The Exile of Israelites
全新四年樂活讀經
經文: 列王記下 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。
默想: 列王記下17章最後一節，可以作為北國以色列亡國之神學總結。北國以色列人是敬畏耶和華，但是同時也祭拜他們的偶像。這樣的混合崇拜 (Religious Syncretism) 可能不只是北國以色列的問題，很可能是所有人類所共同面對的挑戰與問題。由於有時候我們所敬拜侍奉的上帝，看來似乎並沒有每一次我們向他禱告祈求，就照我們所祈求的內容來賞賜或回應我們，我們就會看到別人的神明，似乎比上帝更為有效率或是賞賜給敬拜他的人，更多現世的福報。有一首詩歌的歌詞是這樣說，每一次我禱告，我搖動你的手，禱告做的事我的手不能做， 每一次我禱告，大山被挪移，道路被鋪平，使列國歸向你。我們多麼盼望，我們所敬拜的上帝，是當我們每一次禱告的時候，就可以搖動上帝的大能膀臂，讓上帝來替我們完成我們的手所做不到的事情，也就是挪開困難的高山，鋪平坎坷的前途，也因此而帶領萬國歸向真神。我們不期待聽到上帝對於我們禱告的回應，就像主耶穌對於使徒保羅為了身上那一根刺，尋求主醫治的禱告所得到的回應一樣。主對保羅說，我的恩典夠你用的，因為我的能力是在人的軟弱上顯得完全。(林後12:9) 保羅可以信靠這位不挪走他身上那根刺的主，更進而在這樣的軟弱中，來體驗主所賞賜夠用的恩典並彰顯主所賞賜的莫大能力。求主保守我，能夠這一生不論處境如何，專一愛你，單單信靠並侍奉你。
題目: 上主差派先知(耶2:13)警告以色列和猶大(v13-14)，不要隨從外邦人崇拜虛無的偶像，他們卻不聽。以致百姓被擄到亞述(v23)老死異鄉。試想，以色列不聽勸誡，以致亡國，帶給你什麼樣的警誡？
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。
In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah Hoshe'a the son of Elah began to reign in Sama'ria over Israel, and he reigned nine years.
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。
And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.
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。
Against him came up Shalmane'ser king of Assyria; and Hoshe'a became his vassal, and paid him tribute.
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。
But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshe'a; for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year; therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
17:5 亞述王上來攻擊以色列遍地，上到撒馬利亞，圍困三年。
Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Sama'ria, and for three years he besieged it.
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，並瑪代人的城邑。
In the ninth year of Hoshe'a the king of Assyria captured Sama'ria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
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 神，去敬畏別神，
And this was so, because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods
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。
and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs which the kings of Israel had introduced.
17:9 以色列人暗中行不正的事，違背耶和華─他們的 神，在他們所有的城邑，從瞭望樓直到堅固城，建築邱壇；
And the people of Israel did secretly against the LORD their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places at all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city;
17:10 在各高岡上、各青翠樹下立柱像和木偶；
they set up for themselves pillars and Ashe'rim on every high hill and under every green tree;
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；
and there they burned incense on all the high places, as the nations did whom the LORD carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger,
17:12 且事奉偶像，就是耶和華警戒他們不可行的。
and they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, "You shall not do this."
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。」
Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets."
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 神，
But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God.
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；
They despised his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and the warnings which he gave them. They went after false idols, and became false, and they followed the nations that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them.
17:16 離棄耶和華─他們 神的一切誡命，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，
And they forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for themselves molten images of two calves; and they made an Ashe'rah, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Ba'al.
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。
And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings, and used divination and sorcery, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
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。
Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight; none was left but the tribe of Judah only.
17:19 猶大人也不遵守耶和華─他們 神的誡命，隨從以色列人所立的條規。
Judah also did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the customs which Israel had introduced.
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，
And the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel, and afflicted them, and gave them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.
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。
When he had torn Israel from the house of David they made Jerobo'am the son of Nebat king. And Jerobo'am drove Israel from following the LORD and made them commit great sin.
17:22 以色列人犯耶羅波安所犯的一切罪，總不離開，
The people of Israel walked in all the sins which Jerobo'am did; they did not depart from them,
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。
until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had spoken by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria until this day.
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。
And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sephar-va'im, and placed them in the cities of Sama'ria instead of the people of Israel; and they took possession of Sama'ria, and dwelt in its cities.
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。
And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the LORD; therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them.
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。」
So the king of Assyria was told, "The nations which you have carried away and placed in the cities of Sama'ria do not know the law of the god of the land; therefore he has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them, because they do not know the law of the god of the land."
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。」
Then the king of Assyria commanded, "Send there one of the priests whom you carried away thence; and let him go and dwell there, and teach them the law of the god of the land."
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。
So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Sama'ria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.
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。
But every nation still made gods of its own, and put them in the shrines of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities in which they dwelt;
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；
the men of Babylon made Suc'coth-be'noth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashi'ma,
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。
and the Av'vites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sephar'vites burned their children in the fire to Adram'melech and Anam'melech, the gods of Sephar-va'im.
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。
They also feared the LORD, and appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places.
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。
So they feared the LORD but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.
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。〉
To this day they do according to the former manner. They do not fear the LORD, and they do not follow the statutes or the ordinances or the law or the commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel.
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。
The LORD made a covenant with them, and commanded them, "You shall not fear other gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them;
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。
but you shall fear the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm; you shall bow yourselves to him, and to him you shall sacrifice.
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。
And the statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment which he wrote for you, you shall always be careful to do. You shall not fear other gods,
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。
and you shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not fear other gods,
17:39 但要敬畏耶和華─你們的 神，他必救你們脫離一切仇敵的手。」
but you shall fear the LORD your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies."
17:40 他們卻不聽從，仍照先前的風俗去行。
However they would not listen, but they did according to their former manner.
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。
So these nations feared the LORD, and also served their graven images; their children likewise, and their children's children -- as their fathers did, so they do to this day.
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