的事,領你的百姓以色列出了埃及。
32:22 將這地賜給他們,就是你向他們列祖起誓應許賜給他們流奶與蜜之地。
32:23 他們進入這地得了為業,卻不聽從你的話,也不遵行你的律法;你一切所吩咐他們行的,他們一無所行,因此你使這一切的災禍臨到他們。
32:24 看哪,敵人已經來到,築壘要攻取這城;城也因刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫交在攻城的迦勒底人手中。你所說的話都成就了,你也看見了。
32:25 主耶和華啊,你對我說:要用銀子為自己買那塊地,又請見證人。其實這城已交在迦勒底人的手中了。」
32:26 耶和華的話臨到耶利米說:
32:27 「我是耶和華,是凡有血氣者的上帝,豈有我難成的事嗎?
32:28 耶和華如此說:我必將這城交付迦勒底人的手和巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒的手,他必攻取這城。
32:29 攻城的迦勒底人必來放火焚燒這城和其中的房屋。在這房屋上,人曾向巴力燒香,向別神澆奠,惹我發怒。
32:30 以色列人和猶大人自從幼年以來,專行我眼中看為惡的事;以色列人盡以手所做的惹我發怒。這是耶和華說的。
32:31 這城自從建造的那日直到今日,常惹我的怒氣和忿怒,使我將這城從我面前除掉;
32:32 是因以色列人和猶大人一切的邪惡,就是他們和他們的君王、首領、祭司、先知,並猶大的眾人,以及耶路撒冷的居民所行的,惹我發怒。
32:33 他們以背向我,不以面向我;我雖從早起來教訓他們,他們卻不聽從,不受教訓,
32:34 竟把可憎之物設立在稱為我名下的殿中,污穢了這殿。
32:35 他們在欣嫩子谷建築巴力的邱壇,好使自己的兒女經火歸摩洛;他們行這可憎的事,使猶大陷在罪裡,這並不是我所吩咐的,也不是我心所起的意。」
32:36 現在論到這城,就是你們所說、已經因刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫交在巴比倫王手中的,耶和華─以色列的上帝如此說:
32:37 「我在怒氣、忿怒,和大惱恨中,將以色列人趕到各國。日後我必從那裡將他們招聚出來,領他們回到此地,使他們安然居住。
32:38 他們要作我的子民,我要作他們的上帝。
32:39 我要使他們彼此同心同道,好叫他們永遠敬畏我,使他們和他們後世的子孫得福樂,
32:40 又要與他們立永遠的約,必隨著他們施恩,並不離開他們,且使他們有敬畏我的心,不離開我。
32:41 我必歡喜施恩與他們,要盡心盡意、誠誠實實將他們栽於此地。
32:42 「因為耶和華如此說:我怎樣使這一切大禍臨到這百姓,我也要照樣使我所應許他們的一切福樂都臨到他們。
32:43 你們說,這地是荒涼、無人民、無牲畜,是交付迦勒底人手之地。日後在這境內,必有人置買田地。
32:44 在便雅憫地、耶路撒冷四圍的各處、猶大的城邑、山地的城邑、高原的城邑,並南地的城邑,人必用銀子買田地,在契上畫押,將契封緘,請出見證人,因為我必使被擄的人歸回。這是耶和華說的。」
16 “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord:
17 “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. 18 You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the parents’ sins into the laps of their children after them. Great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord Almighty, 19 great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve. 20 You performed signs and wonders in Egypt and have continued them to this day, in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown that is still yours. 21 You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror. 22 You gave them this land you had sworn to give their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey. 23 They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey you or follow your law; they did not do what you commanded them to do. So you brought all this disaster on them.
24 “See how the siege ramps are built up to take the city. Because of the sword, famine and plague, the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians who are attacking it. What you said has happened, as you now see. 25 And though the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians, you, Sovereign Lord, say to me, ‘Buy the field with silver and have the transaction witnessed.’”
26 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 27 “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? 28 Therefore this is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will capture it. 29 The Babylonians who are attacking this city will come in and set it on fire; they will burn it down, along with the houses where the people aroused my anger by burning incense on the roofs to Baal and by pouring out drink offerings to other gods.
30 “The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth; indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but arouse my anger with what their hands have made, declares the Lord. 31 From the day it was built until now, this city has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove it from my sight. 32 The people of Israel and Judah have provoked me by all the evil they have done—they, their kings and officials, their priests and prophets, the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. 33 They turned their backs to me and not their faces; though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline. 34 They set up their vile images in the house that bears my Name and defiled it. 35 They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek, though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind—that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin.
36 “You are saying about this city, ‘By the sword, famine and plague it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon’; but this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 37 I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. 38 They will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them. 40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.
42 “This is what the Lord says: As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them. 43 Once more fields will be bought in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolate waste, without people or animals, for it has been given into the hands of the Babylonians.’ 44 Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed
in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the
towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western
foothills and of the Negev, because I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord.”
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耶利米為了賣地的事和上帝對話,表面上這件買賣是不尋常,而且是發生在國家敗亡的時候,對耶利米太吃虧了!何況耶利米是先知,讓人覺得怎會看不清楚情勢呢?做了這樣的傻事!
其實並不是看不清楚情勢,是上帝要耶利米透過這事,宣告上帝在將來所要行的事,讓人感受到上帝的作為充滿在每時每刻,不管事過去、現在或是未來,上帝都在進行,並且引導情勢,就是要使以色列復興,也就是上帝國的實現!
我們的信仰,若是只求今生的美好,那又算甚麼!上帝是要應許我們一個美好的現在,更要成就一個永恆將來的豐盛,最後永遠的勝利是屬乎上帝和祂的子民,祂邀請我們進入這個得勝的行列之中,為我們預約美好的將來,並且是永恆的!