| 撒慕爾紀上 |
1 Samuel |
| 1撒烏耳三十歲登極，作以色列王四十年。 |
1 (Saul was. . . years old when he became king and he reigned. . . (two) years over Israel.) |
| 2撒烏耳從以色列人中挑選了三千人：兩千在米革瑪斯和貝特耳山地與撒烏耳在一起；一千在本雅明的革巴隨着約納堂；剩下的人，撒烏耳遣散他們各回本帳幕。 |
2Saul chose three thousand men of Israel, of whom two thousand remained with him in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the people back to their tents. |
| 3約納堂擊殺了駐紮在基貝亞的培肋舍特人的官吏，培肋舍特人遂知道希伯來人已經叛變。撒烏耳在全國吹了警號， |
3 Now Jonathan overcame the Philistine garrison which was in Gibeah, and the Philistines got word of it. Then Saul sounded the horn throughout the land, with a proclamation, "Let the Hebrews hear!" |
| 4全以色列人都聽說：撒烏耳擊殺了培肋舍特人的一個官吏，所以以色列為培肋舍特人所仇恨；於是人民便跟撒烏耳聚集在基耳加耳。 |
4Thus all Israel learned that Saul had overcome the garrison of the Philistines and that Israel had brought disgrace upon the Philistines; and the soldiers were called up to Saul in Gilgal. |
| 5培肋舍特人已調齊來攻打以色列人；他們有戰車三千，騎兵六千，民兵多得如同海邊的沙，都上來在貝特阿文東方的米革瑪斯紮了營。 |
5The Philistines also assembled for battle, with three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and foot soldiers as numerous as the sands of the seashore. Moving up against Israel, they encamped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven. |
| 6以色列人一見大難臨頭，敵人壓境，就有些人藏在山洞裏，土窟內，岩石下，地窖內和旱井裏， |
6Some Israelites, aware of the danger and of the difficult situation, hid themselves in caves, in thickets, among rocks, in caverns, and in cisterns, |
| 7另有許多人渡過約但河往加得和基肋阿得去了；但撒烏耳卻還在基耳加耳，跟隨他的人都戰慄害怕。 |
7 and other Hebrews passed over the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, held out at Gilgal, although all his followers were seized with fear. |
| 8撒烏耳照撒慕爾約定的日期等了七天，但是撒慕爾卻沒有到基耳加耳來，因此軍民離開撒烏耳四散逃跑了。 |
8He waited seven days--the time Samuel had determined. When Samuel did not arrive at Gilgal, the men began to slip away from Saul. |
| 9撒烏耳於是吩咐說：「把全燔祭品與和平祭品送到我這裏來！」他遂獻了全燔祭。 |
9He then said, "Bring me the holocaust and peace offerings," and he offered up the holocaust. |
| 10他剛獻完全燔祭，撒慕爾來了，撒烏耳便去迎接他，向他致敬。 |
10He had just finished this offering when Samuel arrived. Saul went out to greet him, |
| 11撒慕爾問道：「你作了什麼事？」撒烏耳答說：「我看見軍民離開我四散逃跑了，你又沒有照定期來到，同時培肋舍特人已集合在米革瑪斯， |
11and Samuel asked him, "What have you done?" Saul replied: "When I saw that the men were slipping away from me, since you had not come by the specified time, and with the Philistines assembled at Michmash, |
| 12所以我想現在培肋舍特人就要下到基耳加耳來攻打我，我還沒向上主求援，所以我迫不得已，奉獻了全燔祭。」 |
12I said to myself, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not yet sought the LORD'S blessing.' So in my anxiety I offered up the holocaust." |
| 13撒慕爾對撒烏耳說：「你作的真糊塗！假使你遵守了上主你的天主吩咐的命令，上主必鞏固你在以色列的王位直到永遠。 |
13Samuel's response was: "You have been foolish! Had you kept the command the LORD your God gave you, the LORD would now establish your kingship in Israel as lasting; |
| 14但現在你的王位已立不住了；上主已另找了一位隨他心意的人，立他為百姓的首領，因為你沒有遵守上主吩咐你的命令。」 |
14but as things are, your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and has appointed him commander of his people, because you broke the LORD'S command." |
| 15撒慕爾就起身離開基耳加耳走了。剩下的人跟隨撒烏耳從基耳加耳上到了本雅明的革巴，與那裏的軍隊會合；撒烏耳統計了隨從他的部隊，約有六百人。 |
15Then Samuel set out from Gilgal and went his own way; but the rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the soldiers, going from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul then numbered the soldiers he had with him, who were about six hundred. |
| 16撒烏耳和他的兒子約納堂，並一切隨從他們的人駐紮在本雅明的革巴；同時培肋舍特人已在米革瑪斯安了營。 |
16Saul, his son Jonathan, and the soldiers they had with them were now occupying Geba of Benjamin, and the Philistines were encamped at Michmash. |
| 17那時從培肋舍特營中有三個突擊隊出發：一隊取道敖斐辣，開往叔阿耳地方； |
17Meanwhile, raiders left the camp of the Philistines in three bands. One band took the Ophrah road toward the district of Shual; |
| 18一隊開往貝特曷龍；另一隊開往革巴，此地俯瞰往曠野去的袋狼山谷。 |
18another turned in the direction of Beth-horon; and the third took the road for Geba that overlooks the Valley of the Hyenas toward the desert. |
| 19那時，在以色列全境內沒有鐵匠，原來培肋舍特人說過：「免得希伯來人製造刀槍。」 |
19Not a single smith was to be found in the whole land of Israel, for the Philistines had said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears." |
| 20因此，以色列人為磨快犁、鋤、斧、鐮都要下到培肋舍特人那裏。 |
20All Israel, therefore, had to go down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, and sickles. |
| 21磨快犁和鋤的價錢是三分之二「協刻耳」，磨快鐮刀或裝製刺針是三分之一「協刻耳」。 |
21The price for the plowshares and mattocks was two-thirds of a shekel, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the ox-goads. |
| 22所以在米革瑪斯到了開戰的那一天，隨從撒烏耳和約納堂的人手中都沒有刀槍，只是撒烏耳和他的兒子約納堂有刀槍。 |
22And so on the day of battle neither sword nor spear could be found in the possession of any of the soldiers with Saul or Jonathan. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had them. |
| 23那時培肋舍特人的前哨向米革瑪斯關口推進。 |
23An outpost of the Philistines had pushed forward to the pass of Michmash. |
