申命記7:1-26

7:1 「耶和華─你上帝領你進入要得為業之地，從你面前趕出許多國民，就是赫人、革迦撒人、亞摩利人、迦南人、比利洗人、希未人、耶布斯人，共七國的民，都比你強大。
7:2 耶和華─你上帝將他們交給你擊殺，那時你要把他們滅絕淨盡，不可與他們立約，也不可憐恤他們。
7:3 不可與他們結親。不可將你的女兒嫁他們的兒子，也不可叫你的兒子娶他們的女兒；
7:4 因為他必使你兒子轉離不跟從主，去事奉別神，以致耶和華的怒氣向你們發作，就速速地將你們滅絕。
7:5 你們卻要這樣待他們：拆毀他們的祭壇，打碎他們的柱像，砍下他們的木偶，用火焚燒他們雕刻的偶像。
7:6 因為你歸耶和華─你上帝為聖潔的民；耶和華─你上帝從地上的萬民中揀選你，特作自己的子民。
7:7 「耶和華專愛你們，揀選你們，並非因你們的人數多於別民，原來你們的人數在萬民中是最少的。
7:8 只因耶和華愛你們，又因要守他向你們列祖所起的誓，就用大能的手領你們出來，從為奴之家救贖你們脫離埃及王法老的手。
7:9 所以，你要知道耶和華─你的上帝，他是上帝，是信實的上帝；向愛他、守他誡命的人守約，施慈愛，直到千代；
7:10 向恨他的人當面報應他們，將他們滅絕。凡恨他的人必報應他們，決不遲延。
7:11 所以，你要謹守遵行我今日所吩咐你的誡命、律例、典章。」
7:12 「你們果然聽從這些典章，謹守遵行，耶和華─你上帝就必照他向你列祖所起的誓守約，施慈愛。
7:13 他必愛你，賜福與你，使你人數增多，也必在他向你列祖起誓應許給你的地上賜福與你身所生的，地所產的，並你的五穀、新酒，和油，以及牛犢、羊羔。
7:14 你必蒙福勝過萬民；你們的男女沒有不能生養的，牲畜也沒有不能生育的。
7:15 耶和華必使一切的病症離開你；你所知道埃及各樣的惡疾，他不加在你身上，只加在一切恨你的人身上。
7:16 耶和華─你上帝所要交給你的一切人民，你要將他們除滅；你眼不可顧惜他們。你也不可事奉他們的上帝，因這必成為你的網羅。
7:17 「你若心裡說，這些國的民比我更多，我怎能趕出他們呢？
7:18 你不要懼怕他們，要牢牢記念耶和華─你上帝向法老和埃及全地所行的事，
7:19 就是你親眼所看見的大試驗、神蹟、奇事，和大能的手，並伸出來的膀臂，都是耶和華─你上帝領你出來所用的。耶和華─你上帝必照樣待你所懼怕的一切人民。
7:20 並且耶和華─你上帝必打發黃蜂飛到他們中間，直到那剩下而藏躲的人從你面前滅亡。
7:21 你不要因他們驚恐，因為耶和華─你上帝在你們中間是大而可畏的上帝。
7:22 耶和華─你上帝必將這些國的民從你面前漸漸趕出；你不可把他們速速滅盡，恐怕野地的獸多起來害你。
7:23 耶和華─你上帝必將他們交給你，大大地擾亂他們，直到他們滅絕了；
7:24 又要將他們的君王交在你手中，你就使他們的名從天下消滅。必無一人能在你面前站立得住，直到你將他們滅絕了。
7:25 他們雕刻的神像，你們要用火焚燒；其上的金銀，你不可貪圖，也不可收取，免得你因此陷入網羅；這原是耶和華─你上帝所憎惡的。
7:26 可憎的物，你不可帶進家去；不然，你就成了當毀滅的，與那物一樣。你要十分厭惡，十分憎嫌，因為這是當毀滅的物。」

When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— ² and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. ³ Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, ⁴ for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you. ⁵ This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire. ⁶ For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

⁷ The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. ⁸ But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. ⁹ Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. ¹⁰ But

those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction;
    he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him.

¹¹ Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today.

¹² If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors. ¹³ He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and olive oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you. ¹⁴ You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor will any of your livestock be without young. ¹⁵ The Lord will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you. ¹⁶ You must destroy all the peoples the Lord your God gives over to you. Do not look on them with pity and do not serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you.

¹⁷ You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?” ¹⁸ But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. ¹⁹ You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear. ²⁰ Moreover, the Lord your God will send the hornet among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished. ²¹ Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. ²² The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. ²³ But the Lord your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed. ²⁴ He will give their kings into your hand, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them. ²⁵ The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the Lord your God. ²⁶ Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.

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    摩西在這裡告訴以色列人：「耶和華─你上帝領你進入要得為業之地，從你面前趕出許多國民，就是赫人、革迦撒人、亞摩利人、迦南人、比利洗人、希未人、耶布斯人，共七國的民，都比你強大。」

    意思就是說不要害怕這些強大的民族，因為耶和華必定在以色列人面前趕走他們！但是，也不要為將來可以把這些人趕走，就自以為了不起！因為這一切都是出於上帝的作為！

    正如我們信主，蒙上帝揀選和拯救，不是因為我們比別人優秀或有智慧，搞不好別人更差勁都有可能呢！正如保羅對哥林多教會的弟兄姊妹說：「弟兄們哪，可見你們蒙召的，按著肉體有智慧的不多，有能力的不多，有尊貴的也不多。」（哥林多前書1:26)

    摩西和保羅所說的，讓我們感受到：一切都是出於上帝的恩典和憐憫，讓我們以感謝和讚美為祭獻給祂！