< Hebrews 12 >
1 For that reason, since we are surrounded by such a great crowd of people who gave evidence of their trust in God, let's get rid of everything that holds us back, the seductive sins that trip us up, and let's keep on running the race placed before us.
以,我們既有如此眾多如雲的證人,圍繞著我們,就該下卸下所有的累贅和糾纏人的罪過,以堅忍的心,跑那擺在我們眼前的賽程,
2 We should keep on looking to Jesus, the one who begins and completes our trust in God. Because of the joy ahead of him Jesus endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God's throne.
雙目注視著信德的創始者耶穌:衪為那擺在衪面前的歡樂,輕淩辱,忍受了十字架,而今坐在天主寶座的右邊。
3 Think about Jesus who endured such hostility from sinful people so you don't grow tired and become discouraged.
你們常要想,衪所以忍受罪人對衪這樣的叛逆,是怕你們灰心喪志。
4 Your resistance so far hasn't cost you blood as you fight against sin.
你們與罪惡爭鬥,還沒有抵抗到流血的地步。
5 Have you forgotten God's appeal to you when he reasons with you as his children? He says, “My child, don't treat the Lord's discipline lightly, and don't give up when he corrects you either.
你們竟全忘了天主勸你們,好像勸子女的話說:『我兒,不要輕視上主的懲戒,也不要厭惡衪的譴責,
6 The Lord disciplines everyone he loves, and he punishes everyone he welcomes as his child.”
因為上主懲戒衪所愛的,鞭打衪所接管的每個兒子。』
7 Be patient as you experience God's discipline because he is treating you as his children. What child doesn't experience a father's discipline?
為接受懲戒,應該堅忍,因為天主對待你們,就如對待子女;那有兒子,做父親的不懲戒他呢﹖
8 If you are not disciplined, (which everyone has experienced), then you are illegitimate and not true children.
如果你們缺少眾人所共受的懲戒,你們就是私生子,而不是兒子。
9 For if we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn't we even more be subject to the discipline of our spiritual Father which leads to life?
再者,我們肉身的父親懲戒我們時,我們尚且表示敬畏;何況靈性的父親,我們不是更該服從,以得生活嗎﹖
10 They disciplined us for a short while as they thought appropriate, but God does so for our benefit in order that we can share his holy character.
其實肉身的父親只是在短暫的時日內,照他們的心意來施行懲戒,但是天主卻是為了我們的好處,為叫我們分沾衪的聖善。
11 When it happens, all discipline seems painful and not something to be happy about. But later on it produces peace in those who have been trained in this way so that they do what is good and right.
固然各種懲戒,在當時似乎不是樂事,而是苦事;可是以後卻給那些受訓練的人,結出義德的和平果實。
12 So strengthen your feeble hands, and your weak knees!
為此,你們應該伸直痿弱的手和麻木的膝;
13 Make straight paths to walk on, so that those who are crippled won't lose their way, but will be healed.
你們的腳應履行正直的路,叫瘸子不要偏離正道,反叫他能得痊愈。
14 Do your best to live in peace with everybody, and look for holiness—if you don't have this you won't see the Lord.
你們應設法與眾人和平相處,盡力追求聖德,若無聖德,誰也見不到主;
15 Make sure that none of you lack God's grace, in case some cause of bitterness arises to give trouble and end up corrupting many of you.
又應該慬慎,免得有人疏忽天主的恩寵免得苦根子長出來,而累及你們,使許多人因此蒙受玷污。
16 Make sure there's nobody who is sexually immoral, or irreligious, like Esau was. He sold his birthright for a single meal.
誰也不要成為淫亂和褻聖者,如同厄撒烏一樣,他為了一餐飯,竟出賣了自己長氶的身份。
17 You remember that even when he wanted to receive the blessing later on he was refused. Even though he really tried, and cried hard, Esau couldn't change what he had done.
你們知道,後來他縱然願意承受祝福,也遭到了拒絕;雖流淚苦求,但沒有得到翻悔的餘地。
18 You haven't arrived at a physical mountain that can be touched, that burned with fire, to a stormy place of black darkness,
你們原來並不是走近了那可觸摸的山,那裏有烈火、濃雲、黑暗、暴風、
19 where the sound of a trumpet and a voice speaking was heard—and those who heard the voice begged never to hear it speak to them again.
號垌的響聲以及說話的聲音,當時那些聽見的人,都懇求天主不要再給他們說話,
20 For they couldn't take what they were told to do, such as, “Even if a farm animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”
因為他們承擔不起所吩咐的事:『即使是一隻走獸觸摸了這山,也應用石頭砸死;』
21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses himself said, “I'm so scared I'm shaking!”
並且所顯現的是這麼可怕,連梅瑟也說:『我很是恐慌戰憟。』
22 But you have arrived at Mount Zion, the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, with its thousands and thousands of angels.
然而你們卻接近了熙雍山的永生天主的城,天上的耶路撒冷,接近了千萬天使的盛會,
23 You have come to the church of the firstborn whose names are written down in heaven, to God, the judge of everyone, and to those good people whose lives are complete.
和那些已被登錄在天上的首生者的集會,接近了審判眾人的天主,接近了已獲得成全的義人的靈魂,
24 You have come to Jesus, who shares with us the new agreed relationship, to the sprinkled blood that means more than that of Abel.
接近了新約的中保耶穌,以及衪所灑的血:這血比亞伯爾的血說說的更好。
25 Make sure you don't reject the one who is speaking! If they didn't escape when they rejected God on earth, it is even more certain that we won't escape if we turn away from God who warns us from heaven!
你們要慬慎,不要拒絕說話的那位,如果從前那些拒絕聽衪在地上宣佈啟示的人,不能逃避懲罰,何況我們這些背棄由天上說話的那位呢﹖
26 Back then God's voice shook the earth, but his promise is now: “One more time I'm going to shake not only the earth, but heaven too.”
從前衪的聲音搖動了下地,如今衪卻應許說:『還有一次,我不但動搖下地,而且也動搖下天。』
27 This expression, “one more time,” indicates that all creation that is shaken is removed so that everything that is not shaken may remain.
這『還有一次』一句,是指明那些被動搖的事物,因為受造的,必起變化,好叫那些不可動搖的事物得以常存。
28 Since we're receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have a gracious attitude, so we can serve God in a way that pleases him, with reverence and respect.
為此,我們既然蒙受一個不可動搖的國度,就應該感恩,藉此懷著虔忱和敬畏之情,事奉天主,叫衪喜悅,
29 For “our God is a fire that consumes.”
因為我們的天主實是吞滅的烈火。