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The Book of Wisdom 1 1 Therefore they were fittingly punished by similar creatures, and were tormented by a swarm of insects. 因此，天主用同样的动物来惩罚他们，使他们受许多动物的残害，很为适当。 2 Instead of this punishment, you benefited your people with a novel dish, the delight they craved, by providing quail for their food; 正与此惩罚相反,你却恩待了你的百姓,为满足他们的食欲，给他们预备了珍奇的美味──鹌鹑，当作食物。 3 That those others, when they desired food, since the creatures sent to plague them were so loathsome, should be turned from even the craving of necessities, While these, after a brief period of privation, partook of a novel dish. 那些想进食的埃及人，一看见上主遣来的丑陋的动物，连原有的食欲都失去了；至于你的百姓，虽遭受了片时的饥饿，却分享了奇异的美味。 4 For upon those oppressors, inexorable want had to come; but these needed only be shown how their enemies were being tormented. 因为，埃及人残忍无道，理应遭受难挨的饥饿；至于你的百姓受饿，只是为叫他们明白，他们的仇敌受了如何的痛苦。 5 For when the dire venom of beasts came upon them and they were dying from the bite of crooked serpents, your anger endured not to the end. 6 2 But as a warning, for a short time they were terrorized, though they had a sign of salvation, to remind them of the precept of your law. 7 For he who turned toward it was saved, not by what he saw, but by you, the savior of all. 凡转向这标记的，并不是因着所瞻望的记号得救，而是因着你，万民的救主。 8 And by this also you convinced our foes that you are he who delivers from all evil. 借此，你向我们的仇敌证明：是你救人脱免一切灾祸； 9 For the bites of locusts and of flies slew them, and no remedy was found to save their lives because they deserved to be punished by such means; 因为蝗虫和苍蝇咬死了他们，却没有医治他们生命的方法，因为他们理应遭受这样的刑罚。 10 But not even the fangs of poisonous reptiles overcame your sons, for your mercy brought the antidote to heal them. 但是你的子民，却没有为毒蛇的牙所制胜；这是因为你的仁慈前来救助，治好了他们。 11 For as a reminder of your injunctions, they were stung, and swiftly they were saved, Lest they should fall into deep forgetfulness and become unresponsive to your beneficence. 他们被咬后，即刻获治，是要他们记念你的话，免得他们深深遗忘，而不注意你的仁慈。 12 For indeed, neither herb nor application cured them, but your all-healing word, O LORD! 医好他们的，并不是草药，也不是膏药，上主，而是你那治好一切的话。 13 For you have dominion over life and death; you lead down to the gates of the nether world, and lead back. 因为，是你掌握生死的大权，引人下入阴府的门，而又领回。 14 3 Man, however, slays in his malice, but when the spirit has come away, it does not return, nor can he bring back the soul once it is confined. 人固然可以因邪恶而杀人，却不能使已离去的神魂再回来，也不能解救一个被囚在阴府中的灵魂。 15 But your hand none can escape. 逃出你的掌握，那是不可能的。 16 For the wicked who refused to know you were punished by the might of your arm, Pursued by unwonted rains and hailstorms and unremitting downpours, and consumed by fire. 为此，那不肯承认你的败类，遭受了你大力手臂的打击，受那罕有的大雨、冰雹与无情暴雨的袭击，并为火所毁灭。 17 For against all expectation, in water which quenches anything, the fire grew more active; For the universe fights on behalf of the just. 最堪惊奇的，是在能熄灭一切的水中，火焰反而更为炽烈，因为世界都为义人而战： 18 For now the flame was tempered so that the beasts might not be burnt up that were sent upon the wicked, but that these might see and know they were struck by the judgment of God; 19 And again, even in the water, fire blazed beyond its strength so as to consume the produce of the wicked land. 有时火在水中反烧得异常炽烈，为烧尽毁灭不义之田的出产。 20 Instead of this, you nourished your people with food of angels and furnished them bread from heaven, ready to hand, untoiled-for, endowed with all delights and conforming to every taste. 相反地，你用天神之粮，养育了你的子民；他们不必操劳，你从天上给他们降下了现成的食粮，具有各种美味，适合各人的口味。 21 For this substance of yours revealed your sweetness toward your children, and serving the desire of him who received it, was blended to whatever flavor each one wished. 你赐予的食粮，合乎取食者的嗜好，随着人的愿望而变化，这表明你对待儿女如何恩爱。 22 4 Yet snow and ice withstood fire and were not melted, that they might know that their enemies' fruits Were consumed by a fire that blazed in the hail and flashed lightning in the rain. 雪和冰遇着火并不融化，这是使他们知道：为毁灭仇敌的收获，火曾在冰雹中炽燃，在雨水中闪烁； 23 But this fire, again, that the just might be nourished, forgot even its proper strength; 24 For your creation, serving you, its maker, grows tense for punishment against the wicked, but is relaxed in benefit for those who trust in you. 25 Therefore at that very time, transformed in all sorts of ways, it was serving your all-nourishing bounty according to what they needed and desired; 因此，“玛纳”就依照你那养育众人的恩宠，起种种变化，来适应需求者的愿望， 26 That your sons whom you loved might learn, O LORD, that it is not the various kinds of fruits that nourish man, but it is your word that preserves those who believe you! 为使你所爱的子女们知道：上主，养育世人的，不是各种果食，而是你的言语，保全了信赖你的人。 27 For what was not destroyed by fire, when merely warmed by a momentary sunbeam, melted; 因为，火所不能烧毁的，因着温和的一线阳光，立即融化， 28 So that men might know that one must give you thanks before the sunrise, and turn to you at daybreak. 使人知道：在太阳没有升起以前，就应赞颂你；在曙光破晓时分，就该祈求你； 29 For the hope of the ingrate melts like a wintry frost and runs off like useless water. 因为，不知恩者的希望，就如冬天的霜，势必消溶，逝去有如无用的流水。 Footnotes（注解） 1 [1] They: the Egyptian idolaters. 2 [6] Sign: the brazen serpent; cf Numbers 21:9. 3 [14] Confined: in the nether world, in limbo. 4 [22] Snow and ice: the manna; cf Wisdom 16:27; 19:21. |
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