Romans 1 1 2 I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience joins with the holy Spirit in bearing me witness 我在基督内说实话,并不说谎,有我的良心在圣神内与我一同作证: 2 that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. 我的忧愁极大,我心中不断的痛苦; 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kin according to the flesh. 为救我的弟兄,我血统的同胞,就是被诅咒,与基督隔绝,我也甘心情愿。 4 They are Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; 他们是以色列人:义子的名份、光荣、盟约、法律、礼仪以及恩许,都是他们的; 5 theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Messiah. God who is over all 3 be blessed forever. Amen. 圣神也是他们的,并且基督按血统说,也是从他们来的,他是在万有之上,世世代代应受赞美的天主!阿们。 6 But it is not that the word of God has failed. For not all who are of 这并不是说天主的话落了空,因为不是凡从以色列生的,都是真以色列人; 7 nor are they all children of Abraham because they are his descendants; but "It is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name." 也不是凡是亚巴郎的后裔,就都是他的真子女,而是‘由依撒格所生的,才称为你的后裔,’ 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. 即是说:不是血统上的子女,算是天主的子女,而是借恩许所生的子女,才算为真后裔。 9 For this is the wording of the promise, "About this time I shall return and Sarah will have a son." 10 And not only that, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one husband, our father Isaac 4 – 并且关于黎贝加也有相似的事。她从我们的先祖依撒格一人怀了孕; 11 before they had yet been born or had done anything, good or bad, in order that God's elective plan might continue, 当时双胎还没有出生,也没有行善或作恶;但为使天主预简的计划坚定不移, 12 not by works but by his call--she was told, "The older shall serve the younger." 且为显示这计划并不凭人的行为,而只凭天主的召选,遂有话给她说:‘年长的要服事年幼的。’ 13 As it is written: "I loved Jacob but hated Esau." 5 正如经上记载:‘我爱了雅各伯,而恨了厄撒乌。’ 14 6 What then are we to say? Is there injustice on the part of God? Of course not! 那么,我们可说什么呢?难道天主不公道吗?绝对不是! 15 For he says to Moses: "I will show mercy to whom I will, I will take pity on whom I will." 因为他对梅瑟说过:‘我要恩待的,就恩待;我要怜悯的,就怜悯。’ 16 So it depends not upon a person's will or exertion, but upon God, who shows mercy. 这样看来,蒙召并不在乎人愿意,也不在乎人努力,而是由于天主的仁慈, 17 For the scripture says to Pharaoh, "This is why I have raised you up, to show my power through you that my name may be proclaimed throughout the earth." 因为经上有话对法郎说:‘我特兴起了你,是为在你身上彰显我的大能,并为使我的名传遍全世界。’ 18 Consequently, he has mercy upon whom he wills, and he hardens whom he wills. 7 这样看来,他愿意恩待谁,就恩待谁;他愿意使谁心硬,就使谁心硬。 19 8 You will say to me then, "Why (then) does he still find fault? For who can oppose his will?" 或者,你要问我说:既是这样,为什么他还要责怪人呢?有谁能抗拒他的意志呢? 20 But who indeed are you, a human being, to talk back to God? Will what is made say to its maker,"Why have you created me so?" 人呀!你是谁,竟敢向天主抗辩?制造品岂能对制造者说:你为什么这样制造了我? 21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for a noble purpose and another for an ignoble one? 难道陶工不能随意用一团泥,把这一个作成贵重的器皿,把那一个作成卑贱的器皿吗? 22 What if God, wishing to show his wrath and make known his power, has endured with much patience the vessels of wrath made for destruction? 如果天主愿意显示自己的义怒,并彰显自己的威能,曾以宽宏大量,容忍了那些惹他发怒而应受毁灭的器皿; 23 This was to make known the riches of his glory to the vessels of mercy, which he has prepared previously for glory, 他如此作,是为把他那丰富的光荣,在那些他早已准备好,为进入光荣而蒙怜悯的器皿身上彰显出来,又有什么不可呢? 24 namely, us whom he has called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles. 这些器皿就是我们这些不但从犹太人中,而且也从外邦人中被天主所宠召的人。 25 As indeed he says in Hosea: "Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,' and her who was not beloved 9 I will call ‘beloved.' 这正如天主在欧瑟亚书中所说的:‘我要叫"非我人民"为"我的人民",又叫"不蒙爱怜者"为"蒙爱怜者"; 26 And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,' there they shall be called children of the living God." 人在那里对他们说:你们不是我的人民,在同样的地方,他们要被称为永生天主的子女。’ 27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, "Though the number of the Israelites were like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will be saved; 论到以色列,依撒意亚却呼喊说:‘以色列子民的数目虽然多如海沙,唯有残存者要蒙受救恩, 28 for decisively and quickly will the Lord execute sentence upon the earth." 因为上主在大地上,要彻底迅速完成他的判决。’ 29 And as Isaiah predicted: "Unless the Lord of hosts had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom and have been made like Gomorrah." 依撒意亚又预言过:‘若非万军的上主给我们留下苖裔,我们早已如同索多玛,相似哈摩辣了。’ 30 10 What then shall we say? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have achieved it, that is, righteousness that comes from faith; 那么,我们可说什么呢?外邦人没有追求正义,却获得了正义,即由信仰而得的正义; 31 but that 以色列人追求使人成义的法律,却没有得到这种法律, 32 Why not? Because they did it not by faith, but as if it could be done by works. They stumbled over the stone that causes stumbling, 11 这是为什么呢?是因为他们不凭信仰,只凭着行为追求。他们正碰在那块绊脚石上, 33 as it is written: "Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion that will make people stumble and a rock that will make them fall, and whoever believes in him shall not be put to shame." 正如经上所载:‘看,我在熙雍按放了一块绊脚石,一块使人绊跌的盘石;相信他的人,不至蒙羞。’ Footnotes(注解) 1 [9:1-11:36] 2 [1-5] The apostle speaks in strong terms of the depth of his grief over the unbelief of his own people. He would willingly undergo a curse himself for the sake of their coming to the knowledge of Christ (Romans 9:3; cf Lev 27:28-29). His love for them derives from God's continuing choice of them and from the spiritual benefits that God bestows on them and through them on all of humanity (Romans 9:4-5). 3 [5] Some editors punctuate this verse differently and prefer the translation, "Of whom is Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all." However, Paul's point is that God who is over all aimed to use 4 [10] Children by one husband, our father Isaac: Abraham had two children, Ishmael and Isaac, by two wives, Hagar and Sarah, respectively. In that instance Isaac, although born later than Ishmael, became the bearer of the messianic promise. In the case of twins born to Rebecca, God's elective procedure is seen even more dramatically, and again the younger, contrary to Semitic custom, is given the preference. 5 [13] The literal rendering, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated," suggests an attitude of divine hostility that is not implied in Paul's statement. In Semitic usage "hate" means to love less; cf Luke 14:26 with Matthew 10:37. 6 [14-18] The principle of divine election does not invite Christians to theoretical inquiry concerning the nonelected, nor does this principle mean that God is unfair in his dealings with humanity. The instruction concerning divine election is a part of the gospel and reveals that the gift of faith is the enactment of God's mercy (Romans 9:16). God raised up Moses to display that mercy, and Pharaoh to display divine severity in punishing those who obstinately oppose their Creator. 7 [18] The basic biblical principle is: those who will not see or hear shall not see or hear. On the other hand, the same God who thus makes stubborn or hardens the heart can reconstruct it through the work of the holy Spirit. 8 [19-29] The apostle responds to the objection that if God rules over faith through the principle of divine election, God cannot then accuse unbelievers of sin (Romans 9:19). For Paul, this objection is in the last analysis a manifestation of human insolence, and his "answer" is less an explanation of God's ways than the rejection of an argument that places humanity on a level with God. At the same time, Paul shows that God is far less arbitrary than appearances suggest, for God endures with much patience (Romans 9:22) a person like the Pharaoh of the Exodus. 9 [25] Beloved: in Semitic discourse means "preferred" or "favorite" (cf Romans 9:13). See Hosea 2:1, which is transposed after Hosea 3:5 in the NAB. 10 [30-33] In the conversion of the Gentiles and, by contrast, of relatively few Jews, the Old Testament prophecies are seen to be fulfilled; cf Romans 9:25-29. 11 [32] Paul discusses |