參考版本 AFV  A  Faithful Version 的希臘文 2009版本   

耶和華的事，不謀利沒有版權

1. And the people complained about their distress, speaking evil in the ears of the LORD. And the LORD heard it, and His anger was kindled. And the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some in the outermost parts of the camp.

2. And the people cried to Moses. And when Moses prayed to the LORD, the fire was quenched.

3. And he called the name of the place Taberah because the fire of the LORD burned among them.

4. And the troublemakers in their midst lusted with great lust. And the children of Israel also turned and wept, and said, “Who shall give us flesh to eat?

5. We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic.

6. But now our soul is dried away. There is nothing at all besides this manna before our eyes.”

7. And the manna was like coriander seed, and the color of it was like the color of bdellium.

8. The people went around and gathered, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was like the taste of fresh oil.

9. And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.

10. Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent. And the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly. Moses also was displeased.

11. And Moses said to the LORD, “Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight so that You lay the burden of all this people upon me?

12. Have I conceived all this people? Did I bring them forth that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom like a nursing father carries the sucking child,’ to the land which You swore to their fathers?

13. From where should I get flesh to give to all this people? For they weep to me, saying, ‘Give us flesh that we may eat.’

14. I am not able to bear all this people alone because it is too heavy for me.

15. And if You are going to deal this way with me, I beg You to kill me at once, or if I have found favor in Your sight, but let me not see my own wretchedness.”

 (A Faithful Version)

1. 當時民眾當中有向耶和華埋怨自己所受到的若待，心中對耶和華說出不敬的話。有火像是耶和華的怒氣，發生在營外一些地方。

2. 民眾就向摩西求助。摩西向耶和華訴說，火就熄滅。

3. 摩西給那火燒的地方起名叫他比拉，表示耶和華發出了怒火。

4. 這些麻煩製造者是因為心中的奢求引發，它引發以色列人生產同感，就問：無肉吃已經很長時間？

5. 記得在埃及的時候，可以隨意天天吃魚，還有黃瓜、西瓜、韭菜、蔥和蒜。

6. 現在心都死了，除了嗎哪，什麼都沒有。

7. 只是嗎哪倒有點像香菜的味道，顏色像珍珠。

8. 民眾當時就四處收集，打碎、攪拌，烤做成餅，出來的味道像新鮮的奶味。

9. 夜間空中露水降在營地，嗎哪就在其上。

10. 摩西此時聽到民眾出外手刮嗎哪發出苦苦之聱，回屋內人人怨聲四起，向耶和華發更大的怨言。摩西想想都覺得難以應對。

11. 於是對耶和華申辨：為何苦待你的民眾？為何這樣待我，把重擔加在我肩頭上？

12. 民眾不是我生出來，養活他們不是我的責任，你竟對我說，要把他們抱在懷裡，如同父親般去撫養，領他們回列祖應許之地。

13. 我哪裡去找肉給這群民眾？沒有，他們就苦著臉哀求：求求你，賜給我們。

14. 我一個人擔當不了，這擔子太重。

15. 若硬去承擔，殺了我吧；若是在你眼前蒙恩，就不要讓我受這種苦。

在平靜的日子，可以是一同吃苦這種處境下產生，因為苦日子有許多人都曾經歷過。當中有小數可能沒有，就是可以把金銀珠寶獻出來的一群。這些人在當日埃及的時候，必然是當埃及人的助事，看管著以色列人，這中間人角式，是可以從中收益許多，至於多少，就視乎個人的良知到那種高度。

以色列當中充任中間人，有可以抽取報酬，這是個必然的機制，是因應處境產生，是中性，好壞由決定。

The term “middleman theory” generally refers to two distinct concepts: Sociological Middleman Minority Theory and Economic Intermediation Theory.

Sociological Middleman Minority Theory
This theory, pioneered by sociologists Hubert Blalock and Edna Bonacich, explains how certain ethnic minority groups occupy intermediary roles between dominant elites and subordinate masses.

• Core Mechanism: These groups (e.g., Jews in Europe, Chinese in Southeast Asia) act as traders, moneylenders, or retailers, bridging the gap between producers and consumers.
• Key Drivers: The theory posits that cultural heritage (e.g., thrift, internal solidarity), contextual discrimination (blocking access to mainstream jobs), and situational factors force these groups into specific economic niches.
• Social Dynamic: Because they are perceived as outsiders yet economically successful, middleman minorities often face hostility, discrimination, or violence from the majority population, leading to further internal group cohesion.

Economic Middleman Theory
In economics, this refers to the role of intermediaries (brokers, wholesalers, market makers) in facilitating trade and reducing transaction costs.

• Function: Middlemen connect buyers and sellers, handling logistics, information asymmetry, and matching, which increases market efficiency.
• Market Structure: Theoretical models often contrast middlemen (who quote private prices via costly search) with market makers (who post public bid/ask prices).
• Value: They provide value by aggregating supply and demand, though they add a margin (fee) to the final price.

Key Distinction

• Sociological: Focuses on ethnic identity, discrimination, and the social position of specific minority groups.
• Economic: Focuses on market mechanics, transaction costs, and the functional role of any intermediary regardless of identity.

這中間人角式用在信仰層面，例如耶穌展示的角式，以及耶穌坦言跟隨者，是有與耶穌同等的角色，是福音的中介人。信仰的中間人角式又稱先知，不同於上述的定對，最大不同是在信心，是人與耶穌與耶和華，和別的人如族群之間，不是營商這樣的關係，是人與人之間的和事佬角式。

作為各事佬，是自願。他又不同於謀取利益即是個人或政商當中，因此，這人有選擇權，可以介入，深淺各人自定，因為終極的責任不這個代理人，是事主本身的責任。

對於摩西，他就是這個中間人角式。

當時有享受慣了的以色列人，出埃及變的一無所有，又在食而不其知味的日子，二年了，看來是受夠了。看來事件發生，只某些人在以前有這等福氣，藉代理人身份豐衣足食。現在的處境不比從前，是受不了。對於大部份的平民，相信不是這樣。現在，他們天仍未光的時候，去刮瑪哪(相信是水) 發出的聲音，摩西聽起來，像是訴苦是另一番滋味，

摩西自己都有樣的感覺，不單是牽連有錢的，無錢也同樣地受苦。這樣出埃及這些人都在問：為什麼？他們也許會問：自由的代價太大！

這是個從理想到現實的問題。人不須要自由，要生存。

以色列人一方面為了能夠自由，只有在受不起被折騰的時候，勇於前赴，過了二年，這二年都是食齋，似乎不再習慣，很回味以前的生活，更重要是不知前路有多遠，才是人生理想的終站，人感到失落和沮喪是可以理解，耶和華體諒。這情境在以賽亞年代，正式提出來，要王。

問題是耶和華不曉得有這樣的結果？不可能。那是有其他的想法，會是什麼想法？

耶和華不會折磨人，而是測試人的耐力。似乎人在追求理想最大吃苦期大約是二年時間，這是大比數的人，當中有小數很快就承受不了，有些可以承受得更長。而摩西是例外，他發怨言是因為站在中間大部份人受苦設想。

摩西的怨言，不是因為自己是為了大多數。為他們向耶和華祈求。這是領袖須有的良知和智慧：是為大眾而不是因私慾。若用這個原則放之於今日大多數的領袖，不論是從商、從政、從學術、從發明，起初，都不是當前環境的須要，是個人的慾求改善而來。只是，在在推動的過程，它同是一件由好變成個人慾的誘因，它是人的死結，就以昔日的該隱，他要的是：一心一意事奉。摩西沒有。

結果？耶和華改變。他們有麵包有水之餘，在不久就有肉。這是很健康的食物。人不要健康，要什麼時候能讓口舌之福得以再添？人，不忘自己。有這麼大的經歷，不忘的是生存，不是生存的意義。什麼可以忘記？耶和華，祂有大能帶給他們的自由。可是，自由真的不是人人須要，生存才是。在能夠生存的時候，常問生存，有什麼意義？有小數人要成為各行各業的領袖，有人依舊問生存的問題。這問題早就在出埃及時發生過。