友弟德传:Chapter 8

Index

友弟德传:Chapter 8

友弟德传	Judith
¹在那几天，默辣黎的女儿友弟德也听说了这些事。──默辣黎是敖克斯的儿子，敖克斯是若瑟的儿子，若瑟是敖齐耳的儿子，敖齐耳是厄耳基雅的儿子，厄耳基雅是阿纳尼雅的儿子，阿纳尼雅是基德红的儿子，基德红是辣法因的儿子，辣法因是阿希托布的儿子，阿希托布是厄里雅的儿子，厄里雅是希耳基雅的儿子，希耳基雅是厄里雅布的儿子，厄里雅布是纳塔纳耳的儿子，纳塔纳耳是撒拉米耳的儿子，撒拉米耳是撒辣撒待的儿子，撒辣撒待是西默盎的儿子，西默盎是以色列的儿子。──	¹The news of what had happened came in those days to Judith, daughter of Merari, son of Joseph, of Oziel, of Elkiah, of Ananias, of Gideon, of Raphain, of Ahitub, of Elijah, of Hilkiah, of Eliab, of Nathanael, of Salamiel, of Sarasadai, of Israel.
²她的丈夫默纳舍与她同支派又同家族，是在收割大麦时死的；	²Her husband was Manasseh, of the same tribe and family. He had died during the harvesting of the barley
³他在田间监督工人綑麦穗时，不料头部中暑，一病不起，死在拜突里雅本城；人将他葬在多堂及巴拉孟之间的祖茔里。	³as he was supervising the reapers who were binding the sheaves on the plain; he suffered sunstroke, took to his bed and died in Bethulia, his town. He was buried with his ancestors in the field which lies between Dothan and Balamon.
⁴这时友弟德居家守寡，已有三年零四个月。	⁴As a widow, Judith remained in her house for three years and four months.
⁵她在屋顶上，搭了一个帐幕，腰束苦带，身穿寡妇衣饰。	⁵She had built a room on the rooftop of the house where she lived.
⁶除了安息前日与安息日，月朔前日与月朔，以及以色列家的节期与庆典外，在她居寡期内，天天禁食。	⁶She covered herself in sackcloth, put on widow's garments and fasted all the days of her widowhood with the exception of the eves of the Sabbath, the Sabbath day, the eves of the new moons, the days of the new moons, and all the celebrations of the people of Israel.
⁷她的容貌姣美，艳丽好看。她的丈夫默纳舍，留下了不少金银、奴婢、牲畜与田产，她坚守遗业，	⁷She was exceedingly beautiful and very pleasing to look at. Manasseh, her husband, had left her gold, silver, servants, cattle and fields and she remained the owner of all this estate.
⁸很敬畏天主，所以说她一句坏话的人也没有。	⁸No one could say anything evil of her because she greatly feared God.
⁹她听说百姓因为缺水，精神颓唐，向首长提出了严重的抗议。友弟德又听说，敖齐雅向他们所说的话，如何向他们发誓，五天以后，必将城池交给亚述人。	⁹She heard of the threatening words which the people had addressed to their leaders because they were downcast, suffering from lack of water. Judith also heard all that Uzziah had promised in reply, how he had sworn to hand over their city to the Assyrians at the end of five days.
¹⁰她便打发自己管家的使女，去召请城里的长老加布黎和加尔米来。	¹⁰So she sent the maidservant who looked after her affairs, to call Chabris and Charmis, two elders of the town, to come and see her.
¹¹他们一来到，友弟德就对他们说：「拜突里雅居民的首长，请听我说！你们今天在百姓前说的话，实在不对；同时竟然对天主发誓，说五天以后，上主若不来援救，就将城池交给敌人。	¹¹They came to her house and she said to them, "Listen to me, you elders of Bethulia, for the words which you have spoken in front of the people today are not right. You did wrong to take an oath between God and yourselves, and to say that you would hand over the town to our enemies if, within a certain number of days, the Lord does not come to your help.
¹²你们是什么人，今日竟敢试探天主，在人类中竟居天主之上？	¹²Who are you to put God to the test and take God's place when you answered the people?
¹³如今你们尽管试验全能的上主罢！可是你们始终一无所知！	¹³That is not the way to call for his mercy, but rather, one that leads to his wrath.
¹⁴你们既不能探究人的心曲，又不能明悉人明悟中的思念，如何能探究那创造万有的天主，知道他的心思，认清他的旨意？断乎不能！兄弟们，不可触怒上主我们的天主！	¹⁴For if you cannot probe the depths of the human heart nor know what a man is thinking, how can you understand the God who has made all things? Do you know his mind or understand his thoughts? No, my brothers, do not annoy the Lord our God.
¹⁵如果他在五天内，不肯前来施救，他仍有权力在他愿意的时日保护我们，或在我们仇敌前将我们消灭。	¹⁵For if he does not wish to come to our help within these five days, he has the power to protect us for as many days as he wishes or else to annihilate us in front of our enemies.
¹⁶你们没有要求保证的权利，而强迫上主，我们的天主，改变旨意，因为天主不同人一样可以受威胁，或如人子一样可以受支配。	¹⁶As for yourselves, do not challenge the designs of the Lord our God, for God cannot give in to threats as a man does, nor can any decision be imposed upon him as it can on the sons of men.
¹⁷为此，我们只有等待他的救援，呼求他来援助；如果他愿意，必会俯听我们的呼声。	¹⁷That is why, while waiting patiently for him to save us, let us beg him to come to our help. He will listen to our plea, if it pleases him.
¹⁸何况，我们这一代从来没有，且今日我们也没有一支派，一家族，一村庄，一城市，像昔日一样敬拜人造的神像。	¹⁸For it has not happened in our generation nor is there among us today any tribe or family or people or city that worships gods made by human hands, as happened in days past.
¹⁹昔日为了这事，我们的祖先曾被刀斩、劫掠，在敌人前，惨遭灭亡。	¹⁹It was for that reason that our fathers were handed over to be slain by the sword and pillaged, and that they suffered great disaster at the hands of their enemies.
²⁰如今我们除了恭敬天主外，不认识别的神，所以也盼望他不会忽略我们，及我们同族的任何人。	²⁰But we do not recognize any other god than the One God, therefore let us hope that he will not look with contempt on us or on any of our race.
²¹如果我们投降，全犹太也必投降，我们的圣所必遭抢掠。对他们受的污辱，上主必向我们追讨血债；	²¹If the enemies capture us, so in the same way, the whole of Judea will be taken; our Sanctuary will be pillaged and we will answer for its profanation with our blood.
²²同胞被屠杀，国土被掠夺，祖业遭废弃，都要归咎于将散居在异民中为奴的我们，我们就成为那主宰我们者的讥笑凌辱的对象了。	²²God will bring upon our heads the murder of our brothers, the bondage of our country and the devastation of our heritage. Wherever among the nations we shall be slaves, we shall be maltreated by those to whom we belong.
²³因为我们投降，并不会转祸为福，上主我们的天主，必因此使我们蒙受羞辱。	²³Our enslavement will not be changed in our favor, but the Lord our God will turn it into dishonor.
²⁴兄弟们！如今我们应为同胞做好榜样，因为他们的性命系于我们，圣所、圣殿和祭坛，也赖我们来维护；	²⁴Now, my brothers, let us show our fellow countrymen that their lives depend on ours; that the safety of the Sanctuary, the Temple and the Altar rests with us.
²⁵为了这一切，我们要感谢上主，我们的天主，因为他考验我们，像考验我们的祖先一样。	²⁵Much more, let us thank the Lord our God who is putting us to the test as he did our fathers.
²⁶请你们回忆他对亚巴郎所作的，又怎样考验了依撒格；看看雅各伯在叙利亚的美索不达米亚替他舅父放羊时，有了什么遭遇。	²⁶Remember what he did with Abraham, all the trials to which he subjected Isaac and all those that happened to Jacob in Mesopotamia of Syria where he looked after the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother.
²⁷原来他锻炼他们，乃是为考验他们的心；上主也这样鞭责我们，并不是为惩罚，乃是为警戒与他亲近的人。」	²⁷Is not God making us pass through fire as he did the others to prove their hearts? The Lord is not punishing us, but he scourges those who draw near to him in order to admonish them."
²⁸敖齐雅对她说：「你说的这一切，都是出于好心，谁也不会反对你的话。	²⁸Uzziah said to her, "All that you have said has been said with wisdom and no one can contradict your words.
²⁹你的智慧，并不是今天初次才显露出来，而是自你幼年，众百姓就已赏识你的见解，知道你的心怎样良善。	²⁹In fact it is not just today that your wisdom is evident, but ever since your early days all the people have recognized your intelligence and the natural goodness of your heart.
³⁰无奈，百姓渴得要命，逼迫我们，要按我们对他们所说的去行，而且还胁迫我们，发了我们不可违犯的誓。	³⁰But the people were suffering great thirst so they forced us to carry out what we have said, and they have charged us with an oath which we cannot break.
³¹如今请你为我们祈祷，因为你是虔诚的妇女，上主必降甘霖，注满我们的池沼，使我们不再渴得发晕。	³¹Since you are a devout woman, pray for us that the Lord will send rain to fill our reservoirs and we shall no longer be exhausted."
³²友弟德对他们说：「请听我说，我要作一件在我们民族的子孙中万世流芳的事。	³²Judith said to them, "Listen to me, I will do something which will be handed down from generation to generation of the children of our race.
³³今夜，你们应站在城门口，我要同我的使女出城，在你们所定要把城池交给敌人的日期内，上主会藉着我的手，眷顾以色列。	³³Tonight you will stand at the gate of the town and I will go out with my maidservant and, by the end of the time which has been fixed for you to hand over the town to our enemies, the Lord will visit Israel through my hand.
³⁴你们不要侦查我的行动，因为在我要作的事情未完成以前，我不告诉你们。」	³⁴But do not try to find out what I shall do for I will not tell you, until I have fulfilled what I will do."
³⁵敖齐雅与首长对她说：「你平安去罢！愿上主天主引导你报复我们的敌人！」	³⁵Then Uzziah and the leaders said to her, "Go in peace and may the Lord our God go before you so that you may take vengeance upon our enemies."
³⁶然后他们离开帐幕，回到自己的地方去了，	³⁶Then, leaving Judith's room, they went back to their posts.

友弟德传:Chapter 8

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