11:5 南方的王必強盛,他將帥中必有一個比他更強盛,執掌權柄,他的權柄甚大。
11:6 過些年後,他們必互相連合,南方王的女兒必就了北方王來立約;但這女子幫助之力存立不住,王和他所倚靠之力也不能存立。這女子和引導她來的,並生她的,以及當時扶助她的,都必交與死地。
11:7 但這女子的本家(原文是根)必另生一子(子:原文是枝)繼續王位,他必率領軍隊進入北方王的保障,攻擊他們,而且得勝;
11:8 並將他們的神像和鑄成的偶像,與金銀的寶器掠到埃及去。數年之內,他不去攻擊北方的王。
11:9 北方的王(原文是他)必入南方王的國,卻要仍回本地。
11:10 北方王(原文是他)的二子必動干戈,招聚許多軍兵。這軍兵前去,如洪水氾濫,又必再去爭戰,直到南方王的保障。
11:11 南方王必發烈怒,出來與北方王爭戰,擺列大軍;北方王的軍兵必交付他手。
11:12 他的眾軍高傲,他的心也必自高;他雖使數萬人仆倒,卻不得常勝。
11:13 北方王必回來擺列大軍,比先前的更多。滿了所定的年數,他必率領大軍,帶極多的軍裝來。
11:14 那時,必有許多人起來攻擊南方王,並且你本國的強暴人必興起,要應驗那異象,他們卻要敗亡。
11:15 北方王必來築壘攻取堅固城;南方的軍兵必站立不住,就是選擇的精兵(原文是民)也無力站住。
11:16 來攻擊他的,必任意而行,無人在北方王(原文是他)面前站立得住。他必站在那榮美之地,用手施行毀滅。
11:17 他必定意用全國之力而來,立公正的約,照約而行,將自己的女兒給南方王為妻,想要敗壞他(或譯:埃及),這計卻不得成就,與自己毫無益處。
11:18 其後他必轉回奪取了許多海島。但有一大帥,除掉他令人受的羞辱,並且使這羞辱歸他本身。
11:19 他就必轉向本地的保障,卻要絆跌仆倒,歸於無有。
11:20 那時,必有一人興起接續他為王,使橫征暴斂的人通行國中的榮美地。這王不多日就必滅亡,卻不因忿怒,也不因爭戰。
5 "Then the king of the south shall be
strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and
his authority shall be a great authority. 6 After some years they shall make an
alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the
north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm,
and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her
attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times.
7 "And from a branch from her roots
one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the
fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall
prevail. 8 He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images
and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall
refrain from attacking the king of the north. 9 Then the latter shall come into
the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land.
10 "His sons shall wage war and
assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and
pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. 11 Then the
king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king
of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into
his hand. 12 And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted,
and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. 13 For the
king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And
after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies.
14 "In those times many shall rise
against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift
themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. 15 Then the
king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well- fortified
city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for
there shall be no strength to stand. 16 But he who comes against him shall do
as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the
glorious land, with destruction in his hand. 17 He shall set his face to come
with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an
agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy
the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. 18 Afterward he
shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a
commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his
insolence back upon him. 19 Then he shall turn his face back toward the
fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be
found.
20 "Then shall arise in his place one
who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a
few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle.
********
亞歷山大後的南北兩王朝之鬥爭歷史預言。西元前301年以後,希臘帝國分成迦散達、利絲馬哥、西流基、多利買四個國家。迦散達管理馬其頓與希臘,利絲馬哥管理小亞細亞與特拉西,西流基管理敘利亞和巴比倫,多利買管轄埃及。
這是異象嗎?還是歷史?大部分的解經書都把這段時間的歷史講了一次。我們閱讀經文,也覺得這個預言連宮廷的鬥爭細節都紀錄了,實在是精確得匪夷所思。但是,我們不要因此就認為這是後人補進去,我們寧可相信一切都在上帝的安排中,上帝是歷史的主宰。
聖經是人受上帝啟示所寫的,本來就有其準確性,不要以人的不精準來思考,以為人的作品不可能這麼「準」,就推測這事後人補寫的,這樣就否認了聖經的啟示或默示性了!這是無意義的!