中英對照/摩爾門經/摩羅乃書/第8章

第八章

Chapter 8

為小孩施洗是邪惡的憎行──有了贖罪，小孩才因基督得生命──信心、悔改、溫順、謙卑的心、接受聖靈及持守到底，導向救恩。約主後四○一年至四二一年。

The baptism of little children is an evil abomination—Little children are alive in Christ because of the Atonement—Faith, repentance, meekness and lowliness of heart, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end lead to salvation. About A.D. 401–21.

1 這是我^ａ父親摩爾門寫給我摩羅乃的信，是在我蒙召喚服務後不久寫給我的。他這樣寫道：

1 An epistle of my ^afather Mormon, written to me, Moroni; and it was written unto me soon after my calling to the ministry. And on this wise did he write unto me, saying:

2 我的愛子摩羅乃，我很高興你的主耶穌基督一直顧念你，並召喚你為祂服務、做祂神聖的事工。

2 My beloved son, Moroni, I rejoice exceedingly that your Lord Jesus Christ hath been mindful of you, and hath called you to his ministry, and to his holy work.

3 我常在禱告中惦念著你，不斷奉聖子耶穌的名向父神禱告，求祂以其無限^ａ良善與^ｂ恩典，並藉著持守對祂名的信心到底而保守你。

3 I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite ^agoodness and ^bgrace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end.

4 我兒，現在我要跟你談談那使我非常痛心的事；你們之間起了^ａ爭論，令我十分痛心。

4 And now, my son, I speak unto you concerning that which grieveth me exceedingly; for it grieveth me that there should^adisputations rise among you.

5 因為，我知道的如果屬實，你們之間已為你們小孩洗禮的事起了爭論。

5 For, if I have learned the truth, there have been disputations among you concerning the baptism of your little children.

6 我兒，我希望你努力工作，以除去你們當中這項嚴重錯誤；這是我寫這封信的目的。

6 And now, my son, I desire that ye should labor diligently, that this gross error should be removed from among you; for, for this intent I have written this epistle.

7 我一知道你們這些事，就立刻為這事求問主。^ａ主的話藉聖靈的力量臨到我說：

7 For immediately after I had learned these things of you I inquired of the Lord concerning the matter. And the ^aword of the Lord came to me by the power of the Holy Ghost, saying:

8 聽你的主神救贖主基督的話。看啊，我來到世間，不是召義人，乃是召罪人悔改；^ａ健康的人用不著醫生，有病的人才用得著；小^ｂ孩子是^ｃ健康的，因為他們沒有^ｄ犯罪的能力；因此^ｅ亞當受的詛罰已因我而從他們身上除去，無法影響他們；^ｆ割禮的律法也已因我而廢除了。

8 ^aListen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the ^bwhole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little ^cchildren are ^dwhole, for they are not capable of committing ^esin; wherefore the curse of ^fAdam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of ^gcircumcision is done away in me.

9 聖靈這樣向我顯示神的話，所以，我的愛子，我知道如果你們為小孩子施洗，對神是嚴重的嘲弄。

9 And after this manner did the Holy Ghost manifest the word of God unto me; wherefore, my beloved son, I know that it is solemn ^amockery before God, that ye should baptize little children.

10 看啊，我告訴你，這是你應當教導的事──教導那些要^ａ為自己的行為負責並有犯罪能力的人悔改與洗禮；是的，教導為人父母的，他們必須悔改和受洗，並像他們的小^ｂ孩子一樣謙卑，他們才能與他們的小孩子一同得救。

10 Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye teach—repentance and baptism unto those who are ^aaccountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little^bchildren, and they shall all be saved with their little children.

11 他們的小^ａ孩子不需要悔改，也不需要受洗。看啊，洗禮是為悔改以遵行誡命，而獲得^ｂ赦罪。

11 And their little ^achildren need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the ^bremission of sins.

12 從世界奠基時，小^ａ孩子就因基督得生命；要不然，神就是不公平的神，也是善變的神，會^ｂ偏待人；因為有多少小孩子沒有受洗就去世了！

12 But little ^achildren are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a ^brespecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!

13 所以，如果小孩子沒有受洗就不能得救，他們一定已到無盡的地獄去了。

13 Wherefore, if little children could not be saved without baptism, these must have gone to an endless hell.

14 看啊，我告訴你，凡以為小孩子需要受洗的，一定身處苦膽之中和罪惡的束縛裡；因為他沒有^ａ信心、希望，也沒有仁愛；所以，如果他在這麼想時死去，他一定會下地獄。

14 Behold I say unto you, that he that supposeth that little children need baptism is in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; for he hath neither ^afaith, hope, nor charity; wherefore, should he be cut off while in the thought, he must go down to hell.

15 因為，以為神拯救某個小孩是因為他受過洗，而另一個因為沒有受洗就必須滅亡，這種想法邪惡得可怕。

15 For awful is the wickedness to suppose that God saveth one child because of baptism, and the other must perish because he hath no baptism.

16 這樣歪曲主道路的人有禍了，因為他們除非悔改，否則必定滅亡。看啊，我有從神而來的^ａ權柄，我敢大膽地說；我不怕人會怎麼做，因為完全的^ｂ愛^ｃ驅除一切恐懼。

16 Wo be unto them that shall pervert the ways of the Lord after this manner, for they shall perish except they repent. Behold, I speak with boldness, having ^aauthority from God; and I fear not what man can do; for ^bperfect ^clove ^dcasteth out all fear.

17 我滿懷^ａ仁愛，那是永恆的愛，因此，每個孩子對我來說都是一樣的，所以我用完全的愛來愛小^ｂ孩子，他們都一樣，都是享有救恩的人。

17 And I am filled with ^acharity, which is everlasting love; wherefore, all children are alike unto me; wherefore, I love little children with a perfect love; and they are all alike and ^bpartakersof salvation.

18 因為我知道神不是不公正的神，也不是善變的，祂從^ａ全永恆到全永恆都^ｂ不變。

18 For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is ^aunchangeable from ^ball eternity to all eternity.

19 小^ａ孩子不能悔改，所以，否認神對他們的完全慈悲，是可怕的邪惡，因為有了祂的^ｂ慈悲，他們都因祂得生命。

19 Little ^achildren cannot repent; wherefore, it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they are all alive in him because of his ^bmercy.

20 凡說小孩子需要受洗的人，就是否認基督的慈悲，並蔑視祂的^ａ贖罪和救贖的大能。

20 And he that saith that little children need baptism denieth the mercies of Christ, and setteth at naught the ^aatonement of him and the power of his redemption.

21 這樣的人有禍了，他們身處死亡、^ａ地獄與^ｂ無盡痛苦的危險中。我大膽地這麼說，因為神已命令我。你們要聽這些話，並多加留意，否則這些話將在^ｃ基督的審判寶座前不利於你們。

21 Wo unto such, for they are in danger of death, ^ahell, and an^bendless torment. I speak it boldly; God hath commanded me. Listen unto them and give heed, or they stand against you at the^cjudgment-seat of Christ.

22 因為看啊，每個小孩子都因基督^ａ得生命，沒有^ｂ律法的人也一樣。因為^ｃ救贖的效能臨到每個沒有律法的人，所以，未被定罪或不在刑罰之下的人，不能悔改，為這樣的人施洗毫無用處──

22 For behold that all little children are ^aalive in Christ, and also all they that are without the ^blaw. For the power of ^credemptioncometh on all them that have ^dno law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing—

23 那反而是對神的嘲弄，否認基督的慈悲和祂神聖之靈的力量，信靠那些^ａ死的工作。

23 But it is mockery before God, denying the mercies of Christ, and the power of his Holy Spirit, and putting trust in ^adead works.

24 看啊，我兒，此事切不可有，因為^ａ悔改是給那些在罪罰之下和犯了律法而受詛罰的人的。

24 Behold, my son, this thing ought not to be; for ^arepentance is unto them that are under condemnation and under the curse of a broken law.

25 ^ａ悔改初熟的果子是^ｂ洗禮；洗禮乃出於信心，以遵行誡命；遵行誡命則帶來^ｃ赦罪；

25 And the first fruits of ^arepentance is ^bbaptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth ^cremission of sins;

26 赦罪帶來^ａ溫順與謙卑的心；由於溫順與謙卑的心，才帶來^ｂ聖靈的眷顧；這位^ｃ保惠師使人充滿^ｄ希望和完全的^ｅ愛；這種愛靠^ｆ努力^ｇ禱告來持守，直到末日到來，那時所有的^ｈ聖徒必與神同住。

26 And the remission of sins bringeth ^ameekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the ^bHoly Ghost, which ^cComforter ^dfilleth with hope and perfect ^elove, which love endureth by ^fdiligence unto^gprayer, until the end shall come, when all the ^hsaints shall dwell with God.

27 看啊，我兒，近日內我若不出去對抗拉曼人，我會再寫信給你。看啊，這個民族的^ａ驕傲，或說尼腓人的驕傲，已證明他們必定滅亡，除非他們悔改。

27 Behold, my son, I will write unto you again if I go not out soon against the Lamanites. Behold, the ^apride of this nation, or the people of the Nephites, hath proven their destruction except they should repent.

28 我兒，為他們祈禱，使悔改能臨到他們。但是看啊，恐怕靈已停止^ａ對他們努力了，而且他們還在這裡企圖阻撓所有來自神的力量和權柄，他們在^ｂ否認聖靈。

28 Pray for them, my son, that repentance may come unto them. But behold, I fear lest the Spirit hath ^aceased ^bstriving with them; and in this part of the land they are also seeking to put down all power and authority which cometh from God; and they are^cdenying the Holy Ghost.

29 我兒，他們拒絕了這麼偉大的知識後，必定很快就滅亡，以應驗眾先知的預言和救主親口說的話。

29 And after rejecting so great a knowledge, my son, they must perish soon, unto the fulfilling of the prophecies which were spoken by the prophets, as well as the words of our Savior himself.

30 再會吧，我兒，直到我寫信給你或再和你見面。阿們。

30 Farewell, my son, until I shall write unto you, or shall meet you again. Amen.