《西拉子智训》12章——施舍与人际交往中的辨别智慧

《西拉子智训》12章教导读者要明智地施舍——施予虔敬和谦卑的人,而不帮助罪人——并对伪装敌意的仇敌保持警觉。

德训篇

第12章

  1. 1.如果你行善,就要知道你是对谁行善,这样你就会因你的好行为而受到感谢。If you do a kindness, know to whom you do it, and you will be thanked for your good deeds.
  2. 2.对待义人要行善,若不是他报答你,至高的神必会报答你。Do good to a godly man, and you will be repaid— if not by him, certainly by the Most High.
  3. 3.坚持作恶的人和不施舍的人,都不会有好结果。No good will come to the man who persists in evil or to him who does not give alms.
  4. 4.将善待义人,却不要帮助罪人。Give to the godly man, but do not help the sinner.
  5. 5.对谦卑的人要行善,不要给不虔诚的人;要留住他的食物,不要给他,免得他靠着这食物制伏你;因为你对他行的所有善事,他会加倍用恶报你。Do good to the humble, but do not give to the ungodly; hold back his bread, and do not give it to him, lest by means of it he subdue you; for you will receive twice as much evil for all the good which you do to him.
  6. 6.至高者也憎恶罪人,并要惩罚不虔之人。For the Most High also hates sinners and will inflict punishment on the ungodly.
  7. 7.给义人,但不帮助罪人。Give to the good man, but do not help the sinner.
  8. 8.在顺境中不会显现朋友,在逆境中不会隐藏敌人。A friend will not be known in prosperity, nor will an enemy be hidden in adversity.
  9. 9.一个人得意时,敌人便会忧伤,到了他遭难的时候,连朋友也会离他而去。A man’s enemies are grieved when he prospers, and in his adversity even his friend will separate from him.
  10. 10.永远不要相信你的敌人,因为他的邪恶就像铜的生锈一样。Never trust your enemy, for like the rusting of copper, so is his wickedness.
  11. 11.即使他谦卑自己,畏缩地行事,你也要谨慎提防他,你就会像磨亮镜子一样对待他,你就会知道它并没有完全失去光泽。Even if he humbles himself and goes about cringing, watch yourself, and be on your guard against him; and you will be to him like one who has polished a mirror, and you will know that it was not hopelessly tarnished.
  12. 12.不要把他放在你旁边,否则他会推翻你,取代你的位置;不要让他坐在你的右边,否则他会试图取代你的荣位,最后你会认识到我言语的真实,并被我所说的话刺痛。Do not put him next to you, lest he overthrow you and take your place; do not have him sit at your right, lest he try to take your seat of honor, and at last you will realize the truth of my words, and be stung by what I have said.
  13. 13.谁会可怜被蛇咬的蛇夫,或是靠近野兽的人呢!Who will pity a snake charmer bitten by a serpent, or any who go near wild beasts?
  14. 14.所以没有人会可怜与罪人来往、参与他罪恶的人。So no one will pity a man who associates with a sinner and becomes involved in his sins.
  15. 15.他会暂时与你同在,但如果你动摇,他就不会站在你这一边。He will stay with you for a time, but if you falter, he will not stand by you.
  16. 16.敌人会用嘴唇说甜言蜜语,但在他心中却计划要把你投入坑中;敌人会流眼泪,但如果他找到机会,他的杀戮欲望将是不可满足的。An enemy will speak sweetly with his lips, but in his mind he will plan to throw you into a pit; an enemy will weep with his eyes, but if he finds an opportunity his thirst for blood will be insatiable.
  17. 17.如果灾祸降临到你身上,你会发现他已经在那里等着你;并且在假装帮助你的同时,他会在你脚后跟处绊倒你;If calamity befalls you, you will find him there ahead of you; and while pretending to help you, he will trip you by the heel;
  18. 18.他将摇头、拍手、低声细语、并改变表情。he will shake his head, and clap his hands, and whisper much, and change his expression.

这段经文的意思

本章开篇即呼吁在行善时须有辨别之心。读者被告知要施予敬虔之人,却不要帮助罪人;要善待谦卑者,却不要把饼分给不敬虔之人。其理由兼具实践与神学两层:不敬虔之人会将善待反噬为利器,至高者同样憎恨罪人,必会报应恶人。换言之,慷慨并非脱离道德判断的单纯行为,而是要受领受者品格的引导。

本章的第二部分从施舍转向对人的辨察。人在顺境中无法真正认识朋友,在逆境中也无法隐藏仇敌;两种关系都要经受处境变迁的考验。文中对仇敌的刻画尤为细致:他谦卑俯就,举步卑躬,嘴上甜言蜜语,心里却盘算着要将读者推入深坑;他眼中含泪,内心却渴饮人血。读者被警告绝不可信任这样的人,不可让他坐在自己的右手边,恐怕他夺去尊位。

本章的结尾以一个比喻收束论点:没有人会同情被毒蛇咬伤的耍蛇人,也没有人应当同情与罪人为伴、共负其罪的人。这样的同伴只在一切顺遂时才留下;读者若遭遇挫败,他必不肯相扶。本章的结尾正与开头相呼应——仍在于分辨盟友与敌手,并将恩慈只施予道德上相宜之人。

背景

所附的章节说明指出,《西拉子智训》12章系从P0/P1之外补入,这意味着该段内容属于全书更广阔智慧集的一部分,而非位于指定的核主题之内。本章本身读来便是一段自成一体的教导,论于施舍与评估友敌两个领域的辨别智慧,由一系列箴言式的短句构成。

由于所提供的经文交叉引用清单与原文词汇清单均为空,本章在此仅依据其自身文本加以处理,不引入外部的地理、历史或词义背景,页面亦仅限于描述《西拉子智训》12章现存的结构与内容。

常见问题

为何《西拉子智训》12章告诉读者不要帮助罪人?

本章给出两个原因。从实践而言,对不敬虔之人的善待必以恶报还,不敬虔之人会借着所得反将施予者制伏。从神学而言,本章明言至高者同样憎恨罪人,必降祸于不敬虔之人。因此,施舍被视为一种道德行为,必须以领受者的品格作为引导,而非仅以礼物的大小为标准。

《西拉子智训》12章如何描写仇敌?

仇敌被刻画为外表谦卑之人——嘴上甜言蜜语,内心却盘算着要将读者推入深坑。他眼中含泪,内心却渴饮人血。读者若亨通,他便愁苦;若祸患临到,他便赶在前面,假意相助却暗地里使绊脚之策,又摇头又拍手。

《西拉子智训》12章的最终意象旨在教导什么?

结尾的比喻将那与罪人为伴之人比作被毒蛇咬伤的耍蛇人。正如没有人会同情那耍蛇人,也没有人应当同情那与他人共担罪孽的人;因为这样的同伴只在一切顺遂时才留下,读者若失足跌倒,他便不肯相扶。这一意象鲜明地阐明了本章的核心要求——在选择当帮助谁、当信任谁时,须有辨别之智。

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