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The Book of Wisdom 1 But your holy ones had very great light; And those others, who heard their voices but did not see their forms, since now they themselves had suffered, called them blest; 2 1 And because they who formerly had been wronged did not harm them, they thanked them, and pleaded with them, for the sake of the difference between them. 对他们表示感激，因他们虽受虐待，却不图报复，求他们宽恕以往的敌对行为。 3 Instead of this, you furnished the flaming pillar which was a guide on the unknown way, and the mild sun for an honorable migration. 4 For those deserved to be deprived of light and imprisoned by darkness, who had kept your sons confined through whom the imperishable light of the law was to be given to the world. 埃及人理当失掉光明，遭受黑暗的拘禁，因为他们曾拘留过你的子民；正是这些子民想将法律不灭的光明传到普世。 5 2 When they determined to put to death the infants of the holy ones, and when a single boy had been cast forth but saved, As a reproof you carried off their multitude of sons and made them perish all at once in the mighty water. 6 That night was known beforehand to our fathers, that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith, they might have courage. 我们的祖先预先得知了那一夜的事，甚而确实知道自己所相信的誓言多么可靠，因此都心安神乐。 7 Your people awaited the salvation of the just and the destruction of their foes. 8 For when you punished our adversaries, in this you glorified us whom you had summoned. 你用什么方法惩罚了仇敌，也用什么方法光荣了我们，为召叫我们归向你。 9 3 For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice and putting into effect with one accord the divine institution, That your holy ones should share alike the same good things and dangers, having previously sung the praises of the fathers. 善人的圣洁子孙，都在暗中献了祭，同心立定了神圣的盟约，为使圣徒们同甘共苦，同唱了列祖的赞美歌曲。 10 But the discordant cry of their enemies responded, and the piteous wail of mourning for children was borne to them. 敌人混乱的喊声，从对面响起，到处发出哀悼孩儿的悲鸣。 11 And the slave was smitten with the same retribution as his master; even the plebeian suffered the same as the king. 主人与仆人，同受一样的惩罚；庶民与王公，共遭一样的苦难。 12 And all alike by a single death had countless dead; For the living were not even sufficient for the burial, since at a single instant their nobler offspring were destroyed. 他们一时都遇到同样的死亡，死了无数的人；以致活人的数目不足以埋葬死人，因为，他们最宝贵的后裔，倾刻之间，都已灭亡。 13 4 For though they disbelieved at every turn on account of sorceries, at the destruction of the first-born they acknowledged that the people was God's son. 那些操行邪术，什么也不相信的人，因着长子的丧亡，才承认这民族是天主的儿子。 14 For when peaceful stillness compassed everything and the night in its swift course was half spent, 万籁俱寂，黑夜已奔驰一半路程时， 15 Your all-powerful word from heaven's royal throne bounded, a fierce warrior, into the doomed land, 你全能的圣言，由天上的王座，如无情的战士，降到这应毁灭的地上， 16 bearing the sharp sword of your inexorable decree. And as he alighted, he filled every place with death; he still reached to heaven, while he stood upon the earth. 带着你不可收回的成命当作利剑，上触高天，下踏大地，立在那里，使各处充满死亡。 17 Then, forthwith, visions in horrible dreams perturbed them and unexpected fears assailed them; 18 And cast half-dead, one here, another there, each was revealing the reason for his dying. 都半死半活的一个倒在这里，一个跌在那里，宣布他们死亡的原因； 19 For the dreams that disturbed them had proclaimed this beforehand, lest they perish unaware of why they suffered ill. 因为那些惊吓他们的恶梦，已预先通知了他们，免得他们死了，还不知道自己究竟为什么遭了难。 20 But the trial of death touched at one time even the just, and in the desert a plague struck the multitude; Yet not for long did the anger last. 义人也尝试过死亡的折磨，有许多人，在荒野里，也遭受过灾殃；但天主的怒气并没有持久， 21 5 For the blameless man hastened to be their champion, bearing the weapon of his special office, prayer and the propitiation of incense; He withstood the wrath and put a stop to the calamity, showing that he was your servant. 因为无可指摘的人，迅速出头，代为庇护，以自己的职责作盾牌，用祈祷和赎罪的馨香，阻止了天主的愤怒，使灾难停止，显示出他是你的仆人。 22 6 And he overcame the bitterness not by bodily strength, not by force of arms; But by word he overcame the smiter, recalling the sworn covenants with their fathers. 他平息了灾祸，并不是由于体力，或武器的威能，而是提起上主与祖先所发的誓，所立的约，以言语说服了刑罚人的上主。 23 For when corpses had already fallen one on another in heaps, he stood in the midst and checked the anger, and cut off the way to the living. 那时，死人枕借成堆，他站在当中，拦阻了怒气，中断了死亡向活人延及的路线。 24 7 For on his full-length robe was the whole world, and the glories of the fathers were carved in four rows upon the stones, and your grandeur was on the crown upon his head. 因为，在他的长衣上，带有整个的世界：在四行宝石上，刻着祖先的荣耀；在他头戴的冠冕上，嵌有你的尊威。 25 To these names the destroyer yielded, and these he feared; for the mere trial of anger was enough. 施行毁灭者，对这些礼服表示让步，表示敬畏；只一试怒就够了。 Footnotes（注解） 1 [2] The difference between them: God's distinctive manner of treating the Israelites and the Egyptians according to their respective merits. 2 [5] Single boy: Moses. 3 [9] Praises of the fathers: cf Sirach 44-50; Wisdom 10. 4 [13] People: the Hebrews. 5 [21] Blameless man: Aaron, acting according to his office of high priest and intercessor. 6 [22] Smiter: the destroying angel; cf Wisdom 18:25. 7 [24] Glories . . . grandeur: the name of God and the names of the tribes were inscribed on the high priest's apparel. |
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