Numbers 1 The LORD said to Moses, 上主训示梅瑟说: 2"Tell Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, to remove the censers from the embers; and scatter the fire some distance away, "你吩咐司祭亚郎的儿子厄肋阿匝尔,叫他将一切火盘从火堆中取去,把炭火散开,因为这一切都是圣的。 3 1 for these sinners have consecrated the censers at the cost of their lives. Have them hammered into plates to cover the altar, because in being presented before the LORD they have become sacred. In this way they shall serve as a sign to the Israelites." 以这些犯罪丧生者的火盘,打成薄片,用来包盖祭坛,──因为奉献在上主面前的火盘已成了圣的,──给以色列子民当作鉴戒。" 4 So Eleazar the priest had the bronze censers of those burned during the offering hammered into a covering for the altar, 厄肋阿匝尔司祭便取出那些被火烧死的人献过的铜火盘,叫人打成薄片,为包盖祭坛用, 5 in keeping with the orders which the LORD had given him through Moses. This cover was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no layman, no one who was not a descendant of Aaron, should approach the altar to offer incense before the LORD, lest he meet the fate of Korah and his band. 为给以色列子民当作鉴戒,为叫凡不是出于亚郎子孙的俗人,不应前来在上主面前献香,以免和科辣黑及他的同党遭受一样的不幸。他全照上主藉梅瑟对他所吩咐的做了。 6 The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying,"It is you who have slain the LORD'S people." 次日,以色列子民全会众抱怨梅瑟和亚郎说:"正是你们害死了上主的人民"。 7 But while the community was deliberating against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the meeting tent, and the cloud now covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared. 当会众集合反对梅瑟和亚郎时,他们二人转向会幕;看,云彩遮盖了会幕,上主的荣耀发显了出来。 8 Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the meeting tent, 梅瑟和亚郎遂走到会幕面前, 9 and the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 上主吩咐梅瑟说: 10 "Depart from this community, that I may consume them at once." But they fell prostrate. "你们快离开这会众,我要立即消灭他们。"他们遂俯伏在地, 11 Then Moses said to Aaron,"Take your censer, put fire from the altar in it, lay incense on it, and bring it quickly to the community to make atonement for them; for wrath has come forth from the LORD and the blow is falling." 然后梅瑟向亚郎说:"你快拿火盘,由祭坛取火放在盘里,添上乳香,快拿到会众那里去,为他们行赎罪礼,因为愤怒已由上主面前发出,灾祸已经开始。" 12 Obeying the orders of Moses, Aaron took his censer and ran in among the community, where the blow was already falling on the people. Then, as he offered the incense and made atonement for the people, 亚郎遂照梅瑟所吩咐的拿了火盘,急忙跑到会众中;看,灾祸已在人民中开始;他遂添上乳香,为人民行赎罪礼, 13 standing there between the living and the dead, the scourge was checked. 站在死者和生者之中,直到灾祸止息。 14 Yet fourteen thousand seven hundred died from the scourge, in addition to those who died because of Korah. 在这次灾祸中死了一万四千七百,为科辣黑的缘故而死的人,还不在内。 15 When the scourge had been checked, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the meeting tent. 亚郎于是回到会幕门口梅瑟那里,因为灾祸已止息了。 16 The LORD now said to Moses, 上主训示梅瑟说: 17 2"Speak to the Israelites and get one staff from them for each ancestral house, twelve staffs in all, one from each of their tribal princes. Mark each man's name on his staff; "你吩咐以色列子民,叫他们每一家族拿一根棍杖,就是每一个领袖为自己家族拿一根,共十二根棍杖,把各人的名字写在自己的棍杖上; 18 3 and mark Aaron's name on Levi's staff, for the head of Levi's ancestral house shall also have a staff. 但在肋未的棍杖上,要写亚郎的名字,因为为肋未的族长亦应有一根棍杖。 19 Then lay them down in the meeting tent, in front of the commandments, where I meet you. 你将这些棍放在会幕内,放在约证前,即在我与你常相会的地方。 20 There the staff of the man of my choice shall sprout. Thus will I suppress from my presence the Israelites' grumbling against you." 谁的棍杖开花,谁就是我所选择的人;这样,我就平息了以色列子民在我面前抱怨你们的怨言。" 21 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their princes gave him staffs, twelve in all, one from each tribal prince; and Aaron's staff was with them. 梅瑟于是告诉了以色列子民;他们所有的领袖都交给了他一根棍杖,每一家族中,每个领袖一根,共十二根棍杖;在他们的棍杖中,也有亚郎的棍杖。 22 Then Moses laid the staffs down before the LORD in the tent of the commandments. 梅瑟就将棍杖放在约幕内,放在上主面前。 23 The next day, when Moses entered the tent, Aaron's staff, representing the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth not only shoots, but blossoms as well, and even bore ripe almonds! 次日,梅瑟进入约幕内,看,肋未家族的亚郎的棍杖发了芽;不但发了芽,而且开了花,结了成熟的杏。 24 Moses thereupon brought out all the staffs from the LORD'S presence to the Israelites. After each prince identified his own staff and took it, 梅瑟就由上主面前取出所有的棍杖,给以色列子民观看;以后各人取回了自己的棍杖。 25 the LORD said to Moses,"Put back Aaron's staff in front of the commandments, to be kept there as a warning to the rebellious, so that their grumbling may cease before me; if it does not, they will die." 上主对梅瑟说:"收回亚郎的棍杖来,放在约证前;留给叛逆之徒当作鉴戒,为平息他们对我发的怨言,免得他们死亡。" 26 And Moses did as the LORD had commanded him. 梅瑟就这样做了。上主怎样吩咐他,他就怎样做了。 27 4 Then the Israelites cried out to Moses,"We are perishing; we are lost, we are all lost! 以色列子民对梅瑟申诉说:"看,我们要死了,我们完了!我们全完了! 28 Every time anyone approaches the Dwelling of the LORD, he dies! Are we to perish to the last man?" 凡接近上主帐幕的都该死;我们岂不都该死?" Footnotes(注解) 1 [3] Whatever was brought into intimate contact with something sacred shared in its sacredness. See note on Numbers 19:20. 2 [17] (17)The staff was not merely an article of practical use, but also a symbol of authority; cf Genesis 49:10; Numbers 24:17; Jeremiah 48:17. Hence, the staff of a leader of a tribe was considered the emblem of his tribe; in fact, certain Hebrew words for"staff" also mean"tribe." Perhaps for this reason, to avoid confusion, the author here uses the term"ancestral house" instead of the ordinary word for"tribe." 3 [18] (18)Levi's staff: it is not clear whether this is considered as one of the twelve mentioned in the preceding verse, or as a thirteenth staff. Sometimes Levi is reckoned as one of the twelve tribes (e.g., Deut 27:12-13), but more often the number twelve is arrived at by counting the two sub-tribes of Joseph, i.e., Ephraim and Manasseh, as distinct tribes. In this passage also it seems probable that the tribe of Levi is considered apart from the other twelve. 4 [27] (27,28)Logically these two verses belong immediately after Numbers 16:35. |