約拿書1:1-4

1:1 耶和華的話臨到亞米太的兒子約拿，說：

1:2 「你起來往尼尼微大城去，向其中的居民呼喊，因為他們的惡達到我面前。」

1:3 約拿卻起來，逃往他施去躲避耶和華；下到約帕，遇見一隻船，要往他施去。他就給了船價，上了船，要與船上的人同往他施去躲避耶和華。

1:4 然而耶和華使海中起大風，海就狂風大作，甚至船幾乎破壞。

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me."  But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.

But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

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    這是一個有趣的記載：因為上帝要約拿去尼尼微大城去，是往東邊走。約拿卻起來，逃往他施去躲避耶和華，是往西邊走。實在是超故意的！

    為甚麼是這樣呢？約拿因為討厭尼尼微大城的亞述人，不希望上帝拯救他們。所以他單純的認為，不去尼尼微大城，上帝就拿他沒法子了！但是事實是如此嗎？上帝在此就興起大風，海就狂風大作，甚至船幾乎要壞掉了！

    我們平常也是如此的，常常以為我們有能力阻止上帝的作為，其實這種想法和約拿的作為差不多，相信這卷書要引導我們知道上帝的主權是人無法抗拒的，人必定會伏在祂的主權之下！

彌迦書7:18-20

7:18 上帝啊，有何神像你，赦免罪孽，饒恕你產業之餘民的罪過，不永遠懷怒，喜愛施恩？

7:19 必再憐憫我們，將我們的罪孽踏在腳下，又將我們的一切罪投於深海。

7:20 你必按古時起誓應許我們列祖的話，向雅各發誠實，向亞伯拉罕施慈愛。

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity

and passing over transgression

for the remnant of his inheritance?

He does not retain his anger forever,

because he delights in steadfast love.

  He will again have compassion on us;

he will tread our iniquities underfoot.

You will cast all our sins

into the depths of the sea.

  You will show faithfulness to Jacob

and steadfast love to Abraham,

as you have sworn to our fathers

from the days of old.

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    先知最後用頌讚上帝的慈愛作結束！

彌迦書7:14-17

7:14 求耶和華在迦密山的樹林中，用你的杖牧放你獨居的民，就是你產業的羊群。求你容他們在巴珊和基列得食物，像古時一樣。

7:15 耶和華說：我要把奇事顯給他們看，好像出埃及地的時候一樣。

7:16 列國看見這事就必為自己的勢力慚愧；他們必用手摀口，掩耳不聽。

7:17 他們必舔土如蛇，又如土中腹行的物，戰戰兢兢地出他們的營寨。他們必戰懼投降耶和華，也必因我們的上帝而懼怕。

Shepherd your people with your staff,

the flock of your inheritance,

who dwell alone in a forest

in the midst of a garden land;

let them graze in Bashan and Gilead

as in the days of old.

  As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,

I will show them marvelous things.

  The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might;

they shall lay their hands on their mouths;

their ears shall be deaf;

  they shall lick the dust like a serpent,

like the crawling things of the earth;

they shall come trembling out of their strongholds;

they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God,

and they shall be in fear of you.

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    上帝必為以色列伸冤，使仇敵感到羞辱！

彌迦書7:11-13

7:11 以色列啊，日子必到，你的牆垣必重修；到那日，你的境界必開展（或譯：命令必傳到遠方）。

7:12 當那日，人必從亞述，從埃及的城邑，從埃及到大河，從這海到那海，從這山到那山，都歸到你這裡。

7:13 然而，這地因居民的緣故，又因他們行事的結果，必然荒涼。

A day for the building of your walls!

In that day the boundary shall be far extended.

  In that day they will come to you,

from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,

and from Egypt to the River,

from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.

  But the earth will be desolate

because of its inhabitants,

for the fruit of their deeds.

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    先知彌迦在此預言以色列人必定會歸回的，耶路撒冷的城牆必定重建，上帝必再次高舉以色列，使祂的民歸回！

彌迦書7:8-10

7:8 我的仇敵啊，不要向我誇耀。我雖跌倒，卻要起來；我雖坐在黑暗裡，耶和華卻作我的光。

7:9 我要忍受耶和華的惱怒；因我得罪了他，直等他為我辨屈，為我伸冤。他必領我到光明中；我必得見他的公義。

7:10 那時我的仇敵，就是曾對我說「耶和華─你上帝在哪裡」的，他一看見這事就被羞愧遮蓋。我必親眼見他遭報；他必被踐踏，如同街上的泥土。

Rejoice not over me, O my enemy;

when I fall, I shall rise;

when I sit in darkness,

the Lord will be a light to me.

  I will bear the indignation of the Lord

because I have sinned against him,

until he pleads my cause

and executes judgment for me.

He will bring me out to the light;

I shall look upon his vindication.

  Then my enemy will see,

and shame will cover her who said to me,

“Where is the Lord your God?”

My eyes will look upon her;

now she will be trampled down

like the mire of the streets.

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    先知彌迦在此說明上帝是怎樣為他伸冤，因為「我雖跌倒，卻要起來；我雖坐在黑暗裡，耶和華卻作我的光」、「他必領我到光明中；我必得見他的公義」。

    所以，他可以勇敢向仇敵誇勝，雖然不相信有上帝，但是上帝的作為卻是明明可見，教他們倍感羞恥，啞口無言，甚至還被上帝懲罰，「我必親眼見他遭報；他必被踐踏，如同街上的泥土」！

    是的，公義的上帝，必為我們伸冤，我們必靠上帝抬起頭來！