Article #11 the series: You Are God’s Masterpiece: The GenesisNotes.
你是神的杰作:《创世记手记》系列第十一篇
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Listen to the Chinese or English Audio
How are you being fruitful for God’s Kingdom? Are you pursuing God’s dreams for your life?
如何为神国生养众多呢？你在追逐神所赐的梦想吗？
When Noah and his family came off of the ark, God gave them two commands they should follow.
挪亚和家人出方舟后， 神要他们遵行两个命令。
Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.’
Genesis 9:1 NIV
神赐福给挪亚和他的儿子，对他们说：“你们要生养众多，遍满了地”。
创世记 9:1 CUVS
In Genesis chapter 10, we see the three sons of Noah doing just what God called them to do: increase and fill the earth. These three sons had many descendants. In fact all of the people of the world are descendants from Shem, Ham or Japheth.
在创世记第十章，我们看到挪亚的三个儿子遵行了神的命令：生养众多，遍满全地！三个儿子都生了很多后代-事实上，世上所有的人都是从闪、含和雅弗而来！
This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood.
Genesis 10:1 NIV
挪亚的儿子闪、含、雅弗的后代记在下面。洪水以后，他们都生了儿子。
创世记10:1 CUVS
After this verse, there is a long list of the descendants of Noah’s three sons. Their descendants are divided into three groups. Japheth’s descendants are called the Japhethites. The descendants of Shem are called Semites. From the Semites come the Jewish people. The descendants of Ham are called the Hamites.
这节经文后面记录了一大串挪亚三个儿子后代的名字。他们的后代分为三组。雅弗的后裔被称为雅弗人。闪的后裔被称为闪族人。犹太人就出自闪族人。含的后裔被称为含族人。
These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.
Genesis 10:32 NIV
这些都是挪亚的三个儿子的宗族，各随他们的支派立国。洪水以后，他们在地上分为邦国。
创世记 10:32 CUVS
Many of the descendants of Ham, and the cities they settled, may be familiar names: Egypt, Babylon, Nineveh, Sodom, Gomorrah. Do you remember the curse placed on Ham in chapter 9? How do you think the curse placed on Ham impacted his descendants?
很多含后代及他们居住地的名字或许为众人熟知：埃及、巴比伦、尼尼微、所多玛和蛾摩拉。你还记得在第九章中含受到了怎样的咒诅吗？你认为含所受的咒诅是如何影响他的后代的？
These cities in the Bible were notorious for worshipping false gods, having sinful lifestyles or being enemies of Israel. The sins of Ham were passed down to his descendants. But there were many times in history when God, in His mercy, gave these cities opportunities to repent of their wickedness and follow God. God sent Jonah to Nineveh and they repented. Nebuchadnezzar was a king of Babylon who repented and acknowledged the one true God. Even though Ham passed on a curse to his descendants, God gave them opportunities to turn to Him and be saved.
圣经中提到的这些地方因伺奉假神，活在罪恶中，甚至与以色列人为敌而臭名昭著。含的罪传给了他的后裔。但在历史上，神曾多次向这些地方施怜悯，给他们机会从罪恶中悔改而跟随神。神派约拿去尼尼微城，百姓悔改了；尼布甲尼撒曾是巴比伦的王，他也悔改了，并宣告耶和华是独一的真 神。即使含的咒诅延续至后代身上， 神仍旧给了他们回转并得救的机会。
Your family may also have some darkness in the past. Your ancestors may have worshipped false gods or lived a sinful lifestyle. The good news is, in Christ, any family sin, sickness, curse or dark past can be washed away by the blood of Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross, He died for the sins of the world and to cancel any curse and heal any disease. As we come to Jesus and repent of our sins Jesus forgives us. Curses are removed and replaced by God’s blessings.
你的家族或许也曾经历过至暗时刻，你的祖先也可能伺奉假神或活在罪中。好消息是，在基督里，任何家族的罪、疾病、咒诅或黑暗的过往都能被耶稣的宝血洗净。当耶稣被钉死在十字架上，衪就为这个世界的罪而死，为要除掉一切的咒诅，为要医治疾病。当我们来到耶稣面前认罪，耶稣就会赦免我们。咒诅被消除，取而代之的是 神的祝福.
Ask Him to forgive you of your participation in any sinful attitude, words or actions and receive His forgiveness. Ask Him to bring a blessing into your life and the life of your family.
求神赦免你参与的任何有罪的态度、言语或行为，领受衪的饶恕！求衪赐福予你的生命和家人的生命。
The Tower of Babel
巴别塔
All of the descendants of Shem, Ham and Japheth shared a common language and they moved together to the east and settled in Shinar. Developing modern building technologies by inventing the use of brick and tar to make a strong structure, they began to build a tower. What were their goals as they built this tower?
那时闪、含和雅弗后裔的口音言语都是一样的，他们往东边迁移在示拿地安顿下来。他们发明了用砖和沥青来加固结构的方法，由此发明了建造现代大厦的技术，就开始建造一座塔，他们建塔的目的是什么呢？
Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
Genesis 11:1-4 NIV
那时，天下人的口音言语都是一样。他们往东边迁移的时候，在示拿地遇见一片平原，就住在那里。他们彼此商量说：”来吧，我们要作砖，把砖烧透了。“他们就拿砖当石头，又拿石漆当灰泥。他们说：”来吧，我们要建造一座城和一座塔，塔顶通天，为要传扬我们的名，免得我们分散在全地上。“
创世记 11:1-4 CUVS
Their human desire to make a name for themselves pushed them to reach skyward as high as possible. Did they think they could reach heaven? They also wanted to all stay together in one place.
人类的欲望是为要传扬自己的名，尽可能地让自己升高去触及天空。他们是否觉得自己可以通天呢？他们还想让众人都聚集在一处。
How did these goals go against God’s commands and plans? God had commanded them to fill the earth, but they did not want to go. They wanted to stay together, and their pride pushed them to build higher and be known.
这些目标是如何与 神的命令和计划背道而驰的呢？神命令他们要遍满全地，但他们却不想去，只想聚在一处。内心的骄傲促使他们建造高塔来传扬自己的名。
But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel —because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
Genesis 11:5-9 NIV
耶和华降临，要看看世人所建造的城和塔。耶和华说：”看哪，他们成为一样的人民，都是一样的言语，如今既作起这事来，以后他们所要作的事就没有不成就的了。我们下去，在那里变乱他们的口音，使他们的言语彼此不通。“于是，耶和华使他们从那里分散在全地上，他们就停工不造那城了。因为耶和华在那里变乱天下人的言语，使众人分散在全地上，所以那城名叫巴别（就是”变乱“的意思）
创世记11:5-9 CUVS
The Lord saw what they were doing and knew nothing would be impossible for them to accomplish. With their selfish ambition the outcome would not honor God. So God confused the languages of the people. They all began to speak different languages and as a result – they did what God had originally commanded them to do – they scattered over all the earth.
神见他们所行的，就知道他们要做的事没有不成就的。他们自私的野心最终肯定不会荣耀神。因此 神变乱人的口音，他们开始说不同的语言，结果就是 他们遵行了神起初的命令，遍满全地。
Sometimes this happens in our individual lives. Because of our pride, selfish ambition or sinfulness we behave according to our own plans, not according to God’s way or God’s plan for our life. We think we know what is best rather than follow God. Following their own ambitions is what the people were doing as they built their tower. They were quite successful except for the fact they were not doing what God had commanded them to do: fill the earth. But filling the earth was so important to God, He confused their language which resulted in His goal of filling His creation with people. The other obvious result is a difficulty in communication which we still live with today. As a foreigner living in China and studying Chinese, I face this difficulty every day.
有时我们个人的生命中也会发生这种事情。因着我们的骄傲、自私的野心或罪，我们会按照自己的计划行事，而不是按照 神的道，或 神为我们生命制定的计划行事。我们自认懂得什么是最好的，胜过听从 神的旨意。当他们建塔时，就正是随从自己的野心而行事。他们也确实做得很成功，然而他们没有遵照 神所吩咐的去行：遍满全地。可是遍满全地这点对 神而言非常重要，所以 神变乱人的口音言语，才最终达成这个目标，将人遍满所造的世界。另一个显而易见的结果就是，直到今日我们仍然会有交流的困难。身为一个生活在中国，并学习中文的外国人，我每天都要面对这个难题！
Maybe you have had an experience similar to the building of the Tower of Babel. Have you ever disobeyed one of God’s commands? Or have you ever ignored God’s direction for your life and have done what you wanted instead? What was the result? Did you also face difficulties going your own way?
也许你曾有过与建造巴别塔相似的经历。你以前有没有不顺服 神的命令呢？或者忽视 神对你生命的指引，随已意而行呢？结果如何？你在偏行己路时是否也遇过困难？
From all families to one family
从万族到一族
Chapter 11 begins with all of the people of the world living and working together. But now our story is going to narrow in on one of Noah’s sons, Shem. And then we are going to focus in on one family, Terah’s family. Eventually we are going to zoom right in on one man, Abram. But before we get to Abram we need to know about his family.
十一章的开头讲了天下人都在一起生活工作。不过现在我们的故事聚焦在挪亚儿子闪的身上。接下来我们会关注一个家族，他拉的家族。最终就会聚焦在一个人身上：亚伯兰。但是在我们介绍亚伯兰之前，我们需要先了解一下他的家族。
There is a detailed account of the generations leading from Shem to Terah and Abram. Noah lived to be 950 years old and Shem lived to be 600 years old. Because of their old age they would have been living at the time of Abram. In fact, Shem could have known Isaac and even Jacob.
圣经上详细记载了从闪到他拉一直到亚伯兰的后代。挪亚活了950岁，闪活了600岁。由于他们寿数很长，可以一直活到亚伯兰的时代。事实上，闪有可能认识以扫和雅各！
Terah
他拉
The narrative of Abram starts with his father, Terah, a man who according to Joshua worshipped other gods.
对亚伯兰的叙述是从他父亲他拉开始的，据《约书亚记》所记载，他拉伺奉别神。
“Joshua said to all the people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshipped other gods.’”
Joshua 24:2 NASB
约书亚对众民说：”耶和华以色列的 神如此说：古时你们的列祖，就是亚伯拉罕和拿鹤的父亲他拉，住在大河那边伺奉别神。
约书亚记 24:2 CUVS
Terah had three sons, Abram, Nahor and Haran and at least one daughter, Sarai. Their home was Ur of the Chaldeans. His son, Haran, died at a young age, but not before he had a son, Lot.
他拉有三个儿子，亚伯兰、拿鹤和哈兰，至少还有一个女儿撒莱。他们家位于迦勒底的吾珥。他的儿子哈兰在年少时去世，死前留下一个儿子罗得。
This is the account of Terah’s family line. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milkah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milkah and Iskah. Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive. Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran.
Genesis 11:27-32 NIV
他拉的后代记在下面：他拉生亚伯兰、拿鹤、哈兰。哈兰生罗得。哈兰死在他的本地迦勒底的吾珥，在他父亲他拉之先。亚伯兰、拿鹤各娶了妻：亚伯兰的妻子名叫撒莱；拿鹤的妻子名叫密迦，是哈兰的女儿；哈兰是密迦和亦迦的父亲。撒莱不生育。没有孩子。他拉带着他儿子亚伯兰和他孙子哈兰的儿子罗得，并他儿妇亚伯兰的妻子撒莱，出了迦勒底的吾珥，要往迦南地去。他们走到哈兰就住在那里。他拉共活了二百零五岁，就死在哈兰。
创世记11:27-32 CUVS
Terah’s big move towards Canaan
他拉往迦南地大迁移
Terah was determined to move to a new home: Canaan. He took with him Abram, Sarai and Lot. But he left behind Nahor and his wife, Milkah. Terah’s goal was to reach Canaan. Did God put this desire for the Promised Land into this man’s heart even before God called Abram to go? We do not know why Terah made this decision to move, but we do know he did not reach his goal. He made it only as far as Haran. The plan of moving to Canaan was delayed by their stay in Haran. They settled there and at the young age of 205 Terah died in that place. Terah was a man who worshipped other gods, not the true God. Without God’s power and direction in his life, he did not reach the goal of Canaan. He only made it as far as Haran.
他拉决定迁去新家：迦南。他带着亚伯兰、撒莱和罗得，却留下了拿鹤和他的妻子密迦。他拉的目标是去到迦南， 神是不是在呼召亚伯兰之前就已经把进入应许之地的愿望放在他拉心里了呢？我们不知道他拉为什么决定要迁移，但可以肯定的是他并没有达成目标。他最多走到哈兰，他们住在哈兰后，迁去迦南的计划就被耽延了。他们就在哈兰安顿下来，他拉205岁时死在那里。他拉伺奉假神，而不是真神。没有神的大能和对他生命的指引，他无法抵达目的地迦南，他最远只到了哈兰。
But the dream of going to Canaan lived on in his son, Abram. And when the time was right God was going to call Abram to this special place to be a family who would become God’s special chosen people.
但是去往迦南的梦想却在他儿子亚伯兰心里扎了根，最后，当时机成熟， 神就会呼召亚伯兰去到这个特殊的地方，亚伯兰一族将成为 神特别拣选的子民。
Has God put a dream in your heart? Is there a passion, desire, destination, mission or longing from the Lord in you? Pursue His dreams and plans for you. Do not be delayed in a place like Haran. Do not let God’s plan for your life be passed on to another person to accomplish. Are you trusting in God’s leading and direction? Have you asked God what is your mission in life?
神有没有将梦想置于你的心中? 你心里有从 神来的热情、意愿、目标、使命和渴望吗？去追逐 神所赐的梦想和计划吧！千万不要在某处耽延，就像在哈兰一样，不要让神为你所预备的计划却交给了别人来实现。你相信 神的指引和带领吗? 你是否求问过神，你生命的使命是什么？
