列王紀下17:24-41

 

17:24 亞述王從巴比倫、古他、亞瓦、哈馬，和西法瓦音遷移人來，安置在撒馬利亞的城邑，代替以色列人；他們就得了撒馬利亞，住在其中。
17:25 他們才住那裡的時候，不敬畏耶和華，所以耶和華叫獅子進入他們中間，咬死了些人。
17:26 有人告訴亞述王說：「你所遷移安置在撒馬利亞各城的那些民，不知道那地之神的規矩，所以那神叫獅子進入他們中間，咬死他們。」
17:27 亞述王就吩咐說：「叫所擄來的祭司回去一個，使他住在那裡，將那地之神的規矩指教那些民。」
17:28 於是有一個從撒馬利亞擄去的祭司回來，住在伯特利，指教他們怎樣敬畏耶和華。
17:29 然而，各族之人在所住的城裡各為自己製造神像，安置在撒馬利亞人所造有邱壇的殿中。
17:30 巴比倫人造疏割‧比訥像；古他人造匿甲像；哈馬人造亞示瑪像；
17:31 亞瓦人造匿哈和他珥他像；西法瓦音人用火焚燒兒女，獻給西法瓦音的神亞得米勒和亞拿米勒。
17:32 他們懼怕耶和華，也從他們中間立邱壇的祭司，為他們在有邱壇的殿中獻祭。
17:33 他們又懼怕耶和華，又事奉自己的神，從何邦遷移，就隨何邦的風俗。
17:34 他們直到如今仍照先前的風俗去行，不專心敬畏耶和華，不全守自己的規矩、典章，也不遵守耶和華吩咐雅各後裔的律法、誡命。〈雅各，就是從前耶和華起名叫以色列的。〉
17:35 耶和華曾與他們立約，囑咐他們說：「不可敬畏別神，不可跪拜事奉他，也不可向他獻祭。
17:36 但那用大能和伸出來的膀臂領你們出埃及地的耶和華，你們當敬畏，跪拜，向他獻祭。
17:37 他給你們寫的律例、典章、律法、誡命，你們應當永遠謹守遵行，不可敬畏別神。
17:38 我─耶和華與你們所立的約你們不可忘記，也不可敬畏別神。
17:39 但要敬畏耶和華─你們的上帝，他必救你們脫離一切仇敵的手。」
17:40 他們卻不聽從，仍照先前的風俗去行。
17:41 如此這些民又懼怕耶和華，又事奉他們的偶像。他們子子孫孫也都照樣行，效法他們的祖宗，直到今日。

 

²⁴ The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. ²⁵ When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people. ²⁶ It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.”

²⁷ Then the king of Assyria gave this order: “Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.” ²⁸ So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord.

²⁹ Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places. ³⁰ The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima; ³¹ the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim. ³² They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. ³³ They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.

³⁴ To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the Lord nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel. ³⁵ When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. ³⁶ But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. ³⁷ You must always be careful to keep the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. ³⁸ Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. ³⁹ Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

⁴⁰ They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. ⁴¹ Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.

 

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    以色列滅國之後，亞述王將外族的人遷入的時候，因為這些人敬拜偶像，就惹上帝的怒氣，於是耶和華叫獅子進入他們中間，咬死了些人。

 

    雖然有人向亞述王說：「你所遷移安置在撒馬利亞各城的那些民，不知道那地之神的規矩，所以那神叫獅子進入他們中間，咬死他們。」

 

    亞述王就吩咐說：「叫所擄來的祭司回去一個，使他住在那裡，將那地之神的規矩指教那些民。」

 

    於是有一個從撒馬利亞擄去的祭司回來，住在伯特利，指教他們怎樣敬畏耶和華。然而，各族之人在所住的城裡各為自己製造神像，安置在撒馬利亞人所造有邱壇的殿中。

   從這個情形看來，這一群外族人只是從眾神再加耶和華為上帝而已，並不是單一的敬拜耶和華上帝！而這些人，就是主耶穌時代的撒馬利亞人的祖先，怪不得猶太人與他們相隔離，不相往來！

 

    今日我們成為基督徒，就要將過去所崇拜的假神除去，不可以拜別神又敬拜上帝，這樣如撒馬利亞人的信仰方式是上帝所不喜悅的！我們要記得聖經在這裡一再提醒的：「不可敬畏別神，不可跪拜事奉他，也不可向他獻祭。但那用大能和伸出來的膀臂領你們出埃及地的耶和華，你們當敬畏，跪拜，向他獻祭。他給你們寫的律例、典章、律法、誡命，你們應當永遠謹守遵行，不可敬畏別神。我─耶和華與你們所立的約你們不可忘記，也不可敬畏別神。但要敬畏耶和華─你們的上帝，他必救你們脫離一切仇敵的手。」

 

    今天我們在基督裡得成為上帝的兒女，更是要記住與履行這樣的教導：「敬畏上帝，不可敬畏別神，不可跪拜事奉別神，也不可向別神獻祭。」

 

 

 

列王紀下17章

     列王紀下17:1-23  ,

     列王紀下17:24-41 ,

列王紀下17:1-23

 

17:1 猶大王亞哈斯十二年，以拉的兒子何細亞在撒馬利亞登基作以色列王九年。
17:2 他行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，只是不像在他以前的以色列諸王。
17:3 亞述王撒縵以色上來攻擊何細亞，何細亞就服事他，給他進貢。
17:4 何細亞背叛，差人去見埃及王梭，不照往年所行的與亞述王進貢。亞述王知道了，就把他鎖禁，囚在監裡。
17:5 亞述王上來攻擊以色列遍地，上到撒馬利亞，圍困三年。
17:6 何細亞第九年亞述王攻取了撒馬利亞，將以色列人擄到亞述，把他們安置在哈臘與歌散的哈博河邊，並米底亞人的城邑。
17:7 這是因以色列人得罪那領他們出埃及地、脫離埃及王法老手的耶和華─他們的上帝，去敬畏別神，
17:8 隨從耶和華在他們面前所趕出外邦人的風俗和以色列諸王所立的條規。
17:9 以色列人暗中行不正的事，違背耶和華─他們的上帝，在他們所有的城邑，從瞭望樓直到堅固城，建築邱壇；
17:10 在各高岡上、各青翠樹下立柱像和木偶；
17:11 在邱壇上燒香，效法耶和華在他們面前趕出的外邦人所行的，又行惡事惹動耶和華的怒氣；
17:12 且事奉偶像，就是耶和華警戒他們不可行的。
17:13 但耶和華藉眾先知、先見勸戒以色列人和猶大人說：「當離開你們的惡行，謹守我的誡命律例，遵行我吩咐你們列祖，並藉我僕人眾先知所傳給你們的律法。」
17:14 他們卻不聽從，竟硬著頸項，效法他們列祖，不信服耶和華─他們的上帝，
17:15 厭棄他的律例和他與他們列祖所立的約，並勸戒他們的話，隨從虛無的神，自己成為虛妄，效法周圍的外邦人，就是耶和華囑咐他們不可效法的；
17:16 離棄耶和華─他們上帝的一切誡命，為自己鑄了兩個牛犢的像，立了亞舍拉，敬拜天上的萬象，事奉巴力，
17:17 又使他們的兒女經火，用占卜，行法術賣了自己，行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，惹動他的怒氣。
17:18 所以耶和華向以色列人大大發怒，從自己面前趕出他們，只剩下猶大一個支派。
17:19 猶大人也不遵守耶和華─他們上帝的誡命，隨從以色列人所立的條規。
17:20 耶和華就厭棄以色列全族，使他們受苦，把他們交在搶奪他們的人手中，以致趕出他們離開自己面前，
17:21 將以色列國從大衛家奪回；他們就立尼八的兒子耶羅波安作王。耶羅波安引誘以色列人不隨從耶和華，陷在大罪裡。
17:22 以色列人犯耶羅波安所犯的一切罪，總不離開，
17:23 以致耶和華從自己面前趕出他們，正如藉他僕人眾先知所說的。這樣，以色列人從本地被擄到亞述，直到今日。

 

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. ² He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.

³ Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute. ⁴ But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So^[a] king of Egypt, and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison. ⁵ The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege to it for three years. ⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.

⁷ All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods ⁸ and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. ⁹ The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns. ¹⁰ They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. ¹¹ At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. ¹² They worshiped idols, though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.”^{[b] 13} The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: “Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.”

¹⁴ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. ¹⁵ They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”

¹⁶ They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal. ¹⁷ They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

¹⁸ So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left, ¹⁹ and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced. ²⁰ Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust them from his presence.

²¹ When he tore Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin. ²² The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them ²³ until the Lord removed them from his presence, as he had warned through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.

 

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    以色列最後被亞述帝國所滅，何細亞成為最後一位一色列王。

 

    然而作這在此也記錄下以色列滅國之原因：「這是因以色列人得罪那領他們出埃及地、脫離埃及王法老手的耶和華─他們的上帝，去敬畏別神，隨從耶和華在他們面前所趕出外邦人的風俗和以色列諸王所立的條規。以色列人暗中行不正的事，違背耶和華─他們的上帝，在他們所有的城邑，從瞭望樓直到堅固城，建築邱壇；在各高岡上、各青翠樹下立柱像和木偶；在邱壇上燒香，效法耶和華在他們面前趕出的外邦人所行的，又行惡事惹動耶和華的怒氣；且事奉偶像，就是耶和華警戒他們不可行的。」

 

    然而上帝不是在以色列一開始犯罪時，讓亞述將她滅了；而是上帝一再派遣先知來警告與勸戒他們，要他們悔改歸向上帝，但是他們就是不願意！一直惹怒上帝，直到上帝忍無可忍，才允許這是發生！

 

    同樣今日上帝對人類也是相同的心意，甚至讓人覺得主耶穌再來的日子躭延了！然而使徒彼得告訴我們：「但現在的天地還是憑著那命存留，直留到不敬虔之人受審判遭沉淪的日子，用火焚燒。親愛的弟兄啊，有一件事你們不可忘記，就是主看一日如千年，千年如一日。主所應許的尚未成就，有人以為他是耽延，其實不是耽延，乃是寬容你們，不願有一人沉淪，乃願人人都悔改。」（彼得後書3:7-9）

 

    是的，要快快悔改歸向主耶穌，日子不多了！

 

 

 

 

 

馬可福音7:31-37

 

7:31 耶穌又離了泰爾的境界，經過西頓，就從低加坡里境內來到加利利海。
7:32 有人帶著一個耳聾舌結的人來見耶穌，求他按手在他身上。
7:33 耶穌領他離開眾人，到一邊去，就用指頭探他的耳朵，吐唾沫抹他的舌頭，
7:34 望天歎息，對他說：「以法大！」就是說：「開了吧！」
7:35 他的耳朵就開了，舌結也解了，說話也清楚了。
7:36 耶穌囑咐他們不要告訴人；但他越發囑咐，他們越發傳揚開了。
7:37 眾人分外希奇，說：「他所做的事都好，他連聾子也叫他們聽見，啞巴也叫他們說話。」

 

³¹ Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.^{[h] 32} There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.

³³ After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. ³⁴ He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). ³⁵ At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.

³⁶ Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. ³⁷ People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

 

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    聾和啞常常會集中在一個人身上，因為聽不見就不會說話。然而主耶穌碰到這一個又聾又啞的人，不僅讓他聽見也讓他馬上說話！所以，人對主耶穌奇妙的作為稱讚說：「他所做的事都好，他連聾子也叫他們聽見，啞巴也叫他們說話。」

 

    主耶穌不僅可以改變聾啞人的生命，更可以改變我們的生命！他的救贖在我們身上的作為，就是救我們脫離罪和死的權勢，賜給我們生命和聖靈，使我們從滅亡的道路轉向永生的道路！

 

    我們看見那位聾啞人被醫好之後，不斷向人做見證主耶穌的作為，我們也要常常把握機會宣揚基督在我們身上的作為！就像保羅說：「但我斷不以別的誇口，只誇我們主耶穌基督的十字架；因這十字架，就我而論，世界已經釘在十字架上；就世界而論，我已經釘在十字架上。」(加拉太書6:14)