士師記5:1-31

5:1 那時，底波拉和亞比挪菴的兒子巴拉作歌，說：
5:2 因為以色列中有軍長率領，百姓也甘心犧牲自己，你們應當頌讚耶和華！
5:3 君王啊，要聽！王子啊，要側耳而聽！我要向耶和華歌唱；我要歌頌耶和華─以色列的上帝。
5:4 耶和華啊，你從西珥出來，由以東地行走。那時地震天漏，雲也落雨。
5:5 山見耶和華的面就震動，西奈山見耶和華─以色列上帝的面也是如此。
5:6 在亞拿之子珊迦的時候，又在雅億的日子，大道無人行走，都是繞道而行。
5:7 以色列中的官長停職，直到我底波拉興起，等我興起作以色列的母。
5:8 以色列人選擇新神，爭戰的事就臨到城門。那時，以色列四萬人中豈能見盾牌槍矛呢？
5:9 我心傾向以色列的首領，他們在民中甘心犧牲自己。你們應當頌讚耶和華！
5:10 騎白驢的、坐繡花毯子的、行路的，你們都當傳揚！
5:11 在遠離弓箭響聲打水之處，人必述說耶和華公義的作為，就是他治理以色列公義的作為。那時耶和華的民下到城門。
5:12 底波拉啊，興起！興起！你當興起，興起，唱歌。亞比挪菴的兒子巴拉啊，你當奮興，擄掠你的敵人。
5:13 那時有餘剩的貴冑和百姓一同下來；耶和華降臨，為我攻擊勇士。
5:14 有根本在亞瑪力人的地，從以法蓮下來的；便雅憫在民中跟隨你。有掌權的從瑪吉下來；有持杖檢點民數的從西布倫下來；
5:15 以薩迦的首領與底波拉同來；以薩迦怎樣，巴拉也怎樣。眾人都跟隨巴拉衝下平原；在流便的溪水旁有心中定大志的。
5:16 你為何坐在羊圈內聽群中吹笛的聲音呢？在流便的溪水旁有心中設大謀的。
5:17 基列人安居在約旦河外。但人為何等在船上？亞設人在海口靜坐，在港口安居。
5:18 西布倫人是拚命敢死的；拿弗他利人在田野的高處也是如此。
5:19 君王都來爭戰。那時迦南諸王在米吉多水旁的他納爭戰，卻未得擄掠銀錢。
5:20 星宿從天上爭戰，從其軌道攻擊西西拉。
5:21 基順古河把敵人沖沒；我的靈啊，應當努力前行。
5:22 那時壯馬馳驅，踢跳，奔騰。
5:23 耶和華的使者說：應當咒詛米羅斯，大大咒詛其中的居民；因為他們不來幫助耶和華，不來幫助耶和華攻擊勇士。
5:24 願基尼人希百的妻雅億比眾婦人多得福氣，比住帳棚的婦人更蒙福祉。
5:25 西西拉求水，雅億給他奶子，用寶貴的盤子給他奶油。
5:26 雅億左手拿著帳棚的橛子，右手拿著匠人的錘子，擊打西西拉，打傷他的頭，把他的鬢角打破穿通。
5:27 西西拉在她腳前曲身仆倒，在她腳前曲身倒臥；在那裡曲身，就在那裡死亡。
5:28 西西拉的母親從窗戶裡往外觀看，從窗櫺中呼叫說：他的戰車為何耽延不來呢？他的車輪為何行得慢呢？
5:29 聰明的宮女安慰她（原文是回答她），她也自言自語地說：
5:30 他們莫非得財而分？每人得了一兩個女子？西西拉得了彩衣為擄物，得繡花的彩衣為掠物。這彩衣兩面繡花，乃是披在被擄之人頸項上的。
5:31 耶和華啊，願你的仇敵都這樣滅亡！願愛你的人如日頭出現，光輝烈烈！這樣，國中太平四十年。

On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:

² “When the princes in Israel take the lead,
    when the people willingly offer themselves—
    praise the Lord!

³ “Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
    I, even I, will sing to^[a] the Lord;
    I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.

⁴ “When you, Lord, went out from Seir,
    when you marched from the land of Edom,
the earth shook, the heavens poured,
    the clouds poured down water.
⁵ The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai,
    before the Lord, the God of Israel.

⁶ “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
    in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned;
    travelers took to winding paths.
⁷ Villagers in Israel would not fight;
    they held back until I, Deborah, arose,
    until I arose, a mother in Israel.
⁸ God chose new leaders
    when war came to the city gates,
but not a shield or spear was seen
    among forty thousand in Israel.
⁹ My heart is with Israel’s princes,
    with the willing volunteers among the people.
    Praise the Lord!

¹⁰ “You who ride on white donkeys,
    sitting on your saddle blankets,
    and you who walk along the road,
consider ¹¹ the voice of the singers^[b] at the watering places.
    They recite the victories of the Lord,
    the victories of his villagers in Israel.

“Then the people of the Lord
    went down to the city gates.
¹² ‘Wake up, wake up, Deborah!
    Wake up, wake up, break out in song!
Arise, Barak!
    Take captive your captives, son of Abinoam.’

¹³ “The remnant of the nobles came down;
    the people of the Lord came down to me against the mighty.
¹⁴ Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek;
    Benjamin was with the people who followed you.
From Makir captains came down,
    from Zebulun those who bear a commander’s^[c] staff.
¹⁵ The princes of Issachar were with Deborah;
    yes, Issachar was with Barak,
    sent under his command into the valley.
In the districts of Reuben
    there was much searching of heart.
¹⁶ Why did you stay among the sheep pens^[d]
    to hear the whistling for the flocks?
In the districts of Reuben
    there was much searching of heart.
¹⁷ Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan.
    And Dan, why did he linger by the ships?
Asher remained on the coast
    and stayed in his coves.
¹⁸ The people of Zebulun risked their very lives;
    so did Naphtali on the terraced fields.

¹⁹ “Kings came, they fought,
    the kings of Canaan fought.
At Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo,
    they took no plunder of silver.
²⁰ From the heavens the stars fought,
    from their courses they fought against Sisera.
²¹ The river Kishon swept them away,
    the age-old river, the river Kishon.
    March on, my soul; be strong!
²² Then thundered the horses’ hooves—
    galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.
²³ ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord.
    ‘Curse its people bitterly,
because they did not come to help the Lord,
    to help the Lord against the mighty.’

²⁴ “Most blessed of women be Jael,
    the wife of Heber the Kenite,
    most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
²⁵ He asked for water, and she gave him milk;
    in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.
²⁶ Her hand reached for the tent peg,
    her right hand for the workman’s hammer.
She struck Sisera, she crushed his head,
    she shattered and pierced his temple.
²⁷ At her feet he sank,
    he fell; there he lay.
At her feet he sank, he fell;
    where he sank, there he fell—dead.

²⁸ “Through the window peered Sisera’s mother;
    behind the lattice she cried out,
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
    Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?’
²⁹ The wisest of her ladies answer her;
    indeed, she keeps saying to herself,
³⁰ ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoils:
    a woman or two for each man,
colorful garments as plunder for Sisera,
    colorful garments embroidered,
highly embroidered garments for my neck—
    all this as plunder?’

³¹ “So may all your enemies perish, Lord!
    But may all who love you be like the sun
    when it rises in its strength.”

Then the land had peace forty years.

***********

    以色列人是喜歡唱詩歌的民族，就是在士師的時代也是如此，在以色列人勝過西西拉將軍以後，底波拉和亞比挪菴的兒子巴拉作歌來讚美上帝：「因為以色列中有軍長率領，百姓也甘心犧牲自己，你們應當頌讚耶和華！君王啊，要聽！王子啊，要側耳而聽！我要向耶和華歌唱；我要歌頌耶和華─以色列的上帝。」

    做詩歌除了可以吟唱表達心中對上帝的感謝與讚美，更是信仰傳承的重要方法。先知為了讓上帝給人的信息容易記憶，在寫作上使用了許多詩歌體的方式，除了文字精煉之外，更是讓人誦讀和傳唱之中，將上帝的話語傳遞出去，不只是先宣告當時，更是讓聽眾不斷的傳唱下去！

    也因為這樣，詩歌對基督徒的信仰滋養很重要，我們不能不好好的注意詩歌的內容和意義，以及音樂表現的風格，讓我們可以敬拜上帝又可以明白上帝的心意，把上帝的話深藏在我們心中！

詩篇112:1-10

112:1 你們要讚美耶和華！敬畏耶和華，甚喜愛他命令的，這人便為有福！
112:2 他的後裔在世必強盛；正直人的後代必要蒙福。
112:3 他家中有貨物，有錢財；他的公義存到永遠。
112:4 正直人在黑暗中，有光向他發現；他有恩惠，有憐憫，有公義。
112:5 施恩與人、借貸與人的，這人事情順利；他被審判的時候要訴明自己的冤。
112:6 他永不動搖；義人被記念，直到永遠。
112:7 他必不怕凶惡的信息；他心堅定，倚靠耶和華。
112:8 他心確定，總不懼怕，直到他看見敵人遭報。
112:9 他施捨錢財，賙濟貧窮；他的仁義存到永遠。他的角必被高舉，大有榮耀。
112:10 惡人看見便惱恨，必咬牙而消化；惡人的心願要歸滅絕。

¹ Praise the Lord.^[b]

Blessed are those who fear the Lord,
    who find great delight in his commands.

² Their children will be mighty in the land;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.
³ Wealth and riches are in their houses,
    and their righteousness endures forever.
⁴ Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
    for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
⁵ Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
    who conduct their affairs with justice.

⁶ Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
    they will be remembered forever.
⁷ They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
⁸ Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
    in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
⁹ They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
    their righteousness endures forever;
    their horn^[c] will be lifted high in honor.

¹⁰ The wicked will see and be vexed,
    they will gnash their teeth and waste away;
    the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

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

    這首詩仍然以讚美上帝為開頭，再次讓我們知道敬畏上帝和喜愛上帝的命令，是蒙福的條件，也是蒙福的實際！因為若不敬畏上帝、或不喜愛上帝的命令，救與有福這件事情絕緣了！

    也因為這樣，我們必須悔改，要從不敬為上帝或不喜愛上帝的命令的狀況改變為境為上帝和喜愛上帝的律法！因為這樣做，不只我們蒙福，我們的子孫也同樣蒙福！我們與其希望祖先的庇蔭，到不如作一個會庇蔭子孫的祖先，正如亞伯拉罕一般！正如詩句所說：「他的後裔在世必強盛；正直人的後代必要蒙福。他家中有貨物，有錢財；他的公義存到永遠。正直人在黑暗中，有光向他發現；他有恩惠，有憐憫，有公義。」

    當然有福的人的福澤不僅在自己的家中，更是使多人受到恩惠！「他施捨錢財，賙濟貧窮；他的仁義存到永遠。他的角必被高舉，大有榮耀。」

    願我們屬乎基督的人都有這樣的福分，直到永遠，阿們！

士師記4章

       士師記4:1-24  ,

士師記4:1-24

4:1 以笏死後，以色列人又行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，
4:2 耶和華就把他們付與在夏瑣作王的迦南王耶賓手中；他的將軍是西西拉，住在外邦人的夏羅設。
4:3 耶賓王有鐵車九百輛。他大大欺壓以色列人二十年，以色列人就呼求耶和華。
4:4 有一位女先知名叫底波拉，是拉比多的妻，當時作以色列的士師。
4:5 她住在以法蓮山地拉瑪和伯特利中間，在底波拉的棕樹下。以色列人都上她那裡去聽判斷。
4:6 她打發人從拿弗他利的基低斯將亞比挪菴的兒子巴拉召了來，對他說：「耶和華─以色列的上帝吩咐你說：『你率領一萬拿弗他利和西布倫人上他泊山去。
4:7 我必使耶賓的將軍西西拉率領他的車輛和全軍往基順河，到你那裡去；我必將他交在你手中。』」
4:8 巴拉說：「你若同我去，我就去；你若不同我去，我就不去。」
4:9 底波拉說：「我必與你同去，只是你在所行的路上得不著榮耀，因為耶和華要將西西拉交在一個婦人手裡。」於是底波拉起來，與巴拉一同往基低斯去了。
4:10 巴拉就招聚西布倫人和拿弗他利人到基低斯，跟他上去的有一萬人。底波拉也同他上去。
4:11 摩西岳父（或譯：內兄）何巴的後裔，基尼人希百曾離開基尼族，到靠近基低斯、撒拿音的橡樹旁支搭帳棚。
4:12 有人告訴西西拉說：「亞比挪菴的兒子巴拉已經上他泊山了。」
4:13 西西拉就聚集所有的鐵車九百輛和跟隨他的全軍，從外邦人的夏羅設出來，到了基順河。
4:14 底波拉對巴拉說：「你起來，今日就是耶和華將西西拉交在你手的日子。耶和華豈不在你前頭行嗎？」於是巴拉下了他泊山，跟隨他有一萬人。
4:15 耶和華使西西拉和他一切車輛全軍潰亂，在巴拉面前被刀殺敗；西西拉下車步行逃跑。
4:16 巴拉追趕車輛、軍隊，直到外邦人的夏羅設。西西拉的全軍都倒在刀下，沒有留下一人。
4:17 只有西西拉步行逃跑，到了基尼人希百之妻雅億的帳棚，因為夏瑣王耶賓與基尼人希百家和好。
4:18 雅億出來迎接西西拉，對他說：「請我主進來，不要懼怕」；西西拉就進了她的帳棚。雅億用被將他遮蓋。
4:19 西西拉對雅億說：「我渴了，求你給我一點水喝。」雅億就打開皮袋，給他奶子喝，仍舊把他遮蓋。
4:20 西西拉又對雅億說：「請你站在帳棚門口，若有人來問你說：『有人在這裡沒有？』你就說：『沒有。』」
4:21 西西拉疲乏沉睡。希百的妻雅億取了帳棚的橛子，手裡拿著錘子，輕悄悄地到他旁邊，將橛子從他鬢邊釘進去，釘入地裡。西西拉就死了。
4:22 巴拉追趕西西拉的時候，雅億出來迎接他說：「來吧，我將你所尋找的人給你看。」他就進入帳棚，看見西西拉已經死了，倒在地上，橛子還在他鬢中。
4:23 這樣，上帝使迦南王耶賓被以色列人制伏了。
4:24 從此以色列人的手越發有力，勝了迦南王耶賓，直到將他滅絕了。

 

Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, now that Ehud was dead. ² So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Sisera, the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. ³ Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

⁴ Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading^[a] Israel at that time. ⁵ She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. ⁶ She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. ⁷ I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”

⁸ Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”

⁹ “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. ¹⁰ There Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.

¹¹ Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law,^[b] and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.

¹² When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, ¹³ Sisera summoned from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River all his men and his nine hundred chariots fitted with iron.

¹⁴ Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him. ¹⁵ At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot.

¹⁶ Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim, and all Sisera’s troops fell by the sword; not a man was left. ¹⁷ Sisera, meanwhile, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was an alliance between Jabin king of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite.

¹⁸ Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come, my lord, come right in. Don’t be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.

¹⁹ “I’m thirsty,” he said. “Please give me some water.” She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up.

²⁰ “Stand in the doorway of the tent,” he told her. “If someone comes by and asks you, ‘Is anyone in there?’ say ‘No.’”

²¹ But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.

²² Just then Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple—dead.

²³ On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites. ²⁴ And the hand of the Israelites pressed harder and harder against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.

 

***********

 

    拯救以色列人不光是男人，也有女人，正如女先知底波拉和基尼人希百之妻雅億。

 

    照聖經記載：「有一位女先知名叫底波拉，是拉比多的妻，當時作以色列的士師。她住在以法蓮山地拉瑪和伯特利中間，在底波拉的棕樹下。以色列人都上她那裡去聽判斷。」

 

    底波拉不僅擔任女士師，還呼召亞比挪菴的兒子巴拉，對他說：「耶和華─以色列的上帝吩咐你說：『你率領一萬拿弗他利和西布倫人上他泊山去。我必使耶賓的將軍西西拉率領他的車輛和全軍往基順河，到你那裡去；我必將他交在你手中。』」

 

    但是這位巴拉可能信心不夠，所以要求底波拉同行。底波拉只好對他說：「我必與你同去，只是你在所行的路上得不著榮耀，因為耶和華要將西西拉交在一個婦人手裡。」

 

    也因為這樣故事發展到基尼人希百之妻雅億將西西拉將軍殺死的事情！讓我們感受到上帝是用多麼奇妙的方法拯救以色列人，真的是超乎人的想像！

 

    在我們現實的環境中，我們也是會遇到許多我們難以言喻的奇妙事蹟，這些都是上帝奇妙的作為！因此，我們要存敬畏上帝的心在世上生活，為上帝所行的奇事歸榮耀給上帝，勇敢向世人傳揚上帝在基督裡奇妙的拯救，這就是尊上帝為大了！