玛加伯下:Chapter 6

Index

玛加伯下:Chapter 6

玛加伯下	2 Maccabees
¹不久以后，王派遣一位年老的雅典人，来强迫犹太人背弃祖传的规诫，不得按照天主的法律生活，	¹After a while, the king sent an older Athenian to force the Jews to abandon their ancestral laws and no longer live according to the laws of God.
²并且亵渎耶路撒冷的圣殿，将圣殿转献与奥林比亚则乌斯神，又将革黎斤山上的殿宇，依当地居民的要求，献与克色尼则乌斯神。	²And to have them also profane the temple in Jerusalem and dedicate it to the Olympian god. In the same way, he wanted them to dedicate the temple in Mount Gerizim to the hospitable god, according to the wishes of the inhabitants of the place.
³这种种邪恶的侵入，实在令人难以忍受。	³This worsened the evil and made it difficult and unbearable for all.
⁴因为圣殿内充满了外邦人的放荡和纵饮，他们与娼妓淫欢，甚至在圣殿的围墙内与女人私通，将犯禁的东西带入殿内。	⁴The Temple was profaned by the orgies of the pagans who went there to have a good time with prostitutes, and had intercourse in the sacred enclosures. And besides, they brought into the Temple things not permitted by the Law;
⁵祭坛上充满了法律所禁止的不洁之物，	⁵the altar was laden with unclean victims prohibited by the law.
⁶并且不准遵守安息日，不准举行祖传的庆节，连承认自己是犹太人也不许可。	⁶It was no longer allowed to celebrate the sabbath or observe the customs of our fathers, or even to declare oneself a Jew.
⁷每月遇到国王诞生的那一天，他们都被胁迫参与祭祀；一到彫尼索节，应头戴长春藤冠，参与庆祝彫尼索的游行。	⁷But, on the contrary, they were led by bitter necessity to celebrate the king's birthday with a monthly sacrifice. And when the feast of Dionysus came, they were also forced to follow the Dionysus procession and wear floral wreaths.
⁸且因仆托肋买城内居民的唆使，王又向附近受到希腊文化影响的城邑，颁发一道命令，令人以同样的方式对待犹太人，迫使他们分食祭品。	⁸At the suggestion of the inhabit-ants of Ptolemy, a decree was sent to the neighboring Greek cities ordering them to treat the Jews who lived there in the same way and oblige them to participate in the sacrifices.
⁹谁若决意不采用希腊风俗，依法处以死刑。从此可知大难已临头了。	⁹Those who would not adopt the Greek customs were to be killed. So it was easy to foresee the fatal outcome.
¹⁰有两个妇人，因为给孩子割损，就被逮捕受审，令人将孩子挂在她们胸前，游街示众，然后将她们由城墙高处扔下去。	¹⁰Two women were charged of having performed the rite of circumcision on their sons. They publicly paraded the women throughout the city with their babies hung at their breasts. Then they hurled them down from the city wall.
¹¹此外还有些人在附近的山洞里聚集，暗地里举行安息日；有人报告给斐理伯，他便下令把他们活活烧死，因他们宁愿遵守圣日，不愿自卫。	¹¹Others who had assembled in nearby caves to celebrate the sabbath were denounced to Philip and they allowed themselves to be burned. Because of the holiness of the sabbath day, they had scruples about defending themselves.
¹²至此，我劝告本书的读者，不要因了这些不幸而灰心丧志，反该相信这些灾祸并不是为消灭，而只是为惩戒我们的民族罢了。	¹²I now ask the readers of this book not to be shocked by these calamities. Bear in mind that this did not happen for the destruction of our race, but rather for our education.
¹³因为作恶的人不得长久放纵，反而即刻遭受惩罚，这实是大恩的明证。	¹³God is showing his kindness when he does not let sinners continue on their way for a long time, but punishes them at once.
¹⁴对于其他的民族，上主尽量含忍，待他们罪恶满盈，即施以惩罚；对于我们，他却不是这样：	¹⁴As for the other nations, the patient Lord doesn't punish them until they reach the full measure of their sins. But he deals with us in a different manner:
¹⁵他不等我们的罪恶到达顶点，就责罚我们。	¹⁵he does not wait until we have reached the full measure in order to punish us.
¹⁶因此，他的怜悯总不离弃我们：虽然用患难来惩戒自己的百姓，却不放弃他们。	¹⁶Therefore he never withdraws his mercy from us, and does not abandon his people, even when he punishes us with some adversity.
¹⁷上面所说的，只是叫你们注意。说完这些话，就该言归正传。	¹⁷After reminding our readers of these truths, let us continue the story.
¹⁸厄肋阿匝尔是一位杰出的经师，又是年已古稀，仪表庄严的人。有人用力拉开了他的口，强迫他吃猪肉；	¹⁸Eleazar, one of the prominent teachers of the Law, already old and of noble appearance, was forced to open his mouth to eat the flesh of a pig.
¹⁹但他宁愿光荣舍命，不愿受辱而偷生，遂自动走上刑架，	¹⁹But he preferred to die honorably than to live in disgrace, and voluntarily came to the place where they beat him to death. He spit out bravely the piece of meat,
²⁰且把肉吐出。其实，凡决意拒绝吃违法食物的人，都该如此，虽死不辞。	²⁰as should be done by those who do not want to do things prohibited by the Law, even to save their life.
²¹那些监督这违法祭餐的人，因为与他有多年的交情，便把他叫到一边，再三劝他带着自己预备而合法可吃的肉，假装吃王命的祭肉；	²¹Those in charge of this impious banquet took him aside, since they had known him for a long time, and tried to convince him to pretend to be eating the meat, but in reality, to eat something allowed by the Law and prepared by himself.
²²如此，就可免一死，而且因他与他们多年的交情，还可获得优待。	²²In this way, he could escape death, and be treated with humanity for the sake of their long-time friendship.
²³但他立即作了一豪爽的决断，这决断相称他的高龄和声望，相称他因积劳而生的白发，和自幼至今的善行，更符合于天主所立的神圣法律。因此他说明自己的意见，告诉人快把他送到阴府里去，说：	²³But he preferred to make a noble decision worthy of his age, of his noble years, of his shining white hair, and of the irreproachable life he had led from childhood. Above all, showing respect for the holy laws established by God, he answered that he would rather be sent to the place of the dead. And he added,
²⁴「像我这样年龄的人，决不宜作伪，免得许多青年，想年高九十的厄肋阿匝尔也接受了外教礼俗，	²⁴"It would be unworthy to pretend at our age, and to lead many young people to suppose that I, at ninety years, have gone over to the pagan customs.
²⁵因我的作伪和贪恋残生，他们也都因我的缘故而误入歧途；如此，不免在我的高龄上涂上一层污点和耻辱！	²⁵If I led them astray for the sake of this short life I would bring disgrace to my old age.
²⁶况且，即使目前我能逃避人的刑罚；可是，或生或死，我总逃不出全能者的手。	²⁶Even if I could now be saved from men, I cannot - whether living or dead - escape from the hands of the Almighty.
²⁷所以现在，我若是勇敢舍生，我不愧有此高龄，	²⁷I prefer to bravely sacrifice my life now, as befits my old age.
²⁸因为我已给青年留下了一个为可敬的神圣法律，甘心慷慨牺牲的高尚榜样。」说完这话，就立刻走上刑架。	²⁸So I shall leave an excellent example to the young, dying voluntarily and valiantly for the sacred and holy laws." Having said this, he gave himself over to death.
²⁹方才和颜悦色劝说他的人，一听他说出这样的话，以为他疯了，遂改变为仇视的态度。	²⁹Those who escorted him considered his words foolishness, so their previous gentleness turned into harshness.
³⁰当他受重刑快要断气的时候，呻吟着说：「具有圣智的上主，明知我能逃脱死亡，但是，为了敬畏他，我的肉身在痛打之下，虽受到很大的疼痛，但我的心灵却喜乐忍受这一切。」	³⁰When he was almost at the point of death, he said groaning, "The Holy Lord, who sees all, knows that though I could have saved myself from death, I now endure terrible sufferings in my body. But in my soul, I suffer gladly because of the respect I have for him."
³¹他便这样死了。他的死，不但给青年人，而且也给全国的人民，留下了刚勇的模范，和大德不凡的记录。	³¹In his death, he left a noble example and a memorial of virtue and strength, not only to the young but to the whole nation.

玛加伯下:Chapter 6

Produced by www.ccreadbible.org