< Nehemiah 9 >

1 On October 31, the people gathered together again. They (fasted/abstained from eating food), they wore clothes made from rough cloth, and they put dirt on their heads [to show that they were sorry for their sins].
这月二十四日,以色列人聚集禁食,身穿麻衣,头蒙灰尘。
2 The Israeli people separated themselves from all the foreigners. They stood there and confessed their sins and the sins that their ancestors had committed.
以色列人就与一切外邦人离绝,站着承认自己的罪恶和列祖的罪孽。
3 The scroll that contained the laws of Yahweh, the God whom they [worshiped], was read to them for three hours. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and they worshiped Yahweh.
那日的四分之一站在自己的地方念耶和华—他们 神的律法书,又四分之一认罪,敬拜耶和华—他们的 神。
4 [Some of] the descendants of Levi were standing on the stairs. They were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, [another] Bani, and Kenani.
耶书亚、巴尼、甲篾、示巴尼、布尼、示利比、巴尼、基拿尼站在利未人的台上,大声哀求耶和华—他们的 神。
5 Then [the leaders of] the Levites called out to the people. They were Jeshua, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah. They said, “While you are standing there, praise Yahweh your God, who has always lived and will live forever!” [Then one of them continued by praying this to God], “Yahweh, we praise your glorious name! You are much greater than anything that we can think about or talk about!
利未人耶书亚、甲篾、巴尼、哈沙尼、示利比、荷第雅、示巴尼、毗他希雅说:“你们要站起来称颂耶和华—你们的 神,永世无尽。耶和华啊,你荣耀之名是应当称颂的!超乎一切称颂和赞美。”
6 “You only are God. You made the sky and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and everything that is on it, and you made the seas/oceans and everything that is in them. You are the one who gives life to everything and helps them remain alive. All the angels who are in heaven worship you.
“你,惟独你是耶和华!你造了天和天上的天,并天上的万象,地和地上的万物,海和海中所有的;这一切都是你所保存的。天军也都敬拜你。
7 “Yahweh, you are God. You chose Abram and brought him out of Ur [city] in Chaldea [region]. You gave him a new name, Abraham.
你是耶和华 神,曾拣选亚伯兰,领他出迦勒底的吾珥,给他改名叫亚伯拉罕。
8 You saw that he was trustworthy. Then you made (an agreement with/a promise to) him, saying that you would give [to him and] to his descendants the land that the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Amor, Periz, Jebus, and Girgash lived in. And you have done what you promised, because you always do what is right.
你见他在你面前心里诚实,就与他立约,应许把迦南人、赫人、亚摩利人、比利洗人、耶布斯人、革迦撒人之地赐给他的后裔,且应验了你的话,因为你是公义的。
9 “You saw what our ancestors were suffering in Egypt. You heard them cry to you for help when they were at the Red Sea.
“你曾看见我们列祖在埃及所受的困苦,垂听他们在红海边的哀求,
10 Because you knew that the leaders of Egypt were treating our ancestors very arrogantly, you performed many kinds of miracles that caused the king and his officials and all his people to suffer. As a result, you became famous then, and you are still famous!
就施行神迹奇事在法老和他一切臣仆,并他国中的众民身上。你也得了名声,正如今日一样,因为你知道他们向我们列祖行事狂傲。
11 You caused the Red Sea to divide, with the result that your people walked through it on the ground without [getting their feet] wet. [After they were all safely on the other side, ] you [caused the water to come back again], and you hurled into the deep water the [soldiers of the Egyptian army] that were pursuing our ancestors. Their soldiers sank into the deep sea like stones!
你又在我们列祖面前把海分开,使他们在海中行走干地,将追赶他们的人抛在深海,如石头抛在大水中;
12 During each day you led our ancestors with a bright cloud that resembled a huge pillar, and each night you led them by a flaming cloud that gave them light to show them where to walk.
并且白昼用云柱引导他们,黑夜用火柱照亮他们当行的路。
13 “When our ancestors were at Sinai Mountain, you came down from heaven and spoke to them. You gave them many regulations and instructions that are just and reliable, and you gave them commands and laws that are good.
你也降临在西奈山,从天上与他们说话,赐给他们正直的典章、真实的律法、美好的条例与诫命,
14 You taught them about your holy (Sabbath/day of rest), and you gave many kinds of laws to your servant Moses for him to tell to the people.
又使他们知道你的安息圣日,并借你仆人摩西传给他们诫命、条例、律法。
15 When they were hungry, you gave them manna from the sky; and when they were thirsty, you gave them water from a rock. You commanded them to go and take, from the people who lived there, the land which you had promised to give to them.
从天上赐下粮食充他们的饥,从磐石使水流出解他们的渴,又吩咐他们进去得你起誓应许赐给他们的地。
16 “But our ancestors were very proud and stubborn [IDM], and they did not do what you commanded them to do.
“但我们的列祖行事狂傲,硬着颈项不听从你的诫命;
17 They refused to heed you, and they forgot about all the miracles that you had performed for them. Instead, they became stubborn [IDM], and they appointed someone to lead them back to Egypt, where they would be slaves again! But you are a God who forgives us and who is kind and merciful [to us]. You do not quickly become angry. You always faithfully love us.
不肯顺从,也不记念你在他们中间所行的奇事,竟硬着颈项,居心背逆,自立首领,要回他们为奴之地。但你是乐意饶恕人,有恩典,有怜悯,不轻易发怒,有丰盛慈爱的 神,并不丢弃他们。
18 So, even though their [leaders] made an idol that resembled a calf and insulted you by saying [about the idol], ‘This is our god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ you did not desert them.
他们虽然铸了一只牛犊,彼此说‘这是领你出埃及的神’,因而大大惹动你的怒气;
19 “Because you always act mercifully, you did not abandon them when they were in the desert. The bright cloud which was like a huge pillar continued to lead them during the daytime, and the fiery cloud showed them where to walk at night.
你还是大施怜悯,在旷野不丢弃他们。白昼,云柱不离开他们,仍引导他们行路;黑夜,火柱也不离开他们,仍照亮他们当行的路。
20 You sent your good Spirit to instruct them. You continued to provide water when they were thirsty.
你也赐下你良善的灵教训他们;未尝不赐吗哪使他们糊口,并赐水解他们的渴。
21 For 40 years you took care of them in the desert. During all that time, they had everything [that they needed]. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell up [even though they were continually walking].
在旷野四十年,你养育他们,他们就一无所缺:衣服没有穿破,脚也没有肿。
22 “You helped our ancestors to defeat armies of great kings who ruled many people-groups. By doing that, you enabled our ancestors to (occupy/live in) even the most distant places in this land. They occupied the land over which King Sihon ruled from Heshbon [city] and the land over which King Og ruled in [the] Bashan [area].
并且你将列国之地照分赐给他们,他们就得了西宏之地、希实本王之地,和巴珊王噩之地。
23 You caused our ancestors’ descendants to become as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into this land, the land that you told their fathers to enter and occupy.
你也使他们的子孙多如天上的星,带他们到你所应许他们列祖进入得为业之地。
24 Their sons went in and took the land [from the people that lived there]. You enabled them to defeat the descendants of Canaan who lived here in this land. You enabled them to conquer the descendants of Canaan and their kings and the people whom they ruled. You enabled our ancestors to do to those people whatever they wanted to do.
这样,他们进去得了那地,你在他们面前制伏那地的居民,就是迦南人;将迦南人和其君王,并那地的居民,都交在他们手里,让他们任意而待。
25 Our ancestors captured cities that had walls around them, and they took possession of fertile land. They took possession of houses that were full of good things, where there were wells that were already dug. They took possession of many vineyards and groves of olive trees and fruit trees. They ate all that they wanted to and became fat. They were delighted in all these good things that you gave to them.
他们得了坚固的城邑、肥美的地土、充满各样美物的房屋、凿成的水井、葡萄园、橄榄园,并许多果木树。他们就吃而得饱,身体肥胖,因你的大恩,心中快乐。
26 “But they disobeyed you and rebelled against you. They (turned their backs on/rejected) your laws. They killed the prophets who warned them that they should return to you. They badly insulted you.
“然而,他们不顺从,竟背叛你,将你的律法丢在背后,杀害那劝他们归向你的众先知,大大惹动你的怒气。
27 So you allowed their enemies to defeat them. But when their enemies caused them to suffer, they called out to you. You heard them from heaven, and because you are very merciful, you sent them people to help them, and those leaders rescued them from their enemies.
所以你将他们交在敌人的手中,磨难他们。他们遭难的时候哀求你,你就从天上垂听,照你的大怜悯赐给他们拯救者,救他们脱离敌人的手。
28 “But after there was a time of peace again, our ancestors again did things that displeased you. So again you allowed their enemies to conquer them. But whenever they cried out to you again [to help them], you heard them from heaven, and because you act mercifully, you rescued them many times.
但他们得平安之后,又在你面前行恶,所以你丢弃他们在仇敌的手中,使仇敌辖制他们。然而他们转回哀求你,你仍从天上垂听,屡次照你的怜悯拯救他们,
29 “You warned them that they should again [obey] your laws, but they became proud and stubborn, and they disobeyed your commands. They sinned by disobeying what you commanded them to do, the things that would enable them to live a good long life [if they obeyed them]. They stubbornly refused [IDM] to listen to you and continued sinning.
又警戒他们,要使他们归服你的律法。他们却行事狂傲,不听从你的诫命,干犯你的典章(人若遵行就必因此活着),扭转肩头,硬着颈项,不肯听从。
30 You were patient with them for many years. You warned them trough [the messages] your Spirit gave to the prophets. But they did not (heed/pay attention to) those messages. So again you allowed [the armies of] other nations to defeat them.
但你多年宽容他们,又用你的灵借众先知劝戒他们,他们仍不听从,所以你将他们交在列国之民的手中。
31 But because you act very mercifully, you did not get rid of them completely or abandon them [forever]. You are a very gracious/kind and merciful God!
然而你大发怜悯,不全然灭绝他们,也不丢弃他们;因为你是有恩典、有怜悯的 神。
32 “Our God, you are great! You are mighty! You are awesome! You faithfully love us as [you promised in] your agreement with us that you would do! But now we are experiencing great difficulties/hardships. Great troubles have come to us, to our kings, to our [other] leaders, to our priests, and to our prophets. We have been experiencing these troubles since [the armies of] the kings of Assyria [conquered us], and we are still experiencing them. We ask that you sincerely think about [LIT] all these things.
“我们的 神啊,你是至大、至能、至可畏、守约施慈爱的 神。我们的君王、首领、祭司、先知、列祖,和你的众民,从亚述列王的时候直到今日所遭遇的苦难,现在求你不要以为小。
33 [We know that] you acted justly each time that you punished us. We have sinned greatly, but you have treated us fairly.
在一切临到我们的事上,你却是公义的;因你所行的是诚实,我们所做的是邪恶。
34 Our kings and other leaders and our priests and our other ancestors did not obey your laws. They did not heed your commands or the warnings that you gave to them.
我们的君王、首领、祭司、列祖都不遵守你的律法,不听从你的诫命和你警戒他们的话。
35 Even when they had their own kings, and they enjoyed the good things that you did for them in this large and fertile land that you gave to them, they did not serve you. They refused to quit doing what was evil.
他们在本国里沾你大恩的时候,在你所赐给他们这广大肥美之地上不事奉你,也不转离他们的恶行。
36 “So now we are [like] slaves here in this land that you gave to our ancestors, the land that you gave to them in order that they could enjoy all the good things that grow here.
我们现今作了奴仆;至于你所赐给我们列祖享受其上的土产,并美物之地,看哪,我们在这地上作了奴仆!
37 Because we have sinned, [we cannot eat the things that grow here]. The kings that now rule over us are enjoying the things that grow here. They rule us and [take] our cattle. We have to serve them and do the things that please them. We are experiencing great misery/distress.
这地许多出产归了列王,就是你因我们的罪所派辖制我们的。他们任意辖制我们的身体和牲畜,我们遭了大难。”
38 “However, we [Israeli] people now are making an agreement/promise [to obey you], and we are writing this agreement/promise [on a scroll]. We will write on it the names of our leaders and the names of the Levites and the names of the priests, and then we will seal it.”
因这一切的事,我们立确实的约,写在册上。我们的首领、利未人,和祭司都签了名。

< Nehemiah 9 >