今日讀經

亞古珥承認自己無知

¹雅基的兒子亞古珥的言語就是真言。這人對以鐵和烏甲說：These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh—the burden that this man declared to Ithiel: “I am weary, O God, and worn out.

²我比眾人更蠢笨，也沒有人的聰明。Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man.

³我沒有學好智慧，也不認識至聖者。I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.

⁴誰升天又降下來？誰聚風在掌握中？誰包水在衣服裡？誰立定地的四極？他名叫甚麼？他兒子名叫甚麼？你知道嗎？Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in His cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son—surely you know!

神的言語是煉淨的

⁵神的言語句句都是煉淨的；投靠他的，他便作他們的盾牌。Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

⁶他的言語，你不可加添，恐怕他責備你，你就顯為說謊言的。Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar.

不貧窮也不富足

⁷我求你兩件事，在我未死之先，不要不賜給我：Two things I ask of You—do not refuse me before I die:

⁸求你使虛假和謊言遠離我；使我也不貧窮也不富足；賜給我需用的飲食，Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion.

⁹恐怕我飽足不認你，說：耶和華是誰呢？又恐怕我貧窮就偷竊，以致褻瀆我　神的名。Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.

不要讒謗；四種惡人

¹⁰你不要向主人讒謗僕人，恐怕他咒詛你，你便算為有罪。Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt.

¹¹有一宗人（宗：原文是代；下同），咒詛父親，不給母親祝福。There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.

¹²有一宗人，自以為清潔，卻沒有洗去自己的污穢。There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth.

¹³有一宗人，眼目何其高傲，眼皮也是高舉。There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances—

¹⁴有一宗人，牙如劍，齒如刀，要吞滅地上的困苦人和世間的窮乏人。there is a generation whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are knives, devouring the oppressed from the earth and the needy from among men.

不知足的四樣

¹⁵螞蟥有兩個女兒，常說：給呀，給呀！有三樣不知足的，連不說「夠的」共有四樣：The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’:

¹⁶就是陰間和石胎，浸水不足的地，並火。Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’

¹⁷戲笑父親、藐視而不聽從母親的，他的眼睛必為谷中的烏鴉啄出來，為鷹雛所吃。As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it.

測不透的四樣

¹⁸我所測不透的奇妙有三樣，連我所不知道的共有四樣：There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand:

¹⁹就是鷹在空中飛的道；蛇在磐石上爬的道；船在海中行的道；男與女交合的道。the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.

²⁰淫婦的道也是這樣：她吃了，把嘴一擦就說：我沒有行惡。This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’

使地震動的四樣

²¹使地震動的有三樣，連地擔不起的共有四樣：Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:

²²就是僕人作王；愚頑人吃飽；a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food,

²³醜惡的女子出嫁；婢女接續主母。an unloved woman who marries, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress.

小而聰明的四樣

²⁴地上有四樣小物，卻甚聰明：Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise:

²⁵螞蟻是無力之類，卻在夏天預備糧食。The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;

²⁶沙番是軟弱之類，卻在磐石中造房。the rock badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks;

²⁷蝗蟲沒有君王，卻分隊而出。the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation;

²⁸守宮用爪抓牆，卻住在王宮。and the lizard can be caught in one’s hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings.

步行威武的四樣

²⁹步行威武的有三樣，連行走威武的共有四樣：There are three things that are stately in their stride, and four that are impressive in their walk:

³⁰就是獅子─乃百獸中最為猛烈、無所躲避的，a lion, mighty among beasts, refusing to retreat before anything;

³¹獵狗，公山羊，和無人能敵的君王。a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him.

³²你若行事愚頑，自高自傲，或是懷了惡念，就當用手摀口。If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth.

³³搖牛奶必成奶油；扭鼻子必出血。照樣，激動怒氣必起爭端。For as the churning of milk yields butter, and the twisting of the nose draws blood, so the stirring of anger brings forth strife.”

利慕伊勒的母親的教訓

¹利慕伊勒王的言語，是他母親教訓他的真言。These are the words of King Lemuel—the burden that his mother taught him:

²我的兒啊，我腹中生的兒啊，我許願得的兒啊！我當怎樣教訓你呢？What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows?

³不要將你的精力給婦女；也不要有敗壞君王的行為。Do not spend your strength on women or your vigor on those who ruin kings.

⁴利慕伊勒啊，君王喝酒，君王喝酒不相宜；王子說濃酒在那裡也不相宜；It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink,

⁵恐怕喝了就忘記律例，顛倒一切困苦人的是非。lest they drink and forget what is decreed, depriving all the oppressed of justice.

⁶可以把濃酒給將亡的人喝，把清酒給苦心的人喝，Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to the bitter in soul.

⁷讓他喝了，就忘記他的貧窮，不再記念他的苦楚。Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

⁸你當為啞巴（或譯：不能自辯的）開口，為一切孤獨的伸冤。Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed.

⁹你當開口按公義判斷，為困苦和窮乏的辨屈。Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.

才德的婦人

¹⁰才德的婦人誰能得著呢？她的價值遠勝過珍珠。A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies.

¹¹她丈夫心裡倚靠她，必不缺少利益；The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value.

¹²她一生使丈夫有益無損。She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life.

¹³她尋找羊羢和麻，甘心用手做工。She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

¹⁴她好像商船從遠方運糧來，She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

¹⁵未到黎明她就起來，把食物分給家中的人，將當做的工分派婢女。She rises while it is still night to provide food for her household and portions for her maidservants.

¹⁶她想得田地就買來；用手所得之利栽種葡萄園。She appraises a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷她以能力束腰，使膀臂有力。She girds herself with strength and shows that her arms are strong.

¹⁸她覺得所經營的有利；她的燈終夜不滅。She sees that her gain is good, and her lamp is not extinguished at night.

¹⁹她手拿撚線竿，手把紡線車。She stretches out her hands to the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

²⁰她張手賙濟困苦人，伸手幫補窮乏人。She opens her arms to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.

²¹她不因下雪為家裡的人擔心，因為全家都穿著朱紅衣服。When it snows, she has no fear for her household, for they are all clothed in scarlet.

²²她為自己製作繡花毯子；她的衣服是細麻和紫色布做的。She makes coverings for her bed; her clothing is fine linen and purple.

²³她丈夫在城門口與本地的長老同坐，為眾人所認識。Her husband is known at the city gates, where he sits among the elders of the land.

²⁴她做細麻布衣裳出賣，又將腰帶賣與商家。She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchants.

²⁵能力和威儀是她的衣服；她想到日後的景況就喜笑。Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the days to come.

²⁶她開口就發智慧；她舌上有仁慈的法則。She opens her mouth with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷她觀察家務，並不吃閒飯。She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

兒女和丈夫稱讚她

²⁸她的兒女起來稱她有福；她的丈夫也稱讚她，Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband praises her as well:

²⁹說：才德的女子很多，惟獨你超過一切。“Many daughters have done noble things, but you surpass them all!”

³⁰艷麗是虛假的，美容是虛浮的；惟敬畏耶和華的婦女必得稱讚。Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

³¹願她享受操作所得的；願她的工作在城門口榮耀她。Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.

一切都是為造就你們

¹⁹你們到如今，還想我們是向你們分訴；我們本是在基督裡當　神面前說話。親愛的弟兄啊，一切的事都是為造就你們。Have you been thinking all along that we were making a defense to you? We speak before God in Christ, and all of this, beloved, is to build you up.

²⁰我怕我再來的時候，見你們不合我所想望的，你們見我也不合你們所想望的；又怕有紛爭、嫉妒、惱怒、結黨、毀謗、讒言、狂傲、混亂的事。For I am afraid that when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalry, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.

²¹且怕我來的時候，我的　神叫我在你們面前慚愧，又因許多人從前犯罪，行污穢、姦淫、邪蕩的事不肯悔改，我就憂愁。I am afraid that when I come again, my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of their acts of impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery.

第三次要來

¹這是我第三次要到你們那裡去。「憑兩三個人的口作見證，句句都要定準。」This is the third time I am coming to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

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²我從前說過，如今不在你們那裡又說，正如我第二次見你們的時候所說的一樣，就是對那犯了罪的和其餘的人說：「我若再來，必不寬容。」I already warned you the second time I was with you. So now in my absence I warn those who sinned earlier and everyone else: If I return, I will not spare anyone,

³你們既然尋求基督在我裡面說話的憑據，我必不寬容。因為，基督在你們身上不是軟弱的，在你們裡面是有大能的。since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you but is powerful among you.

⁴他因軟弱被釘在十字架上，卻因　神的大能仍然活著。我們也是這樣同他軟弱，但因　神向你們所顯的大能，也必與他同活。For He was indeed crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God’s power. For we are also weak in Him, yet by God’s power we will live with Him concerning you.

省察自己

⁵你們總要自己省察有信心沒有，也要自己試驗。豈不知你們若不是可棄絕的，就有耶穌基督在你們心裡嗎？Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you fail the test?

⁶我卻盼望你們曉得，我們不是可棄絕的人。And I hope you will realize that we have not failed the test.

⁷我們求　神，叫你們一件惡事都不做；這不是要顯明我們是蒙悅納的，是要你們行事端正，任憑人看我們是被棄絕的吧！Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not that we will appear to have stood the test, but that you will do what is right, even if we appear to have failed.

⁸我們凡事不能敵擋真理，只能扶助真理。For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.

⁹即使我們軟弱，你們剛強，我們也歡喜；並且我們所求的，就是你們作完全人。In fact, we rejoice when we are weak but you are strong, and our prayer is for your perfection.

¹⁰所以，我不在你們那裡的時候，把這話寫給你們，好叫我見你們的時候，不用照主所給我的權柄嚴厲地待你們。這權柄原是為造就人，並不是為敗壞人。This is why I write these things while absent, so that when I am present I will not need to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.

末了的勸勉與問安

¹¹還有末了的話：願弟兄們都喜樂。要作完全人；要受安慰；要同心合意；要彼此和睦。如此，仁愛和平的　神必常與你們同在。Finally, brothers, rejoice! Aim for perfect harmony, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

¹²你們親嘴問安，彼此務要聖潔。Greet one another with a holy kiss.

¹³眾聖徒都問你們安。All the saints send you greetings.

恩惠、慈愛、感動的祝福

¹⁴願主耶穌基督的恩惠、　神的慈愛、聖靈的感動常與你們眾人同在！The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.