中英對照/摩爾門經/摩羅乃書/第9章

摩爾門給他兒子摩羅乃的第二封信

The second epistle of Mormon to his son Moroni.

編成第九章

Comprising chapter 9.

第九章

Chapter 9

尼腓人和拉曼人雙方都敗壞和墮落──他們彼此折磨，互相殺害──摩爾門祈求恩典與良善永遠和摩羅乃同在。約主後四○一年至四二一年。

Both the Nephites and the Lamanites are depraved and degenerate—They torture and murder each other—Mormon prays that grace and goodness may rest upon Moroni forever. About A.D. 401–21.

1 我的愛子，我再寫信給你，好讓你知道我還活著，但我也要寫一些令人痛心的事。

1 My beloved son, I write unto you again that ye may know that I am yet alive; but I write somewhat of that which is grievous.

2 因為看啊，我與拉曼人一番激戰後，我們並沒有獲勝；阿肯德斯死在刀劍之下，陸拉姆和艾姆龍也一樣；是的，我們失去很多優秀的人。

2 For behold, I have had a sore battle with the Lamanites, in which we did not conquer; and Archeantus has fallen by the sword, and also Luram and Emron; yea, and we have lost a great number of our choice men.

3 現在看啊，我兒，恐怕拉曼人就要消滅這個民族了，因為他們不悔改，而撒但仍不斷煽動他們彼此惱怒。

3 And now behold, my son, I fear lest the Lamanites shall destroy this people; for they do not repent, and Satan stirreth them up continually to ^aanger one with another.

4 看啊，我還在繼續對他們努力；我^ａ嚴厲講述神的話時，他們就顫抖而憤恨我，我不嚴厲時，他們就硬起心來反對這些話，所以，恐怕主的靈已停止^ｂ對他們努力了。

4 Behold, I am laboring with them continually; and when I speak the word of God with ^asharpness they tremble and anger against me; and when I use no sharpness they ^bharden their hearts against it; wherefore, I fear lest the Spirit of the Lord hath ceased^cstriving with them.

5 他們憤恨至極，我看他們好像不怕死；他們已喪失對彼此的愛；他們不斷^ａ渴望血腥與報復。

5 For so exceedingly do they anger that it seemeth me that they have no fear of death; and they have lost their love, one towards another; and they ^athirst after blood and revenge continually.

6 我的愛子，雖然他們頑硬，我們還是要^ａ勤奮工作；因為我們若停止^ｂ工作，就會被帶到罪罰之下；因為我們在這塵土所造的肉身中有工作要完成，好讓我們戰勝與所有正義為敵的人，讓我們的靈魂在神國裡安息。

6 And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor ^adiligently; for if we should cease to ^blabor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God.

7 現在我要寫這人民所受的一些痛苦。根據我從亞摩龍那裡得到的消息，看啊，拉曼人有很多俘虜，是他們從休賴柵塔擄獲的，其中有男人、女人和小孩。

7 And now I write somewhat concerning the sufferings of this people. For according to the knowledge which I have received from Amoron, behold, the Lamanites have many prisoners, which they took from the tower of Sherrizah; and there were men, women, and children.

8 他們殺了婦女和小孩的丈夫和父親，以丈夫的肉餵妻子，以父親的肉餵子女；只給他們一點點水喝。

8 And the husbands and fathers of those women and children they have slain; and they feed the women upon the ^aflesh of their husbands, and the children upon the flesh of their fathers; and no water, save a little, do they give unto them.

9 拉曼人的憎行雖然如此殘酷，但還不及我們在摩林安德的人民。因為看啊，他們擄走很多拉曼人的女兒，並且在奪去她們比什麼都寶貴、都重要的^ａ貞潔和^ｂ貞操以後──

9 And notwithstanding this great ^aabomination of the Lamanites, it doth not exceed that of our people in Moriantum. For behold, many of the daughters of the Lamanites have they taken prisoners; and after ^bdepriving them of that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is ^cchastity and ^dvirtue—

10 他們這樣做後，還用最殘酷的方法殺了她們，折磨她們的身體到死為止；他們這樣做後，還因心地頑硬而像野獸那樣吞吃她們的肉；他們用這種方式來表示勇敢。

10 And after they had done this thing, they did murder them in a most ^acruel manner, torturing their bodies even unto death; and after they have done this, they devour their flesh like unto wild beasts, because of the hardness of their hearts; and they do it for a token of bravery.

11 我的愛子啊，一個民族何以如此沒有文明──

11 O my beloved son, how can a people like this, that are without civilization—

12 （他們本來是個文明可愛的民族，才不過幾年就變成這樣。）

12 (And only a few years have passed away, and they were a civil and a delightsome people)

13 我兒啊，一個民族何以如此縱情於這麼多憎行之中──

13 But O my son, how can a people like this, whose ^adelight is in so much abomination—

14 我們怎麼能期望神^ａ停住祂的手不來懲罰我們呢？

14 How can we expect that God will ^astay his hand in judgment against us?

15 看啊，我的心在吶喊：這人民有禍了。神啊，出來審判，隱藏他們的罪孽、邪惡和憎行，不在您面前出現吧！

15 Behold, my heart cries: Wo unto this people. Come out in judgment, O God, and hide their sins, and wickedness, and abominations from before thy face!

16 而且，我兒，有很多^ａ寡婦和她們的女兒還留在休賴柵；拉曼人沒有帶走的那部分糧食，看啊，曾尼法的軍隊拿走了，讓她們為了食物到任何她們能到的地方流浪，很多年老的婦女在途中昏倒而死去。

16 And again, my son, there are many ^awidows and their daughters who remain in Sherrizah; and that part of the provisions which the Lamanites did not carry away, behold, the army of Zenephi has carried away, and left them to wander whithersoever they can for food; and many old women do faint by the way and die.

17 跟我一起的部隊軍力很薄弱，拉曼人的軍隊又在休賴柵和我之間，而所有逃往^ａ亞倫部隊的人，都淪為他們可怕獸性的犧牲者。

17 And the army which is with me is weak; and the armies of the Lamanites are betwixt Sherrizah and me; and as many as have fled to the army of ^aAaron have fallen victims to their awful brutality.

18 我人民敗壞至極！他們沒有紀律也沒有慈悲。看啊，我不過是個人，有的不過是一個人的力量，再也無法執行我的命令了。

18 O the depravity of my people! They are without ^aorder and without mercy. Behold, I am but a man, and I have but the^bstrength of a man, and I cannot any longer enforce my commands.

19 他們的惡行愈來愈嚴重；他們都一樣殘酷，不論老少，一個也不放過；除了好事，他們什麼事都喜歡；我們在這整個地面上的婦女和小孩所受的痛苦超乎一切，是的，言語無法訴說，筆墨也無法形容。

19 And they have become strong in their perversion; and they are alike brutal, sparing none, neither old nor young; and they delight in everything save that which is good; and the suffering of our women and our children upon all the face of this land doth exceed everything; yea, tongue cannot tell, neither can it be written.

20 我兒，我現在不再談這恐怖的情景了。看啊，你知道這人民的邪惡，你知道他們沒有原則、麻木不仁；他們的邪惡^ａ比拉曼人更甚。

20 And now, my son, I dwell no longer upon this horrible scene. Behold, thou knowest the wickedness of this people; thou knowest that they are without principle, and past feeling; and their wickedness doth ^aexceed that of the Lamanites.

21 看啊，我兒，我不能將他們推薦給神，免得祂責罰我。

21 Behold, my son, I cannot recommend them unto God lest he should smite me.

22 但是看啊，我兒，我將你推薦給神，我相信經由基督你會得救；我祈求神^ａ救你的性命，讓你目睹祂的人民歸向祂，或徹底毀滅；因為我知道，除非他們^ｂ悔改而歸向祂，否則一定滅亡。

22 But behold, my son, I recommend thee unto God, and I trust in Christ that thou wilt be saved; and I ^apray unto God that he will ^bspare thy life, to witness the return of his people unto him, or their utter destruction; for I know that they must perish except they ^crepent and return unto him.

23 如果他們滅亡，一定像雅列人一樣，因為他們恣意妄為，^ａ尋求血腥與^ｂ報復。

23 And if they perish it will be like unto the ^aJaredites, because of the wilfulness of their hearts, ^bseeking for blood and ^crevenge.

24 如果他們真的滅亡，我們知道我們已有很多弟兄^ａ叛離到拉曼人那裡，而且還會有更多人叛離到他們那裡；所以，如果你得倖免，而我死了見不到你，你要寫點東西，但我相信我很快就會見到你，因為我有神聖的紀錄要^ｂ交給你。

24 And if it so be that they perish, we know that many of our brethren have ^adeserted over unto the Lamanites, and many more will also desert over unto them; wherefore, write somewhat a few things, if thou art spared and I shall perish and not see thee; but I trust that I may see thee soon; for I have sacred records that I would ^bdeliver up unto thee.

25 我兒，要忠於基督；願我寫的事情不會使你痛心，使你心情沉重得要死；但願基督提升你，願祂的^ａ受難和死亡、祂對我們祖先的顯現、祂的慈悲和恆久忍耐，以及對祂的榮耀和對^ｂ永生的希望，永遠都留在你^ｃ心裡。

25 My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto ^adeath; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and ^blong-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your ^cmind forever.

26 願寶座在高天的父神，和坐在祂權能^ａ右邊直到萬物都臣服於祂的主耶穌基督的恩典，永遠與你同在。阿們。

26 And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the ^arighthand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you forever. Amen.