“ But,” someone might still argue,“ how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?”

若神的真实，因我的虚谎越发显出他的荣耀，为什么我还受审判，好像罪人呢？

若上帝的真实因我的虚谎越发显出他的荣耀，为什么我还像罪人一样受审判呢？

若神的真实因我的虚谎越发显出他的荣耀，为什么我还像罪人一样受审判呢？

你们又说：“如果我们的虚谎凸显出上帝的真实，增加祂的荣耀，为什么祂还要把我们当作罪人审判呢？”

但是神的诚实，如果因我的虚谎而更加显出他的荣耀来，为什么我还要像罪人一样受审判呢？

那么，如果神的真实因我的虚谎使他的荣耀更加丰盛，为什么我还要像罪人一样被定罪呢？

若神的真實，因我的虛謊越發顯出他的榮耀，為甚麼我還受審判，好像罪人呢？

若上帝的真實因我的虛謊越發顯出他的榮耀，為甚麼我還像罪人一樣受審判呢？

若神的真實因我的虛謊越發顯出他的榮耀，為甚麼我還像罪人一樣受審判呢？

你們又說：「如果我們的虛謊凸顯出上帝的真實，增加祂的榮耀，為什麼祂還要把我們當作罪人審判呢？」

但是神的誠實，如果因我的虛謊而更加顯出他的榮耀來，為甚麼我還要像罪人一樣受審判呢？

但上帝的真實如果因我的虛假越發彰顯他的榮耀來，為甚麼我還被斷為罪人呢？

那麼，如果神的真實因我的虛謊使他的榮耀更加豐盛，為什麼我還要像罪人一樣被定罪呢？

若上帝之誠、因我之偽而益致其榮、則我何仍見鞫如罪人乎、

曰、若我之偽、益彰上帝之誠以致其榮、則我何反見擬如罪人乎、

若天主之真、因我之偽、而愈顯以致其榮、則我何又見擬如罪人乎、

曰：今夫天主之真、既賴吾人之偽、而發揚光大、則吾之被判為罪人、不亦枉乎？

Someone might argue,“ If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?”

Someone might argue,“ When I lie, it becomes clearer that God is truthful. It makes his glory shine more brightly. Why then does he find me guilty of sin?”

But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?

But if by my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?

But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?

For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

But if the truth of God through my lie abounded unto his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

But if by my lie God’s truth is amplified to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?

For if by my lie the truth of God enhances his glory, why am I still actually being judged as a sinner?

For if the truth of God through my lie abounded to his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,“ You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.”

Jesus replied,“ I tell you the truth, Peter— this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

Well then, you might say,“ Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?”No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it,“ Why have you made me like this?”

I am sending Assyria against a godless nation, against a people with whom I am angry. Assyria will plunder them, trampling them like dirt beneath its feet.But the king of Assyria will not understand that he is my tool; his mind does not work that way. His plan is simply to destroy, to cut down nation after nation.

But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him.

Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him,“ You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”But Peter denied it in front of everyone.“ I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around,“ This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath.“ I don’t even know the man,” he said.A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said,“ You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”Peter swore,“ A curse on me if I’m lying— I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind:“ Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.

When the prophet heard the report, he said,“ It is the man of God who disobeyed the Lord’s command. The Lord has fulfilled his word by causing the lion to attack and kill him.”Then the prophet said to his sons,“ Saddle a donkey for me.” So they saddled a donkey,and he went out and found the body lying in the road. The donkey and lion were still standing there beside it, for the lion had not eaten the body nor attacked the donkey.So the prophet laid the body of the man of God on the donkey and took it back to the town to mourn over him and bury him.He laid the body in his own grave, crying out in grief,“ Oh, my brother!”Afterward the prophet said to his sons,“ When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones.For the message the Lord told him to proclaim against the altar in Bethel and against the pagan shrines in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true.”

The people in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus as the one the prophets had spoken about. Instead, they condemned him, and in doing this they fulfilled the prophets’ words that are read every Sabbath.They found no legal reason to execute him, but they asked Pilate to have him killed anyway.“ When they had done all that the prophecies said about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb.

And Elisha replied,“ Go and tell him,‘ You will surely recover.’ But actually the Lord has shown me that he will surely die!”Elisha stared at Hazael with a fixed gaze until Hazael became uneasy. Then the man of God started weeping.“ What’s the matter, my lord?” Hazael asked him. Elisha replied,“ I know the terrible things you will do to the people of Israel. You will burn their fortified cities, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women!”Hazael responded,“ How could a nobody like me ever accomplish such great things?” Elisha answered,“ The Lord has shown me that you are going to be the king of Aram.”When Hazael left Elisha and went back, the king asked him,“ What did Elisha tell you?” And Hazael replied,“ He told me that you will surely recover.”But the next day Hazael took a blanket, soaked it in water, and held it over the king’s face until he died. Then Hazael became the next king of Aram.

“ Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father,‘ A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”

That is how the Lord rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore.

“ But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand forces him.

When his brothers were ready to leave, Joseph gave these instructions to his palace manager:“ Fill each of their sacks with as much grain as they can carry, and put each man’s money back into his sack.Then put my personal silver cup at the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the money for his grain.” So the manager did as Joseph instructed him.The brothers were up at dawn and were sent on their journey with their loaded donkeys.But when they had gone only a short distance and were barely out of the city, Joseph said to his palace manager,“ Chase after them and stop them. When you catch up with them, ask them,‘ Why have you repaid my kindness with such evil?Why have you stolen my master’s silver cup, which he uses to predict the future? What a wicked thing you have done!’”When the palace manager caught up with the men, he spoke to them as he had been instructed.“ What are you talking about?” the brothers responded.“ We are your servants and would never do such a thing!Didn’t we return the money we found in our sacks? We brought it back all the way from the land of Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?If you find his cup with any one of us, let that man die. And all the rest of us, my lord, will be your slaves.”“ That’s fair,” the man replied.“ But only the one who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go free.”They all quickly took their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them.The palace manager searched the brothers’ sacks, from the oldest to the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack!When the brothers saw this, they tore their clothing in despair. Then they loaded their donkeys again and returned to the city.Joseph was still in his palace when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him.

His brothers responded,“ So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them.Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it.“ Listen, I have had another dream,” he said.“ The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!”

For the Lord gave me this command:‘ You must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.’”But the old prophet answered,“ I am a prophet, too, just as you are. And an angel gave me this command from the Lord:‘ Bring him home with you so he can have something to eat and drink.’” But the old man was lying to him.

When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds.“ What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked.

Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph.“ Look, we are your slaves!” they said.But Joseph replied,“ Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you?You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.