A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE
圣经简介

Bible, also called the Holy Bible, the sacred book or Scriptures of Judaism and of Christianity. The Bible of Judaism and the Bible of Christianity are different, however, in some important ways. The Jewish Bible is the Hebrew Scriptures, 39 books originally written in Hebrew, except for a few sections in Aramaic. The Christian Bible is in two parts, the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament. The Old Testament is structured in two slightly different forms by the two principal divisions of Christendom. The version of the Old Testament used by Roman Catholics is the Bible of Judaism plus 7 other books and additions to books; some of the additional books were originally written in Greek, as was the New Testament. The version of the Old Testament used by Protestants is limited to the 39 books of the Jewish Bible. The other books and additions to books are called the Apocrypha by Protestants; they are generally referred to as deuterocanonical books by Roman Catholics.
圣经，也称为圣经，犹太教和基督教的圣书或圣经。然而，犹太教圣经和基督教圣经在一些重要方面是不同的。犹太圣经是《希伯来语圣经》，除少数部分用阿拉姆语外，共有 39 卷书最初用希伯来语写成。基督教圣经分为两部分，旧约和新约 27 卷书。旧约圣经由基督教世界的两个主要分支以两种略有不同的形式构成。罗马天主教徒使用的旧约圣经版本是犹太教圣经加上其他七本书和书籍的补充；一些附加书籍最初是用希腊语写成的，《新约》也是如此。新教徒使用的旧约圣经版本仅限于犹太圣经的39卷书。其他书籍和书籍的补充被新教徒称为次经。它们通常被罗马天主教徒称为次经书籍。

The term Bible is derived through Latin from the Greek biblia, or “books,” the diminutive form of byblos, the word for “papyrus” or “paper,” which was exported from the ancient Phoenician port city of Biblos. By the time of the Middle Ages the books of the Bible were considered a unified entity.
《圣经》一词源自拉丁语，源自希腊语biblia，即“书籍”，byblos 的缩写形式，意为“纸莎草”或“纸”，是从古代腓尼基港口城市比布鲁斯出口的。到了中世纪，圣经各卷书被认为是一个统一的实体。

ORDER OF THE BOOKS
书籍顺序

The order as well as the number of books differs between the Jewish Bible and the Protestant and Roman Catholic versions of the Bible. The Bible of Judaism is in three distinct parts: the Torah, or Law, also called the books of Moses; the Nebiim, or Prophets, divided into the Earlier and Latter Prophets; and the Ketubim, or Writings, including Psalms, wisdom books, and other diverse literature. The Christian Old Testament organizes the books according to their type of literature: the Pentateuch, corresponding to the Torah; historical books; poetical or wisdom books; and prophetical books. Some have perceived a sensitivity to the historical perspective of the books: first those that concern the past; then, the present; and then, the future. The Protestant and Roman Catholic versions of the Old Testament place the books in the same sequence, but the Protestant version includes only those books found in the Bible of Judaism.
犹太教圣经与新教和罗马天主教版本的圣经之间的顺序和数量有所不同。犹太教圣经分为三个不同的部分：托拉（Torah）或律法，也称为摩西书； Nebiim，即先知，分为早期先知和晚期先知；和 Ketubim，或著作，包括诗篇、智慧书和其他不同的文学作品。基督教旧约圣经根据其文学类型来组织书籍：摩西五经，对应于托拉；历史书籍；诗歌或智慧书籍；和预言书。有些人认为这些书的历史视角很敏感：首先是那些关注过去的书，其次是那些关注历史的书。然后，现在；然后是未来。新教和罗马天主教版本的旧约圣经按相同的顺序放置书籍，但新教版本仅包括犹太教圣经中的书籍。

The New Testament includes the four Gospels; the Acts of the Apostles, a history of early Christianity; Epistles, or letters, of Paul and other writers; and an apocalypse, or book of revelation. Some books identified as letters, particularly the Book of Hebrews, are theological treatises.
新约包括四福音书； 《使徒行传》，一部早期基督教的历史；保罗和其他作家的书信或书信；以及一本启示录或启示录。一些被称为书信的书籍，特别是希伯来书，是神学论文。

USE
使用

The Bible is a religious book, not only by virtue of its contents but also in terms of its use by Christians and Jews. It is read in practically all services of public worship, its words form the basis for preaching and instruction, and it is used in private devotion and study. The language of the Bible has informed and shaped the prayers, liturgy, and hymnody of Judaism and Christianity. Without the Bible these two religions would have been virtually speechless.
圣经是一本宗教书籍，不仅因为它的内容，而且因为它被基督徒和犹太人使用。它几乎在所有公共礼拜仪式中都会被阅读，它的话语构成了讲道和教导的基础，并且被用于私人奉献和学习。圣经的语言影响并塑造了犹太教和基督教的祈祷、礼拜仪式和赞美诗。如果没有《圣经》，这两种宗教几乎就无话可说。

Both the confessed and actual importance of the Bible differ considerably among the various subdivisions of Judaism and Christianity, but all adherents ascribe some degree of authority to it. Many confess that the Bible is the full and sufficient guide in all matters of faith and practice; others view the authority of the Bible in the light of tradition, or the continuous belief and practice of the church since apostolic times.
在犹太教和基督教的不同分支中，《圣经》所承认的重要性和实际重要性都存在很大差异，但所有信徒都赋予《圣经》一定程度的权威。许多人承认圣经是所有信仰和实践问题的完整和充分的指南。另一些人则根据传统或教会自使徒时代以来持续的信仰和实践来看待《圣经》的权威。

BIBLICAL INSPIRATION
圣经灵感

Early Christianity inherited from Judaism and took for granted a view of the Scriptures as authoritative. No formal doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture was initially propounded, as was the case in Islam, which held that the Qur'an (Koran) was handed down from heaven. Christians generally believed, however, that the Bible contained the word of God as communicated by his Spirit—first through the patriarchs and prophets and then through the apostles. The writers of the New Testament books, in fact, appealed to the authority of the Hebrew Scriptures to support their claims concerning Jesus Christ.
早期基督教继承自犹太教，理所当然地认为《圣经》具有权威性。最初并没有提出关于《圣经》默示的正式教义，正如伊斯兰教的情况一样，伊斯兰教认为《古兰经》是从天上流传下来的。然而，基督徒普遍相信，圣经包含上帝的圣言，是通过圣灵传达的——首先是通过族长和先知，然后是通过使徒。事实上，新约圣经的作者们诉诸希伯来圣经的权威来支持他们关于耶稣基督的主张。

The actual doctrine of the inspiration of the Bible by the Holy Spirit and the inerrancy of its words arose during the 19th century in response to the development of biblical criticism, scholarly studies that seemed to challenge the divine origin of the Bible. This doctrine holds that God is the author of the Bible in such a way that the Bible is his word. Many theories explaining the doctrine have been suggested by biblical scholars and theologians. The theories range from a direct, divine, verbal dictation of the Scriptures to an illumination aiding the inspired writer to understand the truth he expressed, whether this truth was revealed or learned by experience.
圣经是圣灵所默示的，其话语无误这一实际教义是在 19 世纪出现的，是为了回应圣经批评和学术研究的发展，这些研究似乎挑战了圣经的神圣起源。该学说认为上帝是圣经的作者，因此圣经就是他的话语。圣经学者和神学家提出了许多解释该教义的理论。这些理论的范围从直接的、神圣的、口头的圣经口述到帮助受启发的作者理解他所表达的真理的启发，无论这个真理是启示的还是通过经验学到的。

COVENANT
盟约

The Hebrew Bible makes reference to a number of covenants with God (YHWH). The Noahic Covenant (in Genesis), which is between God and all living creatures, as well as a number of more specific covenants with individuals or groups. Biblical covenants include those with Abraham, the whole Israelite people, the Israelite priesthood, and the Davidic lineage of kings. In form and terminology, these covenants echo the kinds of treaty agreements in the surrounding ancient world.
希伯来圣经提到了与上帝（ YHWH ）的许多圣约。诺亚之约（创世记） ，是上帝与所有生物之间的契约，以及与个人或群体之间的一些更具体的契约。圣经中的圣约包括与亚伯拉罕、全体以色列人民、以色列祭司以及大卫王族谱系的圣约。这些契约在形式和术语上与周围古代世界的条约协定相呼应。

In the Book of Jeremiah, verses 31:30-33 predict "a new covenant" that God will establish with "the house of Israel". Most Christians believe this New Covenant is the "replacement" or "final fulfilment" of the Old Covenant described in the Old Testament and as applying to the People of God, while some believe both covenants are still applicable in a dual covenant theology.
在《耶利米书》中，第31 章 30-33节预言上帝将与“以色列家”订立“新约”。大多数基督徒相信这个新约是旧约中描述的旧约的“替代”或“最终实现” ，并适用于上帝的子民，而有些人则认为这两个圣约仍然适用于双重圣约神学。

There are two major types of covenants in the Hebrew Bible, including the obligatory type and the promissory type. The obligatory covenant is more common with the Hittite peoples, and deals with the relationship between two parties of equal standing. In contrast, the promissory type of covenant is seen in the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants. Promissory covenants focus on the relationship between the suzerain and the vassal. In royal grants, the master could reward a servant for being loyal. God rewarded Abraham, Noah, and David in his covenants with them. As part of his covenant with Abraham, God has the obligation to keep Abraham's descendants as God's chosen people and be their God.
希伯来圣经中的圣约有两种主要类型，包括义务型和应许型。义务契约在赫梯民族中更为常见，涉及平等地位的两方之间的关系。相比之下，应许类型的圣约见于亚伯拉罕之约和大卫之约。契约主要关注的是宗主与附庸之间的关系。在皇家补助中，主人可以奖励忠诚的仆人。神在与亚伯拉罕、挪亚和大卫所立的圣约中奖赏他们。作为与亚伯拉罕所立之约的一部分，神有义务保守亚伯拉罕的后裔作为神的选民，并作他们的神。

TEN COMMANDMENTS
十诫

The Ten Commandments also known as the Decalogue, are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship that play a fundamental role in Judaism and Christianity. The text of the Ten Commandments appears twice in the Hebrew Bible: at Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. According to the book of Exodus in the Torah, the Ten Commandments were revealed to Moses at Mount Sinai.
十诫也称为十诫，是一套与道德和敬拜有关的圣经原则，在犹太教和基督教中发挥着重要作用。十诫的文本在希伯来圣经中出现了两次：出埃及记20:2-17和申命记5:6-21 。根据托拉中的《出埃及记》 ，十诫是在西奈山向摩西启示的。

The biblical narrative of the revelation at Sinai begins in Exodus 19 after the arrival of the children of Israel at Mount Sinai (also called Horeb). On the morning of the third day of their encampment, "there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud", and the people assembled at the base of the mount. After "the LORD came down upon mount Sinai", Moses went up briefly and returned with stone tablets and prepared the people, and then in Exodus 20 "God spoke" to all the people the words of the covenant, that is, the "ten commandments" as it is written.
圣经对西奈山启示的叙述始于出埃及记第19章，当时以色列人到达西奈山（也称为何烈山）。安营的第三天早晨，“山上有雷霆闪电，乌云密布，号角声甚大”，百姓聚集在山脚下。 “耶和华降临在西奈山”之后，摩西短暂地上去，带着石版回来，预备百姓，然后在出埃及记第 20 章中，“神向”全体百姓说了圣约的话，即“十诫”。诫命”正如所写的那样。

The Ten Commandments concern matters of fundamental importance in Judaism and Christianity: the greatest obligation (to worship only God), the greatest injury to a person (murder), the greatest injury to family bonds (adultery), the greatest injury to commerce and law (bearing false witness), the greatest inter-generational obligation (honour to parents), the greatest obligation to community (truthfulness), the greatest injury to movable property (theft).
十诫涉及犹太教和基督教中最重要的问题：最大的义务（只崇拜上帝），对人的最大伤害（谋杀），对家庭纽带的最大伤害（通奸），对商业和法律的最大伤害（作伪证），最大的代际义务（对父母的荣誉），对社区的最大义务（诚实），对动产最大的伤害（盗窃）。

IMPROTANCE AND INFLUENCE
重要性和影响力

The importance and influence of the Bible among Christians and Jews may be explained broadly in both external and internal terms. The external explanation is the power of tradition, custom, and creed: Religious groups confess that they are guided by the Bible. In one sense the religious community is the author of Scripture, having developed it, cherished it, used it, and eventually canonized it (that is, developed lists of officially recognized biblical books). The internal explanation, however, is what many Christians and Jews continue to experience as the power of the contents of the biblical books themselves. Ancient Israel and the early church knew of many more religious books than the ones that constitute the Bible. The biblical books, however, were cherished and used because of what they said and how they said it; they were officially canonized because they had come to be used and believed so widely. The Bible truly is the foundation document of Judaism and Christianity.
圣经对基督徒和犹太人的重要性和影响可以从外部和内部两个方面进行广泛的解释。外在的解释是传统、习俗和信条的力量：宗教团体承认他们以圣经为指导。从某种意义上说，宗教团体是圣经的作者，发展了圣经，珍惜了它，使用了它，并最终将其经典化（即制定了官方认可的圣经书籍清单）。然而，内在的解释是许多基督徒和犹太人继续体验到的圣经书卷本身内容的力量。古代以色列和早期教会所知道的宗教书籍比构成圣经的书籍还要多。然而，圣经书籍之所以受到珍惜和使用，是因为它们所说的内容和所说的方式。它们被正式封圣，因为它们被如此广泛地使用和相信。圣经确实是犹太教和基督教的基础文献。

It is commonly known that the Bible, in its hundreds of different translations, is the most widely distributed book in human history. Moreover, in all its forms, the Bible has been enormously influential, and not only among the religious communities that hold it sacred. The literature, art, and music of Western culture in particular are deeply indebted to biblical themes, motifs, and images. Translations of the Bible, such as the Authorized Version (or King James Version, 1611) and Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible into German (first completed in 1534) not only influenced literature but also shaped the development of languages. Such effects continue to be felt in emerging nations, where translations of the Bible into the vernacular help to shape language traditions.
众所周知，《圣经》有数百种不同的译本，是人类历史上流传最广的书籍。此外，无论以何种形式，《圣经》都具有巨大的影响力，而且不仅在将其视为神圣的宗教团体中。西方文化的文学、艺术和音乐尤其深受圣经主题、母题和意象的影响。圣经的翻译，例如授权版（或英王詹姆斯版，1611 年）和马丁路德的德文版圣经（首次于 1534 年完成）不仅影响了文学，而且塑造了语言的发展。新兴国家继续感受到这种影响，将圣经翻译成白话有助于塑造语言传统。

THE BIBLE IN ENGLISH
英文圣经

The history of the English Bible is the history of the movement of the Bible from its possession and use by clergy alone to the hands of the laity. It is also the history of the formation of the English language from a mixture of French, Anglo-Norman, and Anglo-Saxon. Even though Christianity reached England in the 3rd century, the Bible remained in Latin and almost exclusively in the hands of the clergy for a thousand years.
英文圣经的历史就是圣经从神职人员独自拥有和使用到平信徒手中的运动的历史。这也是英语从法语、盎格鲁-诺曼语和盎格鲁-撒克逊语混合形成的历史。尽管基督教在公元 3 世纪传入英国，但《圣经》仍然是拉丁文，并且在长达一千年的时间里几乎完全掌握在神职人员手中。

Between the 7th and 14th centuries, portions of the Bible were translated into English, and some rough paraphrases appeared for instructing parishioners. In literary circles, poetic translations of favorite passages were made. Interest in translation from Latin to English grew rapidly in the 14th century, and in 1382 the first complete English Bible appeared in manuscript. It was the work of the English reformer John Wycliffe, whose goal was to give the Bible to the people.
七世纪至十四世纪之间，《圣经》的部分内容被翻译成英文，并出现了一些粗略的释义以指导教区居民。在文学界，人们对喜爱的段落进行了诗意的翻译。 14 世纪，人们对从拉丁语翻译成英语的兴趣迅速增长，1382 年第一本完整的英文圣经手稿出现。这是英国改革家约翰·威克利夫的作品，他的目标是将圣经交给人民。

TRANSLATIONS OF THE REFORMATION PERIOD
宗教改革时期的翻译

In 1525 the English reformer William Tyndale translated the New Testament from the Greek text, copies of which were printed in Germany and smuggled into England. Tyndale’s translation of the Old Testament from the Hebrew text was only partly completed. His simple prose and popular idiom established a style in English translation that was continued in the Authorized Version of 1611 (the King James Version) and eventually in the Revised Standard Version of 1946-52.
1525 年，英国改革家威廉·廷代尔 (William Tyndale) 从希腊文翻译了《新约》，其副本在德国印刷并走私到英国。廷代尔对希伯来文旧约的翻译只完成了部分。他简单的散文和通俗的习语确立了英语翻译的风格，这种风格在 1611 年的授权版本（詹姆斯国王版本）中得到延续，并最终在 1946-52 年的修订标准版本中得到延续。

In 1535 the English reformer Miles Coverdale published an English translation based on German and Latin versions in addition to Tyndale’s. This was not only the first complete English Bible to appear in printed form, but unlike its predecessors, it was an approved translation that had been requested by the Canterbury Convocation. Shortly thereafter, the English reformer and editor John Rogers produced a slightly revised edition of Tyndale’s Bible. This appeared in 1537 and was called Matthew’s Bible.
1535 年，英国改革家迈尔斯·科弗代尔 (Miles Coverdale) 在丁代尔的基础上出版了基于德文和拉丁文版本的英文译本。这不仅是第一本以印刷形式出现的完整英文圣经，而且与它的前身不同，它是坎特伯雷议会要求的经过批准的翻译。此后不久，英国改革家和编辑约翰·罗杰斯制作了廷代尔圣经的略微修订版​​。这本出版于 1537 年，被称为《马太福音》。

In 1538 the English scholar Richard Taverner issued another revision. At about the same time, Thomas Cromwell commissioned Coverdale to produce a new Bible, which appeared in six editions between 1539 and 1568. This Bible, called the Great Bible, in its final revision in 1568 by scholars and bishops of the Anglican church was known as the Bishops’ Bible. The Bishops’ Bible was designed to replace not only the Great Bible, which was primarily a pulpit Bible, but also a translation for the laity, produced in Geneva in 1560 by English Protestants in exile, called the Geneva Bible. The Bishops’ Bible was the second authorized Bible.
1538年，英国学者理查德·塔弗纳（Richard Taverner）发表了另一次修订。大约在同一时间，托马斯·克伦威尔 (Thomas Cromwell) 委托科弗代尔 (Coverdale) 制作一本新《圣经》，该《圣经》在 1539 年至 1568 年间共出版了六个版本。这本《圣经》被称为《伟大的圣经》，在 1568 年由英国圣公会的学者和主教进行的最终修订版中广为人知。作为主教的圣经。主教圣经的设计目的不仅是为了取代主要是讲坛圣经的《伟大的圣经》，也是为平信徒所翻译的版本，由流亡的英国新教徒于 1560 年在日内瓦出版，称为《日内瓦圣经》。主教圣经是第二本授权的圣经。

The Douay or Douay-Rheims (spelled also Douai-Reims) Bible, completed between 1582 and 1609, was commonly used by Roman Catholics in English-speaking countries until the 1900s, when it was considerably revised by the English bishop Richard Challoner. The Douay Bible was translated from the Latin Vulgate, primarily by two English exiles in France, William Allen and Gregory Martin. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the Douay and Challoner Bibles were replaced with other translations by Roman Catholics. In the United States, one of the most widely used is the New American Bible of 1970, the first complete Bible to be translated from Hebrew and Greek by American Roman Catholics.
杜埃或杜埃-兰斯（也拼写为杜埃-兰斯）圣经于 1582 年至 1609 年间完成，一直被英语国家的罗马天主教徒广泛使用，直到 1900 年代，英国主教理查德·查洛纳 (Richard Challoner) 对它进行了相当大的修订。 《杜埃圣经》主要由两位流亡法国的英国人威廉·艾伦和格雷戈里·马丁从拉丁文通俗译本翻译而来。在 19 世纪和 20 世纪，杜埃圣经和查洛纳圣经被罗马天主教徒的其他译本所取代。在美国，使用最广泛的圣经是 1970 年的《新美国圣经》，这是第一本由美国罗马天主教徒从希伯来语和希腊语翻译而来的完整圣经。

THE KING JAMES VERSION AND ITS REVISIONS
詹姆斯国王版本及其修订

In 1604 King James I commissioned a new revision of the English Bible; it was completed in 1611. Following Tyndale primarily, this Authorized Version, also known as the King James Version, was widely acclaimed for its beauty and simplicity of style. In the years that followed, the Authorized Version underwent several revisions, the most notable being the English Revised Version (1881-85), the American Standard Version (1901), and the revision of the American Standard Version undertaken by the International Council of Religious Education, representing 40 Protestant denominations in the U.S. and Canada. This Revised Standard Version (RSV) appeared between 1946 and 1952. Widely accepted by Orthodox, Protestant, and Roman Catholic Christians, it provided the basis for the first ecumenical English Bible. The New King James Bible, with contemporary American vocabulary, was published in 1982.
1604 年，国王詹姆斯一世委托对英文圣经进行新修订；它于 1611 年完成。主要继丁道尔之后，这个授权版本，也称为詹姆斯国王版本，因其优美和简洁的风格而广受赞誉。在随后的几年中，授权版本经历了多次修订，其中最引人注目的是英文修订版（1881-85）、美国标准版（1901）以及国际宗教理事会对美国标准版的修订。教育，代表美国和加拿大 40 个新教教派。该修订标准版 (RSV) 于 1946 年至 1952 年间问世。它被东正教、新教和罗马天主教徒广泛接受，为第一本普世英语圣经奠定了基础。包含当代美国词汇的《新钦定版圣经》于 1982 年出版。

OTHER MODERN TRANSLATIONS
其他现代翻译

In the first half of the 20th century many modern speech translations, mostly by individuals, appeared: the New English Bible, commissioned in 1946 by the Church of Scotland and designed to be neither stilted nor colloquial; the New International Bible (1973-79); and the Living Bible (1962-71)
20 世纪上半叶，出现了许多现代语音翻译，其中大部分是由个人完成的：《新英文圣经》，由苏格兰教会于 1946 年委托编写，其设计既不生硬也不口语化；新国际圣经（1973-79）；和活圣经（1962-71）.