旧约 - 箴言(Proverbs)第1章

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight;
for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;
for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young--
let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance--
for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.
If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul;
let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;
throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse"--
my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;
for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.
How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!
These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves!
Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.
Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;
at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:
"How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,
since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,
I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you--
when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
"Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.
Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD,
since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
箴言第一章   第 1 章 

  箴 1:1> 圣经中的箴言,与属世的格言有什么不同吗? 

  1:1 若说诗篇多适用于祷告及灵修生活的话,箴言则较适用于日常生活。箴言对实际生活提供了可行的建议。这卷书不单是一部悦耳的嘉言荟萃,更包含从经验所得的属灵洞见。箴言语言精炼,充满智慧,容易掌握,并能处处付诸实践。它并不针对灵性与道德的基本信仰提出争辩;作者假定读者已经持守了这些。这卷书是以神为中心,藉书中的箴言认识神的特性、作为和祝福,并教导我们怎样在生活中与祂建立亲密的关系。 

  箴 1:1> 所罗门运用神赐的智慧写箴言,我用神的恩赐做什么? 

  1:1 所罗门继父亲大卫王成为以色列第三任君王。那时正是以色列历史上的黄金时代。所罗门初作王时,神应许他可以随意向祂祈求。所罗门祈求有智慧(参王上 3:5-14 )。神对此很喜悦,不但赐给他智慧,并且赐给他极大的财富和权力,使他享有一个太平的盛世。所罗门在耶路撒冷建造了金碧辉煌的圣殿(参王上 6 章),并写了大部分的箴言(有关所罗门其他的事迹,请参王上 4 章人物介绍)。 

  箴 1:6> 1:6 谜语可激发人思考。 

  理解箴言 

  箴 1:7> “这事我知道!肯定是……”──这是不是你对事物的自然反应? 

  1:7 最令人讨厌的一种人就是那些自以为知道一切的人。他们对一切事皆有一种武断的看法,不肯听新的建议,恨恶管教,不肯学习。所罗门称这种人为愚妄人。不要自以为万事皆知,要虚心听取别人的劝告,尤其是听认识你、又能给你宝贵意见之人的话,也要学习怎样从别人身上学到功课。要记住只有神明了万事。 

  箴 1:7-9> 知识不等于智慧?我还以为…… 

  1:7-9 在这个资讯发达的时代,知识虽然丰富,智慧却很缺乏。其实智慧远胜过知识,它影响人生各方面的基本态度。知识的基础在于敬畏耶和华,就是尊崇祂,对祂的权力肃然起敬,并且顺服祂的话语。信靠神应是你生活的最高原则,它影响你的态度与行为,以及你对世界的了解。只要你信靠神,祂必会使你有真正的智慧。 

  箴 1:8> 父母的影响对一个人的成长至关重要,我如何为人父母? 

  1:8 人的行为比话语的影响力更大,在家庭中尤其如此。孩子每天都会留意父母的行为以及对事物的反应,从中学习道德、价值观和优先考虑的事。如果父母非常敬虔、倚靠神的话,儿女自然会仿效这种榜样,学会这种态度。要使他们看出你尊崇神,就该重视家庭生活里敬拜与读经的时间,从而教导孩子过敬虔的生活。 

  箴 1:10-19> 合伙打劫的事我怎会去干?那么,贪恋财利呢? 

  1:10-19 罪会引诱人,因为它可以使人走捷径而成功,让我们得到群体的认同。但在我们随从别人,不听从真理的时候,我们就成为欲望的奴隶,去做任何满足欲望的事。罪即使对我们再有吸引力,也会致命。我们必须慎重选择,不要投肉体所好或寻求短暂的欢乐,要考虑长远的影响。有时必须与那些会引诱我们的人完全隔绝,以避免我们明知故犯。我们不能既与罪恶为友,又指望本身不受其影响。 

  箴 1:19> “供房子、供车子、养家……钱好像越来越不够用了……”怎么回事呢? 

  1:19 “贪恋财利”在这里意指追求不义之财。这是撒但最牢固的网罗之一。它先是给人一种暗示,叫人觉得若没有更多的财产或金钱就不能活下去,之后这种欲望在人心里越烧越旺,使人无法摆脱。要在这些欲望摧毁我们以前,求神赐智慧使我们认识一切的贪欲,神必帮助我们战胜它。 

  箴 1:20> 智慧在呼喊,神在说话,我听了多少? 

  1:20 箴言作者在这里运用拟人法,将智慧比喻为人在街上喊叫,以加深读者的印象。智慧并不是一种外在实物,而是神启示的意念。我们读到耶稣基督在地上的事迹,就能看出神的智慧。若想明白怎样能有智慧,就要聆听箴言里智慧对我们的呼唤和教诲(参 14 章附表、提后 2:7 ;雅 1:5 )。切不可放过神赐我们智慧的机会。 

  箴 1:22> “愚昧人、愚顽人”是指笨蛋、傻瓜吗? 

  1:22 箴言中所称的“愚昧人”或“愚顽人”,并不是指智力上有缺陷的人,而是性格上有缺陷(例如悖逆、懒惰、易怒等)的人。这种愚昧人并不笨,只是不能分辨是非与善恶。 

  箴 1:23-28> 我什么时候不愿意听神的话?是我自以为都知道了的时候吗? 

  1:23-28 神非常乐意向我们倾吐心意,使我们明白祂的心思。我们必须愿意聆听祂的劝戒,不要让骄傲阻碍了我们。骄傲就是高估我们自己的智慧,看一己的欲望比神还重要。假使我们以为自己比神明白得多,或觉得不需要神指引的话,我们就陷入愚昧、无可救药的骄傲之中。 

  箴 1:31-32> “好汉做事好汉当!”──问题是都能当得了吗? 

  1:31-32 箴言在多处指出“自结的果子”就是人在今世要面对的后果。在面对是要神的智慧或是反叛独立时,许多人往往选择我行我素。然而他们必被自己所制造的困扰毁灭。不要忽视神的劝戒,即使这会使你现在很痛苦,却会保守你将来免受更大的痛苦。 

  圣经称为有智慧的人──《灵修版圣经注释》