歷代志下32:24-33

 

32:23 有許多人到耶路撒冷，將供物獻與耶和華，又將寶物送給猶大王希西家。此後，希西家在列邦人的眼中看為尊大。
32:24 那時希西家病得要死，就禱告耶和華，耶和華應允他，賜他一個兆頭。
32:25 希西家卻沒有照他所蒙的恩報答耶和華；因他心裡驕傲，所以忿怒要臨到他和猶大並耶路撒冷。
32:26 但希西家和耶路撒冷的居民覺得心裡驕傲，就一同自卑，以致耶和華的忿怒在希西家的日子沒有臨到他們。
32:27 希西家大有尊榮資財，建造府庫，收藏金銀、寶石、香料、盾牌，和各樣的寶器，
32:28 又建造倉房，收藏五穀、新酒，和油，又為各類牲畜蓋棚立圈；
32:29 並且建立城邑，還有許多的羊群牛群，因為上帝賜他極多的財產。
32:30 這希西家也塞住基訓的上源，引水直下，流在大衛城的西邊。希西家所行的事盡都亨通。
32:31 惟有一件事，就是巴比倫王差遣使者來見希西家，訪問國中所現的奇事；這件事上帝離開他，要試驗他，好知道他心內如何。
32:32 希西家其餘的事和他的善行都寫在亞摩斯的兒子先知以賽亞的默示書上和猶大、以色列的諸王記上。
32:33 希西家與他列祖同睡，葬在大衛子孫的高陵上。他死的時候，猶大人和耶路撒冷的居民都尊敬他。他兒子瑪拿西接續他作王。

 

 ²⁴ In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign. ²⁵ But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. ²⁶ Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.

²⁷ Hezekiah had very great wealth and honor, and he made treasuries for his silver and gold and for his precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuables. ²⁸ He also made buildings to store the harvest of grain, new wine and olive oil; and he made stalls for various kinds of cattle, and pens for the flocks. ²⁹ He built villages and acquired great numbers of flocks and herds, for God had given him very great riches.

³⁰ It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David. He succeeded in everything he undertook. ³¹ But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.

³² The other events of Hezekiah’s reign and his acts of devotion are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ³³ Hezekiah rested with his ancestors and was buried on the hill where the tombs of David’s descendants are. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him when he died. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.

 

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    希西家雖然有美好的經歷與見證，但是心中仍然有驕傲，也因為這樣讓上帝部喜悅，上帝甚至用巴比倫使者的事件來埋下將來滅國的原因，讓人覺得驕傲是何等可怕的事情！

 

    當然不只希西家王如此，基督徒也很容易落入驕傲，常常受到上帝的賜福之後，就自以為了不起，高人一等！所以保羅警告說：「弟兄們，我為你們的緣故，拿這些事轉比自己和亞波羅，叫你們效法我們不可過於聖經所記，免得你們自高自大，貴重這個，輕看那個。使你與人不同的是誰呢？你有甚麼不是領受的呢？若是領受的，為何自誇，彷彿不是領受的呢？」(哥林多前書4:6-7)

 

    是的，我們若認清事實：所有的一切都是上帝賜給我們的，我們有什麼好誇耀自己呢？豈不是更應該將上帝賜給我們的各樣美物與其他弟兄姊妹分享嗎？好讓上帝的名得榮耀！