Chapter 15

¹Some men came down from Judea and [began] teaching the brethren, 'Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.'

¹有幾個人從猶太下來，教訓弟兄們說：你們若不按摩西的規條受割禮，不能得救。

²And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, [the brethren] determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.

²保羅、巴拿巴與他們大大的分爭辯論；眾門徒就定規，叫保羅、巴拿巴和本會中幾個人，為所辯論的，上耶路撒冷去見使徒和長老。

³Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.

³於是教會送他們起行。他們經過腓尼基、撒瑪利亞，隨處傳說外邦人歸主的事，叫眾弟兄都甚歡喜。

⁴When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.

⁴到了耶路撒冷，教會和使徒並長老都接待他們，他們就述說神同他們所行的一切事。

⁵But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, 'It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.'

⁵惟有幾個信徒、是法利賽教門的人，起來說：必須給外邦人行割禮，吩咐他們遵守摩西的律法。

⁶The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.

⁶使徒和長老聚會商議這事；

⁷After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, 'Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.

⁷辯論已經多了，彼得就起來，說：諸位弟兄，你們知道神早已在你們中間揀選了我，叫外邦人從我口中得聽福音之道，而且相信。

⁸'And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;

⁸知道人心的神也為他們作了見證，賜聖靈給他們，正如給我們一樣；

⁹and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

⁹又藉著信潔淨了他們的心，並不分他們我們。

¹⁰'Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

¹⁰現在為甚麼試探神，要把我們祖宗和我們所不能負的軛放在門徒的頸項上呢？

¹¹'But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.'

¹¹我們得救乃是因主耶穌的恩，和他們一樣，這是我們所信的。

¹²All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

¹²眾人都默默無聲，聽巴拿巴和保羅述說神藉他們在外邦人中所行的神蹟奇事。

¹³After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, 'Brethren, listen to me.

¹³他們住了聲，雅各就說：諸位弟兄，請聽我的話。

¹⁴'Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name.

¹⁴方才西門述說神當初怎樣眷顧外邦人，從他們中間選取百姓歸於自己的名下；

¹⁵'With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written,

¹⁵眾先知的話也與這意思相合。

¹⁶'AFTER THESE THINGS I will return, AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT,

¹⁶正如經上所寫的：此後，我要回來，重新修造大衛倒塌的帳幕，把那破壞的重新修造建立起來，

¹⁷SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,'

¹⁷叫餘剩的人，就是凡稱為我名下的外邦人，都尋求主。

¹⁸SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO.

¹⁸這話是從創世以來，顯明這事的主說的。

¹⁹'Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles,

¹⁹所以據我的意見，不可難為那歸服神的外邦人；

²⁰but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.

²⁰只要寫信，吩咐他們禁戒偶像的污穢和姦淫，並勒死的牲畜和血。

²¹'For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.'

²¹因為從古以來，摩西的書在各城有人傳講，每逢安息日，在會堂裡誦讀。

²²Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas-- Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,

²²那時，使徒和長老並全教會定意從他們中間揀選人，差他們和保羅、巴拿巴同往安提阿去；所揀選的就是稱呼巴撒巴的猶大和西拉。這兩個人在弟兄中是作首領的。

²³and they sent this letter by them, 'The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.

²³於是寫信交付他們，內中說：使徒和作長老的弟兄們問安提阿、敘利亞、基利家外邦眾弟兄的安。

²⁴'Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with [their] words, unsettling your souls,

²⁴我們聽說，有幾個人從我們這裡出去，用言語攪擾你們，惑亂你們的心。（有古卷在此有：你們必須受割禮，守摩西的律法。）其實我們並沒有吩咐他們。

²⁵it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

²⁵所以，我們同心定意，揀選幾個人，差他們同我們所親愛的巴拿巴和保羅往你們那裡去。

²⁶men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁶這二人是為我主耶穌基督的名不顧性命的。

²⁷'Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word [of mouth].

²⁷我們就差了猶大和西拉，他們也要親口訴說這些事。

²⁸'For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:

²⁸因為聖靈和我們定意不將別的重擔放在你們身上；惟有幾件事是不可少的，

²⁹that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.'

²⁹就是禁戒祭偶像的物和血，並勒死的牲畜和姦淫。這幾件你們若能自己禁戒不犯就好了。願你們平安！

³⁰So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.

³⁰他們既奉了差遣，就下安提阿去，聚集眾人，交付書信。

³¹When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.

³¹眾人念了，因為信上安慰的話就歡喜了。

³²Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message.

³²猶大和西拉也是先知，就用許多話勸勉弟兄，堅固他們。

³³After they had spent time [there], they were sent away from the brethren in peace to those who had sent them out.

³³住了些日子，弟兄們打發他們平平安安的回到差遣他們的人那裡去。（有古卷在此有：

³⁴[But it seemed good to Silas to remain there].

³⁴惟有西拉定意仍住在那裡。）

³⁵But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord.

³⁵但保羅和巴拿巴仍住在安提阿，和許多別人一同教訓人，傳主的道。

³⁶After some days Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, [and see] how they are.'

³⁶過了些日子，保羅對巴拿巴說：我們可以回到從前宣傳主道的各城，看望弟兄們景況如何。

³⁷Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also.

³⁷巴拿巴有意要帶稱呼馬可的約翰同去；

³⁸But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.

³⁸但保羅因為馬可從前在旁非利亞離開他們，不和他們同去做工，就以為不可帶他去。

³⁹And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.

³⁹於是二人起了爭論，甚至彼此分開。巴拿巴帶著馬可，坐船往居比路去；

⁴⁰But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.

⁴⁰保羅揀選了西拉，也出去，蒙弟兄們把他交於主的恩中。

⁴¹And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

⁴¹他就走遍敘利亞、基利家，堅固眾教會。