1 Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near, 2 And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:) 3 That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do. 4 Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you. 5 Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us. 6 Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.
7 And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah. 8 Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, 9 And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him; 10 If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. 11 Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. 12 And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.
13 But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God, 14 Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell: 15 And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; 16 Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die. 17 So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them. 18 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.
19 The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day. 20 For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it. 21 And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you. 22 Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn.
1 所有的将领, 包括加利亚的儿子约哈难和何沙雅的儿子耶撒尼亚, 以及全体人民, 从最小的到最大的, 都上前来,
2 对耶利米先知说: "求你容我们向你恳求, 请为我们这余剩的民向耶和华你的 神祷告; 因为我们从前人数众多, 现在剩下的极少, 就像你现在亲眼所见的一样。
3 请为我们求耶和华你的 神指示我们当走的路和该作的事。"
4 耶利米先知对他们说: "我听见了! 我必照着你们的话祷告耶和华你们的 神。耶和华回答你们所说的一切话, 我必告诉你们, 一句也不会向你们隐瞒。"
5 于是他们对耶利米说: "我们若不照着耶和华你的 神差遣你到我们这里来所说的一切话去作, 愿耶和华作真实和诚信的见证, 指控我们。
6 不论是甜是苦, 我们都愿听从耶和华我们 神的话, 因为是我们委派你向他祈求的; 我们听从耶和华我们 神的话, 就必凡事亨通。"
7 过了十天, 耶和华的话临到耶利米。
8 耶利米就把加利亚的儿子约哈难, 和所有与他一起的将领, 以及全体人民, 从最小的到最大的, 都叫了来,
9 对他们说: "耶和华以色列的 神, 就是你们委派我去为你们向他恳求的那位, 这样说:
10 ‘你们若决意住在这地, 我就建立你们, 必不拆毁; 栽植你们, 必不拔除; 因我为那已经降在你们身上的灾祸回心转意。
11 你们所怕的巴比伦王, 你们不要惧怕他; 你们不要惧怕他(这是耶和华的宣告), 因为我与你们同在, 要拯救你们, 要搭救你们脱离他的手。
12 我要向你们施怜悯, 他也会怜悯你们, 使你们归回自己的土地。’
13 但是, 你们若说: ‘我们不住在这地’, 不听从耶和华你们的 神的话,
14 或说: ‘不! 我们要去埃及地, 在那里看不到战争, 听不见号角的声音, 也不会因缺乏粮食而饥饿; 我们要留在那里。’
15 这样, 犹大余剩的人哪, 你们现在要听耶和华的话! 万军之耶和华以色列的 神这样说: ‘你们若决意去埃及, 到那里寄居,
16 你们惧怕的刀剑必在埃及地追上你们; 你们恐惧的饥荒必在埃及紧随着你们; 你们必死在那里。
17 所有决意去埃及, 在那里寄居的人, 必因刀剑、饥荒和瘟疫而死; 他们没有一人能幸存, 或避过我降在他们身上的灾祸。’
18 "因为万军之耶和华以色列的 神这样说: ‘我从前怎样把我的怒气和烈怒倾倒在耶路撒冷的居民身上, 现在你们进入埃及的时候, 我也必照样把我的烈怒倾倒在你们身上。你们就必成为令人惊骇、被人咒骂、咒诅和羞辱的对象。你们必不能再看见这地方。
19 犹大余剩的人哪, 耶和华曾对你们说: ‘你们不要去埃及。’你们要确实知道, 我今天已经警告你们了。
20 你们实在自己欺骗自己, 因为是你们委派我去见耶和华你们的 神, 你们说: ‘请为我们向耶和华我们的 神祷告; 无论耶和华我们的 神说什么, 你都要告诉我们, 我们就必照着去作。’
21 我今天告诉了你们, 你们却不听从耶和华你们的 神派我来告诉你们的一切话。
22 现在你们要确实知道, 在你们想去寄居的那地方, 你们必因刀剑、饥荒和瘟疫而死。"