詩篇44:1-26

44:1 （可拉後裔的訓誨詩，交與伶長。）上帝啊，你在古時，我們列祖的日子所行的事，我們親耳聽見了；我們的列祖也給我們述說過。

44:2 你曾用手趕出外邦人，卻栽培了我們列祖；你苦待列邦，卻叫我們列祖發達。

44:3 因為他們不是靠自己的刀劍得地土，也不是靠自己的膀臂得勝，乃是靠你的右手、你的膀臂，和你臉上的亮光，因為你喜悅他們。

44:4 上帝啊，你是我的王；求你出令使雅各得勝。

44:5 我們靠你要推倒我們的敵人，靠你的名要踐踏那起來攻擊我們的人。

44:6 因為，我必不靠我的弓；我的刀也不能使我得勝。

44:7 惟你救了我們脫離敵人，使恨我們的人羞愧。

44:8 我們終日因上帝誇耀，還要永遠稱謝你的名。（細拉）

44:9 但如今你丟棄了我們，使我們受辱，不和我們的軍兵同去。

44:10 你使我們向敵人轉身退後；那恨我們的人任意搶奪。

44:11 你使我們當作快要被吃的羊，把我們分散在列邦中。

44:12 你賣了你的子民也不賺利，所得的價值並不加添你的資財。

44:13 你使我們受鄰國的羞辱，被四圍的人嗤笑譏刺。

44:14 你使我們在列邦中作了笑談，使眾民向我們搖頭。

44:15 我的凌辱終日在我面前，我臉上的羞愧將我遮蔽，

44:16 都因那辱罵毀謗人的聲音，又因仇敵和報仇人的緣故。

44:17 這都臨到我們身上，我們卻沒有忘記你，也沒有違背你的約。

44:18 我們的心沒有退後；我們的腳也沒有偏離你的路。

44:19 你在野狗之處壓傷我們，用死蔭遮蔽我們。

44:20 倘若我們忘了上帝的名，或向別神舉手，

44:21 上帝豈不鑒察這事嗎？因為他曉得人心裡的隱祕。

44:22 我們為你的緣故終日被殺；人看我們如將宰的羊。

44:23 主啊，求你睡醒，為何儘睡呢？求你興起，不要永遠丟棄我們！

44:24 你為何掩面，不顧我們所遭的苦難和所受的欺壓？

44:25 我們的性命伏於塵土；我們的肚腹緊貼地面。

44:26 求你起來幫助我們！憑你的慈愛救贖我們！

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.^[b]

¹ We have heard it with our ears, O God;
    our ancestors have told us
what you did in their days,
    in days long ago.
² With your hand you drove out the nations
    and planted our ancestors;
you crushed the peoples
    and made our ancestors flourish.
³ It was not by their sword that they won the land,
    nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
    and the light of your face, for you loved them.

⁴ You are my King and my God,
    who decrees^[c] victories for Jacob.
⁵ Through you we push back our enemies;
    through your name we trample our foes.
⁶ I put no trust in my bow,
    my sword does not bring me victory;
⁷ but you give us victory over our enemies,
    you put our adversaries to shame.
⁸ In God we make our boast all day long,
    and we will praise your name forever.^[d]

⁹ But now you have rejected and humbled us;
    you no longer go out with our armies.
¹⁰ You made us retreat before the enemy,
    and our adversaries have plundered us.
¹¹ You gave us up to be devoured like sheep
    and have scattered us among the nations.
¹² You sold your people for a pittance,
    gaining nothing from their sale.

¹³ You have made us a reproach to our neighbors,
    the scorn and derision of those around us.
¹⁴ You have made us a byword among the nations;
    the peoples shake their heads at us.
¹⁵ I live in disgrace all day long,
    and my face is covered with shame
¹⁶ at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me,
    because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

¹⁷ All this came upon us,
    though we had not forgotten you;
    we had not been false to your covenant.
¹⁸ Our hearts had not turned back;
    our feet had not strayed from your path.
¹⁹ But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals;
    you covered us over with deep darkness.

²⁰ If we had forgotten the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
²¹ would not God have discovered it,
    since he knows the secrets of the heart?
²² Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

²³ Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep?
    Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
²⁴ Why do you hide your face
    and forget our misery and oppression?

²⁵ We are brought down to the dust;
    our bodies cling to the ground.
²⁶ Rise up and help us;
    rescue us because of your unfailing love.

**************

    詩人紀念上帝曾經如何的幫助以色列人，使以色列人可以靠耶和華的幫助得迦南地為業！但是，如今以色列人遭大難，所以詩人呼籲上帝要照以前的方式，繼續幫助以色列人度過難關！

    當然詩人在此用強烈的語氣向上帝禱告說：「主啊，求你睡醒，為何儘睡呢？求你興起，不要永遠丟棄我們！你為何掩面，不顧我們所遭的苦難和所受的欺壓？我們的性命伏於塵土；我們的肚腹緊貼地面。求你起來幫助我們！憑你的慈愛救贖我們！」

    其實上帝並沒有放棄以色列人，祂盼望以色列人經過苦難之後，可以悔改歸向祂。祂藉著詩人的話語，像以色列人保證祂必保守到底，雖然詩人這樣的禱告，好像失去了信心，上帝仍然記念與幫助，今日也是如此！

民數記31章

         民數記31:1-54  ,

          民數記31:23 , 

          民數記31:23  ,

民數記31:1-54

31:1 耶和華吩咐摩西說：
31:2 「你要在米甸人身上報以色列人的仇，後來要歸到你列祖（原文是本民）那裡。」
31:3 摩西吩咐百姓說：「要從你們中間叫人帶兵器出去攻擊米甸，好在米甸人身上為耶和華報仇。
31:4 從以色列眾支派中，每支派要打發一千人去打仗。」
31:5 於是從以色列千萬人中，每支派交出一千人，共一萬二千人，帶著兵器預備打仗。
31:6 摩西就打發每支派的一千人去打仗，並打發祭司以利亞撒的兒子非尼哈同去；非尼哈手裡拿著聖所的器皿和吹大聲的號筒。
31:7 他們就照耶和華所吩咐摩西的，與米甸人打仗，殺了所有的男丁。
31:8 在所殺的人中，殺了米甸的五王，就是以未、利金、蘇珥、戶珥、利巴，又用刀殺了比珥的兒子巴蘭。
31:9 以色列人擄了米甸人的婦女孩子，並將他們的牲畜、羊群，和所有的財物都奪了來，當作擄物，
31:10 又用火焚燒他們所住的城邑和所有的營寨，
31:11 把一切所奪的、所擄的，連人帶牲畜都帶了去，
31:12 將所擄的人，所奪的牲畜、財物，都帶到摩押平原，在約旦河邊與耶利哥相對的營盤，交給摩西和祭司以利亞撒，並以色列的會眾。
31:13 摩西和祭司以利亞撒，並會眾一切的首領，都出到營外迎接他們。
31:14 摩西向打仗回來的軍長，就是千夫長、百夫長，發怒，
31:15 對他們說：「你們要存留這一切婦女的活命嗎？
31:16 這些婦女因巴蘭的計謀，叫以色列人在毘珥的事上得罪耶和華，以致耶和華的會眾遭遇瘟疫。
31:17 所以，你們要把一切的男孩和所有已嫁的女子都殺了。
31:18 但女孩子中，凡沒有出嫁的，你們都可以存留她的活命。
31:19 你們要在營外駐紮七日；凡殺了人的，和一切摸了被殺的，並你們所擄來的人口，第三日，第七日，都要潔淨自己，
31:20 也要因一切的衣服、皮物、山羊毛織的物，和各樣的木器，潔淨自己。」
31:21 祭司以利亞撒對打仗回來的兵丁說：「耶和華所吩咐摩西律法中的條例乃是這樣：
31:22 金、銀、銅、鐵、錫、鉛，
31:23 凡能見火的，你們要叫它經火就為潔淨，然而還要用除污穢的水潔淨它；凡不能見火的，你們要叫它過水。
31:24 第七日，你們要洗衣服，就為潔淨，然後可以進營。」
31:25 耶和華曉諭摩西說：
31:26 「你和祭司以利亞撒，並會眾的各族長，要計算所擄來的人口和牲畜的總數。
31:27 把所擄來的分作兩半：一半歸與出去打仗的精兵，一半歸與全會眾。
31:28 又要從出去打仗所得的人口、牛、驢、羊群中，每五百取一，作為貢物奉給耶和華。
31:29 從他們一半之中，要取出來交給祭司以利亞撒，作為耶和華的舉祭。
31:30 從以色列人的一半之中，就是從人口、牛、驢、羊群、各樣牲畜中，每五十取一，交給看守耶和華帳幕的利未人。」
31:31 於是摩西和祭司以利亞撒照耶和華所吩咐摩西的行了。
31:32 除了兵丁所奪的財物以外，所擄來的：羊六十七萬五千隻；
31:33 牛七萬二千隻；
31:34 驢六萬一千匹；
31:35 女人共三萬二千口，都是沒有出嫁的。
31:36 出去打仗之人的分，就是他們所得的那一半，共計羊三十三萬七千五百隻，
31:37 從其中歸耶和華為貢物的，有六百七十五隻；
31:38 牛三萬六千隻，從其中歸耶和華為貢物的，有七十二隻；
31:39 驢三萬零五百匹，從其中歸耶和華為貢物的，有六十一匹；
31:40 人一萬六千口，從其中歸耶和華的，有三十二口。
31:41 摩西把貢物，就是歸與耶和華的舉祭，交給祭司以利亞撒，是照耶和華所吩咐摩西的。
31:42 以色列人所得的那一半，就是摩西從打仗的人取來分給他們的。
31:43 （會眾的那一半有：羊三十三萬七千五百隻；
31:44 牛三萬六千隻；
31:45 驢三萬零五百匹；
31:46 人一萬六千口。）
31:47 無論是人口是牲畜，摩西每五十取一，交給看守耶和華帳幕的利未人，是照耶和華所吩咐摩西的。
31:48 帶領千軍的各軍長，就是千夫長、百夫長，都近前來見摩西，
31:49 對他說：「僕人權下的兵已經計算總數，並不短少一人。
31:50 如今我們將各人所得的金器，就是腳鍊子、鐲子、打印的戒指、耳環、手釧，都送來為耶和華的供物，好在耶和華面前為我們的生命贖罪。」
31:51 摩西和祭司以利亞撒就收了他們的金子，都是打成的器皿。
31:52 千夫長、百夫長所獻給耶和華為舉祭的金子共有一萬六千七百五十舍客勒。
31:53 各兵丁都為自己奪了財物。
31:54 摩西和祭司以利亞撒收了千夫長、百夫長的金子，就帶進會幕，在耶和華面前作為以色列人的紀念。

The Lord said to Moses, ² “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”

³ So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord’s vengeance on them. ⁴ Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” ⁵ So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. ⁶ Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.

⁷ They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man. ⁸ Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. ⁹ The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder. ¹⁰ They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps. ¹¹ They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, ¹² and brought the captives, spoils and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.

¹³ Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. ¹⁴ Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle.

¹⁵ “Have you allowed all the women to live?” he asked them. ¹⁶ “They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the Peor incident, so that a plague struck the Lord’s people. ¹⁷ Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, ¹⁸ but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.

¹⁹ “Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives. ²⁰ Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood.”

²¹ Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is what is required by the law that the Lord gave Moses: ²² Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead ²³ and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. ²⁴ On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp.”

²⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁶ “You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured. ²⁷ Divide the spoils equally between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. ²⁸ From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the Lord one out of every five hundred, whether people, cattle, donkeys or sheep. ²⁹ Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part. ³⁰ From the Israelites’ half, select one out of every fifty, whether people, cattle, donkeys, sheep or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.” ³¹ So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

³² The plunder remaining from the spoils that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, ³³ 72,000 cattle, ³⁴ 61,000 donkeys ³⁵ and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man.

³⁶ The half share of those who fought in the battle was:

337,500 sheep, ³⁷ of which the tribute for the Lord was 675;

³⁸ 36,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the Lord was 72;

³⁹ 30,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the Lord was 61;

⁴⁰ 16,000 people, of whom the tribute for the Lord was 32.

⁴¹ Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part, as the Lord commanded Moses.

⁴² The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men— ⁴³ the community’s half—was 337,500 sheep, ⁴⁴ 36,000 cattle, ⁴⁵ 30,500 donkeys ⁴⁶ and 16,000 people. ⁴⁷ From the Israelites’ half, Moses selected one out of every fifty people and animals, as the Lord commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.

⁴⁸ Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—went to Moses ⁴⁹ and said to him, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing. ⁵⁰ So we have brought as an offering to the Lord the gold articles each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.”

⁵¹ Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted from them the gold—all the crafted articles. ⁵² All the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds that Moses and Eleazar presented as a gift to the Lord weighed 16,750 shekels.^{[a] 53} Each soldier had taken plunder for himself. ⁵⁴ Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord.

***********

    因為米甸仁和巴蘭先知陷害以色列人，導致他們受到大的瘟疫，有很多人因此病逝。還好上帝透過祭司以利亞撒的兒子非尼哈做潔淨的事工，將與米甸女子喊與她同房的以色列人殺了，上帝的憤怒才止住，瘟疫才可以停止。

    現在以色列人重新站起來，因為上帝的保守，使他們大勝米甸人，並將米甸的五個王與先知巴蘭消滅！不僅如此，還讓他們獲得許多戰利品，可見上帝多麼眷顧他們！

    我們的人生也是有上帝的保守，雖然有時候我們也會像以色列一樣跌倒與失敗，但是上帝不會因此就忘記我們或以怒氣對待我們，只要我們肯悔改歸向上帝，上帝一定會讓我們重奏凱歌，讓我們重新在上帝的賜福當中！

民數記30章

        民數記30:1-16   ,

民數記30:1-16

30:1 摩西曉諭以色列各支派的首領說：「耶和華所吩咐的乃是這樣：
30:2 人若向耶和華許願或起誓，要約束自己，就不可食言，必要按口中所出的一切話行。
30:3 女子年幼、還在父家的時候，若向耶和華許願，要約束自己，
30:4 她父親也聽見她所許的願並約束自己的話，卻向她默默不言，她所許的願並約束自己的話就都要為定。
30:5 但她父親聽見的日子若不應承她所許的願和約束自己的話，就都不得為定；耶和華也必赦免她，因為她父親不應承。
30:6 她若出了嫁，有願在身，或是口中出了約束自己的冒失話，
30:7 她丈夫聽見的日子，卻向她默默不言，她所許的願並約束自己的話就都要為定。
30:8 但她丈夫聽見的日子，若不應承，就算廢了她所許的願和她出口約束自己的冒失話；耶和華也必赦免她。
30:9 寡婦或是被休的婦人所許的願，就是她約束自己的話，都要為定。
30:10 她若在丈夫家裡許了願或起了誓，約束自己，
30:11 丈夫聽見，卻向她默默不言，也沒有不應承，她所許的願並約束自己的話就都要為定。
30:12 丈夫聽見的日子，若把這兩樣全廢了，婦人口中所許的願或是約束自己的話就都不得為定，因她丈夫已經把這兩樣廢了；耶和華也必赦免她。
30:13 凡她所許的願和刻苦約束自己所起的誓，她丈夫可以堅定，也可以廢去。
30:14 倘若她丈夫天天向她默默不言，就算是堅定她所許的願和約束自己的話；因丈夫聽見的日子向她默默不言，就使這兩樣堅定。
30:15 但她丈夫聽見以後，若使這兩樣全廢了，就要擔當婦人的罪孽。」
30:16 這是丈夫待妻子，父親待女兒，女兒年幼、還在父家，耶和華所吩咐摩西的律例。

^]Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel: “This is what the Lord commands: ² When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.

³ “When a young woman still living in her father’s household makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge ⁴ and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand. ⁵ But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her.

⁶ “If she marries after she makes a vow or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself ⁷ and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. ⁸ But if her husband forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself, and the Lord will release her.

⁹ “Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.

¹⁰ “If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath ¹¹ and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. ¹² But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand. Her husband has nullified them, and the Lord will release her. ¹³ Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself.^{[b] 14} But if her husband says nothing to her about it from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or the pledges binding on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them. ¹⁵ If, however, he nullifies them some time after he hears about them, then he must bear the consequences of her wrongdoing.”

¹⁶ These are the regulations the Lord gave Moses concerning relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living at home.

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    摩西是將上帝的心意告訴以色列的首領，要他們知道家庭如何處理女子發誓的事情，這不是要限制女子，而是要保護女子。因為在那時的時代背景，女子的智慧因為生活環境的問題，通常沒有被開啟，所以需要有一些保護措施。

    也因為這樣，我們不能以這樣的原則套在今日的婦女使用，應該有一些修正，這是我們今日的信徒該有的認知。所以，我們為父、為夫的弟兄，必須要注意不可以用這些規範，限制家裡的女子，尤其是她們要獻身服事主，或是在教會當長執。

    關於這樣的原則，我們要用上帝給我們的智慧用處理，當然要彼此溝通建立共識，相信上帝一定會給我們合乎時代，且能為上帝做美好見證的實踐方式！