1. Hello listening friends, we’re delighted that you’re back with us again.
亲爱的朋友你好，欢迎你再度收听这个节目。
2. How glad we are when we hear from you and you write to us and tell us how much these programs are blessing you.
很高兴你能来信告诉我们，你们因着这个节目而蒙福。
3. We always love hearing from you and reading your wonderful letters.
我们总是非常高兴能收到你们的来信，
4. Feel free to write to us today.
所以请多多来信给我们。
5. I want to begin by telling you a story.
我想先给你讲个故事，
6. Because we are continuing in this series of messages “How God Works”.
因为我们正在进行的系列信息叫做《上帝的方法》，
7. This story appeared in one of the newspapers in the west.
这则故事是登载在美国西部的一份报刊上的。
8. It was about a young man who once found a five-dollar bill on the street.
有一次，一个年轻人在路上发现了一张5块钱的钞票，
9. After that experience,
从此以后，
10. He decided that for the rest of his life, he would never lift his head while walking.
他就决定再也不抬着头走路了。
11. I know you agree with me, this is very dangerous.
我知道你和我都会同意，这样做是很危险的。
12. However, the paper went on to say,
然而，报纸上却接着说，
13. That over the years, this man accumulated the following things:
接下来的几年内，这个人积存了以下这些东西：
14. 29,516 buttons,
29,516个纽扣；
15. 54,172 pens,
54,172支笔；
16. 12 pennies.
和12分钱。
17. A chronically bent back,
他的背驼了，
18. And a miserly disposition.
性情变得悲观消极。
19. The man also lost something else.
这个人还失去了一些东西，
20. He lost seeing the glory of the sunlight.
他错过了灿烂的阳光；
21. The smiles of friends and freshness of the blue sky.
错过了朋友的微笑和清新的蓝天。
22. Even the writer of the newspaper discerned that terrible greed.
报导这则故事的记者指出，这是一种很可悲的贪婪。
23. But the Bible tells us,
但是圣经告诉我们，
24. There are even grave consequences to the sin of greed, envy, and covetness.
贪婪、嫉妒的罪还有更可怕的后果；
25. Unbridled greed produces unadulterated misery.
纵情的贪婪会产生十足的痛苦；
26. Uncontrollable covetness results in an unbading grief.
失控的贪婪导致了无边的愁苦；
27. The fever of wanting more and more and more can only produce perpetual pain and emptiness.
无止境的欲望只会制造不断的痛苦和虚空。
28. We have a clear example of the consequences of greed, envy, and covetness in Ahab and Jezebel.
在亚哈和耶洗别身上，我们看到了一个鲜活的实例，也就是贪婪和嫉妒的后果。
29. The story is well-known to some of you.
有些人对这个故事并不陌生，
30. It is found in I Kings chapter 21 and 22.
记载在列王纪上21，22章，
31. Let me repeat it to you.
让我来覆述一遍。
32. There was a poor simple man but he was faithful by the name Naboth.
有一个朴实却虔诚信神的人，名叫拿伯。
33. Naboth owned a small vineyard that butted up against King Ahab’s summer palace.
拿伯有一小块葡萄园，靠近亚哈王的宫殿。
34. Let me stop here and tell you that vineyard was the very sign of fruitfulness.
在这我要提醒你，葡萄园往往代表多结果子的意思。
35. But poor Naboth.
可怜的拿伯，
36. When his ancestors came into the promised land they received their inheritance.
当他的祖先进入应许之地时，他们得到的产业，
37. And it happened to be next to King Ahab’s garden.
正好靠近亚哈王的花园。
38. And Ahab felt incomplete without owning all of the surrounding land.
而亚哈觉得，没能拥有周围所有的土地，实在很遗憾。
39. My listening friends, I want you to listen very carefully.
我亲爱的朋友，请仔细听我说：
40. Greed always makes you feel incomplete.
贪婪总会让你觉得不满足，
41. No matter how much you have, you feel incomplete unless you get more.
无论你拥有了多少，你还想得到更多，否则便不满足。
42. More does not make you complete.
再多也不能使你感到满足，
43. So you want more.
所以你想要更多。
44. Actually, you will never feel complete at all.
事实上，你永远都不会感到满足。
45. You will never feel like the apostle Paul felt when he said the following in Phillipians 4:11.
你永远都体会不到使徒保罗在腓立比书4：11中所说的，
46. I have learned to be contented whatever the circumstances.
我无论在什么景况，都可以知足。
47. It’s like the employer who overheard one of his workers talking to another worker saying.
这就好像一个雇主，听到他的一个雇工和另一个工人在说：
48. If I had $1000 my problems would be over.
如果我有一千块钱，我的问题就解决了，
49. And I would be perfectly contented.
我就心满意足了。
50. The employer was blessed of God.
这个雇主得到神丰富的赐与，
51. So, he decided to give her the $1000.
所以他决定给那个雇工一千块钱。
52. Because he knew that all the money in the world is not going to make her contented.
因为他清楚，即便是全世界的金钱也不能使那工人满足，
53. So, he said, here is $1000 so you can be perfectly contented.
所以他说，给你一千块，让你可以心满意足。
54. And when she received the money and before the boss left the room.
而当工人拿到钱，在老板离开房间之前，
55. He overheard her saying.
他听到工人在说：
56. Why didn’t I say 2000?
当初为什么我不说，要两千块呢？
57. That’s what greed does.
这就是贪婪在作祟。
58. Ahab’s greed was like the man who had a nail stuck to his shoe.
亚哈的贪婪，就如同一个人鞋底戳了一根钉子一样，
59. He could not enjoy anywhere he walked because of that nail in the sole of his shoes.
无论走到哪里，他都因为这根钉子而感到芒刺在背，浑身不舒服。
60. Ahab was a man in the grip of greed.
亚哈是一个被贪婪所捆绑的人。
61. Years ago greed was characterized as one of the seven deadly sins.
很久以前，贪婪被视为七大死罪之一，
62. Greed began in the Garden of Eden.
贪婪始于伊甸园。
63. Let me explain to you.
让我来为你解释一下，
64. The word greed is often bandied about without explanation.
贪婪这个词常不加以解释地被滥用。
65. There are some people who use that word in order to manipulate others.
有些人刻意用这个词来影响别人。
66. But the best Biblical definition of greed is found in the Garden of Eden.
但最符合圣经的解释则出自于伊甸园。
67. And it is this,
也就是说，
68. Biblical greed is when you look at the one thing that God says you cannot have and you reach out and get it.
圣经中的贪婪就是你伸手索取神不许你要的东西。
69. Greed is the obsession of getting what you do not have.
贪婪就是非要得到你所没有的东西。
70. Greed is the state of discontentment no matter what you have or don’t have.
贪婪是无论你拥有多少，你都不能满足。
71. Greed is the state of constant inner emptiness.
贪婪是一种长期的心灵空虚。
72. Greed is borrowing money that you know you cannot pay back.
贪婪就是你去借贷一些你明知自己还不了的钱财。
73. Greed is buying things that you don’t need.
贪婪就是去购买你不需要的东西。
74. Greed is the state of wanting to get and get and get and then get some more while giving nothing, or very little back.
贪婪就是不断索取索取而丝毫不愿付出。
75. This is the proper definition of greed.
这就是贪婪的正确定义。
76. Listen carefully please.
请仔细听我说。
77. There is a fine line between greed and the breaking of the law to fulfill the desire known as greed.
在贪婪和为满足贪欲而作出犯法的行为这两者之间，只是一线之差。
78. A thief steals because of greed.
一个小偷因着贪婪而偷盗。
79. A merchant cheats because of greed.
一个商人因着贪婪而成为奸商。
80. A builder uses inferior materials in construction because of greed.
一个建筑师因着贪婪而偷工减料。
81. Ahab had enough knowledge of the law of God that he would not cross that line.
亚哈对神的律法耳熟能详，他还不敢公然犯法。
82. But not Jezebel.
但耶洗别就肆无忌惮。
83. She was a Baal-worshipping Gentile.
她是一个敬拜巴力的外邦女子。
84. Well look at I Kings 21:7.
我们来看看王上21：7。
85. She said to her husband,
她对丈夫说：
86. Get up,
只管起来，
87. Eat and drink.
心里畅畅快快地吃饭。
88. I will kill to give you what your heart covets.
我不惜杀人也要满足你心里的贪念。
89. And Jezebel asked Ahab her husband why was he sullen.
耶洗别问亚哈为什么他心里那么忧闷。
90. And you can hear this weak man saying, well, I wanted Naboth, the Gezerilite’s field.
你几乎可以听到这个懦夫说，我想要耶斯列人拿伯的葡萄园。
91. And he refused.
但他却不答应。
92. But Jezebel was a woman of action.
于是耶洗别这个任意妄为的女人。
93. A woman of determination
一不做二不休。
94. Which made up for the weak-willed, vacillating king Ahab.
她正好弥补了亚哈的优柔寡断。
95. While the king had little moral compunction which came from his Jewish heritage.
如果说亚哈王还保留了一点点犹太传统里的道德良心的话。
96. Jezebel had none.
耶洗别就毫无顾忌了。
97. Jezebel never let anything or anybody stand in her way.
耶洗别向来不能容忍任何人拦阻她的计划。
98. She was so cold-hearted, that she would lie under oath.
她冷酷无情，甚至赌咒发誓都在说瞎话。
99. Verse 8
第八节
100. Shows you her determination which led her to forgery,
我们看到她心狠手辣地欺诈、
101. And treachery.
陷害。
102. She forged a letter in the king’s name.
她伪造圣旨。
103. She stole his signet ring.
偷窃王的玉玺。
104. And stamped his name on the letter.
在信上盖上王的印。
105. Look at the hypocrisy.
她又假慈悲。
106. She told the population of Jezreel
告诉耶斯列的老百姓。
107. To proclaim a day of fasting.
宣告禁食。
108. What does that mean?
这是什么意思呢？
109. Her public relation officers explained to her that when the Jewish people wanted to announce a coming judgment, the king must announce a day of fasting.
因为她的走狗们告诉她说，当犹太人要宣布审判之前，王通常会宣告禁食一日。
110. So she did.
所以她如法炮制。
111. She wasn’t the king, but she functioned as if she was the king.
虽然她不是王，但她已篡夺了王权。
112. She bribed two witnesses to testify against this poor faithful man of God, Naboth.
她买通了两个匪徒作假见证控告忠实的拿伯。
113. He was one of the 7000 who have not bowed to Baal.
拿伯是未向巴力屈膝的七千人之一。
114. And Jezebel used the law of God to do her dirty work.
耶洗别竟敢假借神的律法来达成自己的阴谋。
115. You can imagine how Naboth must have felt.
你可以想象拿伯当时的感受。
116. When he heard two false witnesses accusing him,
就是当他听到两个假证人的控诉时，
117. This wicked woman was scheming to shed innocent blood.
这个邪恶的女人设谋陷害无辜。
118. Why?
为什么？
119. Because of greed,
就因为贪婪、
120. Envy,
嫉妒、
121. Covetousness,
垂涎他人的东西，
122. I want to tell you a story.
我再给你讲个故事。
123. It is told about two men.
有两个人，
124. One was envious and the other was covetous.
一个妒嫉心强，另一个则很贪心。
125. The ruler of the land sent a message.
那里的地方官宣布。
126. Grant them one wish each.
各给他们一个愿望。
127. There was one provision.
但有一个规定，
128. The one who chooses first will get exactly what he asks for
谁先选择谁就可以得到他所想要的一切。
129. While the other man will get exactly twice of what the first one had asked for.
而第二个人就能得到第一个所要的双倍。
130. So they cast lots.
所以他们就抽签。
131. And the envious man was to choose first.
好嫉妒的那人抽中先选。
132. And he found himself in a quandary.
他真是进退两难。
133. He wanted something great for himself.
他很想狮子大张口。
134. But then he thought,
但他转念一想，
135. If I do that, the other guy is going to get twice as much.
如果我这么做，另一个家伙就会得到双份。
136. If I ask for a fortune,
如果我要的多，
137. He will get twice as much.
他就会得到两倍那么多。
138. If I ask for a palace,
如果我要一座宫殿，
139. The other man will get two palaces.
他就有两座。
140. So he thought for a while,
于是他想了一会儿，
141. And finally he said,
最后他说，
142. Pluck out one of my eyes.
请挖出我的一只眼睛。
143. And that’s what envy, jealousy, and covetousness does.
这就是嫉妒贪婪带来的结果。
144. It can never bring peace.
它永不能带来和平。
145. I want you to pause here for a moment.
说到这里，请你想一想。
146. Because I want to tell you about the influence that women can have over men.
因为我想和你谈谈女人如何影响男人。
147. This is not a trivial matter with me.
对我来说这非同小可。
148. And I do not speak in jest.
我不是随便说着玩的。
149. In all seriousness,
而是很严肃认真的。
150. Women who minimize their influence are unaware of the facts.
女人低估自己对男人的影响力就是忽略现实。
151. Both the word of God and 2000 years of Christian history presents us with the fact that women are spiritually more susceptible than men.
神的话语，以及基督教两千多年的历史告诉我们一个事实，女性在属灵的事上比男性更为敏感。
152. I am not absolving men of their responsibility.
我不是在为男性开脱罪责。
153. But what I am telling you is factual.
我想要告诉你的是一个事实。
154. Women are able to raise the spiritual temperature in society to a spiritual high-pitch.
女性能够掀起一个社会的属灵热潮。
155. By the same token,
但同样，
156. They can denigrate it to the lowest level of failure.
他们也能带来最惨痛的失败。
157. Women are able to influence the church into the white-heat of revival.
女性可以给教会带来白热化的复兴。
158. Or divide it into the littleness and pettiness of division.
也可以带来最大的破碎和分裂。
159. Women can lead a home to become heaven itself.
女性可以把家庭变为天堂。
160. Or cause it to sizzle with the flames of hell.
也可以让它充满了地狱之火。
161. God has placed that power in the hands of women.
上帝把这能力放在女人手中。
162. After all, if Jezebel was a godly woman she would have said to Ahab the following.
如果耶洗别是一个敬虔的女子，她就会对亚哈这样说。
163. Ahab, you know you have more than enough.
亚哈，你已经拥有很多很多了。
164. Ahab,
亚哈，
165. You have this and you have this and you have this and furthermore you’ve got me.
你有这有那，而且，你还有我。
166. But she didn’t.
然而，她没有这样说。
167. Instead,
相反，
168. She catered to the worst, the lowest and the darkest side of Ahab.
她迎合了亚哈最丑陋，最邪恶，最黑暗的一面。
169. Every time I look at Jezebel and contrast her to some of the godly women that I have known around the world.
每次看耶洗别的故事，我总不免把她和许多我认识的敬虔妇人来比较。
170. Someone said that Ahab was evil without Jezebel.
有些人说即使没有耶洗别亚哈也够坏的了。
171. But he was worse because of her.
但他却因着耶洗别而更加邪恶。
172. I have noticed that we have just run out of time.
我们的时间又快结束了。
173. And I want to tell you so much more about this.
但我还想和你分享很多东西。
174. So will you promise me that you will tune in next time so you can hear the rest of this?
所以请你答应我下次同一时间再次收听我们的节目。
175. Until then, I wish you God’s richest blessing.
愿神大大赐福给你，再会。
