1
Ezr 9:1-4.
英文原文
Ezr 9:1-4.
EZRA MOURNS FOR THE AFFINITY OF THE PEOPLE WITH STRANGERS.
1, 2. Now when these things were done--The first days after Ezra's arrival in Jerusalem were occupied in executing the different trusts committed to him. The nature and design of the office with which the royal authority had invested him was publicly made known to his own people by the formal delivery of the contribution and the sacred vessels brought from Babylon to the priests to be deposited in the temple. Then his credentials were privately presented to the provincial governors; and by this prudent, orderly proceeding he put himself in the best position to avail himself of all the advantages guaranteed him by the king. On a superficial view everything contributed to gratify his patriotic feelings in the apparently flourishing state of the church and country. But a further acquaintance discovered the existence of great corruptions, which demanded immediate correction. One was particularly brought under his notice as being the source and origin of all others; namely, a serious abuse that was practised respecting the law of marriage.
the princes came to me, saying--The information they lodged with Ezra was to the effect that numbers of the people, in violation of the divine law
(De 7:2, 3),
had contracted marriages with Gentile women, and that the guilt of the disorderly practice, far from being confined to the lower classes, was shared in by several of the priests and Levites, as well as of the leading men in the country. This great irregularity would inevitably bring many evils in its train; it would encourage and increase idolatry, as well as break down the barriers of distinction which, for important purposes, God had raised between the Israelites and all other people. Ezra foresaw these dangerous consequences, but was overwhelmed with a sense of the difficulty of correcting the evil, when matrimonial alliances had been formed, families had been reared, affections engaged, and important interests established.
3
無標題
3. 我一聽見這事，便撕裂外袍和衣裳等——即外袍與內衣，這不僅是極大悲哀的記號，也是對神震怒同時感到戰兢的表現；
拔了頭髮和鬍鬚——這是更為有力的、表明難以抑制之哀慟的記號。
英文原文
3. when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, &c.--the outer and inner garment, which was a token not only of great grief, but of dread at the same time of the divine wrath;
plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard--which was a still more significant sign of overpowering grief.
4
無標題
4. 凡為以色列神言語戰兢的，都因被擄歸回之人的罪，聚集到我這裡來等——所有敬虔之人，凡敬畏神的話語、畏懼其警告與審判的，都與以斯拉一同為百姓的罪哀慟，並商討補救之策。
我驚懼而坐，直到晚祭的時候——那些因犯罪而被擄的人，如今雖獲歸回，卻仍不肯悔改，竟如此公然違背神的律法，這消息使以斯拉心受震撞，一時之間不能言語，也不能行動。晚祭的時候是百姓照例聚集之時；他在那時再一撕裂頭髮和衣服，公開禱告認罪。
英文原文
4. Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, &c.--All the pious people who reverenced God's word and dreaded its threatenings and judgments joined with Ezra in bewailing the public sin, and devising the means of redressing it.
I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice--The intelligence of so gross a violation of God's law by those who had been carried into captivity on account of their sins, and who, though restored, were yet unreformed, produced such a stunning effect on the mind of Ezra that he remained for a while incapable either of speech or of action. The hour of the evening sacrifice was the usual time of the people assembling; and at that season, having again rent his hair and garments, he made public prayer and confession of sin.
5
Ezr 9:5-15.
Ezr 9:5-15.
向神禱告
5-15. 我雙膝跪下，向耶和華我的神舉手——他這次禱告的負擔是在深切感到緊急之情的情況下發出的；他為這罪之公然嚴重、以及百姓剛受了神重重的懲罰之後仍大膽不敬地繼續犯罪而深為震驚。神已開始以使部分人歸回作為向以色列施恩的兆頭。但這反而加重了他們的罪——因為他們剛剛在故土重建，就公然違背了那吩咐他們剪除迦南人的明文且反覆的誡命。他呼喊說，這樣的行為必定招惹被得罪的上天降下大罰，也必使我們僅剩的小小餘民遭到滅沒，除非靠神恩典的助佑，我們悔改，並藉立即而徹底的改革結出悔改的果子來。
英文原文
Ezr 9:5-15.
PRAYS TO GOD.
5-15. I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God--The burden of his prayer, which was dictated by a deep sense of the emergency, was that he was overwhelmed at the flagrant enormity of this sin, and the bold impiety of continuing in it after having, as a people, so recently experienced the heavy marks of the divine displeasure. God had begun to show returning favor to Israel by the restoration of some. But this only aggravated their sin, that, so soon after their re-establishment in their native land, they openly violated the express and repeated precepts which commanded them to extirpate the Canaanites. Such conduct, he exclaimed, could issue only in drawing down some great punishment from offended Heaven and ensuring the destruction of the small remnant of us that is left, unless, by the help of divine grace, we repent and bring forth the fruits of repentance in an immediate and thorough reformation.
Ezr 9:1-4.
以斯拉因百姓與異族通婚而哀慟
1, 2. 這些事完了以後——以斯拉抵達耶路撒冷後的頭幾天，忙於辦理所託付的各項事務。王權所授予他職務的性質與宗旨，已藉著將自巴比倫帶來的捐銀和聖殿器皿正式交付祭司存於聖殿中，而向其本國民公開宣明。隨後他又將憑證私下呈交各省省長；這種審慎有序的步驟，使他處於最有利的位置，得以充分運用王所賜的一切特權。從表面看來，教會與國家一片興旺，一切都令他的愛國之心感到欣慰。但進一步了解之後，卻發現存在著嚴重的腐敗，急需立即糾正。其中有一項尤為引起他的注意，被視作其他一切禍患的根源；即在婚姻律法上存在的嚴重弊端。
眾首領來見我說——他們向以斯拉所報告的是：許多百姓違背神的律法
（De 7:2, 3），
已與外邦女子結親，而且這種混亂行為的罪責並不僅限於平民，竟連祭司和利未人中間，以及國內的領袖人物之中也有牽涉。這等嚴重違規必然帶來許多禍患；它既會助長並加劇偶像崇拜，又會破壞神為著重要目的而在以色列人與萬民之間所設立的分別。以斯拉預見這些危險後果，但想到一旦婚姻關係既已締結、家庭既已建立、感情既已投入、重大利益既已形成，要糾正此弊實在難如登天，便覺力不能勝。