Yēlìmǐshū 40

1 Yēlìmǐ suǒ zaì Yēlùsǎlĕng hé Yóudà beìlǔ dào Bābǐlún de rén zhōng , hùwèi zhǎng ní bù Sǎlā dàn jiāng tā cóng Lāmǎ shìfàng yǐhòu , Yēhéhuá de huà líndào Yēlìmǐ .

2 Hùwèi zhǎng jiāng Yēlìmǐ jiào lái , duì tā shuō , Yēhéhuá nǐde shén céng shuō yào jiàng zhè huò yǔ cǐ dì .

3 Yēhéhuá shǐ zhè huò líndào , zhào tā suǒ shuō de xíng le . yīnwei nǐmen dé zuì Yēhéhuá , méiyǒu tīng cóng tāde huà , suǒyǐ zhè shì líndào nǐmen .

4 Xiànzaì wǒ jiĕkāi nǐ shǒu shang de liànzi , nǐ ruò kàn yǔ wǒ tóng wǎng Bābǐlún qù hǎo , jiù kĕyǐ qù , wǒ bì hòu dāi nǐ . nǐ ruò kàn yǔ wǒ tóng wǎng Bābǐlún qù bù hǎo , jiù bù bì qù . kàn nǎ , quán dì zaì nǐ miànqián , nǐ yǐwéi nǎli mĕihǎo , nǎli hé yí , zhǐguǎn shang nàli qù ba .

5 Yēlìmǐ hái méiyǒu huí qù , hùwèi zhǎng shuō , nǐ kĕyǐ huí dào shā pān de sūnzi yà xī gān de érziJīdàlì nàli qù . xiànzaì Bābǐlún wáng lì tā zuò Yóudà chéngyì de shĕng zhǎng . nǐ kĕyǐ zaì Tānàli zhù zaì mín zhōng , bù rán , nǐ kàn nàli hé yí jiù kĕyǐ shang nàli qù . yúshì hùwèi zhǎng sòng tā liángshi hé lǐwù , shìfàng tā qù le .

6 Yēlìmǐ jiù dào Mǐsībā jiàn yà xī gān de érziJīdàlì , zaì Tānàli zhù zaì jìng neì shèngxia de mín zhōng .

7 Zaì tiānyĕ de yīqiè jūnzhǎng , hé shǔ tāmende rén , tīngjian Bābǐlún wáng lì le yà xī gān de érziJīdàlì zuò jìng neì de shĕng zhǎng , bìng jiāng méiyǒu lǔ dào Bābǐlún de nánrén , fùnǚ , háitóng , hé jìng neì jí qióng de rén quán jiāo gĕi tā .

8 Yúshì jūnzhǎng ní tàn yǎ de érzi Yǐshímǎlì , jiā Lìyà de liǎng gè érzi Yuēhānán hé Yuēnádān , dān hù miè de érzi Xīláiyǎ , bìng ní tuó fǎ rén yǐ fĕi de zhòng zǐ , Mǎjiā rén de érzi yé sā ní yà hé shǔ tāmende rén , dōu dào Mǐsībā jiànJīdàlì .

9 Shā pān de sūnzi yà xī gān de érziJīdàlì xiàng tāmen hé shǔ tāmende rén qǐshì shuō , búyào pà fúshì Jiālèdǐ rén , zhǐguǎn zhù zaì zhè dì , fúshì Bābǐlún wáng , jiù kĕyǐ dé fú .

10 Zhìyú wǒ , wǒ yào zhù zaì Mǐsībā , cìhou nà dào wǒmen zhèlǐ lái de Jiālèdǐ rén . zhǐshì nǐmen dāng jīxù jiǔ , yóu , hé xiàtiān de guǒzi , shōu zaì qìmǐn lǐ , zhù zaì nǐmen suǒ zhān de chéngyì zhōng .

11 Zaì Móyē dì hé Yàmén rén zhōng , zaì Yǐdōng dì hé ge guó de yīqiè Yóudà rén , tīngjian Bābǐlún wáng liú xià xiē Yóudà rén , bìng lì shā pān de sūnzi yà xī gān de érziJīdàlì guǎnlǐ tāmen .

12 Zhè yīqiè Yóudà rén jiù cóng suǒ gǎn dào de gè chù huí lái , dào Yóudà dì Mǐsībā deJīdàlì nàli , yòu jīxù le xǔduō de jiǔ , bìng xiàtiān de guǒzi .

13 Jiā Lìyà de érzi Yuēhānán hé zaì tiānyĕ de yīqiè jūnzhǎng lái dào Mǐsībā jiànJīdàlì ,

14 Duì tā shuō , Yàmén rén de wáng bā lì sī dǎfa ní tàn yǎ de érzi Yǐshímǎlì lái yào nǐde méng , nǐ zhīdào ma . yà xī gān de érziJīdàlì què bù xìn tāmende huà .

15 Jiā Lìyà de érzi Yuēhānán zaì Mǐsībā sīxià duìJīdàlì shuō , qiú nǐ róng wǒ qù shā ní tàn yǎ de érzi Yǐshímǎlì , bì wú rén zhīdào . hébì ràng tā yào nǐde méng , shǐ jùjí dào nǐ zhèlǐ lái de Yóudà rén dōu fēnsàn , yǐzhì Yóudà shèngxia de rén dōu mièwáng ne

16 Yà xī gān de érziJīdàlì duì jiā Lìyà de érzi Yuēhānán shuō , nǐ bùkĕ xíng zhè shì , nǐ suǒ lún Yǐshímǎlì de huà shì jiǎ de .

Yēlìmǐshū 40 Commentary

Chapter 40

Jeremiah is directed to go to Gedaliah. (1-6) A conspiracy against Gedaliah. (7-16)

Verses 1-6 The captain of the guard seems to glory that he had been God's instrument to fulfil, what Jeremiah had been God's messenger to foretell. Many can see God's justice and truth with regard to others, who are heedless and blind as to themselves and their own sins. But, sooner or later, all men shall be made sensible that their sin is the cause of all their miseries. Jeremiah has leave to dispose of himself; but is advised to go to Gedaliah, governor of the land under the king of Babylon. It is doubtful whether Jeremiah acted right in this decision. But those who desire the salvation of sinners, and the good of the church, are apt to expect better times from slight appearances, and they will prefer the hope of being useful, to the most secure situations without it.

Verses 7-16 Jeremiah had never in his prophecies spoken of any good days for the Jews, to come immediately after the captivity; yet Providence seemed to encourage such an expectation. But how soon is this hopeful prospect blighted! When God begins a judgment, he will complete it. While pride, ambition, or revenge, bears rule in the heart, men will form new projects, and be restless in mischief, which commonly ends in their own ruin. Who would have thought, that after the destruction of Jerusalem, rebellion would so soon have sprung up? There can be no thorough change but what grace makes. And if the miserable, who are kept in everlasting chains for the judgment of the great day, were again permitted to come on earth, the sin and evil of their nature would be unchanged. Lord, give us new hearts, and that new mind in which the new birth consists, since thou hast said we cannot without it see thy heavenly kingdom.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 40

This chapter treats of the release of Jeremiah, and the care taken of him; of the gathering of the princes and people of the Jews to Gedaliah, appointed their governor, dispersed about Judea, and other countries; and of a conspiracy against him, of which information was given him. The release of Jeremiah, where, and by whom, Jer 40:1-4; the liberty granted him to go to Babylon, or stay in Judea, as he thought fit; and, if he chose the latter, is advised to go to Gedaliah, appointed governor, or where he would; and is dismissed with food, and a reward, Jer 40:4-6; upon which he went and dwelt with Gedaliah, Jer 40:7; to whom also the captains of the dispersed forces joined themselves, to whom he swore, and bid them be of good cheer; and exhorted them to serve the Chaldeans, which he urged from the profit of it to them, and by his own example, Jer 40:8-10; and to whom also gathered the Jews in other countries, Jer 40:11,12; by the captains he is informed of a conspiracy against his life, and one of them offers to destroy the conspirator, which Gedaliah would not agree to, disbelieving the information, Jer 40:13-16.