Christmas The Innkeepers Story (Chinese/English)

Luke 2

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

路加福音2

4 约瑟夫也从加利利上到拿撒勒城，进入犹太，到了大卫的城，名叫伯利恒，因为他是大卫的后裔。
5 他与他所信赖的妻子玛丽一起纳税，因为她有孩子。
6 就这样，当他们在那里的时候，她被交付的日子已经结束了。
7 她把长子抱出来，用襁褓把他裹起来，放在马槽里，因为客栈里没有地方给他们。

The Innkeepers Story
旅店老板的故事

This person had a front row seat to the birth of Jesus, I wonder if he told his story it would go something like this.
这个人坐在耶稣诞生故事的前排座位上，我想知道他是否会这样讲述他的故事。

It’s been a long day today, my inn which is one of the biggest in Bethlehem is full to overflowing, people have been coming to this small town, they all need somewhere to stay, many come from out of town, they were born here, but have no house or residence here, so they have to stay somewhere.
已经忙碌了一天了，我的旅店是伯利恒最大的并且住满了旅客。人们来到这个小镇上，他们都需要一个地方住下来，有很多是从其它地方来的，他们是在这里出生的，但他们没有房子或者不是这里的居民，所以他们不得不找个地方住下来。

The inns are all so full, mine included, it’s been a long day, why oh why did the Romans have to start all this census nonsense, they are so precise, but they are our rulers, it does bring in good business for me, money is flowing in.
所有的旅店都住满了，包括我的在内。今天真的太忙了，为什么罗马人要搞这样一个毫无意义的人口普查。他们非常的严格，但没办法，他们是我们的统治者。不过这个人口普查的确给我带来好生意，可以赚钱。

It’s been a long day, and I try to rest my weary body, but just before I close my eyes, there’s a knock on my door, who could it be so late at night?
忙了一天后，我准备让我的疲惫的身体休息，但在我闭上眼睛以前，有人敲门了，谁会这么晚来敲门呢？

Wearily I go down to answer the knocking on my door, under the moonlight, I can see a young man, please help us sir, my wife is heavily pregnant, she is about to give birth, and I have been to every other inn in Bethlehem, they all have said there’s no room, please help us.
我拖着疲惫的身体去开门，月光下我看到一个年轻人：“先生，请帮帮我们吧！我的妻子身孕很重，她快要生产了，我已经去问过伯利恒的每一家旅店，他们都说没有房间了。请你帮一帮我们吧！”

He is beyond anxious, the pleading look in his eyes, I don’t mean to say this to him, but truly I have no rooms, but I do have a stable where the animal feed, there is hay and straw where you can rest, and I can give you some water and a little food.
他非常焦虑，透露着恳求的眼神，我并不想对他说这些，但我真的没有房间。我告诉他有一个马厩，那里有动物饲料，有干草和稻草，你可以休息，我可以给你一些水和一些食物。

His eyes light up, thank you so much, so I take him to the stable, there is oxen and my cows asleep, the couple are just so happy, she can’t be any more than in her late teens, she has a great glow, and he is very attentive to her.
他的眼睛亮了起来，“非常感谢你”他说。所以我把他带到马厩，那里有一头公牛和我的奶牛在睡觉。这对夫妇非常高兴，妻子不超过十几岁，她的周身散发着伟大的光芒，他的丈夫非常关心她。

They settle in, my animals have never had human company, they seem fascinated by their new visitors, they soon go back to sleep.
这一对夫妻在马厩住了下来，我家的动物们从来没有和人住在一起，所以它们对来客非常的友好，而且它们很快就睡觉了。

But during that night, well two things happened, first of all, the girl gave birth, her name was Mary, it was a boy, her firstborn, they called him Jesus, and they laid him in the animal trough used for feeding the animals.
可是在夜里两件事情发生了：首先，那个叫玛丽亚的女孩生了一个男孩子，这个男孩是她的头生的孩子，他们称他耶稣。他们把他放在喂动物的食槽里面。

Amazingly, they had visitors, you see these shepherds came because they had heard thousands of angels, telling them that the Saviour, would be born in Bethlehem and in my stable. They told everyone, I don’t think many believed them, after all they are shepherds and shepherds are always telling tall stories.
令人惊讶的是，这对夫妻有访客来了，你看，是牧羊人来了，因为他们听到了成千上万的天使，告诉他们救世主将出生在伯利恒，就在我的马厩里。牧羊人告诉了所有人，我想没有多少人相信他们，毕竟他们是牧羊人，牧羊人总是讲荒诞的故事。

You know, long ago, one of our Prophets Micah told us that the Saviour would be born in Bethlehem, I wonder, if this was Him.
你知道吗，在很久以前，有一个叫弥迦的先知，他告诉我们有一位救主将出生在伯利恒。我想这个孩子会不会就是他呢？

Jesus came into the world to save sinners like you and me, he came humbly and without any pomp and majesty.
耶稣来到世上，是为了拯救像你我这样的罪人，他谦卑地来到世上，没有任何的荣耀和威严。

He was born in a humble stable, no one recognized Him, no one wanted to know, He came because we couldn’t get to God, He had to come to us.
他出生在一个简陋的马厩里，没有人认出他，也没有人想知道，他来是因为我们无法接近上帝，他必须来到我们这里。

Most if not all of the inns in Bethlehem refused entry to Jesus, that’s like the world today, it refuses to accept Jesus, it puts up a no entry sigh to Jesus.
伯利恒的大多数旅馆都拒绝耶稣进入，就像今天的世界一样，拒绝接受耶稣，他们对耶稣竖起了“禁止进入”的牌子。

Others are like the innkeeper, they put Jesus in the stable, they will accept Jesus in, but place him away from their celebration of life, Jesus you go to the stable, we will celebrate with you outside in the stable.
其他人就像旅店老板，他们把耶稣放在马厩里，他们会接受耶稣，但把他放在远离他们庆祝生命的地方，耶稣，你去马厩，我们会和你一起在外面的马厩里庆祝。

The shepherds however heard the good news and came to see Jesus， and they were transformed, they told everyone.
然而，牧羊人听到了这个好消息，他们来见耶稣，他们被改变了，他们告诉了每个人。

This Christmas, which one of the three are you like?
这个圣诞节，你喜欢这三个人中的哪一个呢？