俄巴底亞書1-4

1:1 俄巴底亞得了耶和華的默示。論以東說：我從耶和華那裡聽見信息，並有使者被差往列國去，說：起來吧，一同起來與以東爭戰！

1:2 我使你─以東在列國中為最小的，被人大大藐視。

1:3 住在山穴中、居所在高處的啊，你因狂傲自欺，心裡說：誰能將我拉下地去呢？

1:4 你雖如大鷹高飛，在星宿之間搭窩，我必從那裡拉下你來。這是耶和華說的。

The vision of Obadiah.

Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom:

 We have heard a report from the Lord,

and a messenger has been sent among the nations:

"Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!"

 Behold, I will make you small among the nations;

you shall be utterly despised.

The pride of your heart has deceived you,

you who live in the clefts of the rock,

in your lofty dwelling,

 who say in your heart,

"Who will bring me down to the ground?"

Though you soar aloft like the eagle,

though your nest is set among the stars,

from there I will bring you down,

declares the Lord.

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    俄巴底亞領受上帝的異象，咒詛以東！因為他們趁火打劫，殘害自己的兄弟之邦！

    以東是以掃後裔所建立之國，理當要善待以色列人，事實並非如此，所以先知起來攻擊他！

    這也告訴我們上帝注意人與人之間的關係，國與國的關係上帝也注意，祂期盼人間有和平和正義！

約拿書4:5-11

4:5 於是約拿出城，坐在城的東邊，在那裡為自己搭了一座棚，坐在棚的蔭下，要看看那城究竟如何。

4:6 耶和華上帝安排一棵蓖麻，使其發生高過約拿，影兒遮蓋他的頭，救他脫離苦楚；約拿因這棵蓖麻大大喜樂。

4:7 次日黎明，上帝卻安排一條蟲子咬這蓖麻，以致枯槁。

4:8 日頭出來的時候，上帝安排炎熱的東風，日頭曝曬約拿的頭，使他發昏，他就為自己求死，說：「我死了比活著還好！」

4:9 上帝對約拿說：「你因這棵蓖麻發怒合乎理嗎？」他說：「我發怒以至於死，都合乎理！」

4:10 耶和華說：「這蓖麻不是你栽種的，也不是你培養的；一夜發生，一夜乾死，你尚且愛惜；

4:11 何況這尼尼微大城，其中不能分辨左手右手的有十二萬多人，並有許多牲畜，我豈能不愛惜呢？」

Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.  Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant.  But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered.  When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”  But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.”  And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night.  And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

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    上帝用蓖麻來教導約拿，讓約拿知道祂有憐憫的心腸！祂盼望人人悔改，免受永遠的刑罰！這也是上帝為何要救人離罪的原因！

約拿書4章

         約拿書4章1-11節  ,

         約拿書4:1-4   ,

         約拿書4:2  , 約拿書4:2  ,

        約拿書4:5-11  ,

        約拿書4:6-7  ,

約拿書4:1-4

4:1 這事約拿大大不悅，且甚發怒，

4:2 就禱告耶和華說：「耶和華啊，我在本國的時候豈不是這樣說嗎？我知道你是有恩典、有憐憫的上帝，不輕易發怒，有豐盛的慈愛，並且後悔不降所說的災，所以我急速逃往他施去。

4:3 耶和華啊，現在求你取我的命吧！因為我死了比活著還好。」

4:4 耶和華說：「你這樣發怒合乎理嗎？」

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.  And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.  Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”  And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”

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    在這裡看見，約拿為耶和華不降災給尼尼微城的百姓，心中非常的不悅，還向上帝發怒！

    可是上帝也回答得很可愛：「你這樣發怒合乎理嗎？」

    的確，有許多時候我們自以為有理，發一些自己都覺得好笑的怒氣，以至於自己受虧損！

    所以，我們要常常記得上帝這樣的提醒：「你這樣發怒合乎理嗎？」

約拿書3:4-10

3:4 約拿進城走了一日，宣告說：「再等四十日，尼尼微必傾覆了！」

3:5 尼尼微人信服上帝，便宣告禁食，從最大的到至小的都穿麻衣（或譯：披上麻布）。

3:6 這信息傳到尼尼微王的耳中，他就下了寶座，脫下朝服，披上麻布，坐在灰中。

3:7 他又使人遍告尼尼微通城，說：「王和大臣有令，人不可嘗甚麼，牲畜、牛羊不可吃草，也不可喝水。

3:8 人與牲畜都當披上麻布；人要切切求告上帝。各人回頭離開所行的惡道，丟棄手中的強暴。

3:9 或者上帝轉意後悔，不發烈怒，使我們不致滅亡，也未可知。」

3:10 於是上帝察看他們的行為，見他們離開惡道，他就後悔，不把所說的災禍降與他們了。

Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”  And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.  And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water,  but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.  Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

  When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

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    在這裡看見悔改的力量，因著約拿悔改順服上帝，所以尼尼微城的大大小小都悔改，甚至連人養的牲畜也一同悔改！

    這是一幅令上帝喜悅的圖像，因為這樣上帝就不發怒，不叫他們遭受大災難，使他們獲得平安！

    可見上帝喜悅人悔改歸向祂並離棄罪惡，這也是上帝在基督裡設立救恩的目的。

約拿書3章

     約拿書3章1-10節  ,

     約拿書3:1-3 ,

     約拿書3:4-10   ,