羅馬書 9
1 我在基督內說實話，並不說謊，有我的良心在聖神內與我一同作證：
I am telling you the truth as a Christian man--it is no falsehood, for my conscience enlightened, as it is, by the Holy Spirit adds its testimony to mine--
2 我的憂愁極，大我心中不斷的痛苦；
when I declare that I have deep grief and unceasing anguish of heart.
3 為救我的弟兄，我血統的同胞，就是被詛咒，與基督隔絕，我也甘心情願。
For I could pray to be accursed from Christ on behalf of my brethren, my human kinsfolk--for such the Israelites are.
4 他們是以色列人：義子的名份、光榮、盟約、法律、禮儀以及恩許，都是他們的；
To them belongs recognition as God's sons, and they have His glorious Presence and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the Temple service, and the ancient Promises.
To them the Patriarchs belong, and from them in respect of His human lineage came the Christ, who is exalted above all, God blessed throughout the Ages. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 這並不是說天主的話落了空，因為不是凡從以色列生的，都是真以色列人；
Not however that God's word has failed; for all who have sprung from Israel do not count as Israel,
7 也不是凡是亞巴郎的後裔，就都是他的真子女，而是『由依撒格所生的，才稱為你的後裔，』
nor because they are Abraham's true children. But the promise was "Through Isaac shall your posterity be reckoned."
8 即是說：不是血統上的子女，算是天主的子女，而是藉恩許所生的子女，才算為真後裔。
In other words, it is not the children by natural descent who count as God's children, but the children made such by the promise are regarded as Abraham's posterity.
9 原來恩許是這樣說的：『到明年這時候我要來，撒辣必有一個兒子。』
For the words are the language of promise and run thus, "About this time next year I will come, and Sarah shall have a son."
10 並且關於黎貝加也有相似的事。她從我們的先祖依撒格一人懷了孕；
Nor is that all: later on there was Rebecca too. She was soon to bear two children to her husband, our forefather Isaac--
11 當時雙胎還沒有出生，也沒有行善或作惡；但為使天主預簡的計畫堅定不移，
and even then, though they were not then born and had not done anything either good or evil, yet in order that God's electing purpose might not be frustrated, based, as it was, not on their actions but on the will of Him who called them, she was told,
12 且為顥示這計畫並不憑人的行為，而只憑天主的召選，遂有話給她說：『年長的要服事年幼的。』
"The elder of them will be bondservant to the younger."
13 正如經上記載：『我愛了雅各伯而恨了厄撒烏。』
This agrees with the other Scripture which says, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
14 那麼，我們可說什麼呢？難道天主不公道嗎？絕對不是!
What then are we to infer? That there is injustice in God?
15 因為祂對梅瑟說過：『我要恩待的，就恩待；我要憐憫的，就憐憫。』
No, indeed; the solution is found in His words to Moses, "Wherever I show mercy it shall be nothing but mercy, and wherever I show compassion it shall be simply compassion."
16 這樣看來，蒙召並不在乎人願意，也不在乎人努力，而是由於天主的仁慈，
And from this we learn that everything is dependent not on man's will or endeavour, but upon God who has mercy. For the Scripture said to Pharaoh,
17 因為經上有話對法郎說：『我特興起了你，是為在你身上彰顯我的大能，並為使我的名傳遍全世界。』
"It is for this very purpose that I have lifted you so high--that I may make manifest in you My power, and that My name may be proclaimed far and wide in all the earth."
18 這樣看來，祂願意恩待誰，就恩待誰；祂願意使誰心硬，就使誰心硬。
This is a proof that wherever He chooses He shows mercy, and wherever he chooses He hardens the heart.
19 或者，你要問我說：既是這樣，為什麼祂要責怪人呢？有誰能抗拒祂的意志呢？
"Why then does God still find fault?" you will ask; "for who is resisting His will?"
20 人呀! 你是誰，竟敢向天主抗辯？製造品豈能對製造者說：你為什麼這樣製造了我？
Nay, but who are you, a mere man, that you should cavil against GOD? Shall the thing moulded say to him who moulded it, "Why have you made me thus?"
21 難道陶工不能隨意用一團泥，把這一個作成貴重的器皿，把那一個作成卑賤的器皿嗎？
Or has not the potter rightful power over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for more honourable and another for less honourable uses?
22 如果天主願意顯示自己的義怒，並彰顯自己的威能，曾以寬宏大量，容忍了那些惹祂發怒而應毀滅的器皿；
And what if God, while choosing to make manifest the terrors of His anger and to show what is possible with Him, has yet borne with long-forbearing patience with the subjects of His anger who stand ready for destruction,
23 祂如此作，是為把祂那豐富的光榮，在那些祂早已準備好，為進入光榮而蒙憐憫的器冊上彰顯出來，又有什麼不可能呢？
in order to make known His infinite goodness towards the subjects of His mercy whom He has prepared beforehand for glory,
24 這些器皿就是我們這些不但從猶太人中，而且也從外邦人中被天主所寵召的人。
even towards us whom He has called not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles?
25 這正如天主在歐瑟亞書中所說的：『我要叫「非我人民」為「我的人民」，又叫「不蒙愛憐者」為「蒙愛憐者」；
So also in Hosea He says, "I will call that nation My People which was not My People, and I will call her beloved who was not beloved.
26 人在那裡對他們說：你們不是我的人民，在同樣的地方，他們要被稱為永生天主的子女。』
And in the place where it was said to them, 'No people of Mine are you,' there shall they be called sons of the everliving God."
27 論到以色列，依撒意亞卻呼喊說：『以色列子民的數目雖煞多如海沙，唯有殘存者要蒙受救恩，
And Isaiah cries aloud concerning Israel, "Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sands of the sea, only a remnant of them shall be saved;
28 因為上主在大地上，要徹底迅速完成祂的判決。』
for the Lord will hold a reckoning upon the earth, making it efficacious and brief."
29 依撒意亞又預言過：『若非萬軍的上主給我們留下苖裔，我們早已如同索多瑪，相似哈摩辣了。』
Even as Isaiah says in an earlier place, "Were it not that the Lord, the God of Hosts, had left us some few descendants, we should have become like Sodom, and have come to resemble Gomorrah."
30 那麼，我們可說什麼呢？外邦人沒有追求正義，卻獲得了正義，即由信仰而得的正義；
To what conclusion does this bring us? Why, that the Gentiles, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have overtaken it--a righteousness, however, which arises from faith;
31 以色列人追求使人成義的法律，卻沒有得到這種法律，
while the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a Law that could give righteousness, have not arrived at one.
32 這是為什麼呢？是因為他們不憑信仰，只憑著行為追求。他們正碰在那塊絆腳石上，
And why? Because they were pursuing a righteousness which should arise not from faith, but from what they regarded as merit. They stuck their foot against the stone which lay in their way;
33 正如經上所載：『看，我在熙雍按放了一塊絆腳石，一塊使人絆跌的盤石；相信他的人，不致蒙羞。』
in agreement with the statement of Scripture, "See, I am placing on Mount Zion a stone for people to stumble at, and a rock for them to trip over, and yet he whose faith rests upon it shall never have reason to feel ashamed."
