You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews.

你们所拜的，你们不知道；我们所拜的，我们知道，因为救恩是从犹太人出来的。

你们所敬拜的，你们不知道；我们所敬拜的，我们知道，因为救恩是从犹太人出来的。

你们所敬拜的，你们不知道；我们所敬拜的，我们知道，因为救恩是从犹太人出来的。

你们不知道你们敬拜的是谁，我们知道我们敬拜的是谁，因为救恩是从犹太人出来的。

你们敬拜你们所不知道的，我们却敬拜我们所知道的，因为救恩是从犹太人出来的。

你们敬拜你们所不认识的；我们却敬拜我们所认识的，因为救恩是出自犹太人的。

你們所拜的，你們不知道；我們所拜的，我們知道，因為救恩是從猶太人出來的。

你們所敬拜的，你們不知道；我們所敬拜的，我們知道，因為救恩是從猶太人出來的。

你們所敬拜的，你們不知道；我們所敬拜的，我們知道，因為救恩是從猶太人出來的。

你們不知道你們敬拜的是誰，我們知道我們敬拜的是誰，因為救恩是從猶太人出來的。

你們敬拜你們所不知道的，我們卻敬拜我們所知道的，因為救恩是從猶太人出來的。

你們敬拜你們所不知道的，我們敬拜我們所知道的，因為拯救是從猶太人出的。

你們敬拜你們所不認識的；我們卻敬拜我們所認識的，因為救恩是出自猶太人的。

爾曹拜所不知者、我儕拜所知者、蓋拯救出自猶太人也、

爾曹不知所拜、我儕知所拜、蓋救者、出自猶太人也、

爾曹不知所拜者、我儕則知所拜者、因救世之道、自猶太人出、

惟時已臨、今即是矣、凡崇拜聖父者、當以精誠出之、若斯者乃聖父之所眷也。

You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.

You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know. Salvation comes from the Jews.

You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.

You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews.

You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews.

You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.

Ye worship that which ye know not: we worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews.

You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews.

Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

You people worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews.

You worship that which you don’t know. We worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews.

They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises.Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

People from many nations will come and say,“ Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem.

for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it:‘ To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.

It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem:‘ There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’

He has revealed his words to Jacob, his decrees and regulations to Israel.

On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be,“ Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid!For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision?Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.

“ God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.

Our God is a God who saves! The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death.

Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.

See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.”

What I mean is, our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never mentioned priests coming from that tribe.

For I am ready to set things right, not in the distant future, but right now! I am ready to save Jerusalem and show my glory to Israel.

The king of Assyria then commanded,“ Send one of the exiled priests back to Samaria. Let him live there and teach the new residents the religious customs of the God of the land.”So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria returned to Bethel and taught the new residents how to worship the Lord.But these various groups of foreigners also continued to worship their own gods. In town after town where they lived, they placed their idols at the pagan shrines that the people of Samaria had built.Those from Babylon worshiped idols of their god Succoth benoth. Those from Cuthah worshiped their god Nergal. And those from Hamath worshiped Ashima.The Avvites worshiped their gods Nibhaz and Tartak. And the people from Sepharvaim even burned their own children as sacrifices to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech.These new residents worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests to offer sacrifices at their places of worship.And though they worshiped the Lord, they continued to follow their own gods according to the religious customs of the nations from which they came.And this is still going on today. They continue to follow their former practices instead of truly worshiping the Lord and obeying the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands he gave the descendants of Jacob, whose name he changed to Israel.For the Lord had made a covenant with the descendants of Jacob and commanded them:“ Do not worship any other gods or bow before them or serve them or offer sacrifices to them.But worship only the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt with great strength and a powerful arm. Bow down to him alone, and offer sacrifices only to him.Be careful at all times to obey the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands that he wrote for you. You must not worship other gods.Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods.You must worship only the Lord your God. He is the one who will rescue you from all your enemies.”But the people would not listen and continued to follow their former practices.So while these new residents worshiped the Lord, they also worshiped their idols. And to this day their descendants do the same.

So they approached Zerubbabel and the other leaders and said,“ Let us build with you, for we worship your God just as you do. We have sacrificed to him ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here.”

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor.

“ But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not abandoned him. Only the descendants of Aaron serve the Lord as priests, and the Levites alone may help them in their work.They present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the Lord every morning and evening. They place the Bread of the Presence on the holy table, and they light the gold lampstand every evening. We are following the instructions of the Lord our God, but you have abandoned him.So you see, God is with us. He is our leader. His priests blow their trumpets and lead us into battle against you. O people of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed!”

Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”