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Epistle to Diognetus 2

Greek original · 10 verses · some words can be tapped for a gloss

2:1

Ἄγε δή καθάρας σεαυτὸν ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν προκατεχόντων σου τὴν διάνοιαν λογισμῶν καὶ τὴν ἀπατῶσάν σε συνήθειαν ἀποσκευασάμενος καὶ γενόμενος ὥσπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς καινὸς ἄνθρωπος ὡς ἂν καὶ λόγον καινοῦ καθάπερ καὶ αὐτὸς ὡμολόγησας ἀκροατὴς ἐσόμενος ἴδε μὴ μόνον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ φρονήσει τίνος ὑποστάσεως ἢ τίνος εἴδους τυγχάνουσιν οὓς ἐρεῖτε καὶ νομίζετε θεούς

Come then, cleanse yourself of all the thoughts that preoccupy your mind, lay aside the habit that deceives you, and become as it were a new man from the beginning, since you are to be a hearer of a new teaching, as you yourself have confessed. Look—not only with your eyes but also with your understanding—of what substance or what form are those whom you call and consider gods.

來吧，先潔淨自己，除去一切先入為主、佔據你心思的念頭，撇下那欺哄你的積習，從頭做一個新人，因你既已親口承認，要作這新教訓的聽眾。請你細看——不單用眼睛，更用悟性——你們所稱、所認為神的，究竟是甚麼質料、甚麼形狀。

2:2

οὐχ ὁ μέν τις λίθος ἐστίν ὅμοιος τῷ πατουμένῳ ὁ δ' ἐστὶ χαλκός οὐ κρείσσων τῶν εἰς τὴν χρῆσιν ἡμῖν κεχαλκευμένων σκευῶν ὁ δὲ ξύλον ἤδη καὶ σεσηπός ὁ δὲ ἄργυρος χρῄζων ἀνθρώπου τοῦ φυλάξαντος ἵνα μὴ κλαπῇ ὁ δὲ σίδηρος ὑπὸ ἰοῦ διεφθαρμένος ὁ δὲ ὄστρακον οὐδὲν τοῦ κατεσκευασμένου πρὸς τὴν ἀτιμοτάτην ὑπηρεσίαν εὐπρεπέστερον

Is not one of them stone, like that which is trodden underfoot; another bronze, no better than the vessels forged for our use; another wood, already rotting; another silver, needing a man to guard it lest it be stolen; another iron, corroded by rust; another earthenware, in no way more comely than that fashioned for the most menial service?

其中豈不有的是石頭，與人腳下所踐踏的一樣；有的是銅，不比那為我們日用所打造的器皿強；有的是木頭，且已朽爛；有的是銀，還需人看守，免得被偷；有的是鐵，被鏽蝕壞了；有的是瓦器，毫不比那為最卑賤用途所造的更體面麼？

2:3

οὐ φθαρτῆς ὕλης ταῦτα πάντα οὐχ ὑπὸ σιδήρου καὶ πυρὸς κεχαλκευμένα οὐχ ὃ μὲν αὐτῶν λιθοξόος ὃ δὲ χαλκεύς ὃ δὲ ἀργυροκόπος ὃ δὲ κεραμεὺς ἔπλασεν οὐ πρὶν ἢ ταῖς τέχναις τούτων εἰς τὴν μορφὴν τούτων ἐκτυπωθῆναι ἦν ἕκαστον αὐτῶν ἑκάστῳ ἔτι καὶ νῦν μεταμεμορφωμένον οὐ τὰ νῦν ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ὕλης ὄντα σκεύη γένοιτ' ἄν εἰ τύχοι τῶν αὐτῶν τεχνιτῶν ὅμοια τοιούτοις

Are not all these of perishable matter, forged by iron and fire? Did not a stonemason make this one, a coppersmith that, a silversmith another, a potter yet another? Before being shaped by their crafts into these forms, was not each of them, even now, capable of being other than its present shape? Could not the vessels now made of the same matter, if it so happened, become like these at the hands of the same craftsmen?

這一切豈不都是會朽壞的材料，被鐵與火所打造的麼？這個豈不是石匠所製，那個是銅匠，那個是銀匠，那個是陶匠所塑的麼？在被他們的工藝塑成如今這形像之先，它們每一個豈不都還能變成別樣，甚至到如今也是如此麼？如今這些用同樣材料所造的器皿，若有機會經同一批匠人之手，豈不也能變成像它們一樣麼？

2:4

οὐ ταῦτα πάλιν τὰ νῦν ὑφ' ὑμῶν προσκυνούμενα δύναιτ' ἂν ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων σκεύη ὅμοια γενέσθαι τοῖς λοιποῖς οὐ κωφὰ πάντα οὐ τυφλά οὐκ ἄψυχα οὐκ ἀναίσθητα οὐκ ἀκίνητα οὐ πάντα σηπόμενα οὐ πάντα φθειρόμενα

And these things now worshiped by you—could they not, at the hands of men, become vessels like the rest? Are they not all dumb, all blind, without soul, without sense, without motion, all rotting, all decaying?

這些如今被你們敬拜的，豈不也能經人手變成與其餘器皿一樣麼？它們豈不全是啞的、全是瞎的、無魂無覺、不能動彈、全都腐爛、全都朽壞麼？

2:5

ταῦτα θεοὺς καλεῖτε τούτοις δουλεύετε τούτοις προσκυνεῖτε τέλεον δ' αὐτοῖς ἐξομοιοῦσθε

These you call gods; these you serve; these you worship—and in the end you become entirely like them.

你們竟稱這些為神，事奉它們、敬拜它們，到頭來你們自己也全然變得與它們一樣。

2:6

διὰ τοῦτο μισεῖτε Χριστιανούς ὅτι τούτους οὐχ ἡγοῦνται θεούς

For this reason you hate the Christians: because they do not consider these to be gods.

正因如此你們恨惡基督徒，因為他們不把這些當作神。

2:7

ὑμεῖς γὰρ αἰνεῖν νομίζοντες καὶ οἰόμενοι οὐ πολὺ πλέον αὐτῶν καταφρονεῖτε οὐ πολὺ μᾶλλον αὐτοὺς χλευάζετε καὶ ὑβρίζετε τοὺς μὲν λιθίνους καὶ ὀστρακίνους σέβοντες ἀφυλάκτους τοὺς δὲ ἀργυρέους καὶ χρυσοῦς ἐγκλείοντες ταῖς νυξί καὶ ταῖς ἡμέραις φύλακας παρακαθιστάντες ἵνα μὴ κλαπῶσιν

For you yourselves, who think and suppose that you are honoring them, do you not far more despise them? Do you not far more mock and insult them—revering the stone and earthenware ones unguarded, while the silver and gold ones you lock up by night and set guards over by day, lest they be stolen?

你們自以為在頌讚它們，豈不其實是更多地藐視它們麼？豈不是更多地譏笑、侮辱它們麼——對那石頭和瓦器所造的，你們任其無人看守；對那銀的、金的，你們卻在夜間鎖起來，白日派人守衛，免得被偷。

2:8

αἷς δὲ δοκεῖτε τιμαῖς προσφέρειν εἰ μὲν αἰσθάνονται κολάζετε μᾶλλον αὐτούς εἰ δὲ ἀναισθητοῦσιν ἐλέγχοντες αἵματι καὶ κνίσαις αὐτοὺς θρησκεύετε

And by the honors you think to offer them—if they have perception, you are rather punishing them; but if they are without sense, you are convicting them by worshiping them with blood and burnt fat.

至於你們自以為獻上的那些尊榮——它們若有知覺，你們倒是在折磨它們；它們若無知覺，你們便是用血和燔祭的脂油來敬拜它們，這反倒揭穿了它們的無知。

2:9

ταῦθ' ὑμῶν τις ὑπομεινάτω ταῦτα ἀνασχέσθω τις ἑαυτῷ γενέσθαι ἀλλὰ ἄνθρωπος μὲν οὐδὲ εἷς ταύτης τῆς κολάσεως ἑκὼν ἀνέξεται αἴσθησιν γὰρ ἔχει καὶ λογισμόν ὁ δὲ λίθος ἀνέχεται ἀναισθητεῖ γάρ οὐκ οὖν τὴν αἴσθησιν αὐτοῦ ἐλέγχετε

Let any one of you endure these things; let anyone allow such things to be done to himself! But not a single man would willingly submit to this punishment, for he has perception and reason. The stone, however, endures it, for it has no sense. Therefore you refute its very capacity for perception.

你們中間誰能忍受這些事？誰肯讓人這樣待自己？然而沒有一個人會甘願承受這樣的對待，因為人有知覺、有理性；那石頭卻能承受，因它毫無知覺。可見你們所拜之物根本沒有知覺，這正是你們自己所揭穿的。

2:10

περὶ μὲν οὖν τοῦ μὴ δεδουλῶσθαι Χριστιανοὺς τοιούτοις θεοῖς πολλὰ μὲν ἂν καὶ ἄλλα εἰπεῖν ἔχοιμι εἰ δέ τινι μὴ δοκοίη κἂν ταῦτα ἱκανά περισσὸν ἡγοῦμαι καὶ τὸ πλείω λέγειν

Now concerning the Christians not being enslaved to such gods, I could say many other things as well; but if these do not seem sufficient to anyone, I consider it superfluous to say more.

關於基督徒不受這等神明轄制這事，我還能說許多別的；但若有人覺得這些還不夠，我便認為多說也是徒然了。

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