今日讀經

迦南諸王喪膽

¹約旦河西亞摩利人的諸王和靠海迦南人的諸王，聽見耶和華在以色列人前面使約旦河的水乾了，等到我們過去，他們的心因以色列人的緣故就消化了，不再有膽氣。Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and their spirits failed for fear of the Israelites.

在吉甲重新行割禮

²那時，耶和華吩咐約書亞說：「你製造火石刀，第二次給以色列人行割禮。」At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel once again.”

³約書亞就製造了火石刀，在「除皮山」那裡給以色列人行割禮。So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.

⁴約書亞行割禮的緣故，是因為從埃及出來的眾民，就是一切能打仗的男丁，出了埃及以後，都死在曠野的路上。Now this is why Joshua circumcised them: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of war—had died on the journey in the wilderness after they had left Egypt.

⁵因為出來的眾民都受過割禮；惟獨出埃及以後、在曠野的路上所生的眾民都沒有受過割禮。Though all who had come out were circumcised, none of those born in the wilderness on the journey from Egypt had been circumcised.

⁶以色列人在曠野走了四十年，等到國民，就是出埃及的兵丁，都消滅了，因為他們沒有聽從耶和華的話。耶和華曾向他們起誓，必不容他們看見耶和華向他們列祖起誓、應許賜給我們的地，就是流奶與蜜之地。For the Israelites had wandered in the wilderness forty years, until all the nation’s men of war who had come out of Egypt had died, since they did not obey the LORD. So the LORD vowed never to let them see the land He had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

⁷他們的子孫，就是耶和華所興起來接續他們的，都沒有受過割禮；因為在路上沒有給他們行割禮，約書亞這才給他們行了。And He raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. Until this time they were still uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way.

⁸國民都受完了割禮，就住在營中自己的地方，等到痊癒了。And after all the nation had been circumcised, they stayed there in the camp until they were healed.

⁹耶和華對約書亞說：「我今日將埃及的羞辱從你們身上滾去了。」因此，那地方名叫吉甲（就是滾的意思），直到今日。Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So that place has been called Gilgal to this day.

守逾越節，嗎哪止住

¹⁰以色列人在吉甲安營。正月十四日晚上，在耶利哥的平原守逾越節。On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they kept the Passover.

¹¹逾越節的次日，他們就吃了那地的出產；正當那日吃無酵餅和烘的穀。The day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land.

¹²他們吃了那地的出產，第二日嗎哪就止住了，以色列人也不再有嗎哪了。那一年，他們卻吃迦南地的出產。And the day after they had eaten from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. There was no more manna for the Israelites, so that year they began to eat the crops of the land of Canaan.

耶和華軍隊的元帥

¹³約書亞靠近耶利哥的時候，舉目觀看，不料，有一個人手裡有拔出來的刀，對面站立。約書亞到他那裡，問他說：「你是幫助我們呢，是幫助我們敵人呢？」Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua approached Him and asked, “Are You for us or for our enemies?”

¹⁴他回答說：「不是的，我來是要作耶和華軍隊的元帥。」約書亞就俯伏在地下拜，說：「我主有甚麼話吩咐僕人。」“Neither,” He replied. “I have now come as Commander of the LORD’s army.” Then Joshua fell facedown in reverence and asked Him, “What does my Lord have to say to His servant?”

¹⁵耶和華軍隊的元帥對約書亞說：「把你腳上的鞋脫下來，因為你所站的地方是聖的。」約書亞就照著行了。The Commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

城門緊閉，神吩咐繞城

¹耶利哥的城門因以色列人就關得嚴緊，無人出入。Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

²耶和華曉諭約書亞說：「看哪，我已經把耶利哥和耶利哥的王，並大能的勇士，都交在你手中。And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor.

³你們的一切兵丁要圍繞這城，一日圍繞一次，六日都要這樣行。March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days.

⁴七個祭司要拿七個羊角走在約櫃前。到第七日，你們要繞城七次，祭司也要吹角。Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns.

⁵他們吹的角聲拖長，你們聽見角聲，眾百姓要大聲呼喊，城牆就必塌陷，各人都要往前直上。」And when there is a long blast of the ram’s horn and you hear its sound, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the wall of the city will collapse and all your people will charge straight into the city.”

⁶嫩的兒子約書亞召了祭司來，吩咐他們說：「你們抬起約櫃來，要有七個祭司拿七個羊角走在耶和華的約櫃前」；So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the LORD.”

⁷又對百姓說：「你們前去繞城，帶兵器的要走在耶和華的約櫃前。」And he told the people, “Advance and march around the city, with the armed troops going ahead of the ark of the LORD.”

每天繞城一次

⁸約書亞對百姓說完了話，七個祭司拿七個羊角走在耶和華面前吹角；耶和華的約櫃在他們後面跟隨。After Joshua had spoken to the people, seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the horns, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.

⁹帶兵器的走在吹角的祭司前面，後隊隨著約櫃行。祭司一面走一面吹。While the horns continued to sound, the armed troops marched ahead of the priests who blew the horns, and the rear guard followed the ark.

¹⁰約書亞吩咐百姓說：「你們不可呼喊，不可出聲，連一句話也不可出你們的口，等到我吩咐你們呼喊的日子，那時才可以呼喊。」But Joshua had commanded the people: “Do not give a battle cry or let your voice be heard; do not let one word come out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you are to shout!”

¹¹這樣，他使耶和華的約櫃繞城，把城繞了一次；眾人回到營裡，就在營裡住宿。So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. And the people returned to the camp and spent the night there.

¹²約書亞清早起來，祭司又抬起耶和華的約櫃。Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests took the ark of the LORD.

¹³七個祭司拿七個羊角在耶和華的約櫃前，時常行走吹角；帶兵器的在他們前面走，後隊隨著耶和華的約櫃行。祭司一面走一面吹。And the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns kept marching ahead of the ark of the LORD and blowing the horns. The armed troops went in front of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the horns kept sounding.

¹⁴第二日，眾人把城繞了一次，就回營裡去。六日都是這樣行。So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

第七日繞城七次

¹⁵第七日清早，黎明的時候，他們起來，照樣繞城七次；惟獨這日把城繞了七次。Then on the seventh day, they got up at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. That was the only day they circled the city seven times.

¹⁶到了第七次，祭司吹角的時候，約書亞吩咐百姓說：「呼喊吧，因為耶和華已經把城交給你們了！After the seventh time around, the priests blew the horns, and Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city!

城中一切都要毀滅，只救喇合

¹⁷這城和其中所有的都要在耶和華面前毀滅；只有妓女喇合與她家中所有的可以存活，因為她隱藏了我們所打發的使者。Now the city and everything in it must be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all those with her in her house will live, because she hid the spies we sent.

¹⁸至於你們，務要謹慎，不可取那當滅的物，恐怕你們取了那當滅的物就連累以色列的全營，使全營受咒詛。But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it.

¹⁹惟有金子、銀子，和銅鐵的器皿都要歸耶和華為聖，必入耶和華的庫中。」For all the silver and gold and all the articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they must go into His treasury.”

城牆塌陷

²⁰於是百姓呼喊，祭司也吹角。百姓聽見角聲，便大聲呼喊，城牆就塌陷，百姓便上去進城，各人往前直上，將城奪取；So when the rams’ horns sounded, the people shouted. When they heard the blast of the horn, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. Then all the people charged straight into the city and captured it.

²¹又將城中所有的，不拘男女老少，牛羊和驢，都用刀殺盡。With the edge of the sword they devoted to destruction everything in the city—man and woman, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys.

喇合一家得救

²²約書亞吩咐窺探地的兩個人說：「你們進那妓女的家，照著你們向她所起的誓，將那女人和她所有的都從那裡帶出來。」Meanwhile, Joshua told the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the house of the prostitute and bring out the woman and all who are with her, just as you promised her.”

²³當探子的兩個少年人就進去，將喇合與她的父母、弟兄，和她所有的，並她一切的親眷，都帶出來，安置在以色列的營外。So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.

²⁴眾人就用火將城和其中所有的焚燒了；惟有金子、銀子，和銅鐵的器皿都放在耶和華殿的庫中。Then the Israelites burned up the city and everything in it. However, they put the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house.

²⁵約書亞卻把妓女喇合與她父家，並她所有的，都救活了；因為她隱藏了約書亞所打發窺探耶利哥的使者，她就住在以色列中，直到今日。And Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her father’s household and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho. So she has lived among the Israelites to this day.

咒詛重建耶利哥的人

²⁶當時，約書亞叫眾人起誓說：「有興起重修這耶利哥城的人，當在耶和華面前受咒詛。他立根基的時候，必喪長子，安門的時候，必喪幼子。」At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.”

²⁷耶和華與約書亞同在，約書亞的聲名傳揚遍地。So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.

約翰差人來問

¹⁸約翰的門徒把這些事都告訴約翰。Then John’s disciples informed him about all these things.

¹⁹他便叫了兩個門徒來，打發他們到主那裡去，說：「那將要來的是你嗎？還是我們等候別人呢？」So John called two of his disciples and sent them to ask the Lord, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”

²⁰那兩個人來到耶穌那裡，說：「施洗的約翰打發我們來問你：『那將要來的是你嗎？還是我們等候別人呢？』」When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?’”

耶穌用所行的事回答

²¹正當那時候，耶穌治好了許多有疾病的，受災患的，被惡鬼附著的，又開恩叫好些瞎子能看見。At that very hour Jesus healed many people of their diseases, afflictions, and evil spirits, and He gave sight to many who were blind.

²²耶穌回答說：「你們去，把所看見所聽見的事告訴約翰，就是瞎子看見，瘸子行走，長大痲瘋的潔淨，聾子聽見，死人復活，窮人有福音傳給他們。So He replied, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

²³凡不因我跌倒的，就有福了！」Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.”

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耶穌論施洗約翰

²⁴約翰所差來的人既走了，耶穌就對眾人講論約翰說：「你們從前出去到曠野，是要看甚麼呢？要看風吹動的蘆葦嗎？After John’s messengers had left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?

²⁵你們出去，到底是要看甚麼？要看穿細軟衣服的人嗎？那穿華麗衣服、宴樂度日的人是在王宮裡。Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear elegant clothing and live in luxury are found in palaces.

²⁶你們出去，究竟是要看甚麼？要看先知嗎？我告訴你們，是的，他比先知大多了。What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

²⁷經上記著說：『我要差遣我的使者在你前面預備道路』，所說的就是這個人。This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’

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²⁸我告訴你們，凡婦人所生的，沒有一個大過約翰的；然而　神國裡最小的比他還大。」I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John, yet even the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

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百姓和法利賽人的不同反應

²⁹眾百姓和稅吏既受過約翰的洗，聽見這話，就以　神為義；All the people who heard this, even the tax collectors, acknowledged God’s justice. For they had received the baptism of John.

³⁰但法利賽人和律法師沒有受過約翰的洗，竟為自己廢棄了　神的旨意。（29-30兩節或譯：眾百姓和稅吏聽見了約翰的話，就受了他的洗，便以　神為義；但法利賽人和律法師不受約翰的洗，竟為自己廢棄了　神的旨意。）But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.

這世代像街上的孩童

³¹主又說：「這樣，我可用甚麼比這世代的人呢？他們好像甚麼呢？“To what, then, can I compare the men of this generation? What are they like?

³²好像孩童坐在街市上，彼此呼叫說：我們向你們吹笛，你們不跳舞；我們向你們舉哀，你們不啼哭。They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’

³³施洗的約翰來，不吃餅，不喝酒，你們說他是被鬼附著的。For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’

³⁴人子來，也吃也喝，你們說他是貪食好酒的人，是稅吏和罪人的朋友。The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

³⁵但智慧之子都以智慧為是。」But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

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有罪的女人用香膏抹耶穌

³⁶有一個法利賽人請耶穌和他吃飯；耶穌就到法利賽人家裡去坐席。Then one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.

³⁷那城裡有一個女人，是個罪人，知道耶穌在法利賽人家裡坐席，就拿著盛香膏的玉瓶，When a sinful woman from that town learned that Jesus was dining there, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume.

³⁸站在耶穌背後，挨著他的腳哭，眼淚溼了耶穌的腳，就用自己的頭髮擦乾，又用嘴連連親他的腳，把香膏抹上。As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet and anointed them with the perfume.

西門心裡的議論

³⁹請耶穌的法利賽人看見這事，心裡說：「這人若是先知，必知道摸他的是誰，是個怎樣的女人；乃是個罪人。」When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she is a sinner!”

⁴⁰耶穌對他說：「西門！我有句話要對你說。」西門說：「夫子，請說。」But Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, Teacher,” he said.

兩個欠債的人

⁴¹耶穌說：「一個債主有兩個人欠他的債；一個欠五十兩銀子，一個欠五兩銀子；“Two men were debtors to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

⁴²因為他們無力償還，債主就開恩免了他們兩個人的債。這兩個人哪一個更愛他呢？」When they were unable to repay him, he forgave both of them. Which one, then, will love him more?”

⁴³西門回答說：「我想是那多得恩免的人。」耶穌說：「你斷的不錯。」“I suppose the one who was forgiven more,” Simon replied. “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

她的愛多

⁴⁴於是轉過來向著那女人，便對西門說：「你看見這女人嗎？我進了你的家，你沒有給我水洗腳；但這女人用眼淚溼了我的腳，用頭髮擦乾。And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give Me water for My feet, but she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

⁴⁵你沒有與我親嘴；但這女人從我進來的時候就不住地用嘴親我的腳。You did not greet Me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing My feet since I arrived.

⁴⁶你沒有用油抹我的頭；但這女人用香膏抹我的腳。You did not anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with perfume.

⁴⁷所以我告訴你，她許多的罪都赦免了，因為她的愛多；但那赦免少的，他的愛就少。」Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven, for she has loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

你的罪赦免了

⁴⁸於是對那女人說：「你的罪赦免了。」Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

⁴⁹同席的人心裡說：「這是甚麼人，竟赦免人的罪呢？」But those at the table began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰耶穌對那女人說：「你的信救了你；平平安安回去吧！」And Jesus told the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”