今天的經文出自約雅金王時期，他推翻了其父約史雅王的宗教改革。

先知耶肋米亞不斷懇求百姓悔改，卻無濟於事。

隨後，一場嚴重的旱災降臨。

在如此可怕的境況下，先知耶肋米亞為耶路撒冷的命運哀嘆不已。他預見到，在刀劍、飢荒和瘟疫這三大災禍的摧殘下，耶路撒冷城和城中的百姓將遭受毀滅。

最終，先知耶肋米亞轉向上主，懇求祂的憐憫，並非因為百姓悔改，而是因為上主的聖名，以及祂對揀選以色列為祂子民的信實。

我們所處的歷史境況與耶肋米亞時代頗為相似，只是規模更大，遍及全球。

我們也需要將唯一的希望寄託於上主，寄託於祂的信實，而不是寄託於我們解決問題的能力。

Today’s reading belongs to the times of King Jehoiakim, a king that undid the religious reform of his father King Josiah.

The prophet continually begged the people to convert to no avail.

Then, there was a severe drought.

Under that adjunct and fearful circumstance, the prophet expressed his lament at the fate of Jerusalem. He foresaw the destruction of the city and the people under the three scourges of sword, famine, and pestilence.

At the end, the prophet turned to God and implored mercy, not because of any conversion of the people, but because of the Name of the Lord, His faithfulness to his choice of Israel as His people.

Our historical circumstances may be seen as similar to the ones at the times of Jeremiah, only on a global scale.

We too need to place our only hope in God and on His faithfulness to himself rather than on our abilities to solve problems.