今日讀經

拿俄米為路得打算

¹路得的婆婆拿俄米對她說：「女兒啊，我不當為你找個安身之處，使你享福嗎？One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek a resting place for you, that it may be well with you?

²你與波阿斯的使女常在一處，波阿斯不是我們的親族嗎？他今夜在場上簸大麥；Now is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been working, a relative of ours? In fact, tonight he is winnowing barley on the threshing floor.

³你要沐浴抹膏，換上衣服，下到場上，卻不要使那人認出你來。你等他吃喝完了，Therefore wash yourself, put on perfume, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but do not let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.

⁴到他睡的時候，你看準他睡的地方，就進去掀開他腳上的被，躺臥在那裡，他必告訴你所當做的事。」When he lies down, note the place where he lies. Then go in and uncover his feet, and lie down, and he will explain to you what you should do.”

⁵路得說：「凡你所吩咐的，我必遵行。」“I will do everything you say,” Ruth answered.

路得在禾場上

⁶路得就下到場上，照她婆婆所吩咐她的而行。So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed her to do.

⁷波阿斯吃喝完了，心裡歡暢，就去睡在麥堆旁邊。路得便悄悄地來掀開他腳上的被，躺臥在那裡。After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then Ruth went in secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

⁸到了夜半，那人忽然驚醒，翻過身來，不料有女子躺在他的腳下。At midnight, Boaz was startled, turned over, and there lying at his feet was a woman!

⁹他就說：「你是誰？」回答說：「我是你的婢女路得。求你用你的衣襟遮蓋我，因為你是我一個至近的親屬。」“Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, for you are a kinsman-redeemer.”

¹⁰波阿斯說：「女兒啊，願你蒙耶和華賜福。你末後的恩比先前更大；因為少年人無論貧富，你都沒有跟從。Then Boaz said, “May the LORD bless you, my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before, because you have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.

¹¹女兒啊，現在不要懼怕，凡你所說的，我必照著行；我本城的人都知道你是個賢德的女子。And now do not be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you request, since all my fellow townspeople know that you are a woman of noble character.

¹²我實在是你一個至近的親屬，只是還有一個人比我更近。Yes, it is true that I am a kinsman-redeemer, but there is a redeemer nearer than I.

¹³你今夜在這裡住宿，明早他若肯為你盡親屬的本分，就由他吧！倘若不肯，我指著永生的耶和華起誓，我必為你盡了本分，你只管躺到天亮。」Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, good. Let him redeem you. But if he does not want to redeem you, as surely as the LORD lives, I will. Now lie here until morning.”

波阿斯送她六簸箕大麥

¹⁴路得便在他腳下躺到天快亮，人彼此不能辨認的時候就起來了。波阿斯說：「不可使人知道有女子到場上來」；So she lay down at his feet until morning, but she got up before anyone else could recognize her. Then Boaz said, “Do not let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.”

¹⁵又對路得說：「打開你所披的外衣。」她打開了，波阿斯就撮了六簸箕大麥，幫她扛在肩上，她便進城去了。And he told her, “Bring the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured in six measures of barley and placed it on her. Then he went into the city.

¹⁶路得回到婆婆那裡，婆婆說：「女兒啊，怎麼樣了？」路得就將那人向她所行的述說了一遍，When Ruth returned to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked her, “How did it go, my daughter?” Then Ruth told her all that Boaz had done for her.

¹⁷又說：「那人給了我六簸箕大麥，對我說：『你不可空手回去見你的婆婆。』」And she said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said, ‘Do not go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”

¹⁸婆婆說：「女兒啊，你只管安坐等候，看這事怎樣成就，因為那人今日不辦成這事必不休息。」“Wait, my daughter,” said Naomi, “until you find out how things go, for he will not rest unless he has resolved the matter today.”

城門口的交涉

¹波阿斯到了城門，坐在那裡，恰巧波阿斯所說的那至近的親屬經過。波阿斯說：「某人哪，你來坐在這裡。」他就來坐下。Meanwhile, Boaz went to the gate and sat down there. Soon the kinsman-redeemer of whom he had spoken came along, and Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

²波阿斯又從本城的長老中揀選了十人，對他們說：「請你們坐在這裡。」他們就都坐下。Then Boaz took ten of the elders of the city and said, “Sit here,” and they did so.

³波阿斯對那至近的親屬說：「從摩押地回來的拿俄米，現在要賣我們族兄以利米勒的那塊地；And he said to the kinsman-redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech.

⁴我想當贖那塊地的是你，其次是我，以外再沒有別人了。你可以在這裡的人面前和我本國的長老面前說明，你若肯贖就贖，若不肯贖就告訴我。」那人回答說：「我肯贖。」I thought I should inform you that you may buy it back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do so. But if you will not redeem it, tell me so I may know, because there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.” “I will redeem it,” he replied.

⁵波阿斯說：「你從拿俄米手中買這地的時候，也當娶（原文是買；十節同）死人的妻摩押女子路得，使死人在產業上存留他的名。」Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi and also from Ruth the Moabitess, you must also acquire the widow of the deceased in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.”

⁶那人說：「這樣我就不能贖了，恐怕於我的產業有礙。你可以贖我所當贖的，我不能贖了。」The kinsman-redeemer replied, “I cannot redeem it myself, or I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I cannot redeem it.”

脫鞋為證

⁷從前，在以色列中要定奪甚麼事，或贖回，或交易，這人就脫鞋給那人。以色列人都以此為證據。Now in former times in Israel, concerning the redemption or exchange of property, to make any matter legally binding a man would remove his sandal and give it to the other party, and this was a confirmation in Israel.

⁸那人對波阿斯說：「你自己買吧！」於是將鞋脫下來了。So the kinsman-redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.”

波阿斯娶路得為妻

⁹波阿斯對長老和眾民說：「你們今日作見證，凡屬以利米勒和基連、瑪倫的，我都從拿俄米手中置買了；At this, Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon.

¹⁰又娶了瑪倫的妻摩押女子路得為妻，好在死人的產業上存留他的名，免得他的名在本族本鄉滅沒。你們今日可以作見證。」Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to raise up the name of the deceased through his inheritance, so that his name will not disappear from among his brothers or from the gate of his home. You are witnesses today.”

¹¹在城門坐著的眾民和長老都說：「我們作見證。願耶和華使進你家的這女子，像建立以色列家的拉結、利亞二人一樣。又願你在以法他得亨通，在伯利恆得名聲。“We are witnesses,” said the elders and all the people at the gate. “May the LORD make the woman entering your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you be prosperous in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem.

¹²願耶和華從這少年女子賜你後裔，使你的家像她瑪從猶大所生法勒斯的家一般。」And may your house become like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring the LORD will give you by this young woman.”

俄備得出生

¹³於是，波阿斯娶了路得為妻，與她同房。耶和華使她懷孕生了一個兒子。So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And when he had relations with her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.

¹⁴婦人們對拿俄米說：「耶和華是應當稱頌的！因為今日沒有撇下你，使你無至近的親屬。願這孩子在以色列中得名聲。Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a kinsman-redeemer. May his name become famous in Israel.

¹⁵他必提起你的精神，奉養你的老，因為是愛慕你的那兒婦所生的。有這兒婦比有七個兒子還好！」He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”

¹⁶拿俄米就把孩子抱在懷中，作他的養母。And Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became a nurse to him.

¹⁷鄰舍的婦人說：「拿俄米得孩子了！」就給孩子起名叫俄備得。這俄備得是耶西的父，耶西是大衛的父。The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse, the father of David.

從法勒斯到大衛的家譜

¹⁸法勒斯的後代記在下面：法勒斯生希斯崙；Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron,

¹⁹希斯崙生蘭；蘭生亞米拿達；Hezron was the father of Ram, Ram was the father of Amminadab,

²⁰亞米拿達生拿順；拿順生撒門；Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, Nahshon was the father of Salmon,

²¹撒門生波阿斯；波阿斯生俄備得；Salmon was the father of Boaz, Boaz was the father of Obed,

²²俄備得生耶西；耶西生大衛。Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David.

不義的管家

¹耶穌又對門徒說：「有一個財主的管家，別人向他主人告他浪費主人的財物。Jesus also said to His disciples, “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.

²主人叫他來，對他說：『我聽見你這事怎麼樣呢？把你所經管的交代明白，因你不能再作我的管家。』So he called him in to ask, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.’

³那管家心裡說：『主人辭我，不用我再作管家，我將來做甚麼？鋤地呢？無力；討飯呢？怕羞。The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my position? I am too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg.

⁴我知道怎麼行，好叫人在我不作管家之後，接我到他們家裡去。』I know what I will do so that after my removal from management, people will welcome me into their homes.’

⁵於是把欠他主人債的，一個一個地叫了來，問頭一個說：『你欠我主人多少？』And he called in each one of his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked the first.

⁶他說：『一百簍（每簍約五十斤）油。』管家說：『拿你的帳，快坐下，寫五十。』‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he answered. ‘Take your bill,’ said the manager, ‘sit down quickly, and write fifty.’

⁷又問一個說：『你欠多少？』他說：『一百石麥子。』管家說：『拿你的帳，寫八十。』Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ ‘A hundred measures of wheat,’ he replied. ‘Take your bill and write eighty,’ he told him.

⁸主人就誇獎這不義的管家做事聰明；因為今世之子，在世事之上，較比光明之子更加聰明。The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.

用錢財結交朋友

⁹我又告訴你們，要藉著那不義的錢財結交朋友，到了錢財無用的時候，他們可以接你們到永存的帳幕裡去。I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.

在最小的事上忠心

¹⁰人在最小的事上忠心，在大事上也忠心；在最小的事上不義，在大事上也不義。Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

¹¹倘若你們在不義的錢財上不忠心，誰還把那真實的錢財託付你們呢？So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?

¹²倘若你們在別人的東西上不忠心，誰還把你們自己的東西給你們呢？And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?

不能事奉兩個主

¹³一個僕人不能事奉兩個主；不是惡這個愛那個，就是重這個輕那個。你們不能又事奉　神，又事奉瑪門。」No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

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神知道人的心

¹⁴法利賽人是貪愛錢財的；他們聽見這一切話，就嗤笑耶穌。The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus.

¹⁵耶穌對他們說：「你們是在人面前自稱為義的，你們的心，　神卻知道；因為人所尊貴的，是　神看為可憎惡的。So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.

律法與神國的福音

¹⁶律法和先知到約翰為止，從此　神國的福音傳開了，人人努力要進去。The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the gospel of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

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¹⁷天地廢去較比律法的一點一畫落空還容易。But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.

¹⁸凡休妻另娶的就是犯姦淫；娶被休之妻的也是犯姦淫。」Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

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