Romans 9
1 I am in Christ, and what I say is true. I'm not lying! My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm
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：
2 how terribly sad I am, how I have never-ending pain in my heart,
我的憂愁極，大我心中不斷的痛苦；
3 for my own people, my brothers and sisters. I would rather be cursed myself, separated from Christ, if that would help them.
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。
4 They are my fellow-Israelites, God's chosen people. God revealed to them his glory and made agreements with them, giving them the law, true worship, and his promises.
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；
5 They are our forefathers—ancestors of Christ, humanly-speaking, the one who rules over everything, the eternally-blessed God. Amen. (aiōn g165)
聖祖也是他們的，並且基督按血統說，也是從他們來的，祂是在萬有之上，世世代代應受讚美的天主! 阿們。 (aiōn g165)
6 It's not that God's promise has failed. For not every Israelite is a true Israelite,
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；
7 and all those who are descended from Abraham are not his true children. For Scripture says, “Your descendants will be counted through Isaac,”
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，』
8 so it's not Abraham's actual children who are counted as God's children, but only those children of God's promise who are considered his true descendants.
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。
9 This is what the promise was: “I will return next year and Sarah will have a son.”
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。』
10 In addition Rebecca's twin sons had the same father, our forefather Isaac.
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；
11 But even before the children were born, and before they'd done anything right or wrong, (so that God's purpose could continue, proving God's calling of people is not based on human performance),
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，
12 she was told, “The older brother will serve the younger one.”
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。』
13 As Scripture says, “I chose Jacob, but rejected Esau.”
正如經上記載：『我愛了雅各伯而恨了厄撒烏。』
14 So what should we conclude? That God was unjust? Certainly not!
那麼，我們可說什麼呢？難道天主不公道嗎？絕對不是!
15 As he said to Moses, “I will be merciful to whoever I should show mercy, and I will have compassion on whoever I should show compassion.”
因為祂對梅瑟說過：『我要恩待的，就恩待；我要憐憫的，就憐憫。』
16 So it does not depend on what we want, or our own efforts, but the merciful nature of God.
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，
17 Scripture records God saying to Pharaoh: “I put you here for a reason—so that through you I could demonstrate my power, and so that my name could be made known throughout the earth.”
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。』
18 So God is merciful to those he wishes to be, and hardens the attitude of those he wants to.
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。
19 Now you'll argue with me and ask, “So why does he still blame us then? Who can resist the will of God?”
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？
20 That's no way to speak, for who are you—a mere mortal—to contradict God? Can something that is created say to its creator, “Why did you make me like this?”
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？
21 Doesn't a potter have the right to use the same batch of clay to make both a decorative bowl and an everyday pot?
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？
22 It's as if God, wanting to demonstrate his opposition to sin and to reveal his power, bears patiently with these “pots destined for destruction,”
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；
23 so that he might reveal the greatness of his glory through these “pots of mercy” which he has prepared in advance for glory.
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？
24 This is who we are—people he has called, not just from among the Jews, but from among the foreigners too...
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。
25 As God said in the book of Hosea, “Those who are not my people I will call my people, and those who are not loved I will call the ones I love,”
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」；
26 and, “It will happen that at the place where they were told, ‘You're not my people,’ there they will be called the children of the living God.”
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。』
27 Isaiah cries out regarding Israel: “Even if the children of Israel have become as numerous as the sands of the sea, only a small number will be saved.
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，
28 For the Lord is going to quickly and completely finish his work of judgment on the earth.”
因為上主在大地上，要徹底迅速完成祂的判決。』
29 As Isaiah previously said, “If the Lord Almighty had not left us some descendants, we would have become just like Sodom and Gomorrah.”
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。』
30 What shall we conclude, then? That even though the foreigners were not even looking to do right, they did grasp what is right, and through their trust in God did what was morally right.
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；
31 But the people of Israel, who looked to the law to make them right with God, never succeeded.
以色列人追求使人成義的法律，卻沒有得到這種法律，
32 Why not? Because they relied on what they did rather than trusting in God. They tripped on the stumbling-block,
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，
33 just as Scripture predicted: “Look, I'm placing in Zion a stumbling-block, a rock that will offend people. But those who trust in him won't be disappointed.”
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。』
