Wisdom:Chapter 14

Index

Wisdom:Chapter 14

智慧篇	Wisdom
¹再如：有個準備航海的人，行將在怒濤中航行之際，竟向一塊比自己乘的船還易壞的木頭呼求。	¹Again, another designing to sail, and beginning to make his voyage through the raging waves, calleth upon a piece of wood more frail than the wood that carrieth him.
²船固然是因求財的貪心發明的，亦是匠人以智慧造成的；	²For this the desire of gain devised, and the workman built it by his skill.
³但最後，父啊！還是你的照顧在駕駛，因為原是你在海洋中劃出了一條路線，在波浪中開闢了一條安全的路徑，	³But thy providence, O Father, governeth it: for thou hast made a way even in the sea, and a most sure path among the waves,
⁴表示你能救人脫離各種危險，連沒有技術的人，也能航海。	⁴shewing that thou art able to save out of all things, yea though a man went to sea without art.
⁵你決不願使你智慧的工作棄之不用，因此，人將生命託給一片小木，藉一葉扁舟，經過巨濤而平安到達海岸。	⁵But that the works of thy wisdom might not be idle: therefore men also trust their lives even to a little wood, and passing over the sea by ship are saved.
⁶其實，在當初，當那些傲慢的巨人被滅絕的時候，世界的希望逃入了一葉扁舟，經你手的駕駛，纔得給後世留下了新生的苗裔。	⁶And from the beginning also when the proud giants perished, the hope of the world fleeing to a vessel, which was governed by thy hand, left to the world seed of generation.
⁷木頭如使用得當，是可祝福的；	⁷For blessed is the wood, by which justice cometh.
⁸但是，人手造的木偶和木偶的製造者，卻是可詛咒的：製造者，因為他造了木偶；木偶，因為雖是腐敗的東西，竟被稱為神。	⁸But the idol that is made by hands, is cursed, as well it, as he that made it: he because he made it; and it because being frail it is called a god.
⁹不虔敬的人，與他行的不虔敬的事，同樣為天主所憎惡；	⁹But to God the wicked and his wickedness are hateful alike.
¹⁰所以，木偶與造木偶的，都必遭受懲罰。	¹⁰For that which is made, together with him that made it, shall suffer torments.
¹¹為此，天主必要懲罰列邦的偶像，因為偶像在天主的造物中，成了可憎之物，成了人們靈魂的障礙，作了愚人腳前的陷阱。	¹¹Therefore there shall be no respect had even to the idols of the Gentiles: because the creatures of God are turned to an abomination, and a temptation to the souls of men, and a snare to the feet of the unwise.
¹²發明偶像，是淫亂的開端；創造偶像，是人生的腐敗。	¹²For the beginning of fornication is the devising of idols: and the invention of them is the corruption of life.
¹³起初原無偶像，也不能永久長存；	¹³For neither were they from the beginning, neither shall they be for ever.
¹⁴由於人的虛榮心，偶像纔進入了世界；為此，已注定很快就要結束。	¹⁴For by the vanity of men they came into the world: and therefore they shall be found to come shortly to an end.
¹⁵一個父親因他兒子的夭折，甚為悲傷，遂為自己早死的兒子立像，他雖是已死的人，如今卻敬之如神，並傳令家屬禮拜獻祭。	¹⁵For a father being afflicted with bitter grief, made to himself the image of his son who was quickly taken away: and him who then had died as a man, he began now to worship as a god, and appointed him rites and sacrifices among his servants.
¹⁶這種不虔敬的事，相沿日久，便成了習俗，以致守如法律；再加上君王的命令，雕像遂受崇拜。	¹⁶Then in process of time, wicked custom prevailing, this error was kept as a law, and statues were worshipped by the commandment of tyrants.
¹⁷住在遠方的人，不能當面尊敬國王，便由遠方設想君王的相貌，為所要尊敬的君王，製造一座可見的肖像，向那不在跟前的，殷勤獻媚，如同就在跟前一樣。	¹⁷And those whom men could not honour in presence, because they dwelt far off, they brought their resemblance from afar, and made an express image of the king whom they had a mind to honour: that by this their diligence, they might honour as present, him that was absent.
¹⁸藝術家的野心，把那些不認識君王的人，也都誘來，為擴大這項敬禮；	¹⁸And to worshipping of these, the singular diligence also of the artificer helped to set forward the ignorant.
¹⁹藝術家原為討有權威者的歡心，就竭力運用自己的技術，使君王的肖像格外美麗；	¹⁹For he being willing to please him that employed him, laboured with all his art to make the resemblance in the best manner.
²⁰民眾受了這精美手工的吸引，不久以前那當人尊敬的，現在卻奉之為神了。	²⁰And the multitude of men, carried away by the beauty of the work, took him now for a god that a little before was but honoured as a man.
²¹這便成了人生的隱禍，因為遭受不幸，或受暴君壓迫的人們，將「那不可道出的名字」，加給了木石。	²¹And this was the occasion of deceiving human life: for men serving either their affection, or their kings, gave the incommunicable name to stones and wood.
²²他們對天主的認識錯到如此地步，還以為不足；甚至愚昧使他們生活在強烈的戰鬥中，還將這樣的大禍，稱為和平。	²²And it was not enough for them to err about the knowledge of God, but whereas they lived in a great war of ignorance, they call so many and so great evils peace.
²³因他們祭殺孩童，或舉行秘密祭禮，或儀式怪誕的狂歡宴會。	²³For either they sacrifice their own children, or use hidden sacrifices, or keep watches full of madness,
²⁴誰也不顧及生活與婚姻的純潔，遂彼此陷害殘殺，以姦淫加害於人。	²⁴So that now they neither keep life, nor marriage undefiled, but one killeth another through envy, or grieveth him by adultery:
²⁵於是，混亂到處叢生：流血、殺人、盜竊、欺騙、缺德、失信、暴亂、違約、	²⁵And all things are mingled together, blood, murder, theft and dissimulation, corruption and unfaithfulness, tumults and perjury, disquieting of the good,
²⁶陷害忠良、忘恩負義、玷辱靈魂、同性淫亂、婚姻混雜、通姦淫亂。	²⁶Forgetfulness of God, defiling of souls, changing of nature, disorder in marriage, and the irregularity of adultery and uncleanness.
²⁷崇拜虛無的偶像，實是萬惡的起源、由來和結局。	²⁷For the worship of abominable idols is the cause, and the beginning and end of all evil.
²⁸這些人行樂發狂，預言虛妄，生活邪辟，妄發虛誓，	²⁸For either they are mad when they are merry: or they prophesy lies, or they live unjustly, or easily forswear themselves.
²⁹因為他們信賴無生命的偶像，自以為妄發虛誓，不會受罰。	²⁹For whilst they trust in idols, which are without life, though they swear amiss, they look not to be hurt.
³⁰但是，正為了這兩件事，他們必受公義的處罰：因對天主沒有正確的認識，因而崇拜偶像；又因詭計多端，妄發虛誓，因而輕視聖潔。	³⁰But for two things they shall be justly punished, because they have thought not well of God, giving heed to idols, and have sworn unjustly, in guile despising justice.
³¹因為，那常追擊不義者違法行為的，並不是「賴以發誓者」的力量，而是天主對犯罪者的懲罰。	³¹For it is not the power of them, by whom they swear, but the just vengeance of sinners always punisheth the transgression of the unjust.

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