受苦的仆人

53 谁相信我们所传的呢?

耶和华的大能向谁彰显过呢?
祂像嫩芽一样在耶和华面前长大,
像生长在旱地里的根。
祂没有轩昂俊美的外表可以吸引我们,
没有令我们羡慕的容貌。
祂被藐视,遭人厌弃,
饱受痛苦,历尽忧患。
人们对祂不屑一顾,
我们也不尊重祂。

其实祂担当了我们的忧患,
背负了我们的痛苦。
我们却以为是上帝责罚、
击打、苦待祂。
谁知祂是因我们的过犯而被刺透,
因我们的罪恶而被压伤。
我们因祂所受的刑罚而得到平安,
因祂所受的鞭伤而得到医治。
我们都像迷路的羊,
各人偏行己路,
但上帝却让祂承担我们众人的罪恶。
祂遭欺压、受痛苦,
却默然不语,
像被人牵去宰杀的羔羊,
又如在剪毛人手下一声不吭的绵羊。
祂被逮捕,受审判,被处死。
祂那个世代的人谁会想到祂受鞭打、
从世上被除去是因为我百姓的过犯呢?
虽然祂没有做过残暴之事,
口中也没有诡诈,
人却将祂与恶人同葬,
祂死后葬在富人的墓穴。

10 然而,祂被压伤、
受痛苦是耶和华的旨意;
祂的性命作了赎罪祭[a]
祂必看见自己的后裔,
祂必长久活着。
耶和华的旨意必在祂手中实现。
11 祂必看见自己劳苦的成果,
并心满意足。
耶和华说:“我公义的仆人必凭祂的知识使许多人被算为义人,
祂要担当他们的罪恶。
12 我要使祂与伟人同享尊荣,
跟强者同分战利品,
因为祂奉献了自己的生命。
祂被列在罪犯中,
却担当了许多人的罪,
又为罪人代求。”

主爱不移

54 耶和华说:“不生育、未生养的妇人啊,要欢唱;
未曾生产的女子啊,
要高歌、欢呼;
因为没有丈夫的比有丈夫的儿女更多。
要扩大你的帐篷,
尽量拉宽帐篷的幔子,
放长绳子,钉牢橛子。
因为你要向左右扩展,
你的后裔要统治列国,
使荒凉的城邑重新有人居住。

“不要惧怕,因为你不会再受羞辱;
不要怕,因为你不会再受凌辱。
你必忘记年轻时的羞辱,
不再想起寡居时的耻辱。
因为造你的是你的丈夫,
祂名叫万军之耶和华;
救赎你的是以色列的圣者,
祂是普天下的上帝。
耶和华要召你回来,
如同召一个遭遗弃、
心中忧伤的年轻妻子。
这是你的上帝说的。
我丢弃了你片刻,
但我要怀着极大的怜悯接你回来。
我盛怒之下暂时掩面不理你,
但我要以永远不变的慈爱怜悯你。
这是你的救赎主耶和华说的。

“这就像挪亚的时代,
我怎样起誓不让挪亚时代的洪水再淹没大地,
我也照样起誓不再向你发怒,
也不再斥责你。
10 大山可以挪开,
小山可以迁移,
但我的慈爱必不离开你,
我平安的约也不会更改。
这是怜悯你的耶和华说的。

11 “困苦不堪、饱经风雨、
得不着安慰的城啊,
我要以彩石作你的地基,
用蓝宝石来建造你,
12 用红宝石建你的城楼、
水晶造你的城门、
宝石建你的城墙。
13 你的儿女都必受耶和华的训诲,
安享太平。
14 你必因公义而坚立,
再不会受欺压,
也不会担惊受怕,
因为恐惧不会临近你。
15 倘若有人来攻打你,
那必不是我的旨意。
攻打你的必然失败。
16 看啊,是我造了扇旺炭火、
铸造合用兵器的铁匠,
是我造了毁灭者。
17 为攻击你而造的兵器必不能奏效,
你必驳倒控告你的人。
这是耶和华众仆人的产业,
是我给他们的胜利[b]
这是耶和华说的。”

上帝施恩典

55 耶和华说:“口渴的人啊,来喝水吧!
没有钱的人啊,
来买东西吃吧!
买酒买奶都不用付钱。
你们为什么花钱买不能充饥的食物?
为什么拿辛苦赚来的钱买不能令人饱足的东西?
要留心听我的话,
就可以吃美物,
享受丰盛的佳肴。
你们要到我这里来,
侧耳听我的话,就必得到生命。
我要跟你们立永久的约,
将应许给大卫的可靠恩福赐给你们。
我使他统管万民,
向万民做见证。
看啊,你必召集不认识的国民,
不认识你的国民必来投奔你,
因为以色列的圣者——你的上帝耶和华赐给你荣耀。”

要趁着还可以找到耶和华的时候寻找祂,
趁祂还在附近的时候求告祂。
愿邪恶的人停止作恶,
不义的人除掉恶念。
愿他们归向耶和华,
祂必怜悯他们;
愿他们归向我们的上帝,
祂必仁慈地赦免他们。
耶和华说:“我的意念并非你们的意念,
我的道路并非你们的道路。
正如天高过地,
我的道路也高过你们的道路,
我的意念也高过你们的意念。
10 雨雪从天降下,并不返回,
而是要滋润大地,
使地上的植物发芽生长,
叫播种的有种子,
吃饭的有食粮。
11 同样,我口中所出的话也不会徒然返回,
而是要成就我的旨意,
实现我的计划。
12 你们必欢欢喜喜地出来,
平平安安地蒙引导,
大山小山都要在你们面前歌唱,
田野的树木也都拍掌。
13 曾经的荆棘之地必长出松树,
曾经的蒺藜之地必长出番石榴。
这便是永远长存的记号,
以宣扬耶和华的名。”

Footnotes

  1. 53:10 祂的性命作了赎罪祭”或译“耶和华以祂的性命作赎罪祭”。
  2. 54:17 胜利”或译“公义”。

53 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

54 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.

In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

55 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

我保罗同西拉和提摩太写信给帖撒罗尼迦属于我们父上帝和主耶稣基督的教会。

愿我们的父上帝和主耶稣基督赐给你们恩典和平安!

感恩与劝勉

弟兄姊妹,我们应当为你们常常感谢上帝,这是合宜的,因为你们的信心不断增长,彼此相爱的心也不断增加。 因此,我们在上帝的众教会中夸奖你们在各种迫害和患难中的坚忍和信心。 你们这种表现正是上帝公义审判的明证,使你们配进上帝的国,你们正在为这国受苦。

上帝是公义的,祂必以患难来报应那些迫害你们的人。 当主耶稣和祂大能的天使在烈焰中从天上显现时,祂必使你们这些受苦的人和我们同得安慰, 惩罚那些不认识上帝、不听从有关我们主耶稣之福音的人。 那些人要受的刑罚就是离开主的面和祂荣耀的权能,永远灭亡。 10 主降临的那日,祂要在祂的众圣徒中得到荣耀,使所有的信徒惊叹不已。你们也会在当中,因为你们相信了我们做的见证。

11 因此,我们常常为你们祷告,愿我们的上帝看你们配得祂的呼召,用大能成全你们一切美好的心愿和凭信心所做的工作。 12 这样,按照我们的上帝和主耶稣基督所赐的恩典,主耶稣基督的名便在你们身上得到荣耀,你们也在祂身上得到荣耀。

Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:

12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.