旧约 - 耶利米哀歌(Lamentations)第1章

How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave.
Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are upon her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is none to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies.
After affliction and harsh labor, Judah has gone into exile. She dwells among the nations; she finds no resting place. All who pursue her have overtaken her in the midst of her distress.
The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to her appointed feasts. All her gateways are desolate, her priests groan, her maidens grieve, and she is in bitter anguish.
Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. The LORD has brought her grief because of her many sins. Her children have gone into exile, captive before the foe.
All the splendor has departed from the Daughter of Zion. Her princes are like deer that find no pasture; in weakness they have fled before the pursuer.
In the days of her affliction and wandering Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old. When her people fell into enemy hands, there was no one to help her. Her enemies looked at her and laughed at her destruction.
Jerusalem has sinned greatly and so has become unclean. All who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns away.
Her filthiness clung to her skirts; she did not consider her future. Her fall was astounding; there was none to comfort her. "Look, O LORD, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed."
The enemy laid hands on all her treasures; she saw pagan nations enter her sanctuary--those you had forbidden to enter your assembly.
All her people groan as they search for bread; they barter their treasures for food to keep themselves alive. "Look, O LORD, and consider, for I am despised."
"Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see. Is any suffering like my suffering that was inflicted on me, that the LORD brought on me in the day of his fierce anger?
"From on high he sent fire, sent it down into my bones. He spread a net for my feet and turned me back. He made me desolate, faint all the day long.
"My sins have been bound into a yoke; by his hands they were woven together. They have come upon my neck and the Lord has sapped my strength. He has handed me over to those I cannot withstand.
"The Lord has rejected all the warriors in my midst; he has summoned an army against me to crush my young men. In his winepress the Lord has trampled the Virgin Daughter of Judah.
"This is why I weep and my eyes overflow with tears. No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed."
Zion stretches out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her. The LORD has decreed for Jacob that his neighbors become his foes; Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.
"The LORD is righteous, yet I rebelled against his command. Listen, all you peoples; look upon my suffering. My young men and maidens have gone into exile.
"I called to my allies but they betrayed me. My priests and my elders perished in the city while they searched for food to keep themselves alive.
"See, O LORD, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death.
"People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my distress; they rejoice at what you have done. May you bring the day you have announced so they may become like me.
"Let all their wickedness come before you; deal with them as you have dealt with me because of all my sins. My groans are many and my heart is faint."
耶利米哀歌第一章   第 1 章 

  哀 1:1> 昔日繁华兴盛,今日满目疮痍,此情此景,怎不令人哀泣…… 

  1:1 这卷书是耶利米为耶路撒冷的灭亡所写的哀歌。整个犹大被彻底地打败,圣殿被摧毁,人民也被巴比伦人俘掳。耶利米为受苦难和被凌辱的人民哭泣,泪水渗透到他的心里。他痛哭是因为神抛弃了那些背弃祂的人民。这哀歌每年都要大声地朗诵给所有的犹太人听,提醒他们,当年耶路撒冷的毁灭就是因为人们固执地犯罪所导致的。 

  哀 1:2> 在你有难时朋友却落井下石,是怪人心诡诈,还是怪自己交友不慎? 

  1:2 句中“亲爱的”是指埃及等一些国家,因为犹大一直盼望他们能施以援手。当巴比伦军队靠近耶路撒冷时,犹大不但不祈求神保护,反而背弃主去求他国的援助。 

  哀 1:9> “不思想自己的结局”,我有没有好好想过呢? 

  1:9 这个警告不仅响亮而且清楚。如果犹大玩火必然自焚,但犹大真的愚蠢地冒险并且输了。他们拒绝相信不道德的生活会导致神的惩罚,但犯罪的最终代价就是受惩罚(参罗 6:23 )。我们可以选择不顾神,但正如审判一定会降临耶路撒冷一样,它也会临到我们身上。你听从神的话吗?服从神就是爱神的表现。 

  哀 1:14> 人到底有没有自由,有?没有?好像…… 

  1:14 起初,罪恶似乎提供了许多自由,但当我们自由地做我们想做的事,并逐渐形成一种非做不可的欲望时,我们就成为罪的俘虏,受它的牵制。自由是从神而来,所以祂不会让我们为所欲为,而是让我们做对我们有益的事。事实上,真正的自由是从顺服神而来的,也许从字面上我们不甚理解,但如果我们按照祂的指示而行,必有好的结果。 

  哀 1:16> 连神都不来安慰,我千万不要落在这步田地…… 

  1:16 神本是个安慰者,但是由于人的罪行,祂必须转脸成为审判官审判他们。 

  哀 1:19> 有困难时向谁求救?真正能帮助我的是谁? 

  1:19 耶路撒冷的盟国无法帮忙。因为他们跟耶路撒冷一样,都没有寻求神的救援。这些盟国外表上看似很强大,但其实他们因没有神的同在而软弱不堪。可靠的援助只能从那些寻求神的伙伴那里而来。当你需要他人给予忠告时,应去找那些充满神智慧的基督徒。 

  哀 1:22> 对我的仇敌,我可以求神惩罚吗? 

  1:22 巴比伦虽然恶贯满盈,但它却是神惩罚犹大及耶路撒冷的工具。所以耶路撒冷的人民恳求神像惩罚他们一样将巴比伦治罪(“你……怎样待我,求你照样待他们”)。神会那样做的,因为祂已经审判巴比伦了(参耶 50:1-27 )。──《灵修版圣经注释》