今日讀經

你們所說的，誰不知道

¹約伯回答說：Then Job answered:

²你們真是子民哪，你們死亡，智慧也就滅沒了。“Truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die!

³但我也有聰明，與你們一樣，並非不及你們。你們所說的，誰不知道呢？But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?

⁴我這求告　神、蒙他應允的人竟成了朋友所譏笑的；公義完全人竟受了人的譏笑。I am a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God, and He answered. The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.

⁵安逸的人心裡藐視災禍；這災禍常常等待滑腳的人。The one at ease scorns misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.

⁶強盜的帳棚興旺，惹　神的人穩固，　神多將財物送到他們手中。The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure—those who carry their god in their hands.

走獸飛鳥都知道是神做成的

⁷你且問走獸，走獸必指教你；又問空中的飛鳥，飛鳥必告訴你；But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.

⁸或與地說話，地必指教你；海中的魚也必向你說明。Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you.

⁹看這一切，誰不知道是耶和華的手做成的呢？Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?

¹⁰凡活物的生命和人類的氣息都在他手中。The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.

¹¹耳朵豈不試驗言語，正如上膛嘗食物嗎？Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes its food?

¹²年老的有智慧；壽高的有知識。Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.

智慧和能力都在神

¹³在　神有智慧和能力；他有謀略和知識。Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.

¹⁴他拆毀的，就不能再建造；他捆住人，便不得開釋。What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.

¹⁵他把水留住，水便枯乾；他再發出水來，水就翻地。If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.

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¹⁶在他有能力和智慧，被誘惑的與誘惑人的都是屬他。True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His.

¹⁷他把謀士剝衣擄去，又使審判官變成愚人。He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.

¹⁸他放鬆君王的綁，又用帶子捆他們的腰。He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists.

¹⁹他把祭司剝衣擄去，又使有能的人傾敗。He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.

²⁰他廢去忠信人的講論，又奪去老人的聰明。He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.

²¹他使君王蒙羞被辱，放鬆有力之人的腰帶。He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.

²²他將深奧的事從黑暗中彰顯，使死蔭顯為光明。He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.

²³他使邦國興旺而又毀滅；他使邦國開廣而又擄去。He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.

²⁴他將地上民中首領的聰明奪去，使他們在荒廢無路之地漂流；He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.

²⁵他們無光，在黑暗中摸索，又使他們東倒西歪，像醉酒的人一樣。They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.

我願與神理論

¹這一切，我眼都見過；我耳都聽過，而且明白。“Indeed, my eyes have seen all this; my ears have heard and understood.

²你們所知道的，我也知道，並非不及你們。What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.

³我真要對全能者說話；我願與　神理論。Yet I desire to speak to the Almighty and argue my case before God.

你們都是無用的醫生

⁴你們是編造謊言的，都是無用的醫生。You, however, smear with lies; you are all worthless physicians.

⁵惟願你們全然不作聲；這就算為你們的智慧！If only you would remain silent; for that would be your wisdom!

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⁶請你們聽我的辯論，留心聽我口中的分訴。Hear now my argument, and listen to the plea of my lips.

⁷你們要為　神說不義的話嗎？為他說詭詐的言語嗎？Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf or speak deceitfully for Him?

⁸你們要為　神徇情嗎？要為他爭論嗎？Would you show Him partiality or argue in His defense?

⁹他查出你們來，這豈是好嗎？人欺哄人，你們也要照樣欺哄他嗎？Would it be well when He examined you? Could you deceive Him as you would deceive a man?

¹⁰你們若暗中徇情，他必要責備你們。Surely He would rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality.

¹¹他的尊榮豈不叫你們懼怕嗎？他的驚嚇豈不臨到你們嗎？Would His majesty not terrify you? Would the dread of Him not fall upon you?

¹²你們以為可記念的箴言是爐灰的箴言；你們以為可靠的堅壘是淤泥的堅壘。Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay.

我要在神面前辯明

¹³你們不要作聲，任憑我吧！讓我說話，無論如何我都承當。Be silent, and I will speak. Then let come to me what may.

¹⁴我何必把我的肉掛在牙上，將我的命放在手中。Why do I put myself at risk and take my life in my own hands?

¹⁵他必殺我；我雖無指望，然而我在他面前還要辯明我所行的。Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face.

¹⁶這要成為我的拯救，因為不虔誠的人不得到他面前。Moreover, this will be my salvation, for no godless man can appear before Him.

¹⁷你們要細聽我的言語，使我所辯論的入你們的耳中。Listen carefully to my words; let my declaration ring in your ears.

¹⁸我已陳明我的案，知道自己有義。See now, I have prepared my case; I know that I will be vindicated.

¹⁹有誰與我爭論，我就情願緘默不言，氣絕而亡。Can anyone indict me? If so, I will be silent and die.

求你叫我知道我的過犯

²⁰惟有兩件不要向我施行，我就不躲開你的面：Only grant these two things to me, so that I need not hide from You:

²¹就是把你的手縮回，遠離我身；又不使你的驚惶威嚇我。Withdraw Your hand from me, and do not let Your terror frighten me.

²²這樣，你呼叫，我就回答；或是讓我說話，你回答我。Then call me, and I will answer, or let me speak, and You can reply.

²³我的罪孽和罪過有多少呢？求你叫我知道我的過犯與罪愆。How many are my iniquities and sins? Reveal to me my transgression and sin.

²⁴你為何掩面、拿我當仇敵呢？Why do You hide Your face and consider me as Your enemy?

²⁵你要驚動被風吹的葉子嗎？要追趕枯乾的碎秸嗎？Would You frighten a windblown leaf? Would You chase after dry chaff?

²⁶你按罪狀刑罰我，又使我擔當幼年的罪孽；For You record bitter accusations against me and bequeath to me the iniquities of my youth.

²⁷也把我的腳上了木狗，並窺察我一切的道路，為我的腳掌劃定界限。You put my feet in the stocks and stand watch over all my paths; You set a limit for the soles of my feet.

²⁸我已經像滅絕的爛物，像蟲蛀的衣裳。So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment.

人生短少，多有患難

¹人為婦人所生，日子短少，多有患難；“Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble.

²出來如花，又被割下，飛去如影，不能存留。Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.

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³這樣的人你豈睜眼看他嗎？又叫我來受審嗎？Do You open Your eyes to one like this? Will You bring him into judgment before You?

⁴誰能使潔淨之物出於污穢之中呢？無論誰也不能！Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one!

⁵人的日子既然限定，他的月數在你那裡，你也派定他的界限，使他不能越過，Since his days are determined and the number of his months is with You, and since You have set limits that he cannot exceed,

⁶便求你轉眼不看他，使他得歇息，直等他像雇工人完畢他的日子。look away from him and let him rest, so he can enjoy his day as a hired hand.

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樹有指望，人呢

⁷樹若被砍下，還可指望發芽，嫩枝生長不息；For there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender shoots will not fail.

⁸其根雖然衰老在地裡，幹也死在土中，If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the soil,

⁹及至得了水氣，還要發芽，又長枝條，像新栽的樹一樣。at the scent of water it will bud and put forth twigs like a sapling.

¹⁰但人死亡而消滅；他氣絕，竟在何處呢？But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?

¹¹海中的水絕盡，江河消散乾涸。As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry,

¹²人也是如此，躺下不再起來，等到天沒有了，仍不得復醒，也不得從睡中喚醒。so a man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no more, he will not be awakened or roused from sleep.

願你把我藏在陰間

¹³惟願你把我藏在陰間，存於隱密處，等你的忿怒過去；願你為我定了日期，記念我。If only You would hide me in Sheol and conceal me until Your anger has passed! If only You would appoint a time for me and then remember me!

¹⁴人若死了豈能再活呢？我只要在我一切爭戰的日子，等我被釋放（或譯：改變）的時候來到。When a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, until my renewal comes.

¹⁵你呼叫，我便回答；你手所做的，你必羨慕。You will call, and I will answer; You will desire the work of Your hands.

¹⁶但如今你數點我的腳步，豈不窺察我的罪過嗎？For then You would count my steps, but would not keep track of my sin.

¹⁷我的過犯被你封在囊中，也縫嚴了我的罪孽。My transgression would be sealed in a bag, and You would cover over my iniquity.

你滅絕人的指望

¹⁸山崩變為無有；磐石挪開原處。But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and a rock is dislodged from its place,

¹⁹水流消磨石頭，所流溢的洗去地上的塵土；你也照樣滅絕人的指望。as water wears away the stones and torrents wash away the soil, so You destroy a man’s hope.

²⁰你攻擊人常常得勝，使他去世；你改變他的容貌，叫他往而不回。You forever overpower him, and he passes on; You change his countenance and send him away.

²¹他兒子得尊榮，他也不知道，降為卑，他也不覺得。If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he is unaware.

²²但知身上疼痛，心中悲哀。He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself.”

猶太首領又想埋伏殺保羅

¹非斯都到了任，過了三天，就從凱撒利亞上耶路撒冷去。Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,

²祭司長和猶太人的首領向他控告保羅，where the chief priests and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. They urged Festus

³又央告他，求他的情，將保羅提到耶路撒冷來，他們要在路上埋伏殺害他。to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.

⁴非斯都卻回答說：「保羅押在凱撒利亞，我自己快要往那裡去」；But Festus replied, “Paul is being held in Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.

⁵又說：「你們中間有權勢的人與我一同下去，那人若有甚麼不是，就可以告他。」So if this man has done anything wrong, let some of your leaders come down with me and accuse him there.”

在非斯都面前受審

⁶非斯都在他們那裡住了不過十天八天，就下凱撒利亞去；第二天坐堂，吩咐將保羅提上來。After spending no more than eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered that Paul be brought in.

⁷保羅來了，那些從耶路撒冷下來的猶太人周圍站著，將許多重大的事控告他，都是不能證實的。When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they could not prove.

⁸保羅分訴說：「無論猶太人的律法，或是聖殿，或是凱撒，我都沒有干犯。」Then Paul made his defense: “I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”

⁹但非斯都要討猶太人的喜歡，就問保羅說：「你願意上耶路撒冷去，在那裡聽我審斷這事嗎？」But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these charges?”

保羅上告於凱撒

¹⁰保羅說：「我站在凱撒的堂前，這就是我應當受審的地方。我向猶太人並沒有行過甚麼不義的事，這也是你明明知道的。Paul replied, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.

¹¹我若行了不義的事，犯了甚麼該死的罪，就是死，我也不辭。他們所告我的事若都不實，就沒有人可以把我交給他們。我要上告於凱撒。」If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

¹²非斯都和議會商量了，就說：「你既上告於凱撒，可以往凱撒那裡去。」Then Festus conferred with his council and replied, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”

亞基帕王和百妮基來訪

¹³過了些日子，亞基帕王和百妮基氏來到凱撒利亞，問非斯都安。After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.

非斯都向王說明案情

¹⁴在那裡住了多日，非斯都將保羅的事告訴王，說：「這裡有一個人，是腓力斯留在監裡的。Since they were staying several days, Festus laid out Paul’s case before the king: “There is a certain man whom Felix left in prison.

¹⁵我在耶路撒冷的時候，祭司長和猶太的長老將他的事稟報了我，求我定他的罪。While I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews presented their case and requested a judgment against him.

¹⁶我對他們說，無論甚麼人，被告還沒有和原告對質，未得機會分訴所告他的事，就先定他的罪，這不是羅馬人的條例。I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand a man over before he has had an opportunity to face his accusers and defend himself against their charges.

¹⁷及至他們都來到這裡，我就不耽延，第二天便坐堂，吩咐把那人提上來。So when they came here with me, I did not delay. The next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered that the man be brought in.

¹⁸告他的人站著告他；所告的，並沒有我所逆料的那等惡事。But when his accusers rose to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.

¹⁹不過是有幾樣辯論，為他們自己敬鬼神的事，又為一個人名叫耶穌，是已經死了，保羅卻說他是活著的。They only had some contentions with him regarding their own religion and a certain Jesus who had died, but whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

²⁰這些事當怎樣究問，我心裡作難，所以問他說：『你願意上耶路撒冷去，在那裡為這些事聽審嗎？』Since I was at a loss as to how to investigate these matters, I asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges.

²¹但保羅求我留下他，要聽皇上審斷，我就吩咐把他留下，等我解他到凱撒那裡去。」But when Paul appealed to be held over for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar.”

²²亞基帕對非斯都說：「我自己也願聽這人辯論。」非斯都說：「明天你可以聽。」Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.” “Tomorrow you will hear him,” Festus declared.

保羅被帶到公廳

²³第二天，亞基帕和百妮基大張威勢而來，同著眾千夫長和城裡的尊貴人進了公廳。非斯都吩咐一聲，就有人將保羅帶進來。The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium, along with the commanders and leading men of the city. And Festus ordered that Paul be brought in.

²⁴非斯都說：「亞基帕王和在這裡的諸位啊，你們看這人，就是一切猶太人，在耶路撒冷和這裡，曾向我懇求、呼叫說：『不可容他再活著。』Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him, both here and in Jerusalem, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.

²⁵但我查明他沒有犯甚麼該死的罪，並且他自己上告於皇帝，所以我定意把他解去。But I found he had done nothing worthy of death, and since he has now appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.

²⁶論到這人，我沒有確實的事可以奏明主上。因此，我帶他到你們面前，也特意帶他到你亞基帕王面前，為要在查問之後有所陳奏。I have nothing definite to write to our sovereign about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this inquiry I may have something to write.

²⁷據我看來，解送囚犯，不指明他的罪案是不合理的。」For it seems unreasonable to me to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.”