聖經故事:The Wisest King 最聰明的國王

( 一個士兵的自述)

I was there watching the door as a guard as David made Solomon his successor as the King of Israel and Solomon receiving his last instructions from his father, David.
作爲一個以色列王家衛隊士兵，我親眼目睹了以色列大衛王指定他兒子所羅門作爲以色列王位繼承人以及所羅門王如何聽取父王大衛最後遺言的全過程。

God had given Solomon any wish, and he chose wisdom. This I heard from another guard. I couldn’t believe it! Why hadn’t he picked other things like riches, long life, or the death of his enemies? Now I know why because he is one of the youngest rulers ever and he needs wisdom to rule the people. God thought that it was such a good answer so he gave him wisdom, riches, power and fame.
上帝能滿足所羅門的任何願望，但是他選擇了要智慧。這一段情景是我從另外的王家衛兵那裏聽來的。當時我很納悶，爲什麼他不選擇其他的願望呢，比如財富、永生、或敵國滅亡之類的？現在我明白了，因爲他是史上最年輕的國王，所以他需要更多的智慧來統領大家。智慧來自於上帝。上帝對他的選擇很滿意，結果除了智慧以外，上帝還賜給他財富、權利以及名譽。

When Pharaoh came to Jerusalem to speak with Solomon, I was called to stand behind King Solomon. I was listening to their conversation when finally they came to a point. Solomon had made an alliance or a so-called treaty of peace by marrying Pharaoh’s daughter. I was at their wedding too. I soon overheard about how King Solomon was making a temple to the one and only God above. I was sent to work at the masonry, because I was once a stone mason and they are short of masons so they are pulling everybody with rock carving experience to the masonry. At least I don’t have to worked like those labour slaves have to. They are worked until they are almost dead. It looks like they never stop working. I feel that those labour enforcers are working the slaves too hard that the slaves might not want to work.
有一次埃及的法老前來耶路撒冷與所羅門王商談要事，我有幸守在所羅門王身邊，目睹了全過程。他們商談的結果是，所羅門王須與法老的公主聯姻，以達成兩國的和平共處協議。我也參加了他們的結婚大典。不久我聽說所羅門王正在爲上帝建造聖殿。由於當時急缺泥石匠師，加上我之前有類似經驗，所以我被調去做泥石部門的工頭。至少我不必像那些出賣苦力的一樣勞力至死。

13 years later...
十三年後……

We are finally finished the temple! That was hard work! I love the new looks now. It must be a grand place in there. I can’t wait to worship the Lord! I have bad news though, we are going to have to build a palace for King Solomon. At least I don’t have to work in it this time.
我們終於把聖殿建好了！這是一件很不容易的工作！新聖殿看起來富麗堂皇極了。吹號的、歌唱的都一齊發聲，聲合爲一，讚美感謝耶和華。吹號、敲鈸，用各種樂器，揚聲讚美耶和華說：“耶和華本爲善，他的慈愛永遠長存！”那時，耶和華的殿有云充滿，甚至祭司不能站立供職，因爲耶和華的榮光充滿了　神的殿。我迫不及待想朝拜上帝。可是我們又收到一項新的任務：爲所羅王建行宮。這一次我不用再去做那種活了。我又回到王宮衛隊當小隊長。

Just a few days ago, I was at the door guarding when I saw two women coming out to the King to ask for requests. The first and second woman were fighting over a baby. The first woman said to King Solomon “Both of us have had babies and when we were sleeping, her baby died so she replaced her baby with my baby and when I woke up, I knew it wasn’t mine. The other woman said that same thing. King Solomon said to me to bring a sword and cut the baby in half. Just as King Solomon said that , The first woman said, “Don’t kill him! Give it to the other woman but don’t kill it!” The second woman said “Let him be not mine or hers so divide him. The King said to give the baby to the first one because she is the real mother. When all Israel heard of his wisdom, they were amazed and they knew that his request for wisdom was a good choice
幾天前，我正在宮門當值，有兩個女人爲了一個嬰兒的歸屬吵着要見所羅門王。在宮內，所羅門王認真聽取每個人的辯白。一個女人說“我們倆都各有一個孩子，可當我們睡着的時候，她的孩子死了，於是她抱走了我的孩子，留下一個死的在我這裏。當我醒來後，我知道那根本不是我的孩子。”另一個女人也說了一模一樣的話。所羅門王聽完，就叫我過來，下令讓我用一把利劍把那個嬰兒斬成兩半。這時候，第一個說話的女人馬上說：“不要殺孩子，若她要就把孩子帶走好了，千萬不要害死孩子。”而另外那個女人卻說：“既然分不出，那就斬成兩半，一人一半好了。”所羅門王就讓我把嬰兒抱給第一個女人，因爲她纔是孩子真正的母親。 當人們聽說了這件事以後，紛紛讚揚所羅門王是最聰明最有智慧的國王。