今日讀經

以利亞宣告乾旱

¹基列寄居的提斯比人以利亞對亞哈說：「我指著所事奉永生耶和華─以色列的　神起誓，這幾年我若不禱告，必不降露，不下雨。」Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word!”

烏鴉在基立溪旁供養

²耶和華的話臨到以利亞說：Then a revelation from the LORD came to Elijah:

³「你離開這裡往東去，藏在約旦河東邊的基立溪旁。“Leave here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan.

⁴你要喝那溪裡的水，我已吩咐烏鴉在那裡供養你。」And you are to drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”

⁵於是以利亞照著耶和華的話，去住在約旦河東的基立溪旁。So Elijah did what the LORD had told him, and he went and lived by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan.

⁶烏鴉早晚給他叼餅和肉來，他也喝那溪裡的水。The ravens would bring him bread and meat in the morning and evening, and he would drink from the brook.

⁷過了些日子，溪水就乾了，因為雨沒有下在地上。Some time later, however, the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.

撒勒法的寡婦

⁸耶和華的話臨到他說：Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah:

⁹「你起身往西頓的撒勒法去，住在那裡；我已吩咐那裡的一個寡婦供養你。」“Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”

¹⁰以利亞就起身往撒勒法去。到了城門，見有一個寡婦在那裡撿柴，以利亞呼叫她說：「求你用器皿取點水來給我喝。」So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, so that I may drink.”

¹¹她去取水的時候，以利亞又呼叫她說：「也求你拿點餅來給我！」And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread.”

¹²她說：「我指著永生耶和華─你的　神起誓，我沒有餅，罈內只有一把麵，瓶裡只有一點油；我現在找兩根柴，回家要為我和我兒子做餅；我們吃了，死就死吧！」But she replied, “As surely as the LORD your God lives, I have no bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. Look, I am gathering a couple of sticks to take home and prepare a meal for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die.”

¹³以利亞對她說：「不要懼怕！可以照你所說的去做吧！只要先為我做一個小餅拿來給我，然後為你和你的兒子做餅。“Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her. “Go and do as you have said. But first make me a small cake of bread from what you have, and bring it out to me. Afterward, make some for yourself and your son,

¹⁴因為耶和華─以色列的　神如此說：罈內的麵必不減少，瓶裡的油必不缺短，直到耶和華使雨降在地上的日子。」for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be exhausted and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain upon the face of the earth.’”

¹⁵婦人就照以利亞的話去行。她和她家中的人，並以利亞，吃了許多日子。So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and there was food every day for Elijah and the woman and her household.

¹⁶罈內的麵果不減少，瓶裡的油也不缺短，正如耶和華藉以利亞所說的話。The jar of flour was not exhausted and the jug of oil did not run dry, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Elijah.

寡婦的兒子復活

¹⁷這事以後，作那家主母的婦人，她兒子病了；病得甚重，以致身無氣息。Later, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill, and his sickness grew worse and worse, until no breath remained in him.

¹⁸婦人對以利亞說：「神人哪，我與你何干？你竟到我這裡來，使　神想念我的罪，以致我的兒子死呢？」“O man of God,” said the woman to Elijah, “what have you done to me? Have you come to remind me of my iniquity and cause the death of my son?”

¹⁹以利亞對她說：「把你兒子交給我。」以利亞就從婦人懷中將孩子接過來，抱到他所住的樓中，放在自己的床上，But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.

²⁰就求告耶和華說：「耶和華─我的　神啊，我寄居在這寡婦的家裡，你就降禍與她，使她的兒子死了嗎？」Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on this widow who has opened her home to me, by causing her son to die?”

²¹以利亞三次伏在孩子的身上，求告耶和華說：「耶和華─我的　神啊，求你使這孩子的靈魂仍入他的身體！」Then he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this boy’s life return to him!”

²²耶和華應允以利亞的話，孩子的靈魂仍入他的身體，他就活了。And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the child’s life returned to him, and he lived.

²³以利亞將孩子從樓上抱下來，進屋子交給他母親，說：「看哪，你的兒子活了！」Then Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. “Look, your son is alive,” Elijah declared.

²⁴婦人對以利亞說：「現在我知道你是神人，耶和華藉你口所說的話是真的。」Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is truth.”

第三年，神要降雨

¹過了許久，到第三年，耶和華的話臨到以利亞說：「你去，使亞哈得見你；我要降雨在地上。」After a long time, in the third year of the drought, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the face of the earth.”

饑荒中的亞哈與俄巴底

²以利亞就去，要使亞哈得見他。那時，撒馬利亞有大饑荒；So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria,

³亞哈將他的家宰俄巴底召了來。（俄巴底甚是敬畏耶和華，and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD,

⁴耶洗別殺耶和華眾先知的時候，俄巴底將一百個先知藏了，每五十人藏在一個洞裡，拿餅和水供養他們。）for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)

⁵亞哈對俄巴底說：「我們走遍這地，到一切水泉旁和一切溪邊，或者找得著青草，可以救活騾馬，免得絕了牲畜。」Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring and every valley. Perhaps we will find grass to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to destroy any livestock.”

⁶於是二人分地遊行，亞哈獨走一路，俄巴底獨走一路。So they divided the land to explore. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself.

俄巴底遇見以利亞

⁷俄巴底在路上恰與以利亞相遇，俄巴底認出他來，就俯伏在地，說：「你是我主以利亞不是？」Now as Obadiah went on his way, Elijah suddenly met him. When Obadiah recognized him, he fell facedown and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”

⁸回答說：「是。你去告訴你主人說，以利亞在這裡。」“It is I,” he answered. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here!’”

⁹俄巴底說：「僕人有甚麼罪，你竟要將我交在亞哈手裡，使他殺我呢？But Obadiah replied, “How have I sinned, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death?

¹⁰我指著永生耶和華─你的　神起誓，無論哪一邦哪一國，我主都打發人去找你。若說你沒有在那裡，就必使那邦那國的人起誓說，實在是找不著你。As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to search for you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made that kingdom or nation swear that they had not found you.

¹¹現在你說，要去告訴你主人說，以利亞在這裡；And now you say, ‘Go tell your master that Elijah is here!’

¹²恐怕我一離開你，耶和華的靈就提你到我所不知道的地方去。這樣，我去告訴亞哈，他若找不著你，就必殺我；僕人卻是自幼敬畏耶和華的。I do not know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off when I leave you. Then when I go and tell Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth.

¹³耶洗別殺耶和華眾先知的時候，我將耶和華的一百個先知藏了，每五十人藏在一個洞裡，拿餅和水供養他們，豈沒有人將這事告訴我主嗎？Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred prophets of the LORD, fifty men per cave, and I provided them with food and water.

¹⁴現在你說，要去告訴你主人說，以利亞在這裡，他必殺我。」And now you say, ‘Go tell your lord that Elijah is here!’ He will kill me!”

¹⁵以利亞說：「我指著所事奉永生的萬軍之耶和華起誓，我今日必使亞哈得見我。」Then Elijah said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will present myself to Ahab today.”

¹⁶於是俄巴底去迎著亞哈，告訴他；亞哈就去迎著以利亞。So Obadiah went to inform Ahab, who went to meet Elijah.

行淫時被拿的婦人

¹耶穌卻往橄欖山去，But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

²清早又回到殿裡。眾百姓都到他那裡去，他就坐下，教訓他們。Early in the morning He went back into the temple courts. All the people came to Him, and He sat down to teach them.

³文士和法利賽人帶著一個行淫時被拿的婦人來，叫她站在當中，The scribes and Pharisees, however, brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before them

⁴就對耶穌說：「夫子，這婦人是正行淫之時被拿的。and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

⁵摩西在律法上吩咐我們把這樣的婦人用石頭打死。你說該把她怎麼樣呢？」In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do You say?”

⁶他們說這話，乃試探耶穌，要得著告他的把柄。耶穌卻彎著腰，用指頭在地上畫字。They said this to test Him, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger.

⁷他們還是不住地問他，耶穌就直起腰來，對他們說：「你們中間誰是沒有罪的，誰就可以先拿石頭打她。」When they continued to question Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.”

⁸於是又彎著腰，用指頭在地上畫字。And again He bent down and wrote on the ground.

⁹他們聽見這話，就從老到少，一個一個地都出去了，只剩下耶穌一人，還有那婦人仍然站在當中。When they heard this, they began to go away one by one, beginning with the older ones, until only Jesus was left, with the woman standing there.

¹⁰耶穌就直起腰來，對她說：「婦人，那些人在哪裡呢？沒有人定你的罪嗎？」Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹她說：「主啊，沒有。」耶穌說：「我也不定你的罪。去吧，從此不要再犯罪了！」“No one, Lord,” she answered. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Now go and sin no more.”

我是世界的光

¹²耶穌又對眾人說：「我是世界的光。跟從我的，就不在黑暗裡走，必要得著生命的光。」Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

誰為耶穌作見證

¹³法利賽人對他說：「你是為自己作見證，你的見證不真。」So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not valid.”

¹⁴耶穌說：「我雖然為自己作見證，我的見證還是真的；因我知道我從哪裡來，往哪裡去；你們卻不知道我從哪裡來，往哪裡去。Jesus replied, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from or where I am going.

¹⁵你們是以外貌（原文是憑肉身）判斷人，我卻不判斷人。You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.

¹⁶就是判斷人，我的判斷也是真的；因為不是我獨自在這裡，還有差我來的父與我同在。But even if I do judge, My judgment is true, because I am not alone; I am with the Father who sent Me.

¹⁷你們的律法上也記著說：『兩個人的見證是真的。』Even in your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid.

¹⁸我是為自己作見證，還有差我來的父也是為我作見證。」I am One who testifies about Myself, and the Father, who sent Me, also testifies about Me.”

¹⁹他們就問他說：「你的父在哪裡？」耶穌回答說：「你們不認識我，也不認識我的父；若是認識我，也就認識我的父。」“Where is Your Father?” they asked Him. “You do not know Me or My Father,” Jesus answered. “If you knew Me, you would know My Father as well.”

²⁰這些話是耶穌在殿裡的庫房、教訓人時所說的，也沒有人拿他，因為他的時候還沒有到。He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts, near the treasury. Yet no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.

你們要死在罪中

²¹耶穌又對他們說：「我要去了，你們要找我，並且你們要死在罪中。我所去的地方，你們不能到。」Again He said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for Me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”

²²猶太人說：「他說『我所去的地方，你們不能到』，難道他要自盡嗎？」So the Jews began to ask, “Will He kill Himself, since He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”

²³耶穌對他們說：「你們是從下頭來的，我是從上頭來的；你們是屬這世界的，我不是屬這世界的。Then He told them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

²⁴所以我對你們說，你們要死在罪中。你們若不信我是基督，必要死在罪中。」That is why I told you that you would die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

你是誰？

²⁵他們就問他說：「你是誰？」耶穌對他們說：「就是我從起初所告訴你們的。“Who are You?” they asked. “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied.

²⁶我有許多事講論你們，判斷你們；但那差我來的是真的，我在他那裡所聽見的，我就傳給世人。」“I have much to say about you and much to judge. But the One who sent Me is truthful, and what I have heard from Him, I tell the world.”

²⁷他們不明白耶穌是指著父說的。They did not understand that He was telling them about the Father.

²⁸所以耶穌說：「你們舉起人子以後，必知道我是基督，並且知道我沒有一件事是憑著自己做的。我說這些話乃是照著父所教訓我的。So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me.

²⁹那差我來的是與我同在；他沒有撇下我獨自在這裡，因為我常做他所喜悅的事。」He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.”

³⁰耶穌說這話的時候，就有許多人信他。As Jesus spoke these things, many believed in Him.

真理必叫你們得以自由

³¹耶穌對信他的猶太人說：「你們若常常遵守我的道，就真是我的門徒；So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples.

³²你們必曉得真理，真理必叫你們得以自由。」Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

³³他們回答說：「我們是亞伯拉罕的後裔，從來沒有作過誰的奴僕。你怎麼說『你們必得以自由』呢？」“We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?”

罪的奴僕

³⁴耶穌回答說：「我實實在在地告訴你們，所有犯罪的就是罪的奴僕。Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

³⁵奴僕不能永遠住在家裡；兒子是永遠住在家裡。A slave does not remain in the house forever, but a son remains forever.

³⁶所以天父的兒子若叫你們自由，你們就真自由了。So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.