寄生草莓的英文俱樂部

今天的親子讀經 申命記 32: 28 - 35。

今天的經文真是既警醒又優美。

若不是他們的磐石賣了他們、若不是耶和華交出他們、一人焉能追趕他們千人、二人焉能使萬人逃跑呢。

How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?

據我們的仇敵自己斷定、他們的磐石不如我們的磐石。

For their rock is not like our Rock, as even our enemies concede.

他們的葡萄樹是所多瑪的葡萄樹、蛾摩拉田園所生的、他們的葡萄是毒葡萄、全掛都是苦的。

他們的酒是大蛇的毒氣、是虺蛇殘害的惡毒

Their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are filled with poison, and their clusters with bitterness.

Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras.

我告訴猴子，

猶太人這一群人少少的民族，若不是蒙神撿選的原故，

恐怕要像神所說的，WIPED AWAY FROM MEMORY.

因為他們蒙神撿選的緣故，所以他們得以被看見。

猴子不懂葡萄樹的比喻，

所以我們就翻到約翰福音，把主耶穌關於真葡萄樹的比喻講了一次。

約翰福音十五章

我是真葡萄樹、我父是栽培的人。

凡屬我不結果子的枝子、他就剪去．凡結果子的、他就修理乾淨、使枝子結果子更多。

現在你們因我講給你們的道、已經乾淨了。

你們要常在我裡面、我也常在你們裡面。枝子若不常在葡萄樹上、自己就不能結果子．你們若不常在我裡面、也是這樣。

我是葡萄樹、你們是枝子．常在我裡面的、我也常在他裡面、這人就多結果子．因為離了我、你們就不能作甚麼。

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

人若不常在我裡面、就像枝子丟在外面枯乾、人拾起來、扔在火裡燒了。

你們若常在我裡面、我的話也常在你們裡面、凡你們所願意的、祈求就給你們成就。

你們多結果子、我父就因此得榮耀、你們也就是我的門徒了。

我愛你們、正如父愛我一樣．你們要常在我的愛裡。

你們若遵守我的命令、就常在我的愛裡．正如我遵守了我父的命令、常在他的愛裡。

If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.

這些事我已經對你們說了、是要叫我的喜樂、存在你們心裡、並叫你們的喜樂可以滿足。

你們要彼此相愛、像我愛你們一樣、這就是我的命令。

人為朋友捨命、人的愛心沒有比這個大的。

你們若遵行我所吩咐的、就是我的朋友了。

以後我不再稱你們為僕人．因僕人不知道主人所作的事．我乃稱你們為朋友．因我從我父所聽見的、已經都告訴你們了。

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

You are my friends if you do what I command.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

不是你們揀選了我、是我揀選了你們、並且分派你們去結果子、叫你們的果子常存．使你們奉我的名、無論向父求甚麼、他就賜給你們。

我這樣吩咐你們、是要叫你們彼此相愛。

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

This is my command: Love each other.

特別告訴猴子，我們之所以能信，乃是因為神先揀選了我們的原故。不是因為我們特別聰明智慧所以懂得去｢揀選｣了對的神，而是因為神撿選了我們所以我們得以看見。

不要因為自己能夠認識真理就以為自己比別人來得更高明，我們之所以能看見並不是我們自己的功勞，而是因為神願意施恩讓我們看見。

也特別訓勉猴子，主耶穌是真葡萄樹，而我們是枝子。枝子要經常接在真葡萄樹上，才能夠結果子。枝子離了葡萄樹，那就甚麼也不能。所以我們要常常親近神，才能讓我們時時接在葡萄樹上。

千萬不能夠一個星期上一次教會才親近神一次，那我們將會成為被乾枯的枝子，只能被丟進火裡。

需要查考的經文

34. 這不都是積蓄在我這裡、封鎖在我府庫中麼。

35. 他們失腳的時候、伸報應在我．因他們遭災的日子近了、那要臨在他們身上的、必速速來到。

"Have I not kept this in reserve and sealed it in my vaults?

It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them."

《中文聖經註釋》

這不都是積蓄在我這裏，封鎖在我府庫中麼　

這句話的首字這，所指的就是以色列人的仇敵──列國的惡行，都記錄在上主那裏，有檔案記錄存記在卷。但是，原文的這，是第三身單數陽性代名詞──他。因此，耶路撒冷聖經就直譯為他，並解釋為以色列。按這解釋，乃將31～33節的仇敵，與這節的以色列作個反比；並將35節的快要向仇敵報應的事，與這34節的以色列作個反比：雖然仇敵那麼敗壞，他們且快要受報應的刑罰，而他（以色列）卻是我的寶貝，在我府庫中封存的。

他們失腳的時候，伸冤報應在我。因他們遭災的日子近了，那要臨在他們身上的，必速速來到

這裏的他們，是指仇敵。和合本在這節上繙得不甚清楚。按原文直譯，應作：伸冤報應在我，時候要到，他們就要失腳；他們遭難的日子近了，那為他們所預備的（報應），快要來臨了。