Chapter 23
第二十三章
Tax Money
稅款
1. When the Pharisees held counsel on how they could snare Jmmanuel in his speech, they sent their followers to him, including some of Herod's people.
當法利賽人商議如何在言語上陷害以馬內利時，他們便派遣了自己的追隨者去找他，其中包括一些希律王（Herod）的人。
2. They then said, "Master, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of the laws rightly, and don't inquire about anyone, since you do not care about people's reputations, but only about the laws of god and, in fact, the laws of Creation.
他們接著說：「老師，我們知道你是誠實的，並且正確教導律法之道，也不偏袒任何人，因為你不眷念名聲，只關心神的律法，事實上，就是造化（Creation）的律法。」
3. "Therefore, tell us your opinion. Is it right to pay tax to the emperor or not?"
「那麼，請你告訴我們你的看法：向皇帝納稅是對的還是不對的？」
4. But Jmmanuel sensed their malice and said, "You deceivers, hypocrites and swindlers, how low in intelligence and understanding are you that you want to tempt me in such a sick and foolish manner?
但以馬內利察覺他們的惡意，便說：「你們這些騙子、偽善者和詐欺者，你們的智慧與理解力是多麼低下，竟然想用如此病態而愚蠢的方式來試探我？」
5. "Show me a tax coin so that I can heal you from your sick folly" And so they gave him a denarius.
「拿一枚納稅的錢幣給我看，好讓我醫治你們這病態的愚昧。」於是他們遞給他一枚第納里烏斯（denarius；古羅馬貨幣系統中最常見的硬幣）銀幣。
6. And he said to them, "Whose image and whose inscription are on this coin?"
他問他們說：「這錢幣上刻的是誰的肖像？鑄的是誰的名號？」
7. They replied,"-They are the emperor's."
他們回答說：「是皇帝的。」
8. He then said to them, "Give therefore to the emperor what is the emperor's, and give to god what is god's, and give to Creation what is Creation's.
他便對他們說：「那麼，把屬於皇帝的還給皇帝，把屬於神的還給神，把屬於造化的還給造化。
9. "Yet beware and know that god and the emperor are men above whom is the omnipotence of Creation to which you must give the highest praise,
「然而要謹記：神與皇帝都是人，而在他們之上，是全能的造化，你們當將最高的讚頌獻給造化。」
10. "for although god is indeed ruler over humankind and the emperor is indeed ruler over peoples, above them stands Creation as the highest authority, to which they are subordinate in the law, as is every human being and all life."
「因為雖然神是人類之主，而皇帝雖為萬民之君，然造化乃至高權柄，凌駕二者之上，無論神、皇、眾生萬物，皆須臣服於造化法則。」
11. When they heard this they were astonished, left him alone and wentaway.
他們聽了這話驚訝不已，便默然退去，不再糾纏。
Rebirth
重生
12. On the same day the Sadducees, who hold the opinion there is no reincarnation, came to him.
在同一天，撒都該人（Sadducees）前來找他，他們不相信「輪迴轉世」（reincarnation）的觀點。
13. They asked him, "Master, Moses has said, 'When a man dies and has no children his brother shall take the widow as his wife and begot descendants for his brother.'
他們問他說：「老師，摩西曾說：『若一個人死了而沒有子嗣，他的兄弟應娶其遺孀為妻，為他兄弟傳後。』」
14. "Once there were seven brothers among us. The first one was married and died, and because he had no descendants he left his wife to his brother;
「我們中間曾有七個兄弟，第一個人結了婚但去世了，沒有留下子嗣，便將他的妻子留給了他的次弟；」
15. "and so did the second and the third, until the seventh.
「次弟、三弟也照樣做，一直到七弟。」
16. "At last the woman also died.
「最後，那婦人也離世了。」
17. "Now you teach there is a renewed life. Whose wife will she be among the seven in the new life, for she was the wife to all of them."
「如今你教導有再生之生命，那在新生命中，她會是七人中誰的妻子呢？因為她曾是他們每一個人的妻子。」
18. Jmmanuel, however, answered, saying, "You are mistaken and do not know the unadulterated scriptures of the elders, nor do you know the laws of Creation.
然而，以馬內利回答說：「你們錯了，你們既不了解古人未經篡改的經文，也不懂造物法則。」
19. "Truly, I say to you, Moses never gave this commandment; but he gave the commandment that a brother should take his brother's wifeto himself in honor, so if one died the other would take care of the widow of his brother.
「我實在告訴你們，摩西並未說過這樣的話；他所說的是，兄弟應出於敬意娶其兄之寡嫂，若兄長死了，弟弟應照顧他的遺孀。」
20. "How is it possible for a brother to begot descendants for his brother, since everyone's seed is different?
「一個兄弟怎能為另一個兄弟繁衍後代呢？因為每一個人的種都是不同的啊！」
21. "In the next incarnation they all will be strangers because they will not recognize each other; therefore, no law says the wife then belongs to this one or that one.
「在下一世，他們都將成為陌生人，因為他們不會認得彼此；因此，沒有任何律法說那時的妻子屬於哪個人。」
22. "In each new life the person determines for himself whom he wishes to marry; thus he can marry whoever is not spoken for.
「在每一次的新生命中，個人會自行決定他想與誰結婚；因此，他可以娶任何未婚的人。」
23. "Take heed of the laws of Creation, which teach that in a new life people do not remember their former lives. Thus your question is superfluous.
「要謹記造物的法則，它教導我們：在新的生命中，人們不會記得前世。因此，你的問題是多餘的。」
24. "At this point it is only the prophets who remember former lives, since they follow the laws of Creation and therefore live in wisdom.
「目前只有先知能記得前世，因為他們遵循造物法則，因而活在智慧之中。」
25. "But since you and the Israelite people will continue to live in piercing darkness for an extended period, cognizance and wisdom of the spirit and of the consciousness will remain hidden from you for a long time.
「但由於你們和以色列人民將繼續在深邃的黑暗中生活很長時間，關於靈性與意識的認知與智慧，仍會長久向你們隱藏。」
26. "Other peoples will advance beyond you and will evolve greatly in spirit and consciousness, and will follow the laws of Creation.
「其他民族將超越你們，並在靈性與意識上大幅進化，且遵循造物法則。」
27. "Therefore, other peoples will be superior to you in spirit and in consciousness and gather great wisdom, so that many among them will soon be like the prophets and have recollections about their former lives.
「因此，其他民族將在靈性與意識層面超越你們，並積累深厚智慧，以致其中許多人很快就會如同先知一般，得以憶起前世種種。」
28. "But you and the Israelite people shall remain poor in consciousness, and thus drift in piercing darkness.
「但你們和以色列人民將仍將困於意識的貧乏，在刺骨的黑暗中漂泊沉浮。」
29. "To wit: whoever incurs punishment shall also endure it."
「換句話說：凡招致懲罰者，必當親受其苦。」
30. When the people heard that, they were aghast and afraid.
當人們聽到這番話時，他們驚駭不已，充滿恐懼。
The Greatest Commandment
最偉大的誡命
31. But when the Pharisees heard that Jmmanuel had silenced theSadducees, they gathered and deliberated.
然而，當法利賽人聽聞以馬內利使撒都該人啞口無言時，便聚集商議。
32. And one among them, a scribe, tested him by asking, Jmmanuel, which is the foremost commandment in the law?"
其中有一位文士，試探性地問他：「以馬內利，律法中最重要的命令是哪一條？」
33. Jmmanuel asked in return, "Whose law are you thinking of, the law of the emperor, or are you thinking of the law of god, or are you thinking of the law of Creation?"
以馬內利反問道：「你是指哪一種律法？是皇帝的律法，還是神的律法，抑或是造化的律法？」
34. The scribe said, "l am thinking of the laws of all three."
文士回答說：「我指的是這三者的律法。」
35. But Jmmanuel said, "The highest directive in the law of Creation is this: Achieve the wisdom of knowledge, so that you may wisely follow the laws of Creation.
以馬內利則說：「造化律法中最崇高的指示是：獲得認知的智慧，方能讓你明智遵循造物法則。」
36. "But the highest commandment of the law of god is this: You shall honor god as the ruler of the three human lineages and obey his laws, for he is their king of wisdom and a good and just counselor.
「但神的律法中最崇高的命令是：你應尊敬神，作為三個人類族群的統治者，並遵守祂的律法，因為祂是他們的智慧之王，也是一位公正而良善的導師。」
37. "And the highest command of the laws of the emperor is this: You shall be obedient to the emperor, follow his laws and give to him the tithe, because he is the ruler over the people and their guardian and protector
「而皇帝的律法中最崇高的命令是：你應順從皇帝，遵循他的律法，並將十分之一奉獻給他，因為他是人民的統治者、保護者與守護者。」
38. "These are the foremost and greatest commandments in the laws of the three, as applied to their categories.
「這些是三者律法中最重要且最偉大的命令，各自適用於其相應的領域。」
39. "But the other directive, equal to the first, is this: You shall consider only Creation as omnipotent, for it alone is constant in all things and therein is timeless.
「但與第一條相等的另一條指令是這樣的：你應該視造化為全能，因為只有祂在萬物中不變，並且永恆存在。」
40. "The emperor and god are transitory, but Creation is eternal.
「皇帝和神都是暫時的，而造化是永恆的。」
41. "Upon these two directives depend the entire law and the prophets.
「所有的律法和先知都依賴於這兩條指示。」
42. "The laws of god and those of the emperor are human laws and are intended to maintain law and order among the people.
「神的律法和皇帝的律法是人類的律法，主要是在維持人民之間的法律和秩序。」
43. "But the laws of Creation are the laws of life and the spirit and, therefore, they are eternal and constant.
「但造化的法則是生命與靈性的法則，因此它們是永恆且恆久不變的。」
44. "Likewise eternal is a person's spirit, which is a tiny fragment ofCreation spirit, for how could Creation itself ever cease to be?
「同樣，人的靈也是永恆的，它是造化之靈的一縷微光，因為造化怎麼可能會停止存在呢？」
45. "Hence, when a person dies, their spirit lives on and leaves this side of existence for the other side, where it continues to gather the wisdom of knowledge.
「因此，當肉軀湮滅，靈則永續，由此岸渡向彼岸，於彼方持續積聚知識智慧。」
46. "The greater the spiritual wisdom gained through the learning of the consciousness, the more the spirit itself determines its future, its return, and its subsequent activities.
「靈性智慧愈豐，意識修持愈深，則靈體自能主宰其未來、歸途與來世之作為。」
47. "Since I am also a prophet and know the future, I tell you that I shall return as representative of god for the purpose of instructively rendering judgment over all those who live according to false teachings and who degrade the wisdom of the spirit.
「既然我也是一位先知，並且知道未來，我告訴你們，我將作為神的代表會再回來，目的是對所有依據虛假教義生活、並且貶低靈性智慧的人們進行教誨性審判。」
48. "Therefore the words of truth will be harsh and without mercy, and many a person will seethe in rage because of them.
「因此，真理之言將是嚴厲而毫不留情的，許多人將因這些話語而憤怒不已。」
49. "The harsh words of truth themselves will be the instructive judgment and penalty for all those who live according to false teachings and degrade the wisdom of the spirit."
「真理的嚴厲言辭本身，將成為對所有依循虛假教義而生活、並貶低靈性智慧之人的教誨性審判與懲罰。」
50. Since the Pharisees were together, Jmmanuel asked them, "What doyou think about me, whose son am I?"
法利賽人既然聚在一處，以馬內利問他們：「你們怎麼看我，我是誰的兒子？」
51. They said, "The son of David."
他們回答說：「是大衛的兒子。」
52. But he spoke to them, "How can I be the son of David, when he has been dead for a long time and I was begotten by Gabriel, the guardian angel?
他卻對他們說：「大衛早已逝去多年，而我乃由守護天使加百列（Gabriel）所孕育，怎能是大衛的兒子？」
總領天使加百列（圖片資料來自：《維基百科》）
53. "And haven't you read that David called me lord when he said,
「難道你們沒有讀過，大衛稱我為主，當他說：」
54. "'The LORD said to my lord, sit down at my right side, until I can place your enemies beneath your feet, because you are my foster son and my successor.'
「『主曾對我的主說：你且坐在我右邊，待我使你的仇敵屈伏在你腳下，因為你是我的養子，也是我的繼承人。』」
55. "Since David calls me lord, how can I be his son?"
「既然大衛稱我為主，我怎麼可能是他的兒子呢？」
56. And no one could give him an answer, but secretly they said, "He blasphemes God and the prophets. Let's try to catch and kill him, because he endangers our position in that we will no longer be respected by the people."
沒有人能回答他，但他們私下議論說：「他褻瀆了神和先知。我們要設法捉拿並殺死他，因為他威脅到我們的地位，使我們不再受人民尊敬。」
（未完待續）
英文資料來自：https://archive.org/stream/pdfy-UgyOJYUQHLjjkzlT/The+Talmud+Of+Jmmanuel_djvu.txt
中文翻譯借助 Deepl Translator、ChatGPT 與 DeepSeek 的協助
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