耶穌正傳——第五章
CHAPTER 5
第五章
Three magian priests honor Jesus. Herod is alarmed. Calls a council of the Jews. Is told that prophets had foretold the coming of a king. Herod resolves to kill the child. Mary and Joseph take Jesus and flee into Egypt.
三位美吉祭司前來向耶穌致敬。希律心中惶恐，就召集了猶太的首領，得知諸先知曾預言一位王要降臨，便決心除掉那小孩子。馬利亞和約瑟就帶著耶穌逃往埃及。
BEYOND the river Euphrates the magians lived;and they were wise, could read the language of the stars, and they divined that one, a master soul, was born;they saw his star above Jerusalem.
1、在幼發拉底河外住著一些美吉智者，他們懂得星象，算出有一位主已經降生，看到他的星出現在耶路撒冷的上空。
2) And there were three among the magian priests who longed to see the master of the coming age;and they took costly gifts and hastened to the West in search of him, the newborn king, that they might honor him.
2、美吉祭司中有三位希望能拜見將來時代的主，便帶上珍貴的禮物，急忙往西方去尋訪新生王，好向他致敬。
3) And one took gold, the symbol of nobility;another myrrh, the symbol of dominion and of power;
3、一位帶著黃金，象徵尊貴；一位帶著沒藥，象徵權柄和能力；
gum-thus the other took, the symbol of the wisdom of the sage.
一位帶著乳香，象徵聖人的智慧。
4) Now when the magians reached Jerusalem the people were amazed, and wondered who they were and why they came.
4、到了耶路撒冷，百姓都很希奇，不知他們是誰，從何而來。
5) And when they asked, Where is the child that has been born a king? the very throne of Herod seemed to shake.
5、當他們問那生來作王的孩子在哪裡時，希律的寶座似乎在晃動。
6) And Herod sent a courtier forth to bring the magians to his court.
6、希律打發一位侍衛，將美吉們帶到宮廷。
7) And when they came they asked again, Where is the newborn king? And then they said, While yet beyond the Euphrates we saw his star arise, and we have come to honor him.
7、到了，他們又詢問新生王在何處。他們說，在幼發拉底河外，他們看見他的星升起，特來向他致敬。
8) And Herod blanched with fear. He thought, perhaps, the priests were plotting to restore the kingdom of the Jews, and so he said within himself, I will know more about this child that has been born a king.
8、希律聽了，臉色驚恐發白，心想祭司們或許想匡復猶太王國，便自言自語說，我得多了解這生來作王的小孩。
9) And so he told the magian priests to tarry in the city for a while and he would tell them all about the king.
9、希律就請美吉祭司們在城裡多住幾日，然後告訴他們有關那王的一切。
10) He called in council all the Jewish masters of the law and asked, What have the Jewish prophets said concerning such a one?
10、於是將所有猶太律法師召來，問他們說，論到這王，猶太先知們怎麼說？
11) The Jewish masters answered him and said, The prophets long ago foretold that one would come to rule the tribes of Israel;that this Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
11、猶太律法師們回答說，古時的先知曾預言有一位王要來治理以色列各支派，該彌賽亞將生在伯利恆。
12) They said, The prophet Micah wrote, O Bethlehem Judea, a little place among the Judean hills, yet out of you will one come forth to rule my people, Israel;yea, one who lived in olden times, in very ancient days .
12、先知彌迦曾記著說，猶大的伯利恆啊，你在猶大諸城中為小，將來必有一位從你那裡出來，在以色列中為我掌權。他的根源從亙古、從太初就有。
13) Then Herod called the magian priests again and told them what the masters of the Jewish law had said;and then he sent them on the way to Bethlehem.
13、希律又召美吉祭司們來，將猶太律法師所說的話告訴他們，然後打發他們往伯利恆去。
14) He said, Go search, and if you find the child that has been born a king, return and tell me all, that I may go and honor him.
14、他說，你們去尋訪那生來作王的孩子，找著了就來告訴我，我也好去拜他。
15) The magians went their way and found the child with Mary in the shepherd's home.
15、美吉們就去了，在牧羊人的家裡找到了孩子和馬利亞，
16) They honored him;bestowed upon him precious gifts and gave him gold, gum-thus and myrrh.
16、就向他致敬，並獻上珍貴的禮物，呈上黃金、乳香、沒藥。
17) These magian priests could read the hearts of men;they read the wickedness of Herod's heart, and knew that he had sworn to kill the new born king.
17、美吉祭司能讀人心，洞察了希律心中的邪惡，知道他想要除掉新生王。
18) And so they told the secret to the parents of the child, and bid them flee beyond the reach of harm.
18、於是他們將這秘密告訴了孩子的父母，叫他們逃難。
19) And then the priests went on their homeward way;they went not through Jerusalem.
19、事後，祭司們踏上回家的路，沒有經過耶路撒冷。
20) And Joseph took the infant Jesus and his mother in the night and fled to Egypt land, and with Elihu and Salome in ancient Zoan they abode.
20、夜間，約瑟帶著孩子耶穌和他母親逃到埃及，同以利戶、撒羅米住在古城鎖安。