9月17日
耶利米書21章1-7節
現代中文譯本2019
21:1 猶大王西底家差瑪基雅的兒子巴施戶耳和瑪西雅的兒子西番雅祭司來見我。他們要求：
21:2 「巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒正率領軍隊圍困這城，請替我們祈求上主。也許他會為我們行神蹟，迫使尼布甲尼撒撤退。」
21:3 於是，我把上主對我說的話轉告他們，要他們
21:4 告訴西底家，上主—以色列的上帝這樣說：「西底家呀，你的軍隊跟尼布甲尼撒王和他率領的軍隊正在作戰；我要打敗你的軍隊，把武器堆積在城中心。
21:5 我要用全部的力量，在忿怒、義憤，和烈怒下痛擊你們。
21:6 我要殺光城裡所有的居民；人和動物都要因疫病死亡。
21:7 至於你，你的官員以及經歷戰火、饑荒，和瘟疫殘存下來的，我都要交給尼布甲尼撒王和想殺滅你們的敵人。尼布甲尼撒王不會憐恤你們，同情你們；他要置你們於死地。我—上主這樣宣布了。」
ESV
21:1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying,
21:2 “Inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.”
21:3 Then Jeremiah said to them: “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah,
21:4 ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city.
21:5 I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath.
21:6 And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence.
21:7 Afterward, declares the LORD, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword. He shall not pity them or spare them or have compassion.’
今天的經文，是西底家王去請耶利米幫忙代求，但上帝說祂要把猶大交在巴比倫王手中。
這篇信息的背景是西元前589年底或588年初，由於西底家王受反巴比倫派的臣僕慫恿，見埃及新任法老王合弗拉剛登位時欲侵佔巴比倫領土的企圖( 結 17:12-15 )，以為自己可以有機可乘，所以接受了埃及的援助而背叛巴比倫，停止納貢巴比倫的這個決定導致巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒決心要完全攻佔猶大國，巴比倫的軍隊大舉圍困耶路撒冷（參 王下 25 ），隔絕一切的援軍（包括埃及人），猶大國其他的設防城全數被毀，同時試圖攻破城北的城牆。此時，西底家在極度恐懼並窘困之際派人向先知耶利米求問神的心意。
參考資料: https://bible.fhl.net/new/com.php?book=3&engs=Jer&chap=21&sec=1
