04-01
One People [04-01]
Many years after the flood, there were again many people in the world, and they all spoke the same language. Instead of filling the earth as God had commanded, they gathered together and built a city.
洪水退后多年，地面又出现了许多人，他们都说一样的语言。但是他们不听神的话，不仅不生养大地，反倒结聚一块建造一座城。
Important Terms:
Translation Notes:
- many years after the flood - Many generations had passed since the end of the flood.
- again many people - Noah's family multiplied into enough people to fill a city.
- same language - This means there was only one language, so they could all understand each other.
- a city - It is best to use a general word for "city" since the text does not give a specific name.
04-02
The Tower [04-02]
They were very proud, and they did not care about what God said. They even began building a tall tower to reach heaven. God saw that if they all kept working together to do evil, they could do many more sinful things.
他们很自负，不理会神的话。他们甚至要造一座高塔通达天庭。神看了认为如果人们继续合作，可能会作恶。
Important Terms:
Translation Notes:
- tall tower to reach heaven - This structure was so tall that its top would be in the sky.
- heaven – This could be translated as, "sky."
04-03
Many Languages [04-03]
So God changed their language into many different languages and spread the people out all over the world. The city they had begun to build was called Babel, which means, “confused.”
于是神混乱他们的语言，又将他们分散到全地面。他们开始建造的那城叫作巴别，即「混乱」的意思。
Important Terms:
Translation Notes:
- changed their language – In an instant, God miraculously gave them different languages to speak so that suddenly they were no longer able to understand each other.
- many different languages – Instead of one large group of people speaking one language, there were now many smaller people groups each speaking its own separate language.
- spread the people - When God changed their languages, he caused these groups of people to scatter out on the earth and each group moved to its own area.
- Babel - We don't know the exact location of this city, other than it was somewhere in the ancient Middle East.
- confused - This refers to how the people were confused or, "mixed-up" when they could no longer understand each other after God changed their language.
04-04
God Chose Abram [04-04]
Hundreds of years later, God spoke to a man named Abram. God told him, “Leave your country and family and go to the land I will show you. I will bless you and make you a great nation. I will make your name great. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All families on earth will be blessed because of you.”
数百年后，神对一个名叫亚伯兰的人说：:「离开你的故乡和你的家族，往我指给你的地方去。」
Important Terms:
Translation Notes:
- Hundreds of years later – This could be translated as, "many generations after the people split into different language groups at Babel." or, "a long time after that happened."
- Leave your country - This refers to the area where Abram was born and grew up (a region in Central Asia called "Ur"). It could be translated as, "native region" or, "homeland" or something similar.
- and family – God was calling Abram to leave behind most of his relatives. However, God was not telling Abram to abandon the people he was responsible for, including his wife.
- make you a great nation - God would cause Abram to have many descendants, and they would become a large and important nation or country.
- make your name great - This means that Abram's name and family would become well-known throughout the world and people would think well of them.
- all families on earth - Abram's decision to follow God would affect not only his own family, but also families from every people group on earth.
04-05
To Canaan [04-05]
So Abram obeyed God. He took his wife, Sarai, together with all of his servants and everything he owned and went to the land God showed him, the land of Canaan.
亚伯兰遂遵照了。他将妻子撒莱和所有仆婢及牲畜都带往神所指示的地方--迦南地。亚伯兰在那里住了许多年。神在那里和亚伯兰立了一个盟约。盟约就是双方之间具有约束力的协议。
Important Terms:
Translation Notes:
- He took – Some languages would say, "He brought" here. Others would use two different verbs here, such as, "He caused his wife to come with him" and, "He brought along all of their servants and possessions."
- God showed him - Somehow God made it clear to Abram where he was to go. The text doesn't tell how God showed him.
- land of Canaan - The name of this land was "Canaan". This could be translated, "the land called Canaan."
04-06
God Blessed Abram [04-06]
When Abram arrived in Canaan, God said, “Look all around you. I will give to you and your descendants all the land that you can see as an inheritance”. Then Abram settled in the land.
神说:「你举目观看，凡你所看见的一切地，我都要赐给你和你的后裔，直到永远。我将祝福你，并使你的家族壮大。」
Important Terms:
Translation Notes:
- all the land that you can see - If Abram was standing on a mountain, he could have seen a very large area. On several occasions God promised to give the entire land of Canaan to Abram and his descendants.
- as an inheritance - God promised to give land to Abram and his descendants as a father gives land and possessions to his children.
- Then Abram settled in the land - Abram lived there along with all those who had gone there with him.
04-07
Melchizedek [04-07]
One day, Abram met Melchizedek, the priest of God Most High. Melchizedek blessed Abram and said, “May God Most High who owns heaven and earth bless Abram.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all he owned.
「我必使你的后裔成为一个大国，我将是你的神，我会祝福那些祝福你的人，诅咒那些咒骂你的人。世界各国将因你而得福。」 神还要亚伯兰为家中所有的男性割损，作为盟约的标记。亚伯兰遂听从了。
Important Terms:
Translation Notes:
- Melchizedek - Melchizedek was the recognized religious authority in Canaan who received and presented offerings to God.
- God Most High - The people of Canaan worshiped many false gods. The title, "Most High God" explains that the God that Melchizedek worshiped was far superior to all of them, and was the same God that Abram worshiped.
04-08
No Son [04-08]
Many years went by, but Abram and Sarai still did not have a son. God spoke to Abram and promised again that he would have a son and as many descendants as the stars in the sky. Abram believed God's promise. God declared that Abram was righteous because he believed in God's promise.
亚伯兰相信神。神说亚伯兰因相信神的应许而成为义的。但问题是，亚伯兰和他的妻子无法生育。所以亚伯兰似乎不太可能会成为万民之父，但是他们在信德中盼望，相信神的应许。
Important Terms:
Translation Notes:
- Many years - Several years had passed since God had first promised that Abram would have a son.
- as the stars in the sky - This expression means that Abram's descendants will be so many that no one can count them all.
04-09
God's Covenant [04-09]
Then God made a covenant with Abram. A covenant is an agreement between two parties. God said, “I will give you a son from your own body. I give the land of Canaan to your descendants.” But Abram still did not have a son.
有一天，亚伯兰遇见了麦基洗德--至高神的祭司。麦基洗德祝福了亚伯兰，并说：「愿天地的主，至高的神赐福与亚伯兰。」 亚伯兰便把所得的十分之一给了麦基洗德。
Important Terms:
Translation Notes:
- two parties - The parties could be two people, two groups of people, or a person and a group of people. In this case the agreement was between God and Abram.
- from your own body - With his own body Abram would cause his wife to become pregnant, so that together they would have their own, natural son. This was an amazing promise, since Abram and Sarai were very old.
- did not have a son - Abram still did not have any descendants who could possess the land.
- A Bible story from - These references may be slightly different in some Bible translations.