Wisdom:Chapter 12

Index

Wisdom:Chapter 12

智慧篇	Wisdom
¹你那不死不滅的生氣在萬物之內；	¹O how good and sweet is thy spirit, O Lord, in all things!
²因此，你逐步地懲罰墮落的人，要他們想起所犯的罪惡，藉以警告他們離棄惡事，相信你，上主。	²And therefore thou chastisest them that err, by little and little: and admonishest them, and speakest to them, concerning the things wherein they offend: that leaving their wickedness, they may believe in thee, O Lord.
³你憎恨你聖地裏的古代居民，	³For those ancient inhabitants of thy holy land, whom thou didst abhor,
⁴因為他們操行巫術和邪惡的祭祀，作出了最可憎惡的事。	⁴Because they did works hateful to thee by their sorceries, and wicked sacrifices,
⁵這些無情殺害嬰兒的人，在這些拜神的歌舞宴會中，吞食人血肉的人，	⁵And those merciless murderers of their own children, and eaters of men's bowels, and devourers of blood from the midst of thy consecration,
⁶這些殺害無能力自衛生靈的父母，你決意要藉我們先祖的手，將他們消滅，	⁶And those parents sacrificing with their own hands helpless souls, it was thy will to destroy by the hands of our parents,
⁷使你以為地上最寶貴的地方，成為天主子民相宜的僑居地。	⁷That the land which of all is most dear to thee might receive a worthy colony of the children of God.
⁸但你也拿他們當人對待，先派土蜂作你軍隊的先鋒，逐漸將他們消滅。	⁸Yet even those thou sparedst as men, and didst send wasps, forerunners of thy host, to destroy them by little and little.
⁹這並不是因為你不能用一場戰爭，使不虔敬者屈服於義人之下；或用兇猛的野獸，或用嚴厲的言語，一下將他們殲滅；	⁹Not that thou wast unable to bring the wicked under the just by war, or by cruel beasts, or with one rough word to destroy them at once:
¹⁰而是因你願逐漸降罰，給他們一個悔改的機會；並不是你不知道他們的種族不良，生來邪惡，永不會改變心意；	¹⁰But executing thy judgments by degrees thou gavest them place of repentance, not being ignorant that they were a wicked generation, and their malice natural, and that their thought could never be changed.
¹¹因為他們從起初，就是被詛咒的後裔。你沒有降罰他們的罪行，並非因為你怕誰。	¹¹For it was a cursed seed from the beginning: neither didst thou for fear of any one give pardon to their sins.
¹²誰敢對你說：你作了什麼？誰能反抗你的判斷？你消滅了你造的民族，誰敢控告你？又誰敢起來面對着你，為惡人作辯護？	¹²For who shall say to thee: What hast thou done? or who shall withstand thy judgment? or who shall come before thee to be a revenger of wicked men? or who shall accuse thee, if the nations perish, which thou hast made?
¹³因為，除你以外，別無照顧萬物的神，你應向他指明你的審判，並非不公；	¹³For there is no other God but thou, who hast care of all, that thou shouldst shew that thou dost not give judgment unjustly.
¹⁴也沒有一個君王或君主，敢為你懲罰的人，對你怒目而視。	¹⁴Neither shall king, nor tyrant in thy sight inquire about them whom thou hast destroyed.
¹⁵你是公義的，你必按照公義處理一切，罰不應罰的，你必認為這與你的權威不合。	¹⁵For so much then as thou art just, thou orderest all things justly: thinking it not agreeable to thy power, to condemn him who deserveth not to be punished.
¹⁶你的權力原是你公義的本源，因為你主宰一切，所以你必能諒解一切。	¹⁶For thy power is the beginning of justice: and because thou art Lord of all, thou makest thyself gracious to all.
¹⁷為此，如果有人不相信你具有絕對的權威，你就將你的權力顯示出來；如果他們知道而仍膽大妄為，你就予以懲罰。	¹⁷For thou shewest thy power, when men will not believe thee to be absolute in power, and thou convincest the boldness of them that know thee not.
¹⁸你雖掌有大權，但施行審判，卻很溫和，治理我們，極其寬忍，因為，權能乃屬於你，只要你願意，你就能行使。	¹⁸But thou being master of power, judgest with tranquillity; and with great favour disposest of us: for thy power is at hand when thou wilt.
¹⁹你這樣作，是為教訓你的子民，義人必須憐愛眾人；並使你的子女滿懷希望，因為人在犯罪之後，你常賜予懺悔的機會。	¹⁹But thou hast taught thy people by such works, that they must be just and humane, and hast made thy children to be of a good hope: because in judging thou givest place for repentance for sins.
²⁰你處罰你子女們應處死的敵人，還這樣小心溫和，給他們時間和機會改惡遷善，	²⁰For if thou didst punish the enemies of thy servants, and that deserved to die, with so great deliberation, giving them time and place whereby they might be changed from their wickedness:
²¹你審判你的兒子時，豈不更謹慎？因為，你曾與他們的列祖起過誓，立過約，應許他們得福利。	²¹With what circumspection hast thou judged thy own children, to whose parents thou hast sworn and made covenants of good promises?
²²你對我們只是懲戒，對我們的仇人卻是千百倍的鞭笞：這是為使我們在審斷時，應思念你的仁慈；在受審時，應期望你的哀憐。	²²Therefore whereas thou chastisest us, thou scourgest our enemies very many ways, to the end that when we judge we may think on thy goodness: and when we are judged, we may hope for thy mercy.
²³因此，對那生活愚蠢，行為不義的人，你便用他們敬拜的醜惡之物來折磨他們。	²³Wherefore thou hast also greatly tormented them who in their life have lived foolishly and unjustly, by the same things which they worshipped.
²⁴他們實在深深地誤入了歧途，竟認最醜怪，最下賤的禽獸為神，讓自己受騙，竟如無知的孩童。	²⁴For they went astray for a long time in the ways of error, holding those things for gods which are the most worthless among beasts, living after the manner of children without understanding.
²⁵因此，你對待他們也像無知的孩童，給他們派來的刑罰，也只是戲弄。	²⁵Therefore thou hast sent a judgment upon them as senseless children to mock them.
²⁶但他們並未因此戲弄的責戒而悔改，所以他們要受相稱於天主的重罰。	²⁶But they that were not amended by mockeries and reprehensions, experienced the worthy judgment of God.
²⁷埃及人在禽獸的折磨中，有見他們所敬奉為神明的禽獸，成了自己受罰的工具，這纔明瞭，並承認從前所否認的實是真天主；但他們仍不肯悔改，因此，最後的懲罰終於降在他們身上。	²⁷For seeing with indignation that they suffered by those very things which they took for gods, when they were destroyed by the same, they acknowledged him the true God, whom in time past they denied that they knew: for which cause the end also of their condemnation came upon them.

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