< Nehemiah 9 >

1 And in the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel have been gathered with fasting, and with sackcloth, and earth on them;
同月二十四日,以色列子民都聚集起來,守齋禁食,穿粗毛衣,頭上頂著灰土。
2 and the seed of Israel are separated from all sons of a stranger, and stand and confess concerning their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers,
以色列的苗裔,同一切外方人的子孫分開之後,便站起來,坦白承認自己的罪過。和祖先的罪惡。
3 and rise up on their station, and read in the Scroll of the Law of their God YHWH a fourth of the day, and a fourth they are confessing and bowing themselves to their God YHWH.
他們各站在自己的地方,三小時之久,誦讀他們天主的法律書;又三小時之久,承認了自己的罪過,跪拜了上主,他們的天主。
4 And there stand up on the ascent, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, Chenani, and they cry with a loud voice to their God YHWH.
肋未人耶叔亞、彼奴依、卡德米耳、舍巴尼雅、步尼、舍勒彼雅、巴尼、和革納尼,站在高處,大聲呼號上主,他們的天主。
5 And the Levites say, [even] Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, Pethahiah, “Rise, bless your God YHWH, From age to age, And they bless the Name of Your glory That [is] exalted above all blessing and praise.
隨後肋未人耶叔亞、卡德米耳、巴尼、哈沙彼雅、曷狄雅、舍巴尼雅、培塔希雅說道:「起來! 你們應讚頌上主我們的天主,從永遠直到永遠! 」眾人便讚頌他光榮的聖名,因此名遠超一切稱頌和讚美。
6 You [are] He, O YHWH, Yourself—You have made the heavens, The heavens of the heavens, and all their host, The earth and all that [are] on it, The seas and all that [are] in them, And You are keeping all of them alive, And the host of the heavens are bowing themselves to You.
厄斯德拉祈禱說:「唯獨你是上主,是你創造了天,天上的天,和天上的一切軍旅,地和地上的一切,海和海中的一切,是你使一切生存;天上的軍旅常在你前跪拜。
7 You [are] He, O YHWH God, Who fixed on Abraham, And brought him out from Ur of the Chaldeans, And made his name Abraham,
上主,你就是那揀選亞巴郎,領他離開加色丁烏爾,給他起名叫阿貝辣罕的天主。
8 And found his heart steadfast before You, So as to make with him the covenant, To give the land of the Canaanite, The Hittite, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, To give [it] to his seed. And You establish Your words, For You [are] righteous,
你見他的心對你忠實,就與他立約,把客納罕人、赫特人、阿摩黎人、培黎齊人、耶步斯人和基爾加士人的土地,賜給了他的後裔;你履行了你的諾言,因為你是正義的。
9 And see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, And their cry have heard by the Sea of Suph,
你垂顧了我們祖先在埃及的困苦,俯聽了他們在紅海旁的呼聲,
10 And give signs and wonders on Pharaoh, And on all his servants, And on all the people of his land, For You have known that they have acted proudly against them, And You make to Yourself a name as [at] this day.
遂對法郎和他所有的臣僕,以及他國內所有的民眾,行了奇蹟異能,因為你知道,他們怎樣任性傲慢地,對待了我們的祖先,因而你獲得了大名,直至今日。
11 And You have cleaved the sea before them, And they pass over into the midst of the sea on the dry land, And their pursuers You have cast into the depths, As a stone, into the strong waters.
你在我們祖先面前,分開了海,使他們在海中乾地路過,卻把追趕他們的人,拋入深淵,有如把一塊石頭拋入怒潮。
12 And by a pillar of cloud You have led them by day, And by a pillar of fire by night, To lighten to them the way in which they go.
日間你用雲柱領導,夜間你用火柱光照他們所走的路。
13 And on Mount Sinai You have come down, Even to speak with them from the heavens, And You give to them right judgments, And true laws, good statutes and commands.
你降臨西乃山上,從天上向他們施救,賜給了他們公正的條例、真理的法律、美好的規矩及誡命;
14 And Your holy Sabbath You have made known to them, And commands, and statutes, and law, You have commanded for them, By the hand of Your servant Moses;
你令他們知道,你神聖的安息日,藉著你的僕人梅瑟,向他們頒佈了規矩、誡命和法律。
15 And bread from the heavens You have given to them for their hunger, And water from a rock have brought out to them for their thirst, And say to them to go in to possess the land That You have lifted up Your hand to give to them.
你從天上賜下食物,給他們充飢;使岩石中流出清泉,給他們解渴;命令他們去佔領,。你曾舉手誓許賜與他們的土地。
16 And they and our fathers have acted proudly, And harden their neck, And have not listened to Your commands,
但是他們,我們的祖先,任性妄為,硬著脖子,不肯聽從你的命令。
17 Indeed, they refuse to listen, And have not remembered Your wonders that You have done with them, And harden their neck and appoint a head, To turn back to their service, in their rebellion; And You [are] a God of pardons, Gracious, and merciful, long-suffering, and abundant in kindness, And have not forsaken them.
他們拒絕聽命,忘卻了你在他們中間所行的奇蹟,硬著脖子,立了首領,要回到埃及去當奴隸。但你是寬大為懷,仁愛慈悲,緩於忿怒,富於慈愛的天主,並未拋棄他們;
18 Also, when they have made to themselves a molten calf, And say, This [is] your god That brought you up out of Egypt, And do great despisings,
甚至連他們鑄了一個牛犢說:「這是領你出埃及的天主! 」犯了褻瀆的大罪時,
19 and You, in Your abundant mercies, Have not forsaken them in the wilderness—The pillar of the cloud has not turned aside from off them by day, To lead them in the way, And the pillar of the fire by night, To give light to them and the way in which they go.
你因你無限的仁慈,也沒有將他們拋棄在曠野中;日間在路上領導他們的雲柱,夜間為他們光照道路的火柱,仍沒有離開他們。
20 And Your good Spirit You have given, To cause them to act wisely; And Your manna You have not withheld from their mouth, And water You have given to them for their thirst,
你賜下你溫和的風,使他們甦醒,並沒有將「瑪納」扣住,不給他們充飢,仍賜下了水為他們解渴。
21 And forty years You have nourished them in a wilderness; They have not lacked; Their garments have not worn out, And their feet have not swelled.
四十年之久,你在曠野照顧他們,使他們一無所缺;他們的衣服沒有穿破,他們的腳也沒有腫脹。
22 And You give to them kingdoms, and peoples, And apportion them to the corner, And they possess the land of Sihon, And the land of the king of Heshbon, And the land of Og king of Bashan.
你將各國和眾民交給了他們,將各個角落分給了他們,他們遂佔領了赫市朋王息紅,和巴商王敖格的土地。
23 And You have multiplied their sons as the stars of the heavens, And bring them into the land That You have said to their fathers to go in to possess.
你使他們的子孫繁衍,有如天上的繁星,領他們道你誓許與他們的祖先,要去佔領的土地,
24 And the sons come in, and possess the land, And You humble the inhabitants of the land—the Canaanites—before them, And give them into their hand, and their kings, And the peoples of the land, To do with them according to their pleasure.
他們的子孫便去佔領了那地方;你使那地方的居民客納罕人,屈服在他們面前,將他們的君王和地方上的人民,交在他們的手中,任他們隨意處置。
25 And they capture fortified cities, and fat ground, And possess houses full of all good, Dug-wells, vineyards, and olive-yards, And fruit-trees in abundance, And they eat, and are satisfied, And become fat, And delight themselves in Your great goodness.
他們攻取了堅固的城池,和肥沃的土地,奪得了滿藏寶物的房舍、掘好的井、葡萄園、橄欖園和豐富的果林;他們都吃得飽滿,身體肥胖,安逸享樂,這都是因你無量的慈善。
26 And they are disobedient, And rebel against You, And cast Your law behind their back, And Your prophets they have slain, Who testified against them, To bring them back to You, And they do great despisings,
但是,他們竟抗命背叛了你,將你的法律置諸背後,殺了那些警戒他們,勸他們歸順於你的先知;他們竟犯了這褻瀆的大罪,
27 And You give them into the hand of their adversaries, And they distress them, And in the time of their distress they cry to You, And You, from the heavens, hear, And according to Your abundant mercies, Give saviors to them, And they save them out of the hand of their adversaries.
因此你把他們交在仇人的手中,受人迫害。他們遭遇迫害時,一呼求你,你就由天上俯聽了他們,照你無限的仁慈,打發救援者,由仇人手中救出他們;
28 And when they have rest, They turn back to do evil before You, And You leave them in the hand of their enemies, And they rule over them; And they return, and call You, And You hear from the heavens, And deliver them many times, According to Your mercies,
然而他們一享平安,便又去做惡背叛你,因此你又把他們拋在他們敵人手中,受他們的管轄;幾時他們再回心轉意呼號你,你就再由天上俯聽他們,照你無限的仁慈拯救他們。
29 And testify against them, To bring them back to Your law; And they have acted proudly, And have not listened to Your commands, And against Your judgments have sinned—Which man does and has lived in them—And they give a stubborn shoulder, And have hardened their neck, And have not listened.
你曾警告他們轉向你的法律,但是他們仍恣意妄行,不聽從你的命令,違反你的典章,-人若遵行,必因此而生活,-扭轉倔強的肩膀,硬著脖子,不願服從。
30 And You draw over them many years, And testify against them by Your Spirit, By the hand of Your prophets, And they have not given ear, And You give them into the hand of peoples of the lands,
你多年來容忍他們,藉先知和以你的精神,警戒他們,但他們仍不聽從,所以你將他們交在異方人民手中。
31 and in Your abundant mercies You have not made them a consumption, Nor have forsaken them; For a God, gracious and merciful, [are] You.
但因你無限的仁慈,你沒有消滅他們,也沒有拋棄他們,因為你是博愛仁慈的天主。
32 And now, O our God—God, the great, the mighty, And the fearful, Keeping the covenant and the kindness—Do not let all the travail that has found us be little before You, For our kings, for our heads, and for our priests, And for our prophets, and for our fathers, And for all Your people, From the days of the kings of Asshur to this day;
現在,我們的天主! 遵守信約,保持仁愛,偉大、全能和可畏的天主! 請不要把我們、我們的君王、我們的首長、我們的司祭、我們的先知、我們的祖先和你的全民眾,從亞述王時代直到今日所遭遇的一切迫害,看作小事。
33 And You [are] righteous concerning all that has come on us, For You have done truth, And we have done wickedly;
你使這一切降在我們身上,是公義的,因為你所行的是忠義,而我們所行的是邪惡。
34 And our kings, our heads, Our priests, and our fathers, Have not done Your law, Nor attended to Your commands, And to Your testimonies, That You have testified against them;
我們的君王、我們的首領、我們的司祭和我們的祖先,實在都沒有遵行你的法律,也沒有聽從你的命令和你警戒他們的勸告。
35 And they, in their kingdom, And in Your abundant goodness, That You have given to them, And in the land, the large and the fat, That You have set before them, Have not served You, Nor turned back from their evil doings.
他們在你賜給他們的國土上和許多幸福中,在你擺在他們面前的廣大而肥沃的土地上,並沒有侍奉你,也沒有放棄他們的惡行。
36 Behold, we—today—[are] servants, And the land that You have given to our fathers, To eat its fruit and its good, Behold, we [are] servants on it,
我們今天竟成了奴隸! 看,我們在你賞給我們祖先吃那裏的果實和出產的土地上,作了奴隸!
37 And its increase it is multiplying to the kings Whom You have set over us In our sins; And over our bodies they are ruling, And over our livestock, According to their pleasure, And we [are] in great distress.
為了我們的罪過,那豐富的出產歸於你派定來管轄我們的君王,他們隨意處置了我們的肉體和我們的牲畜;我們實在是處在極大的困苦中! 」
38 And for all this we are making a steadfast covenant, And are writing, And over him who is sealed [Are] our heads, our Levites, [and] our priests.”
鑑於這一切,我們立了盟約,也寫了出來;我們的族長、我們的肋未人和司祭,也在上面蓋了印。

< Nehemiah 9 >