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；	¹In fact your immortal spirit is in all.
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 so by degrees you correct those who sin, you admonish them, reminding them how they have strayed so that turning away from evil they may trust in you, Lord.
³你憎恨你聖地裏的古代居民，	³So it happened with those who once lived in your holy land.
⁴因為他們操行巫術和邪惡的祭祀，作出了最可憎惡的事。	⁴You hated them because of their detestable practices, their sorcery and unholy worship.
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，	⁵They were used to the pitiless slaughter of children at the feasts in which they ate human flesh and blood and even bowels, while they fulfilled secret rituals.
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，	⁶Because these parents murdered their defenseless children, you wished our ancestors to destroy them,
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。	⁷and the land dearest to you became the home of God's children who were worthy of it.
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。	⁸But you even showed mercy to these sinners because they were human beings. You sent hornets ahead of your army to gradually destroy them.
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；	⁹You could have given the wicked over to the righteous in battle, or destroyed them in one blow by means of savage beasts or with a harsh command;
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 in punishng them gradually you gave them time to repent. Nevertheless you were aware of their evil nature, their innate malice and how fixed they were in their ways,
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 race from the beginning. In any case, it was not through fear of anyone that you left their sins unpunished.
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 dares say to you, "What have you done?" Who would dare to reject your sentence? Who could reproach you for destroying the nations you formed? Who would dare rise against you in defense of the guilty?
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 besides you, one who cares for everyone, who could ask you to justify your judgments;
¹⁴也沒有一個君王或君主，敢為你懲罰的人，對你怒目而視。	¹⁴there is no other king or sovereign who could confront you and support those you punish.
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。	¹⁵You are just and you rule all with justice; had you condemned those who should not be punished, you would have misused your power.
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。	¹⁶Your strength is the source of your justice and because you are the Lord of all, you can be merciful to everyone.
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。	¹⁷To those who doubt your sovereign power you show your strength and you confound the insolence of those who ignore it.
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 you, the Lord of strength, judge with prudence and govern us with great patience, because you are able to do anything at the time you want.
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。	¹⁹In this way you have taught your people that a righteous person must love his human fellows; you have also given your people cause for hope by prompting them to repent of their sin.
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 you have been careful and patient in punishing the enemies of your people when they deserved to die, and have given them a time and a place to turn 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 strict attention have you not judged your people, you who bound yourself to our fathers with oaths and covenants full of magnificent 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。	²²Yes, you punish us, but you punish our enemies far more severely to teach us when we judge others to remember your kindness, and when we are judged to count on your 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。	²³Those who lived foolishly and wickedly, you tormented with their own abominations.
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 had strayed into error to the point of choosing vile and disgusting animals as gods, allowing themselves to be deceived like infants.
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。	²⁵And, as to children with no sense, you sent them a punishment 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 if they took no warning from these corrections, they were soon to receive a punishment worthy 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。	²⁷In their suffering they became indignant at those animals they had taken as gods and who were now used to punish them. Then they saw clearly, and acknowledged as God, him whom before they had refused to know. That is why they suffered the supreme punishment.

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