< 出埃及記 13 >

1 奉獻長子的法律1. 上主訓示梅瑟說:「
Yahweh said to Moses/me,
2 以色列子民中,無論是人或牲畜,凡是開胎首生的,都應祝聖於我,屬於我。」
“Set apart all the firstborn males in order that they may belong to me. The firstborn males of the Israeli people and of their animals will be mine.”
3 梅瑟向百姓說:「你們應當記念從埃及,從為奴之家出來的這一天,因為上主在這一天用強有力的手臂,從那裡領出了你們,故此不可吃有酵的食物。
Moses/I said to the people, “Do not forget this day! This is the day that you are leaving Egypt. This is the day you [are freed from] being their slaves. Yahweh has brought you out of Egypt by his great power [MTY]. Do not eat any bread that has yeast in it [whenever you celebrate] this day.
4 今天你們出來正在「阿彼布」月。
You are leaving Egypt on this day, which is the first day of the month that is [named] Abib.
5 幾時上主領你們進了客納罕人、赫特人、阿摩黎人、希威人和耶步斯人的地方,就是他同你的祖先起誓應許給你那流奶流蜜之地,你應在這一月舉行此禮:
Later, when Yahweh brings you into the land where the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Amor, Hiv, and Jebus [now live], the land that he solemnly promised to give to you, a land that will be very good for raising livestock and growing crops [MTY], you must celebrate this festival during this month [every year].
6 七天之內應吃無酵餅,第七天是敬禮上主的節日。
For seven days the bread that you eat must not have any yeast in it. On the seventh day there must be a festival to [honor] Yahweh.
7 七天之內吃無酵餅,在你面前不可有發酵之物,在你四境之內也不可見有酵母。
For seven days do not eat bread that has yeast in it. You should not have any yeast or bread made with yeast anywhere in your land.
8 在那一天要告訴你們的兒子說:因為上主在我出埃及時,為我所行的事。
On the day [the festival starts], you must tell your children, ‘[We are doing this to remember] what Yahweh did for our ancestors when they left Egypt.
9 應把這事做你手上的記號,做你額上的記念,好使上主的法律常在你口中,因為上主用強有力的手臂,領你出了埃及。
This ritual will remind you how Yahweh brought your ancestors out of Egypt with his great power [MTY]. [The ritual will be like something] you tie on your forehead or on your wrist. It will remind you to recite to others what Yahweh has instructed you.
10 所以你應年年按照定期遵守這規定。
So you must celebrate this festival every year at the time [Yahweh] has appointed.’
11 當上主照他起誓向你和你祖先所許的話,領你到了客納罕人的地方,將那地給了你之後,
Yahweh will bring you into the land where the descendants of Canaan live, just as he promised you and your ancestors that he would do. When he gives that land to you,
12 你應將一切開胎首生者歸於上主;你牲畜中,凡開胎首生的牲畜,亦應歸於上主。
you must dedicate to Yahweh the firstborn males of all your animals. These all will belong to Yahweh.
13 凡首生的驢,應用羊贖回;你若不贖回,應打斷牠的頸項。你的子孫中,凡是長子,你應贖回。
You may keep the firstborn male donkeys, but you must buy them back by sacrificing a lamb as a substitute for the donkey. If you do not want to buy back the donkey, you must [kill it by] breaking its neck. You must also buy back every one of your own firstborn sons.
14 將來若你的兒子問你:這是什麼意思﹖你要回答他說:這是因為上主用強有力的手臂領我們出離了埃及,出離了為奴之家。
In the future, when one of your children asks, ‘What does this mean?’, you must say to him, ‘Yahweh brought our ancestors out of Egypt with his great power [MTY], and freed us from being slaves there.
15 原來法朗頑固,不釋放我們,上主就把埃及國一切首生者,不拘是人或牲畜的首生者都殺了,為此我把一切首開母胎的雄性都祭獻於上主;但首生的男孩,我卻要贖回。
The king of Egypt stubbornly refused to let them leave his country, so Yahweh killed all the firstborn males in Egypt, both the boys and the firstborn of their livestock. That is why we now sacrifice to Yahweh all the firstborn of our livestock, but we buy back our own firstborn sons.’
16 應將這事作你手上的記號,作你額上的標誌,記念上主用強有力的手臂領我們出了埃及。」往紅海進行
I repeat that this ritual will remind you about how Yahweh brought our [ancestors] out of Egypt by his great power [MTY]; it will be like something you tie on your wrist or on your forehead [to remind you of that].”
17 法朗放走百姓以後,天主沒有領他們走培肋舍特地的近路,因為上主想:「怕百姓遇見戰爭而後悔,再回到埃及。」
When the king [of Egypt] let the [Israeli] people go, God did not lead them to go through the land of the Philistines. That was a shorter way, but God said, “It would be bad if my people change their minds when they realize that they will have to fight [the Philistines to take their land], and then [decide to] return to Egypt.”
18 因此天主領百姓繞道,走向靠紅海的曠野。以色列子民都武裝著離開了埃及。
Instead, God led them to go around through the desert toward the Red Sea (OR, the Gulf of Suez). When the Israeli people left Egypt, they were carrying weapons to fight [their enemies].
19 梅瑟也帶了若瑟的骨骸,因為若瑟曾叫以色列的兒子們起誓說:「天主必要眷顧你們,那時你們應把我的骨骸從此地帶回去。」
Moses/I [had them] take along the bones of Joseph with them/us, because Joseph long ago had made the Israeli people promise solemnly that they would do that. He had said to them, “God will enable your descendants to leave Egypt. When that happens, you must carry my bones with you.”
20 他從穌苛特起程前行,就在位於曠野邊緣的厄堂安了營。
The Israeli people left Succoth and traveled to Etham, at the edge of the desert, and they set up their tents there.
21 上主在他們前面行,白天在雲柱裏給他們領路,夜間在火柱裏光照他們,為叫他們白天黑夜都能走路:
[When they traveled] during the daytime, Yahweh went in front of them in a tall [white] cloud to show them the way. During the night, he went in front of them in a tall cloud that looked like a fire. By doing that, he enabled them to travel in the daytime and also at nighttime.
22 白天的雲柱,黑夜的火柱,總不離開百姓面前。
The tall cloud did not leave them. It was always in front of them, as a bright white cloud in the daytime and like a fire at night.

< 出埃及記 13 >