SECTION A
甲部
1. Hello, listening friends.
亲爱的朋友，你好！
2. We are delighted that you tuned in to listen to this broadcast.
很高兴，你能够再次收听这个节目。
3. I want to begin by telling you that there are very few of us who have not cried to the Lord in times of despair.
首先我要讲的就是，几乎每个人都懂得，在绝望的时候向神呼求。
4. Many of us would testify to the fact that, when we cried to the Lord in desperation, He heard our prayers and answered them.
很多人都见证说，他们在绝望中的呼求是如何蒙神垂听。
5. Many of you, who are listening to this program, will testify to this fact:
我们今天在座的当中，也许就有人可以这样见证，说：
6. that, no matter where we are or what we have done,
无论我们在哪里，或我们做过什么，
7. when we turn to the Lord in repentance, He will answer our prayers.
只要我们向神悔改，祂就会垂听我们的祷告。
8. There are some who, in their zeal to get out of desperate situations, make promises to the Lord.
有些人甚至在急难中向神许愿。
9. They promise God that they will do certain things or change certain things in their lives,
他们答应神说，将来他们一定会作这作那、或者，一定会改变生活的方式，等等，
10. if God will get them out of their difficult situation.
假如神真的救他们脱离险境的话，他们就会履行诺言。
11. Most often, people make promises to God when they get into financial difficulties.
很多时候，当人们在经济上有困难，就会作出承诺。
12. They often promise, “Lord, if You answer my prayer,
他们通常呼求神说：“主啊，如果你听我的祷告，
13. if You get me out of this mess,
若是你帮助我脱离困境，
14. I will be a great steward.
我会作一个忠心的管家，
15. I am going to give to Your work everything I have.”
我将把自己所拥有的一切献给你。”
16. Well, God answers their prayer;
但是，当神答应了他们的祷告；
17. and, then, what?
然后呢？
18. In some cases, after God has answered,
很多时候，在神垂听祷告以后，
19. then, all of a sudden, they develop a severe case of amnesia.
他们却忽然得了健忘症。
20. I mean, they have forgotten everything they promised God;
也就是说，他们很快就忘记了他们答应过神的承诺；
21. but, my listening friends, what I am about to tell you is very important.
但是，我亲爱的朋友，我要告诉你一件重要的事。
22. What these people really forget is that God cannot be mocked.
这些人忘记了一点，那就是，神是轻慢不得的。
23. What these people really forget is that God does not forget.
他们忘记了，神决不会忘记任何事情。
24. Oh, yes, God is patient, and He waits;
不错，神用祂的忍耐一直在等候我们；
25. but God’s patience was designed from the very beginning to propel us to fulfill our vows.
然而，神忍耐我们，是要我们实践自己对神的誓言。
26. God’s patience was designed to propel us to fulfill our promises to the Lord.
神的忍耐是要督促我们履行对主的承诺。
27. God’s patience does not mean that He has forgotten about our promises.
神忍耐我们，并不表示他已经忘记了我们答应祂的话。
28. Jonah, in fact, is a case in point.
约拿就忘记了这一点。
29. Now, if you are joining this broadcast for the first time,
假如你是第一次收听这个节目，
30. we are in the middle of a series of messages found in the story of Jonah;
我们播出的这个有关约拿故事的系列，已经进行到一半了。
31. and I want you to listen to the Word of God as it’s found in Jonah, Chapter 1, beginning verse 17 to Chapter 2, verse 10.
请听约拿书1章17节到第二章10节。
耶和华安排一条大鱼吞了约拿，他在鱼腹中三日三夜。
约拿在鱼腹中祷告耶和华他的神，
说：我遭遇患难求告耶和华，你就应允我；从阴间的深处呼求，你就俯听我的声音。
你将我投下深渊，就是海的深处；大水环绕我，你的波浪洪涛都漫过我身。
我说：我从你眼前虽被驱逐，我仍要仰望你的圣殿。
诸水环绕我，几乎淹没我；深渊围住我；海草缠绕我的头。
我下到山根，地的门将我永远关住。耶和华我的神啊，你却将我的性命从坑中救出来。
我心在我里面发昏的时候，我就想念耶和华。我的祷告进入你的圣殿，达到你的面前。
那信奉虚无之神的人，离弃怜爱他们的主；
但我必用感谢的声音献祭与你。我所许的愿，我必偿还。救恩出于耶和华。
耶和华吩咐鱼，鱼就把约拿吐在旱地上。
32. In the belly of the whale, Jonah cried to the Lord.
约拿在大鱼的肚子里面向神呼求。
33. From the belly of the great fish, Jonah repented.
在鱼腹中，约拿向神悔改了。
34. From the dark, watery tomb, he promised to obey;
在又潮湿、又黑暗无光的坟墓里，他答应神说，愿意听神的话；
35. and, yes, he obeyed.
不错，他的确顺服了。
36. Certainly, his obedience was reluctant obedience.
当然，他的顺服是迫不得已的。
37. Yes, Jonah’s obedience was a begrudging obedience;
是啊，约拿的顺服可以说是满腹牢骚的；
38. but, Jonah obeyed, nonetheless.
尽管如此，约拿还是顺服了。
39. People often say, “Doesn’t God love a cheerful giver?”
人们常常说：“神不是喜欢甘心乐意的奉献吗？”
40. and they usually follow that remark with this one:
于是，他们就以此为借口，说：
41. “Well, I am not cheerful; so I might as well not give.”
“既然我并不怎么甘心，那我就可以不奉献了。”
42. Regardless of your attitude, give in obedience.
其实，不论你的态度如何，奉献乃是理所当然的。
43. Give because God is faithful to His promise.
应该要奉献，因为神是信实的，祂从来不食言。
44. God fulfills His promises, even to a miserable, reluctant giver;
神总是履行祂的承诺，甚至对那些可怜的和不甘心的奉献者也是如此；
45. and He will bless you accordingly.
祂一定加倍地赐福给你。
46. Unfortunately, there are many people who, when they are desperate, they will say anything.
可惜的是，许多人落在急难的时候，什么都可以答应。
47. Jonah’s prayer is an example of how God always answers the prayer of a repentant Christian.
约拿的祷告就是神垂听罪人悔改祷告的一个范例。
48. The Lord did not only hear Jonah’s cry of despair,
主不但垂听了约拿在绝望中的声音，
49. but the Lord also answered it.
神还答应了他所求的。
50. My listening friends, let me tell you something very important about God.
我亲爱的朋友，让我来告诉你一些关于神很重要的事情。
51. Regardless of your motive,
不管你的动机是什么，
52. regardless of your past unfaithfulness,
不论你过去曾经多么的不忠实，
53. regardless of your intentions,
也不管你怀有什么意图，
54. God never wants you to give up hope in prayer.
神都不愿意你放弃祷告的盼望。
55. God never wants you to despair. He wants you to pray.
神不会让你绝望，祂要你继续祷告。
56. When I was thinking about despair, I thought of a story about a passenger on a ship that was crossing the Atlantic.
谈到绝望，我倒想起了一个故事，有一位乘客横跨大西洋。
57. That particular voyage was long and really rough.
那是一次漫长而艰险的旅程。
58. It was actually the roughest weather that the crew of the ship had ever experienced;
连船员都认为，那次的天气是他们航海旅程中所遇到最恶劣的一次；
59. and, as the ship was bobbing up and down,
随着船在浪尖上的起伏翻腾，
60. one passenger was leaning over the rails of the ocean liner, turning several shades of bilious green.
有位乘客趴在甲板的栏杆上呕吐，甚至胆汁都吐了出来。
61. Right then, a steward came along and tried to cheer him up.
就在那时候，一位船员走过去安慰他说：
62. He said, “Don’t be discouraged, sir. No one has ever died of sea sickness yet.”
“先生，别担心，还没有人因晕船而致命的。”
63. The nauseous passenger looked up at the steward with baleful eyes and said,
而那位晕船的乘客抬起头来，没好气地瞪着他，说：
64. “Oh, don’t say that!
“嘿，甭提了！
65. It is only the hope of dying that has kept me alive to this point.”
这个时候，我还恨不得死呢。”
66. Another thing that most people forget is this:
许多人忘记的另外一件事情就是：
67. God did not abandon Jonah.
神并没有丢弃约拿。
68. Jonah only felt that God abandoned him.
但约拿却以为神抛弃了他。
69. Many of us in times of difficulty feel abandoned by the Lord;
很多时候，当我们在困境中，总感到神已经丢弃了我们；
70. but this is never true.
这是完全错误的。
71. As we saw in our last broadcast,
在上次节目中，我们看到，
72. God never, never, never abandons His children.
神从来就没有丢弃过祂的儿女。
73. My listening friends, let me tell you at the outset:
我亲爱的朋友，我要把最重要的事情告诉你：
74. There are so many people who become obsessed with what happened to Jonah in the belly of the great fish
很多人一味地关心约拿在大鱼肚子里究竟怎么过的，
75. that they miss out on learning what happened inside Jonah.
他们却忽视了约拿内心所发生的转变。
76. There have been some skeptics who have said that there was no such fish.
甚至有些人怀疑，世界上到底有没有这样一条大鱼存在。
77. They claimed that this was just an allegorical story.
他们说，这只不过是一个寓言故事罢了。
78. Some said that it was impossible for a fish to be big enough to swallow a man;
有人说，根本就没有一条鱼能把一个人活活吞下去；
79. until, of course, they discovered the sperm whale, whose mouth is 15 feet high and 9 feet wide;
当然，现在人们发现，抹香鲸的嘴巴就有15英尺长，9英尺宽；
80. but, I am not going to waste time on that.
不过，我现在不谈论这个问题。
81. Why?
为什么？
82. Because if you do not believe in the supernatural power of God,
因为，假如你根本不相信神具有超然的能力，
83. then, all of the proofs in the world will not help you.
那么，即使有再多的证据，对你来说，都无济于事。
84. In fact, the Lord Jesus Christ, who created the world,
事实上，这位创造世界的主耶稣基督，
85. for Him, the world was created. He was there before the foundation of the earth.
整个世界都是为祂造的。在创立世界以先，祂已经存在。
86. When He was in human form,
当祂道成肉身，来到这个世界，
87. He likened His three days in the tomb to that of Jonah’s three days in the belly of the great fish.
祂把自己将要躺在坟墓里的三天，跟约拿在鱼腹中的三天三夜来相比。
88. Jesus knew about Jonah’s plight and He ought to know, because He was there.
耶稣完全清楚约拿的处境，因为当时祂也在场。
89. Indeed, there is a contrast of sorts between Jonah and the Lord Jesus.
当然了，约拿和耶稣有许多不同之处。
90. Jonah disobeyed the Word of God when It went to him.
当神的话临到约拿时，他违背神的吩咐。
91. Jesus perfectly obeyed the will of the Father.
然而，耶稣完全顺服父神的旨意。
92. Jonah did not love people.
约拿对人没什么爱心。
93. The Lord Jesus Christ loves His own, even until death.
而主耶稣基督爱世人，甚至将命舍去。
94. Jonah suffered for his own sin;
约拿为自己的罪受到了惩罚；
95. but the Lord Jesus Christ suffered for our sins.
而主耶稣基督是为我们的罪而接受刑罚。
96. Jonah was buried for 3 days to atone for his own sin.
约拿在鱼腹中三天三夜向神悔罪，
97. The Lord Jesus Christ was buried for 3 days for the sins of others.
而主耶稣基督是为了别人的罪孽被埋葬在坟墓里三天。
98. Jonah experienced a resurrection of sorts when he was spat on the beach in order that he may proclaim the message of repentance to Nineveh;
约拿被大鱼吐到岸上，死里逃生，是为了到尼尼微大城去宣讲让人悔改的信息。
99. but the Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead so that He may save all repentant sinners.
但是，主耶稣基督死而复活，是为了拯救所有悔改的罪人。
SECTION B
乙部
1. I know there is a temptation to think about what was it like inside that creature;
我明白，你很想知道，在大鱼肚子里，人怎么生存呢？
2. so, let us think for a moment.
就让我们来谈谈。
3. To be sure, the insides of that creature into which Jonah entered was no luxury suite in a grand hotel.
不错，约拿所待的大鱼肚子，可不像豪华酒店那么舒适。
4. They were a rough three days!
这三天的确不好受！
5. He had some air to breathe, only every now and then.
只有那么一丁点儿空气让他勉强呼吸。
6. The temperature ranged between 40ºC to 42ºC with 100% humidity.
四周潮湿闷热，高达摄氏40到42度左右。
7. Close contact with gastric juices probably bleached his skin.
整天浸在胃酸里，约拿的皮肤大概都给泡白了。
8. If he ate anything, it had to be raw fish,
假如他饿了，就只能吃生鱼，
9. to say nothing of the acrobatic exercise that he was forced into;
更别提他必须跟着大鱼的动作上下翻滚；
10. but I don’t want to concentrate on what happened inside the great fish.
但是，我不希望你把注意力放在鱼腹里所发生的事。
11. My listening friends, it is important that we do not miss what happened inside Jonah.
亲爱的朋友，重要的是，我们不要忽略了约拿内心深处所发生的变化。
12. That would be a terrible mistake.
忽视这一点，是很糟糕的失误。
13. Why?
为什么呢？
14. Because what happened inside of Jonah was most important.
因为约拿内心的改变才是最重要的，
15. Let us look carefully at Jonah’s prayer.
我们来看一下约拿的祷告。
16. Indeed, it is a model prayer for any disobedient Christian who has become repentant and ready to turn to the Lord.
约拿的祷告其实是每一位回转的罪人向神悔改的典范。
17. It is a model prayer for those who cease to be disobedient.
这是从悖逆转为顺服神的模范祷告。
约拿在鱼腹中祷告耶和华他的神，
说：我遭遇患难求告耶和华，你就应允我；从阴间的深处呼求，你就俯听我的声音。
你将我投下深渊，就是海的深处；大水环绕我，你的波浪洪涛都漫过我身。
我说：我从你眼前虽被驱逐，我仍要仰望你的圣殿。
诸水环绕我，几乎淹没我；深渊围住我；海草缠绕我的头。
我下到山根，地的门将我永远关住。耶和华我的神啊，你却将我的性命从坑中救出来。
我心在我里面发昏的时候，我就想念耶和华。我的祷告进入你的圣殿，达到你的面前。
那信奉虚无之神的人，离弃怜爱他们的主；
但我必用感谢的声音献祭与你。我所许的愿，我必偿还。救恩出于耶和华。
18. Mark it in your Bible.
请在圣经上作笔记。
19. Here, you see that, in spite of the fact that Jonah had forsaken the Lord,
在这里，你会发觉，纵然约拿背弃了神，
20. the Lord never forsook Jonah.
但神从来就没有丢弃约拿。
21. Here, you see Jonah experience the presence of God, even in the depths of a watery grave.
在这里，你会发现，即使在大海的深处，约拿仍然经历神的同在。
22. We are going to look at this prayer very carefully in the next broadcast;
下一次，我们会详细讲解约拿的祷告。
23. but, for those of you who are taking notes,
但是，假如你今天作笔记的话，
24. I want you to write four things down as preparation for the next message.
请你现在写下四件事，以便为下次收听信息做准备。
25. We are going to look at four characteristics of Jonah’s prayer.
我们在下次节目中会讲到约拿祷告的四个特点。
26. Number one,
第一，
27. it was a probing prayer.
这是一个自我反省的祷告。
28. Secondly,
第二，
29. it was a penitent prayer.
这是向神忏悔的祷告，
30. Thirdly,
第三，
31. it was a praising prayer.
是赞美神的祷告。
32. Fourthly,
第四，
33. it was a prayer of promise.
是向神许愿的祷告。
34. Probing.
反省。
35. Penitent.
忏悔。
36. Praising.
赞美。
37. Promise.
许愿。
38. Be prepared, next time, as we look closely at each of these four characteristics of Jonah’s prayer;
请你先准备，下次节目，我们会详细讨论约拿祷告中的这四个特点。
39. and, in preparation for the next broadcast, read Jonah, Chapter 2, verses 2 to 6.
请你提前读一读约拿书2章2到6节。
40. Until then, I wish you God’s richest blessing.
好，我们下次再见，愿神大大地赐福给你。
