Sirach 1 1 Empty and false are the hopes of the senseless, and fools are borne aloft by dreams. 愚人的希望,是虚幻而妄诞的;梦境使无知的人想入非非。 2 Like a man who catches at shadows or chases the wind, is the one who believes in dreams. 迷信幻梦的人,与捕风捉影的人无异; 3 What is seen in dreams is to reality what the reflection of a face is to the face itself. 梦里看到的,与照镜所见的相同。 4 Can the unclean produce the clean? can the liar ever speak the truth? 污秽里能有什么洁净呢?虚伪中能有什么真实呢? 5 Divination, omens and dreams all are unreal; what you already expect, the mind depicts. 占卜、算命、测梦,都是虚妄的; 6 Unless it be a vision specially sent by the Most High, fix not your heart on it; 梦境若不是出于至高者,你就不用介意; 7 For dreams have led many astray, and those who believed in them have perished. 因为,梦使许多人误入迷途,他们寄望于梦,却大失所望。 8 The law is fulfilled without fail, and perfect wisdom is found in the mouth of the faithful man. 履行法律,并不赖虚伪;出自忠信人口的智言,必见诸实行。 9 A man with training gains wide knowledge; a man of experience speaks sense. 10 One never put to the proof knows little, whereas with travel a man adds to his resourcefulness. 未受过考验的人,知道的少;但旅行的人,见闻很广。 11 I have seen much in my travels, learned more than ever I could say. 12 Often I was in danger of death, but by these attainments I was saved. 我多次遇到死亡的危险,但赖天主的宠佑,凭着昔日的经验,我终能脱险获救。 13 Lively is the courage of those who fear the LORD, for they put their hope in their savior; 敬畏上主之人的精神必然常存,在上主回顾下,必蒙祝福; 14 He who fears the LORD is never alarmed, never afraid; for the LORD is his hope. 因为他们的希望指向拯救他们的主,天主的眼常注视爱慕他的人。 15 Happy the soul that fears the LORD! In whom does he trust, and who is his support? 敬畏上主的人,无所畏惧,无所恐怖,因为上主是他的希望。 16 The eyes of the LORD are upon those who love him; he is their mighty shield and strong support, A shelter from the heat, a shade from the noonday sun, a guard against stumbling, a help against falling. 上主的眼常注视爱慕他的人,他是大能的保障,是强有力的后盾,是隔除热气的屏风,是遮盖正午太阳的凉棚, 是失足时的护卫,是跌倒时的救援; 17 He buoys up the spirits, brings a sparkle to the eyes, gives health and life and blessing. 他鼓舞精神,开明眼目,赐与健康、生命和幸福。 18 2 Tainted his gifts who offers in sacrifice ill-gotten goods! Mock presents from the lawless win not God's favor. 19 The Most High approves not the gifts of the godless, nor for their many sacrifices does he forgive their sins. 20 Like the man who slays a son in his father's presence is he who offers sacrifice from the possessions of the poor. 用穷人的财物来做祭品的人,就如在父亲前,杀害他儿子的人。 21 The bread of charity is life itself for the needy; he who withholds it is a man of blood. 贫乏人的粮食,是穷人的生命;夺取他们食粮的,就是流人血的罪犯。 22 He slays his neighbor who deprives him of his living: he sheds blood who denies the laborer his wages. 23 If one man builds up and another tears down, what do they gain but trouble? 一人建筑,一人拆毁,除劳苦外,为他们有什么好处! 24 If one man prays and another curses, whose voice will the LORD hear? 一人祈福,一人诅咒,天主究竟要俯听谁的呼声? 25 If a man again touches a corpse after he has bathed, what did he gain by the purification? 人摸了死尸就去沐浴,以后再去摸它,他的沐浴有什么用处? 26 So with a man who fasts for his sins, but then goes and commits them again: Who will hear his prayer, and what has he gained by his mortification? 守斋赎罪,而再去犯罪的人,也是如此:有谁听他的祈求?他谦卑自下,又有什么益处? Footnotes(注解) 1 [1-17] Confidence placed in dreams, divinations and omens is false because these are devoid of reality (Sirach 34:1-8). True confidence is founded on knowledge and experience (Sirach 34:9-12), and above all on the fear of the Lord, with its accompanying blessings of divine assistance and protection (Sirach 34:13-17). 2 [18-26] To be acts of true religion, sacrifice and penance must be accompanied by the proper moral dispositions. To offer to God goods taken from the poor (Sirach 34:18-22), or to practice penance without interior reform, is a mockery, worthless in the sight of God (Sirach 34:23-26). Cf Matthew 15:4-7; Mark 7:9-13. |