西番雅书 3
1
这悖逆、污秽、欺压的城有祸了!
3
他中间的首领是咆哮的狮子;他的审判官是晚上的豺狼,一点食物也不留到早晨。
5
耶和华在他中间是公义的,断不做非义的事,每早晨显明他的公义,无日不然;只是不义的人不知羞耻。
6
我─耶和华已经除灭列国的民;他们的城楼毁坏。我使他们的街道荒凉,以致无人经过;他们的城邑毁灭,以致无人,也无居民。
7
我说:你只要敬畏我,领受训诲;如此,你的住处不致照我所拟定的除灭。只是你们从早起来就在一切事上败坏自己。
8
耶和华说:你们要等候我,直到我兴起掳掠的日子;因为我已定意招聚列国,聚集列邦,将我的恼怒─就是我的烈怒都倾在他们身上。我的忿怒如火,必烧灭全地。
9
那时,我必使万民用清洁的言语好求告我─耶和华的名,同心合意地事奉我。
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祈祷我的,就是我所分散的民(原文是女子;下同),必从古实河外来,给我献供物。
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当那日,你必不因你一切得罪我的事自觉羞愧;因为那时我必从你中间除掉矜夸高傲之辈,你也不再於我的圣山狂傲。
12
我却要在你中间留下困苦贫寒的民;他们必投靠我─耶和华的名。
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以色列所剩下的人必不作罪孽,不说谎言,口中也没有诡诈的舌头;而且吃喝躺卧,无人惊吓。
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锡安的民哪,应当歌唱!以色列啊,应当欢呼!耶路撒冷的民哪,应当满心欢喜快乐!
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耶和华已经除去你的刑罚,赶出你的仇敌。以色列的王─耶和华在你中间;你必不再惧怕灾祸。
16
当那日,必有话向耶路撒冷说:不要惧怕!锡安哪;不要手软!
17
耶和华─你的神是施行拯救、大有能力的主。他在你中间必因你欢欣喜乐,默然爱你,且因你喜乐而欢呼。
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那些属你、为无大会愁烦、因你担当羞辱的,我必聚集他们。
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那时,我必罚办一切苦待你的人,又拯救你瘸腿的,聚集你被赶出的。那些在全地受羞辱的,我必使他们得称赞,有名声。
20
那时,我必领你们进来,聚集你们;我使你们被掳之人归回的时候,就必使你们在地上的万民中有名声,得称赞。这是耶和华说的。
Mercy
In regular language, "mercy" means being caring and compassionate toward people in poor states. That's a position we are all in relative to the Lord, all the time. Without Him we would be unable to choose what is good; without Him we would be unable to formulate a reasonable thought. Without Him, in fact, we would instantly cease to exist; we have life only because He constantly gives us life. So we are, quite literally, at His mercy. Fortunately, the Lord is caring and compassionate to a degree we cannot fathom. He is the source of all caring and all compassion, and of love itself. His mercy toward us never lessens, never abates, never ends; His whole purpose is to bring each of us, individually, to heaven. The meaning of "mercy" in the Bible is closely tied to this idea: it represents love in a general sense, and the desire for good that comes from love. It can also represent the desire for good and the ideas that describe it when those thoughts and desires are inspired by love of the Lord.