做上帝的子民

“你们的上帝耶和华带领你们进入将要占领的土地时,会为你们赶走赫人、革迦撒人、亚摩利人、迦南人、比利洗人、希未人和耶布斯人这七个比你们强大的民族。 当你们的上帝耶和华把他们交在你们手里、使你们打败他们后,你们必须彻底毁灭他们。不可与他们立约,不可怜悯他们。 不可与他们通婚,不可让你们的儿女与他们的儿女通婚, 因为他们会让你们的儿女离弃耶和华去拜其他神明,以致耶和华向你们发怒,迅速毁灭你们。 你们要拆毁他们的祭坛,打碎他们的神柱,砍下他们的亚舍拉神像,焚烧他们的偶像。 因为你们属于你们的上帝耶和华,是圣洁的民族,祂从天下万族中拣选了你们做祂的子民——祂宝贵的产业。

“耶和华喜爱你们、拣选你们,不是因为你们的人口比别的民族多——其实你们在万族中是最小的—— 而是因为祂爱你们,遵守祂向你们祖先所起的誓。因此,祂用大能的手把你们从受奴役的地方领出来,从埃及王法老手中救赎了你们。 所以你们要知道,你们的上帝耶和华是真神,是信实的真神,祂向爱祂、遵守祂诫命的人守约、施慈爱直到千代。 10 但祂必毫不迟延地报应、毁灭那些恨祂的人。 11 所以,你们要遵行我今天吩咐你们的诫命、律例和典章。

遵守诫命必蒙福

12 “如果你们听从并谨遵这一切,你们的上帝耶和华就会信守祂给你们祖先的誓约,以慈爱待你们。 13 祂会爱你们,赐福给你们,使你们在祂向你们祖先起誓要赐给你们的土地上子孙昌盛,牛羊成群,收获丰富的谷物、新酒和油。 14 天下万族之中,你们是最蒙福的,你们的男人、女人和牲畜没有不能生育的。 15 耶和华要使你们免患疾病,免遭你们在埃及所见的恶疾,祂要把那些恶疾降在一切憎恶你们的人身上。 16 你们必须灭绝你们的上帝耶和华交在你们手里的各族,不可怜悯他们,不可拜他们的神明,因为那样会使你们陷入网罗。

17 “也许你们心里会说,‘这些民族都比我们强大,我们怎能赶走他们呢?’ 18 不要怕他们,要牢记你们的上帝耶和华曾如何对付埃及和法老, 19 你们亲眼目睹祂如何降下大灾难、行神迹奇事、伸出臂膀和大能的手领你们离开埃及,祂也要这样对付你们所惧怕的各族。 20 你们的上帝耶和华还要派黄蜂去攻击他们,直到躲藏起来的残存者也全部灭亡。 21 不要惧怕他们,因为你们的上帝耶和华住在你们当中,祂是伟大而可畏的上帝。 22 你们的上帝耶和华将在你们前面渐渐地赶走那些民族,你们不可急速地灭尽他们,否则你们周围的野兽会大增,危害你们。 23 你们的上帝耶和华要将他们交给你们,使他们惊恐万状,直到被灭绝。 24 祂要将他们的王交在你们手中,无人能抵挡你们,你们要毁灭他们,使他们的名字从世上绝迹。 25 你们要烧毁他们的神像,不可贪图神像上的金银,不可将那些金银据为己有,免得你们因此陷入网罗;因为那是你们的上帝耶和华所憎恶的。 26 不可把可憎之物带到家里,否则你们会像它们一样被毁灭。你们要极其憎恶、厌弃它们,因为它们是当毁灭之物。

特作 神的子民(A)

“耶和华你的 神领你进入你要去得为业的地,从你面前赶走许多民族,就是赫人、革迦撒人、亚摩利人、迦南人、比利洗人、希未人、耶布斯人,共七个比你又大又强的民族。 耶和华你的 神把他们交给你,你打败了他们的时候,你要完全毁灭他们,不可与他们立约,也不可恩待他们。 不可与他们通婚,不可把你的女儿嫁给他们的儿子,也不可为你的儿子娶他们的女儿。 因为他必使你的儿子离开我,去事奉别的神,以致耶和华向你们发烈怒,就快快地把你们消灭。 你们却要这样待他们:拆毁他们的祭坛,打碎他们的神柱,砍下他们的亚舍拉,用火焚烧他们的雕像。

“因为你是归耶和华你的 神作圣洁的子民的;耶和华你的 神从地上的万族中,拣选了你作他自己的产业,自己的子民。 耶和华喜爱你们,拣选你们,并不是因为你们的人数比别的民族多,其实你们的人数在万族中是最少的; 而是因为耶和华对你们的爱,又因为他遵守他向你们的列祖所起的誓,他才用大能的手把你们领出来,把你们从为奴之家,从埃及王法老的手里拯救出来。 所以你要知道耶和华你的 神,他是 神,是信实可靠的 神;他向爱他和守他诫命的人,守约并且施慈爱,直到千代。 10 但向恨他的人,却要当面报应他们,把他们灭尽;恨他的,他都要当面报应他,决不迟延。 11 所以你要谨守遵行我今日吩咐你的诫命、律例和典章。

遵行 神法典的赏赐(B)

12 “如果你们听从这些典章,并且谨守遵行这一切,耶和华你的 神就必照着他向你的列祖所起的誓,向你守约并且施慈爱。 13 他必爱你,赐福与你,使你人数增多,也必在他向你的列祖起誓应许给你的地上,赐福与你身所生的,你地所产的,使你的五谷、酒、油,以及牛犊和羊羔增产。 14 你必蒙福胜过万民;在你中间没有不能生育的男女,也没有不能生殖的牲畜。 15 耶和华必使一切病症离开你;你所知埃及各种的恶疾,他决不加在你身上,却加在一切恨你的人身上。 16 耶和华你的 神交给你的所有民族,你都要把他们消灭;你的眼不可怜惜他们;你也不可事奉他们的神,因为这必成为你的网罗。

17 “如果你心里说:‘这些国的人比我多,我怎能把他们赶出去呢?’ 18 你不要怕他们,只要牢牢地记住,耶和华你的 神向法老和全埃及所行的事, 19 就是你亲眼看见的大试验、神迹、奇事、大能的手和伸出来的膀臂,这都是耶和华你的 神领你出来的时候使用的;耶和华你的 神也必照样待你惧怕的所有民族。 20 耶和华你的 神还要打发大黄蜂飞到他们中间,直到那些残存躲藏起来的人,都从你面前消灭为止。 21 你不要因他们惊慌,因为耶和华你的 神是在你们中间,他是大而可畏的 神。 22 耶和华你的 神必把这些国的民,从你面前渐渐赶出去;你不可以把他们迅速地灭尽,恐怕田间的野兽多起来害你。 23 耶和华你的 神必把他们交在你面前,使他们大起扰乱,直到他们全被消灭。 24 他也必把他们的君王交在你的手中,你必使他们的名从天下消灭;必没有一人能在你面前站立得住,直到你把他们都消灭了。 25 他们的神像,你们要用火焚烧;神像上的金银,你不可贪爱,也不可据为己有,免得你因此陷入网罗;因为这是耶和华你的 神厌恶的。 26 可厌恶的物,你不可带进家里去,免得你与那物一样成了当毁灭的;你要非常憎恨它,十分厌恶它,因为这是当毁灭的物。”

When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;

And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.

For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.

For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

11 Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.

12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:

13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

14 Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.

15 And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.

16 And thou shalt consume all the people which the Lord thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.

17 If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?

18 Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;

19 The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the Lord thy God brought thee out: so shall the Lord thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.

20 Moreover the Lord thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.

21 Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the Lord thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.

22 And the Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.

23 But the Lord thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.

24 And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.

25 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therin: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God.

26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.