耶利米負軛的比喻
1猶大王約西亞的兒子約雅敬執政初期，耶和華的話傳給了耶利米。 2耶和華對我說：「你要做個木軛，用繩索套在自己頸上。 3然後請那些到耶路撒冷朝見猶大王西底迦的使者傳話給他們的主人以東王、摩押王、亞捫王、泰爾王和西頓王， 4說，『以色列的上帝——萬軍之耶和華說， 5我伸出大能的臂膀創造了大地、地上的人類和動物，我想把大地賜給誰就賜給誰。 6現在，我要把你們的國家交給我的僕人巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒，連田野的走獸也要歸他管轄。 7各國都要臣服於他和他的子孫，直到他的國家滅亡。那時，許多國家和強大的君王必奴役他。 8如果哪一邦或哪一國不肯臣服於巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒，不肯負巴比倫王的軛，我必用戰爭、饑荒和瘟疫懲罰他們，直到我藉巴比倫王的手毀滅他們。這是耶和華說的。 9你們不可聽信你們的先知、占卜者、解夢者、巫師和術士的話，他們說巴比倫王不會征服你們。 10他們的預言是騙人的，只會使你們遠離家園。我會趕走你們，使你們滅亡。 11但如果哪一國肯負巴比倫王的軛，臣服於他，我必使那國的人們留在本國，安居樂業。這是耶和華說的。』」
12我照耶和華的吩咐對猶大王西底迦說：「你們要負巴比倫王的軛，臣服於他和他的人民，這樣你們就可存活。 13你和你的人民何必死於戰爭、饑荒和瘟疫呢？耶和華要降這些災難給不肯臣服於巴比倫王的國家。 14不要聽信那些先知騙人的預言，他們說巴比倫王不會征服你們。 15耶和華並沒有派他們，他們卻奉祂的名說假預言。如果你們聽信他們的話，耶和華必把你們和假先知趕走，使你們一同滅亡。」 16我也對祭司和全體民眾說：「耶和華說，『你們不要聽信假先知騙人的預言，他們說耶和華殿裡的器皿很快就要從巴比倫運回來了。 17你們不可聽信他們的話。你們要臣服於巴比倫王，以便存活。何必使這城淪為廢墟呢？ 18如果他們真的是先知，有耶和華給他們的信息，就讓他們求萬軍之耶和華不要使聖殿中、猶大王宮內和耶路撒冷剩餘的器皿被擄到巴比倫去。』 19-20巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒把猶大王約雅敬的兒子耶哥尼雅，以及猶大和耶路撒冷的貴族從耶路撒冷擄到巴比倫去的時候，沒有帶走耶和華殿的銅柱、銅海、銅底座及其他器皿。 21論到這些剩下來的物件，以色列的上帝——萬軍之耶和華說， 22『它們必被擄到巴比倫，一直留在那裡，直到有一天我眷顧以色列人，把它們帶回原處。這是耶和華說的。』」
1In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,27.2 saith…: or, hath the LORD said 3And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah; 4And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters;27.4 to say…: or, concerning their masters, saying 5I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. 6And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. 7And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him. 8And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. 9Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:27.9 dreamers: Heb. dreams 10For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish. 11But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.
12¶ I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live. 13Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you. 15For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.27.15 a lie: Heb. in a lie, or, lyingly 16Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD’s house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you. 17Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste? 18But if they be prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.
19¶ For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city, 20Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem; 21Yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem; 22They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.
