路加福音1:5-25

 

1:5 當猶太王希律的時候，亞比雅班裡有一個祭司，名叫撒迦利亞；他妻子是亞倫的後人，名叫伊利莎白。
1:6 他們二人在上帝面前都是義人，遵行主的一切誡命禮儀，沒有可指摘的，
1:7 只是沒有孩子；因為伊利莎白不生育，兩個人又年紀老邁了。
1:8 撒迦利亞按班次在上帝面前供祭司的職分，
1:9 照祭司的規矩掣籤，得進主殿燒香。
1:10 燒香的時候，眾百姓在外面禱告。
1:11 有主的使者站在香壇的右邊，向他顯現。
1:12 撒迦利亞看見，就驚慌害怕。
1:13 天使對他說：「撒迦利亞，不要害怕，因為你的祈禱已經被聽見了。你的妻子伊利莎白要給你生一個兒子，你要給他起名叫約翰。
1:14 你必歡喜快樂；有許多人因他出世，也必喜樂。
1:15 他在主面前將要為大，淡酒濃酒都不喝，從母腹裡就被聖靈充滿了。
1:16 他要使許多以色列人回轉，歸於主─他們的上帝。
1:17 他必有以利亞的心志能力，行在主的前面，叫為父的心轉向兒女，叫悖逆的人轉從義人的智慧，又為主預備合用的百姓。」
1:18 撒迦利亞對天使說：「我憑著甚麼可知道這事呢？我已經老了，我的妻子也年紀老邁了。」
1:19 天使回答說：「我是站在上帝面前的加百列，奉差而來對你說話，將這好信息報給你。
1:20 到了時候，這話必然應驗；只因你不信，你必啞巴，不能說話，直到這事成就的日子。」
1:21 百姓等候撒迦利亞，詫異他許久在殿裡。
1:22 及至他出來，不能和他們說話，他們就知道他在殿裡見了異象；因為他直向他們打手式，竟成了啞巴。
1:23 他供職的日子已滿，就回家去了。
1:24 這些日子以後，他的妻子伊利莎白懷了孕，就隱藏了五個月，
1:25 說：「主在眷顧我的日子，這樣看待我，要把我在人間的羞恥除掉。」

 

⁵ In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. ⁶ Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. ⁷ But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

⁸ Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, ⁹ he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰ And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. ¹³ But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. ¹⁴ He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. ¹⁶ He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

¹⁸ Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

¹⁹ The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. ²⁰ And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

²¹ Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. ²² When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

²³ When his time of service was completed, he returned home. ²⁴ After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ²⁵ “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

 

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    施洗約翰的出身是一個利未家族，是祭司的後代。他本是要穿細麻衣，卻為了完成上帝的呼召穿駱駝毛衣服做先知！

 

    天使將他依生的使命宣講給他的父親撒迦利亞：「撒迦利亞，不要害怕，因為你的祈禱已經被聽見了。你的妻子伊利莎白要給你生一個兒子，你要給他起名叫約翰。你必歡喜快樂；有許多人因他出世，也必喜樂。他在主面前將要為大，淡酒濃酒都不喝，從母腹裡就被聖靈充滿了。他要使許多以色列人回轉，歸於主─他們的上帝。他必有以利亞的心志能力，行在主的前面，叫為父的心轉向兒女，叫悖逆的人轉從義人的智慧，又為主預備合用的百姓。」

  

    後來他的妻子伊利莎白懷了孕，就隱藏了五個月，說：「主在眷顧我的日子，這樣看待我，要把我在人間的羞恥除掉。」

    從天使的話和伊利莎白的話，我們知道這對夫妻不怕身體越來越年老，仍然忠心禱告，最後上帝應允了禱告！使他們的了施洗約翰為兒子！

 

    上帝的計畫和做為是人所難以想像，但是人的責任就是信靠與忠心禱告！