8月19日──面對哀傷 To confront the sorrow
讀 經：撒母耳記下18章1-18，33節
(New living translation)
1 David now mustered the men who were with him and appointed generals and captains to lead them.
2 He sent the troops out in three groups, placing one group under Joab, one under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one under Ittai, the man from Gath. The king told his troops, “I am going out with you.”
3 But his men objected strongly. “You must not go,” they urged. “If we have to turn and run—and even if half of us die—it will make no difference to Absalom’s troops; they will be looking only for you. You are worth 10,000 of us, and it is better that you stay here in the town and send help if we need it.”
4 “If you think that’s the best plan, I’ll do it,” the king answered. So he stood alongside the gate of the town as all the troops marched out in groups of hundreds and of thousands.
5 And the king gave this command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake, deal gently with young Absalom.” And all the troops heard the king give this order to his commanders.
6 So the battle began in the forest of Ephraim,
7 and the Israelite troops were beaten back by David’s men. There was a great slaughter that day, and 20,000 men laid down their lives.
8 The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the forest than were killed by the sword.
9 During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David’s men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air.
10 One of David’s men saw what had happened and told Joab, “I saw Absalom dangling from a great tree.” 11 “What?” Joab demanded. “You saw him there and didn’t kill him? I would have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a hero’s belt!”
12 “I would not kill the king’s son for even a thousand pieces of silver,” the man replied to Joab. “We all heard the king say to you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake, please spare young Absalom.’
13 And if I had betrayed the king by killing his son—and the king would certainly find out who did it—you yourself would be the first to abandon me.”
14 “Enough of this nonsense,” Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom’s heart as he dangled, still alive, in the great tree.
15 Ten of Joab’s young armor bearers then surrounded Absalom and killed him.
16 Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and his men returned from chasing the army of Israel.
17 They threw Absalom’s body into a deep pit in the forest and piled a great heap of stones over it. And all Israel fled to their homes.
18 During his lifetime, Absalom had built a monument to himself in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to carry on my name.” He named the monument after himself, and it is known as Absalom’s Monument to this day.
1 大衛數點跟隨他的人，立千夫長、百夫長率領他們。
2 大衛打發軍兵出戰，分為三隊：一隊在約押手下，一隊在洗魯雅的兒子、約押兄弟亞比篩手下，一隊在迦特人以太手下。大衛對軍兵說：我 必與你們一同出戰。
3 軍兵卻說：你不可出戰。若是我們逃跑，敵人必不介意；我們陣亡一半，敵人也不介意。因為你一人強似我們萬人，你不如在城裡預備幫助我們。
4 王向他們說：你們以為怎樣好，我就怎樣行。於是王站在城門旁，軍兵或百或千地挨次出去了。
5 王囑咐約押、亞比篩、以太說：你們要為我的緣故寬待那少年人押沙龍。王為押沙龍囑咐眾將的話，兵都聽見了。
6 兵就出到田野迎著以色列人，在以法蓮樹林裡交戰。
7 以色列人敗在大衛的僕人面前；那日陣亡的甚多，共有二萬人。
8 因為在那裡四面打仗，死於樹林的比死於刀劍的更多。
9 押沙龍偶然遇見大衛的僕人。押沙龍騎著騾子，從大橡樹密枝底下經過，他的頭髮被樹枝繞住，就懸掛起來，所騎的騾子便離他去了。
10 有個人看見，就告訴約押說：我看見押沙龍掛在橡樹上了。
11 約押對報信的人說：你既看見他，為甚麼不將他打死落在地上呢？你若打死他，我就賞你十舍客勒銀子，一條帶子。
12 那人對約押說：我就是得你一千舍客勒銀子，我也不敢伸手害王的兒子；因為我們聽見王囑咐你和亞比篩並以太說：你們要謹慎，不可害那少年人押沙龍。
13 我若妄為害了他的性命，就是你自己也必與我為敵（ 原來，無論何事都瞞不過王。）
14 約押說：我不能與你留連。約押手拿三杆短槍，趁押沙龍在橡樹上還活著，就刺透他的心。
15 給約押拿兵器的十個少年人圍繞押沙龍，將他殺死。
16 約押吹角，攔阻眾人，他們就回來，不再追趕以色列人。
17 他們將押沙龍丟在林中一個大坑裡，上頭堆起一大堆石頭。以色列眾人都逃跑，各回各家去了。
18 押沙龍活著的時候，在王谷立了一根石柱，因他說：我沒有兒子為我留名。他就以自己的名稱那石柱叫押沙龍柱，直到今日。
金 句：「我兒押沙龍阿！我兒，我兒押沙龍阿，我恨不得替你死」（撒母耳記下18章33節）
33 The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to the room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son.”
所有的家人都為32歲的莘蒂的死感到深深的哀傷，但是他們同時也感到極大的安慰。他們知道莘蒂對於耶穌有極堅定的信仰，他們同時也確知莘蒂離世時，知道自己是受愛戴的。因此，當她死時，他們不會感到後悔，因為他們一直與她保持良好的關係。
All family members felt the deep sadness for 32 year-old Cinder's death, but at the same time they also felt the enormous comfort. They knew Cinder had the extremely firm belief of Jesus, at the same time they also knew for certain when Cinder left the world who was loved by others. Therefore, when she died, they did not feel regretful, because they continuously maintained the good relationship with her.
大衛王的哀傷並沒有因為這類安慰而有所減輕。他知道他的兒子押沙龍是因叛逆而亡，我想大衛必定因為自己給兒子留下壞榜樣而後悔（包括多重婚姻，與拔示巴間的淫亂，還有家族中的爭議）。
The King David's sadness had not reduced because of this kind of comforts. He
knew his son Absalom died because of the rebel. I thought David was surely
regretful because he left behind the bad example to his son. (Including multiple
marriages, promiscuity with Bathsheba, also had disputes in the family).
我們無法避免我們家人逝去，但是我們可以做許多事來減輕我們碰到這些事時的傷痛。現在我們可以將上帝的榮耀、我們所愛的人的利益置於我們的私心之上。我們可以與他們分享我們的信仰，對他們表達我們的愛，並盡一切可能化解衝突，這就要求謙卑認錯。儘管這樣做並不容易，但是良好的關係可以幫助我們減輕失去親人時的哀痛。
We were unable to avoid our family member's passing away, but we might do many things to reduce the grief when we were in this situation. Now we may prefer God's glory and our loving person's benefit rather than our selfishness. We may share our belief with them, express our love to them, and melt the conflict with utmost effort, this request humbly admits mistakes. Although this is not certainly easy, but the good relationship may help us to reduce the sorrow of losing family member.
你怎樣做才能使你面對悲傷呢？
當我們所愛的人去世時
我們哀傷痛苦
但是如果我們所愛的認識上帝
我們所失去的便成就了他們所得著的。
How do you do so that you can face the sorrow?
When our loving person died
We felt sad and pain
But if our loving one knew God
Even we lost but they would gain.
生命裡正確的關係減輕了死亡的傷痛。
In the life the correct relationship reduces the death's grief.