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Hebrews 1 1 Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence 2 of things not seen. 信德是所希望之事的担保，是未见之事的确证。 2 Because of it the ancients were well attested. 因这信德，先人们都曾得了褒扬。 3 By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, 3 so that what is visible came into being through the invisible. 因着信德，我们知道普世是藉天主的话形成的，看得见的是由看不见的化成的。 4 4 By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain's. Through this he was attested to be righteous, God bearing witness to his gifts, and through this, though dead, he still speaks. 因着信德，亚伯尔向天主奉献了比加音更高贵的祭品；因这信德，亚伯尔被褒扬为义人，因为有天主为衪的供品作证；因这信德，衪虽死了，却仍发言。 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and ＂he was found no more because God had taken him.＂ Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God. 因着信德，哈诺客被接去了，叫他不见死亡，世人也找不着他了，因为天主已将他接去；原来被接去之前，已有了中悦天主的明证。 6 5 But without faith it is impossible to please him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 没有信德，是不可能中悦天主的，因为凡接近天主的人，应该信他存在，且信他对寻求他的人是赏报者。 7 By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen, with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household. Through this he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that comes through faith. 因着信德，诺厄对尚未见的事得了启示，怀着敬畏制造了方舟，为救自己的家庭；因着信德，衪定了世界的罪，且成了由信德得正义的承继者。 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go. 因着信德，亚巴郎一蒙召选，就听命往他将要承受为产业的地方去了：他出走时，还不知道要到那里去。 9 By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; 因着信德，他旅居在所应许的地域，好象是在外邦，与有同样恩许的承继人依撒格和雅各伯寄居在帐幕内， 10 for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God. 因为他期待着那有坚固基础的城，此城的工程师和建筑者是天主。 11 By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age--and Sarah herself was sterile--for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy. 因着信德，连石女撒辣虽然过了适当的年龄，也蒙受了怀孕生子的能力，因为她相信那应许者是忠信的。 12 So it was that there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the seashore. 为此由一个人，且是由一个已近于死的人，生了子孙，有如天上的星辰那么多，又如海岸上的沙粒那么不可胜数。 13 All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth, 这些人都怀着信德死了，没有获得所恩许的，只由远处观望，表示欢迎明认自己在世上只是外方人和旅客。 14 for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland. 的确，那些说这样话的人，表示自己是在寻求一个家乡。 15 If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come, they would have had opportunity to return. 如果他们是怀念所离开的家乡，他们还有返回的机会； 16 But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 其实他们如今所渴念的，实是一个更美丽的家乡，即天上的家乡。为此，天主自称为他们的天主，不以他们为羞耻，因为衪已给他们预备了一座城。 17 By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son, 因着信德，亚巴郎在受试探的时候，献上了依撒格，就是那承受了恩许的人，献上了自己的独生子； 18 of whom it was said, ＂Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.＂ 原来天主曾向他说过：‘只有由依撒格所生的，才称为你的后裔。’ 19 6 He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol. 他想天主也有使人从死者中复活的能力，为此他又把依撒格得了回来以作预像。 20 By faith regarding things still to come Isaac 7 blessed Jacob and Esau. 因着信德，依撒格也关于未来的事祝福了雅各伯和厄撒乌。 21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and ＂bowed in worship, leaning on the top of his staff.＂ 因着信德，临死的雅各伯祝福了若瑟的每一个儿子，也扶着若瑟的扙头朝拜了天主。 22 By faith Joseph, near the end of his life, spoke of the Exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones. 因着信德，临终的若瑟提及以色列子民出离埃及的事，并对他自己的骨骸有所吩咐。 23 By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. 因着信德，梅瑟一诞生就被他的父母隐藏了三个月，因为他们见婴孩俊美，便不怕君王的谕令。 24 8 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 因着信德，梅瑟长大以后，拒绝被称为法郎公主的儿子， 25 he chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin. 他宁愿同天主的百姓一起受苦，也不愿有犯罪的暂时享受， 26 He considered the reproach of the Anointed greater wealth than the treasures of 因为他以默西亚的耻辱比埃及的宝藏更为宝贵，因为他所注目的是天主的赏报。 27 By faith he left 因着信德，他不害怕君王的愤怒，而离开了埃及，因为他好象看见了那看不见的一位，而坚定不移。 28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. 因着信德，他举行了逾越节，行了洒血礼，免得那消灭首生者触犯以色列子民的首生者。 29 By faith they crossed the 因着信德，他们渡过了红海，如过旱地；埃及人一尝试，就被淹没了。 30 By faith the walls of 因着信德，耶利哥城墙，被绕行七天之后，就倒塌了。 31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with the disobedient, for she had received the spies in peace. 因着信德，妓女辣哈布平安地接待了侦探，没有同抗命的人一起灭亡。 32 What more shall I say? I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 此外，我还要说什么呢？我的确没有足够的时间再论述基德红、巴辣克、三松、依弗大、达味和撒慕尔以及众先知的事： 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous, obtained the promises; they closed the mouths of lions, 他们借着信德征服列国，执行正义，得到恩许，杜住狮子的口， 34 put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword; out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle, and turned back foreign invaders. 熄灭烈火的威力，逃脱利剑，转弱为强，成为战争中的英雄，击溃外国的军队。 35 Women received back their dead through resurrection. Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance, in order to obtain a better resurrection. 有些女人得了她们的死者复活，有些人受了酷刑拷打，不愿接受释放，为获得更好的复活； 36 Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment. 另有些人遭受了凌辱和鞭打，甚至锁押和监禁， 37 They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword's point; they went about in skins of sheep or goats, needy, afflicted, tormented. 被石头砸死，被锯死，被拷问，被利剑杀死，披着绵羊和山羊皮到处流浪，受贫乏，受磨难，受虐待。 38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered about in deserts and on mountains, in caves and in crevices in the earth. 世界原配不上他们，他们遂在旷野、山岭、山洞和地穴中漂流无定。 39 Yet all these, though approved because of their faith, did not receive what had been promised. 这一切人虽然因着信德获得了褒扬，但是没有获得所恩许的， 40 God had foreseen something better for us, so that without us they should not be made perfect. 9 因为天主为我们早已预备了一种更好的事，以致若没有我们，他们决得不到成全。 Footnotes(注解) 1 [1-40] This chapter draws upon the people and events of the Old Testament to paint an inspiring portrait of religious faith, firm and unyielding in the face of any obstacles that confront it. These pages rank among the most eloquent and lofty to be found in the Bible. They expand the theme announced in Hebrews 6:12, to which the author now returns (Hebrews 10:39). The material of this chapter is developed chronologically. Hebrews 11:3-7 draw upon the first nine chapters of Genesis (Genesis 1-9); Hebrews 11:8-22, upon the period of the patriarchs; Hebrews 11:23-31, upon the time of Moses; Hebrews 11:32-38, upon the history of the judges, the prophets, and the Maccabean martyrs. The author gives the most extensive description of faith provided in the New Testament, though his interest does not lie in a technical, theological definition. In view of the needs of his audience he describes what authentic faith does, not what it is in itself. Through faith God guarantees the blessings to be hoped for from him, providing evidence in the gift of faith that what he promises will eventually come to pass (Hebrews 11:1). Because they accepted in faith God's guarantee of the future, the biblical personages discussed in Hebrews 11:3-38 were themselves commended by God (Hebrews 11:2). Christians have even greater reason to remain firm in faith since they, unlike the Old Testament men and women of faith, have perceived the beginning of God's fulfillment of his messianic promises (Hebrews 11:39-40). 2 [1] Faith is the realization . . . evidence: the author is not attempting a precise definition. There is dispute about the meaning of the Greek words hypostasis and elenchos, here translated realization and evidence, respectively. Hypostasis usually means ＂substance,＂ ＂being＂ (as translated in Hebrews 1:3), or ＂reality＂ (as translated in Hebrews 3:14); here it connotes something more subjective, and so realization has been chosen rather than ＂assurance＂ (RSV). Elenchos, usually ＂proof,＂ is used here in an objective sense and so translated evidence rather than the transferred sense of ＂(inner) conviction＂ (RSV). 3 [3] By faith . . . God: this verse does not speak of the faith of the Old Testament men and women but is in the first person plural. Hence it seems out of place in the sequence of thought. 4 [4] The ＂Praise of the Ancestors＂ in Sirach 44:1-50:21 gives a similar list of heroes. The Cain and Abel narrative in Genesis 4:1-16 does not mention Abel's faith. It says, however, that God ＂looked with favor on Abel and his offering＂ (Genesis 4, 4); in view of v 6 the author probably understood God's favor to have been activated by Abel's faith. Though dead, he still speaks: possibly because his blood ＂cries out to me from the soil＂ (Genesis 4:10), but more probably a way of saying that the repeated story of Abel provides ongoing witness to faith. 5 [6] One must believe not only that God exists but that he is concerned about human conduct; the Old Testament defines folly as the denial of this truth; cf Psalm 53. 6 [19] As a symbol: Isaac's ＂return from death＂ is seen as a symbol of Christ's resurrection. Others understand the words en parabole to mean ＂in figure,＂ i.e., the word dead is used figuratively of Isaac, since he did not really die. But in the one other place that parabole occurs in Hebrews, it means symbol (Hebrews 9:9). 7 [20-22] Each of these three patriarchs, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, had faith in the future fulfillment of God's promise and renewed this faith when near death. 8 [24-27] The reason given for Moses' departure from 9 [40] So that without us they should not be made perfect: the heroes of the Old Testament obtained their recompense only after the saving work of Christ had been accomplished. Thus they already enjoy what Christians who are still struggling do not yet possess in its fullness. |
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