耶利米警告犹大人勿去埃及
1加利亚的儿子约哈难、何沙雅的儿子耶撒尼亚和其他将领及民众，无论尊卑，都近前来， 2对耶利米先知说：“求你答应我们的恳求，为我们这些余民向你的上帝耶和华祷告。你亲眼看见了，我们本来人数众多，现在却寥寥无几。 3愿你的上帝耶和华指示我们该去哪里，该做什么。” 4耶利米先知说：“好。我必照你们说的向你们的上帝耶和华祷告，并把祂的话毫不隐瞒地告诉你们。” 5他们说：“倘若我们不照你的上帝耶和华派你传给我们的一切话去做，愿耶和华作信实可靠的证人指控我们！ 6我们派你去我们的上帝耶和华那里，祂的话不论中听不中听，我们都愿意听从。我们若听从祂的话，就必亨通。”
7十天之后，耶和华的话传给了耶利米。 8耶利米便召集加利亚的儿子约哈难和众将领及民众，无论尊卑， 9对他们说：“你们让我替你们向以色列的上帝耶和华祈求，耶和华这样说， 10‘如果你们留在这地方，我必造就你们，决不毁灭你们；我必栽培你们，决不铲除你们。因为我为降在你们身上的灾祸而难过。 11不要惧怕巴比伦王，不要怕他，因为我必与你们同在，拯救你们脱离他的权势。这是耶和华说的。 12我必怜悯你们，让他也怜悯你们，使你们重归故土。’ 13然而，如果你们不听你们的上帝耶和华的话，不留在这地方， 14非要去埃及住，以为那里没有战争，听不见号角声，也不会忍饥挨饿， 15那么，你们这些犹大的余民就要听耶和华的话。以色列的上帝——万军之耶和华说，‘如果你们决意去埃及住， 16你们所害怕的刀剑必追上你们，你们所惧怕的饥荒必紧紧地跟着你们到埃及。你们必死在那里。 17凡决意去埃及住的人必要死于刀剑、饥荒和瘟疫，无人能逃脱我降的灾祸，幸存下来。’
18“以色列的上帝——万军之耶和华说，‘我曾把我的怒气和烈怒倾倒在耶路撒冷人身上，如果你们去埃及，我也要把我的怒气倾倒在你们身上。你们的下场将很可怕，被人责骂、咒诅和羞辱，再也见不到故土。’ 19犹大的余民啊，耶和华已告诉你们不要去埃及。别忘了我今日给你们的警告， 20你们是在自欺，因为原是你们请我去向你们的上帝耶和华祷告，让我毫不隐瞒地把祂的话告诉你们，你们答应遵行。 21今日，我把你们的上帝耶和华要我传的话告诉你们，你们却不听从。 22因此，你们要清楚知道，在你们想去居住的地方，你们必死于刀剑、饥荒和瘟疫。”
1Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah42:1 Hebrew; Septuagint (see also 43:2) Azariah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached 2Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. 3Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”
4“I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.”
5Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. 6Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God.”
7Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. 8So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest. 9He said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition, says: 10‘If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you. 11Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. 12I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.’
13“However, if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and so disobey the Lord your God, 14and if you say, ‘No, we will go and live in Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the trumpet or be hungry for bread,’ 15then hear the word of the Lord, you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, 16then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die. 17Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague; not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.’ 18This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and wrath have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem, so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be a curse42:18 That is, your name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that you are cursed. and an object of horror, a curse42:18 That is, your name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that you are cursed. and an object of reproach; you will never see this place again.’
19“Remnant of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Be sure of this: I warn you today 20that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.’ 21I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all he sent me to tell you. 22So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle.”
