中英對照/摩爾門經/以挪士書/第1章
以挪士熱烈祈禱而獲得罪的赦免──主的聲音進入他心中,應許在日後賜給拉曼人救恩──尼腓人設法矯正拉曼人──以挪士因救贖主歡欣。約主前四二○年。
Enos prays mightily and gains a remission of his sins—The voice of the Lord comes into his mind, promising salvation for the Lamanites in a future day—The Nephites sought to reclaim the Lamanites—Enos rejoices in his Redeemer. About 420 B.C.
1 看啊,事情是這樣的,我,a以挪士,知道我父親b是個義人──因為他c教我他的語文,也照著主d教養、告誡我們的方式教導──所以,我神的名是應當稱頌的。
1 Behold, it came to pass that I, aEnos, knowing my father thatbhe was a just man—for he ctaught me in his language, and also in the dnurture and admonition of the Lord—and blessed be the name of my God for it—
2 And I will tell you of the awrestle which I had before God, before I received a bremission of my sins.
3 看啊,我到森林去打獵,而那些我常聽到父親講的,關於永生和聖徒的a喜樂的話,深深b印在我心中。
3 Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the ajoy of the saints, bsunk deep into my heart.
4 我的靈魂a飢餓;我b跪在造物主前,用熱烈的c禱告與祈求為我的靈魂向祂呼求;我整天向祂呼求,夜幕低垂時,我仍提高聲音,使之上達天庭。
4 And my soul ahungered; and I bkneeled down before my Maker, and I ccried unto him in mighty dprayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.
5 有個a聲音臨到我說:以挪士,你的罪得赦了,你必蒙福。
5 And there came a avoice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins arebforgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.
6 我,以挪士,知道神不會說謊,所以,我的罪已抹掉了。
6 And I, Enos, knew that God acould not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.
7 我說:主啊,為什麼會這樣呢?
7 And I said: Lord, how is it done?
8 祂對我說:因為你對那未聞其聲、未見其面的基督有a信心。再過許多年,祂就要以肉身顯現;因此,去吧,你的信心使你b潔淨了。
8 And he said unto me: aBecause of thy bfaith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee cwhole.
9 事情是這樣的,我聽了這些話,心裡開始a想到我弟兄尼腓人的福祉;於是我就為他們向神b傾訴心聲。
9 Now, it came to pass that when I had heard these words I began to feel a adesire for the bwelfare of my brethren, the Nephites; wherefore, I did cpour out my whole soul unto God for them.
10 我在靈中如此掙扎時,看啊,主的聲音又進入我a心中說:我要按照你弟兄遵守誡命的程度來祝福或懲罰他們。我已把這地b賜給他們,這是聖地,除非因為罪惡,否則我不會c詛咒這地;所以,我會照我所說的來賞罰你的弟兄;他們若犯罪,我必使悲哀臨到他們頭上。
10 And while I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my amind again, saying: I will visit thy brethren according to their diligence in keeping my commandments. I have bgiven unto them this land, and it is a holy land; and I ccurse it not save it be for the cause of iniquity; wherefore, I will visit thy brethren according as I have said; and their dtransgressions will I bring down with sorrow upon their own heads.
11 我,以挪士,聽了這些話以後,對主的信心開始變得堅定不移;我為我的弟兄拉曼人,多次長時間努力向主祈禱。
11 And after I, Enos, had heard these words, my afaith began to be bunshaken in the Lord; and I cprayed unto him with many longdstrugglings for my brethren, the Lamanites.
12 事情是這樣的,我a祈求並盡最大的努力工作後,主對我說:由於你的信心,我會按照你的b願望成全你。
12 And it came to pass that after I had aprayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy bdesires, because of thy faith.
13 現在看啊,這就是我的願望:倘若我的人民,尼腓人,陷入罪中而萬一被a消滅,而拉曼人未被消滅,主神會b保全我人民尼腓人的紀錄;如果這紀錄要藉祂聖臂的大能來保全,但願日後能c傳給拉曼人,這樣,他們或許能d得到救恩。
13 And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of him—that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be adestroyed, and the Lamanites should not be bdestroyed, that the Lord God wouldcpreserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be dbrought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might beebrought unto salvation—
14 因為目前我們使他們恢復真正信仰的努力都a白費了。他們在憤怒中誓言,倘若辦得到,他們就b消滅我們和我們的紀錄,以及所有來自我們祖先的傳統。
14 For at the present our strugglings were avain in restoring them to the true faith. And they swore in their wrath that, if it were possible, they would bdestroy our records and us, and also all the traditions of our fathers.
15 因為我知道主神有能力a保全我們的紀錄,所以我不停地向祂呼求,因祂曾對我說:無論求什麼,只要有信心,奉基督的名求,並相信你會得到,就必得著。
15 Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to apreserveour records, I cried unto him continually, for he had said unto me: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it.
16 我有信心,我也求神a保全這b紀錄。祂與我立約,要在祂認為適當的時刻把這紀錄c傳給拉曼人。
16 And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he wouldapreserve the brecords; and he covenanted with me that he wouldcbring dthem forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.
17 我,以挪士,知道此事必照主所立的約實現,所以我的靈魂就平靜了。
17 And I, Enos, aknew it would be according to the covenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest.
18 主對我說:你的祖先也曾要求我這事,這事必照他們的信心成就;他們也和你一樣有信心。
18 And the Lord said unto me: Thy fathers have also required of me this thing; and it shall be done unto them according to their faith; for their faith was like unto thine.
19 事情是這樣的,我,以挪士,就到尼腓人中預言未來的事,也為我所看到和聽到的事作證。
19 And now it came to pass that I, Enos, went about among the people of Nephi, prophesying of things to come, and testifying of the things which I had heard and seen.
20 我作證尼腓人努力試圖使拉曼人恢復對神真正的信仰,但我們的a努力都白費了;他們的仇恨根深蒂固,邪惡的本性使他們變得野蠻、兇殘,變成一個b嗜殺的民族,污穢與c拜偶像隨處可見,他們以猛獸為食、住帳篷,在曠野中飄泊不定;他們剃光頭、以短皮塊繫腰,擅於使用d弓、斧、彎刀。他們許多人除了生肉以外,什麼都不吃;他們不斷企圖消滅我們。
20 And I bear record that the people of Nephi did seek diligently to arestore the Lamanites unto the true faith in God. But ourblabors were vain; their chatred was fixed, and they were led by their evil nature that they became wild, and ferocious, and adblood-thirsty people, full of eidolatry and ffilthiness; feeding upon beasts of prey; dwelling in gtents, and wandering about in the wilderness with a short skin girdle about their loins and their heads shaven; and their skill was in the hbow, and in the cimeter, and the ax. And many of them did eat nothing save it was raw meat; and they were continually seeking to destroy us.
21 事情是這樣的,尼腓人則耕地,a種植各樣穀類和果類,牧養牲口,有各種牛,有山羊和野山羊,也有許多馬匹。
21 And it came to pass that the people of Nephi did till the land, and araise all manner of grain, and of fruit, and bflocks of herds, and flocks of all manner of cattle of every kind, and goats, and wild goats, and also many horses.
22 And there were exceedingly many aprophets among us. And the people were a bstiffnecked people, hard to understand.
23 對他們沒別的可做,只有極度a嚴厲,以及b宣講和預言戰爭、紛爭、毀滅,不停地c提醒他們關於死亡、永恆的長久、神的懲罰與大能,以及所有這類事情──d不斷喚醒他們要敬畏主。我說只有這些事,和極為明白的言詞,才能使他們不必很快走向毀滅。我就這樣寫他們的事情。
23 And there was nothing save it was exceeding aharshness,bpreaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually creminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power of God, and all these things—stirring them up dcontinually to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was nothing short of these things, and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to destruction. And after this manner do I write concerning them.
24 我在有生之年,目睹了尼腓人與拉曼人之間的戰爭。
24 And I saw awars between the Nephites and Lamanites in the course of my days.
25 事情是這樣的,我開始老了,自我們祖先李海a離開耶路撒冷,已過了一百七十九年。
25 And it came to pass that I began to be old, and an hundred and seventy and nine years had passed away from the time that our father Lehi aleft Jerusalem.
26 我自知不久人世,神的大能促使我必須向這人民宣講和預言,照著基督的真理,宣告這些話。我在我所有的日子中宣講了祂的話,並以此為非凡的快樂。
26 And I saw that I amust soon go down to my grave, having been wrought upon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesy unto this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is in Christ. And I have declared it in all my days, and have rejoiced in it above that of the world.
27 我很快就要到我a安息的地方,與我的救贖主同在,我知道我必得在祂裡面享安息。我因我b必死的身體將穿上c不死而站在祂面前的那天而快樂;那時我必滿懷喜悅地見祂的面,祂會對我說:你這蒙福的人,到我這裡來,在我父的d家裡,已為你預備了地方。阿們。
27 And I soon go to the place of my arest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall brest. And I rejoice in the day when my cmortal shall put on dimmortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the emansions of my Father. Amen.